Explaining the Storegga Slide

Timing of occurrence of large submarine landslides on the Atlantic Ocean margin

“…The earthquake, in turn, was likely related to glacioisostatic rebounding following the deglaciation of Scandinavia. Bryn et al (2005) claim that a new ice age with infilling of glacial sediment on top of marine clays in the slide scar will be needed to create a new unstable situation at the site of the Storegga slide.…”

Geological Hazards

“…The slide runs from the shallow depths of the shelf of Norway to the abyssal plain with a slope angle of 0.6°; major areas of the slide have an inclination <0.4° (Kvalstad et al, 2002). The genesis of the Storegga Slide is debated extensively and consensus about the mechanism for its formation has not emerged so far (Bugge et al, 1987;Berndt et al, 2002;Maslin et al, 2004;Sultan et al, 2004;Mienert et al, 2005;Kvalstad et al, 2002Kvalstad et al, , 2005Bryn et al, 2005). In general, excess pore pressure is considered the main causative mechanism for the genesis of the slide; however, the interpretation for the generation of excess pore pressure differs significantly.…”

“…The Storegga Slide was most likely triggered by a strong earthquake in the area 150 km from the slide 8200 years ago. Modeling results show that excess pore pressure generated in the North Sea Fan area is transferred to the Storegga area with reduction in the slope stability in the downslope from the Orman Lange gas field and developed as a retrogressive slide (Bryn et al, 2005;Kvalstad et al, 2005).…”

“…The headwall of the slide is approximately 300 km A stacked record of temperatures and ice volume in the deep ocean through the Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods. LPTM, Paleocene−Eocene thermal maximum; OAEs, oceanic anoxic events; MME, Mid-Maastrichtian event 9.5 GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS wide and the slide narrows to a 60-km gateway in the opening between the Møre and Vøring volcanic highs (Bryn et al, 2005). The slide runs from the shallow depths of the shelf of Norway to the abyssal plain with a slope angle of 0.6°; major areas of the slide have an inclination <0.4° (Kvalstad et al, 2002).…”

Mauritania Slide Complex: morphology, seismic characterisation and processes of formation

“…Consequently, flows close to the northern boundary are likely to remain more fluidised and energised than those in the southern parts, and hence should have greater ability to travel much longer distance. As a similar example, the development of an erosional channel within the central scar of the Storegga Slide is thought to have enabled channelized flow and increased velocity of the debris flows in that part of the slide (Bryn et al 2005b).…”