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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ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/f3e2f407-5611-4456-a0d6-319ac7bf4df4 2024-02-04T09:58:08+01:00 Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation Elger, Judith Berndt, Christian Rüpke, Lars Krastel, Sebastian Gross, Felix Geissler, Wolfram H. 2018-12-01 https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/f3e2f407-5611-4456-a0d6-319ac7bf4df4 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042232291&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/f3e2f407-5611-4456-a0d6-319ac7bf4df4 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Elger , J , Berndt , C , Rüpke , L , Krastel , S , Gross , F & Geissler , W H 2018 , ' Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation ' , Nature Communications , vol. 9 , no. 1 , 715 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 article 2018 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 2024-01-11T00:03:30Z 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 Aarhus University: Research Arctic Arctic Ocean Nature Communications 9 1 |
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Open Polar |
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Aarhus University: Research |
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ftuniaarhuspubl |
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 |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/f3e2f407-5611-4456-a0d6-319ac7bf4df4 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042232291&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
op_source |
Elger , J , Berndt , C , Rüpke , L , Krastel , S , Gross , F & Geissler , W H 2018 , ' Submarine slope failures due to pipe structure formation ' , Nature Communications , vol. 9 , no. 1 , 715 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03176-1 |
op_relation |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/f3e2f407-5611-4456-a0d6-319ac7bf4df4 |
op_rights |
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_ |
1789962492012658688 |