Characteristics of the submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic margin

Presenter: Chi-Lo Huang

Date: 2015/10/08

Abstract

Assessment of the probability for destructive landslide-generated tsunamis depends on the knowledge of the number, size, and frequency of large submarine landslides. With the nearly complete coverage of the U.S. Atlantic margin by multi-beam bathymetry, side-scan sonar imagery and core data provides an opportunity to reevaluate the distribution of submarine landslides. Furthermore, investigating the size distribution of submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise using the size of the landslide source regions. Landslides can be divided into two categories based on their source areas: those sourced in submarine canyons and those sourced on the open continental slope and rise. The cumulative volume distribution of the failure scars is better described by a log–normal distribution than by an inverse power law. The spatial distribution of landslides indicates that earthquakes associated with rebound of the glaciated part of the margin or earthquakes associated with salt domes were probably the primary triggering mechanism. Slop-sourced failures are larger than canyon-sourced failures, suggesting they have a higher potential for tsunami generation.

Reference

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