Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation
There is a strong spatial correlation between submarine slope failures and the occurrence of gas hydrates. This has been attributed to the dynamic nature of gas hydrate systems and the potential reduction of slope stability due to bottom water warming or sea level drop. However, 30 years of research...
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:41938 2023-05-15T15:02:54+02:00 Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation Elger, Judith Berndt, Christian Rüpke, Lars Krastel, Sebastian Gross, Felix Geissler, Wolfram H. 2018-02-19 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/1/s41467-018-03176-1.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 en eng Nature Research https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/1/s41467-018-03176-1.pdf Elger, J. , Berndt, C. , Rüpke, L. , Krastel, S. , Gross, F. and Geissler, W. H. (2018) Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation. Open Access Nature Communications, 9 (Art.No. 715). DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1>. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 cc_by_4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 2023-04-07T15:38:23Z There is a strong spatial correlation between submarine slope failures and the occurrence of gas hydrates. This has been attributed to the dynamic nature of gas hydrate systems and the potential reduction of slope stability due to bottom water warming or sea level drop. However, 30 years of research into this process found no solid supporting evidence. Here we present new reflection seismic data from the Arctic Ocean and numerical modelling results supporting a different link between hydrates and slope stability. Hydrates reduce sediment permeability and cause build-up of overpressure at the base of the gas hydrate stability zone. Resulting hydro-fracturing forms pipe structures as pathways for overpressured fluids to migrate upward. Where these pipe structures reach shallow permeable beds, this overpressure transfers laterally and destabilises the slope. This process reconciles the spatial correlation of submarine landslides and gas hydrate, and it is independent of environmental change and water depth. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Arctic Arctic Ocean Nature Communications 9 1 |
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Open Polar |
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OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
There is a strong spatial correlation between submarine slope failures and the occurrence of gas hydrates. This has been attributed to the dynamic nature of gas hydrate systems and the potential reduction of slope stability due to bottom water warming or sea level drop. However, 30 years of research into this process found no solid supporting evidence. Here we present new reflection seismic data from the Arctic Ocean and numerical modelling results supporting a different link between hydrates and slope stability. Hydrates reduce sediment permeability and cause build-up of overpressure at the base of the gas hydrate stability zone. Resulting hydro-fracturing forms pipe structures as pathways for overpressured fluids to migrate upward. Where these pipe structures reach shallow permeable beds, this overpressure transfers laterally and destabilises the slope. This process reconciles the spatial correlation of submarine landslides and gas hydrate, and it is independent of environmental change and water depth. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Elger, Judith Berndt, Christian Rüpke, Lars Krastel, Sebastian Gross, Felix Geissler, Wolfram H. |
spellingShingle |
Elger, Judith Berndt, Christian Rüpke, Lars Krastel, Sebastian Gross, Felix Geissler, Wolfram H. Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
author_facet |
Elger, Judith Berndt, Christian Rüpke, Lars Krastel, Sebastian Gross, Felix Geissler, Wolfram H. |
author_sort |
Elger, Judith |
title |
Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
title_short |
Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
title_full |
Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
title_fullStr |
Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
title_sort |
submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation |
publisher |
Nature Research |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/1/s41467-018-03176-1.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/41938/1/s41467-018-03176-1.pdf Elger, J. , Berndt, C. , Rüpke, L. , Krastel, S. , Gross, F. and Geissler, W. H. (2018) Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation. Open Access Nature Communications, 9 (Art.No. 715). DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1>. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 |
op_rights |
cc_by_4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766334809076924416 |