Arctic megaslide at presumed rest

Slope failure like in the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide is one of the major geohazards in a changing Arctic environment. We analysed hydroacoustic and 2D high-resolution seismic data from the apparently intact continental slope immediately north of the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide for signs of past and fut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2016-12, Vol.6 (1), p.38529-38529, Article 38529
Main Authors: Geissler, Wolfram H., Gebhardt, A. Catalina, Gross, Felix, Wollenburg, Jutta, Jensen, Laura, Schmidt-Aursch, Mechita C., Krastel, Sebastian, Elger, Judith, Osti, Giacomo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/2151
704/4111
Arctic environments
Bathymetry
Continental slope
Gas hydrates
Gas seepage
Geological hazards
Geosciences: 450
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrates
Landslides & mudslides
Mathematics and natural science: 400
Methane
multidisciplinary
Natural hazards
Science
Slope stability
Solid Earth sciences
Stormwater
VDP
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Summary:Slope failure like in the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide is one of the major geohazards in a changing Arctic environment. We analysed hydroacoustic and 2D high-resolution seismic data from the apparently intact continental slope immediately north of the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide for signs of past and future instabilities. Our new bathymetry and seismic data show clear evidence for incipient slope instability. Minor slide deposits and an internally-deformed sedimentary layer near the base of the gas hydrate stability zone imply an incomplete failure event, most probably about 30000 years ago, contemporaneous to or shortly after the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide. An active gas reservoir at the base of the gas hydrate stability zone demonstrate that over-pressured fluids might have played a key role in the initiation of slope failure at the studied slope, but more importantly also for the giant HYM slope failure. To date, it is not clear, if the studied slope is fully preconditioned to fail completely in future or if it might be slowly deforming and creeping at present. We detected widespread methane seepage on the adjacent shallow shelf areas not sealed by gas hydrates.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/srep38529