Characteristics of slow-moving submarine landslides

 

PhD Candidate: Benjamin Couvin

Supervisor: Dr. Lawrence Amy, Dr. Aggeliki Georgiopoulou, Dr. Joshu Mountjoy, Dr. Ben Clennell & Dr. David McNamara

Funded by: Science Fundation Ireland and co-funded by the European Research Development Fund

Abstract:

Landslides are generally thought of as catastrophic events occurring on land. However, many observations in the past have shown that landslides could also occur underwater, generally at the continental slopes. They can displace a large amount of material (much more than continental ones) and can therefore trigger tsunamis and damage human installations on the seafloor or on coastal land. The Tuaheni Landslide Complex (TLC), on the Hikurangi Margin, offshore New Zealand, presents large landslide deposits that appear to have a creeping behaviour. The deformation observed in the debris is also unlike what we would expect of such submarine mass movements. As a result, we seek to investigate the factors at the origin of deformation within the TLC. More insights in the mechanisms involved in slow-moving landslides such as this one could be compared to other slow-moving mass movements, on the seafloor as well as on land, the end objective being to characterise their mechanics at a global scale.