Characterisation of weak layers, physical controls on their global distribution and their role in submarine landslide formation

Gatter, Ricarda; Clare, Michael; Kuhlmann, Jannis; Huhn, Katrin

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103845

Cited by 45 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 226 publications

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“…The interplay of multiple physical processes on slide preconditioning can be felt thousands, or even millions, of years after their activity ceased (Gatter et al, 2020), thus cautioning against the simplistic linkage of sliding to an external trigger. We suggest that such a temporally-buffered connection likely exists for many other settings, where diverse tectonic, sedimentological and/or oceanographic process interactions form stratigraphically-constrained fluid sources, pathways, and permeability barriers (Gatter et al, 2021;Gatter et al, 2020).…”

Section: Controls On the Formation Of A Regional Failure Surface And ...mentioning

confidence: 91%

“…This could explain why large slides occur on unusually low-angle slopes (<2 o ) in areas of low sediment accumulation (<0.15 m/kyr) (e.g. Gatter et al, 2021;Urlaub et al, 2018). Despite their apparent significance, the pre-failure physical properties of ooze-rich slopes that ultimately fail remain poorly constrained (Urlaub et al, 2018), given: (i) difficulties in directly sampling and geophysically imaging the base of thick (100s m) slides; and (ii) emplacement processes modify the physical properties of the slope sediment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have mostly focused on individual slides, originating in diatomaceous, rather than calcareous, oozes. Typically, sampling has been from landslide debris; hence, any geotechnically-weak layers are unlikely to be preserved (Gatter et al, 2021;Locat et al, 2014;Urlaub et al, 2018). Therefore, the pre-emplacement physical properties of sediments at basal shear surfaces remain poorly understood, given they can be strongly modified as the slide evolves (Masson et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diagenetic priming of submarine landslides in ooze-rich substrates

Wu¹,

Jackson²,

Clare³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Oozes are the most widespread deep-sea sediment in the global ocean, but very little is known about how changes in their physical properties impact slope stability and related geohazards. Characterisation of the conditions that prime ooze rich slides has been hindered, as physical properties of sediments are modified by the effects of mass wasting. We here use 3D seismic reflection, geochemical, and petrophysical data acquired both within and adjacent to 13 large (up to c. 6330 km2 in area) submarine slides on the Exmouth Plateau, NW Shelf, Australia, to investigate how the pre-slide physical properties of oozes control slope failure and slide emplacement. Our integrated dataset allows us to detect potential slide surfaces within ooze successions; a crucial advance for improved submarine geohazard assessment. Moreover, we demonstrate that the interplay of tectonics, ocean current activity, and silica diagenesis can prime multiple slides on very low gradient slopes in tropical, oceanic basins. We argue that the diagenesis of silica-rich sediments must be accounted for in future submarine slope stability assessments.

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Section: Controls On the Formation Of A Regional Failure Surface And ...mentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diagenetic priming of submarine landslides in ooze-rich substrates

Wu¹,

Jackson²,

Clare³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Sediments with lower strength compared to their adjacent units can initiate submarine mass movements at micro triggering conditions (Locat et al., 2014). Such weak layers are considered as one of the most important preconditioning factors for submarine landsliding (Gatter et al., 2021; Locat et al., 2014), such as the Storegga Slide (Kvalstad et al., 2005), and the Nice airport failure (Dan et al., 2007). For the Sahara Slide Complex, all glide planes, including the buried ones, trend parallel to the undisturbed stratified sediments (Figures 5 and 6a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence of Multiple Slope Failures in the Headwall Area of the Giant Sahara Slide Complex at the NW African Continental Margin

Tang

Geersen

Düring

et al. 2022

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Submarine mega‐slides involving hundreds of cubic kilometers of slope material pose a major threat due to their potential to destroy offshore infrastructure and trigger devastating tsunamis. The Sahara Slide Complex affected about 50,000 km2 of the northwestern (NW) African continental margin. Previous studies focused either on its distal depositional zone or the uppermost headwall area, but failed in reconstructing the succession of individual slide events within the entire headwall area. New hydroacoustic data reveal a complex slide morphology including three main acoustic facies, large scale slide blocks, linear troughs, multiple glide planes and three major headwall scarps (the upper, southern and lower headwall). The evacuated slide scar hosts chaotic slide deposits that cover stratified sediments in the upper and southern headwall area, but are vertically stacked onto older slide deposits in the lower headwall area. Based on these observations, and dating of recently collected sediment samples, we reconstructed the history of slope failures that led to the formation of the structurally and morphologically complex headwall area of the Sahara Slide. Slope instability initiated when the lower headwall failed at ∼60 kyr, followed by the failure of the northeastern upper headwall at ∼14 kyr. Around 6 kyr, a major slide within the upper headwall area took place, followed by a series of smaller events within the southern and most‐proximal upper headwall area. The youngest of these slides occurred around 2 kyr. This scenario suggests a long‐lasting history of successive slope failures for the Sahara Slide Complex along the NW African continental slope.

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“…Locat et al (2014) suggested that weak layers can be classified as inherited (exhibit low strength before the slide event due to, e.g., reactivation of past slide) or induced (loss of strength during the slide event due to, e.g., liquefaction, gas hydrate dissociation, or rapid sedimentation; Stoecklin et al, 2017). Gatter et al (2021) proposed a different classification method based on lithology consisting of: siliciclastic, volcaniclastic and fossiliferous sediments. Siliciclastic sediments, including clay layers and sand-clay sequences are prone to strain-softening due to particle rearrangement in clays during shearing and due to excess pore pressure accumulation at the clay-sand interface (Gatter et al, 2021).…”

Section: Mechanisms and Kinematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Basin Sediments Geometry and Strength as Controls for Post‐Failure Emplacement Style of Alpine Sub‐Lacustrine Landslides

et al. 2022

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Predicting the evolution of underwater mass movements in their post‐failure stage is vital for risk assessment of offshore structures and ensuring safety of coastal communities threatened by tsunami waves. In the absence of sedimentological and geotechnical data, variability of the post‐failure behavior in a specific marine or lacustrine setting is often attributed to predisposition factors such as the slope height‐drop and depth to the basal shear surface. In this paper, the contribution of other geometrical parameters such as the slope inclination and the relative thickness of the frontal basin sediments is investigated using a coupled Eulerian‐Lagrangian finite element framework. An emphasis is given to the important role of the strength difference between the slope and frontal basin sediments. The suggested framework is first validated against the well‐documented Zinnen slide in Lake Lucerne (Switzerland), successfully reproducing the post‐failure geometry and capturing the main features observed in published seismic profiles. It is then applied in a parametric study to illustrate the decisive role of the frontal basin sediments in determining the post‐failure geometry of underwater mass wasting in similar settings.

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Characterisation of weak layers, physical controls on their global distribution and their role in submarine landslide formation

Cited by 45 publications

References 226 publications

Diagenetic priming of submarine landslides in ooze-rich substrates

Diagenetic priming of submarine landslides in ooze-rich substrates

Sequence of Multiple Slope Failures in the Headwall Area of the Giant Sahara Slide Complex at the NW African Continental Margin

Basin Sediments Geometry and Strength as Controls for Post‐Failure Emplacement Style of Alpine Sub‐Lacustrine Landslides

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