Submarine Landslide Deposits

Submarine Landslide Deposits

Submarine landslide is a geological event where a mass of sediment or rock on a slope in the ocean, sea, lake, or reservoir fails and moves downslope under the influence of gravity. This movement can be slow or rapid, and can result in the displacement of large volumes of sediment and rock. 

Submarine landslides can occur on slopes of varying steepness, and can be triggered by a variety of factors, including seismic activity, changes in pore water pressure, and the accumulation of sediment or rock on the slope. These landslides can have significant impacts on the surrounding environment, including the generation of tsunamis, the disruption of seafloor infrastructure, and changes in the bathymetry of the ocean floor.

Landslides occur on land, causing plenty of infrastructure damage and other problems.  While they are difficult to view and visualize, landslides also occur on the seafloor, causing massive reorganization of the seafloor that can generate tsunamis. 

In fact, the Storegga slide that occurred offshore Norway about 6000 B.C. likely killed many Europeans. Due to their volume and size, submarine landslides are usually characterized best with seismic reflection data.