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Quaternary geology and Paleoclimate

ASSESSING OFFSHORE GEOHAZARD

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MAIN OBJECTIVES: The motivation of this project is to understand and compare the origin and development of relatively small landslides in different sedimentary environments (coastal and deepwater). To address these outstanding questions, we propose to perform detailed investigations of carefully selected submarine landslides: one in a shallow, harboured environment with prominent shallow gas accumulation (Finneidfjord) and one poorly‐understood deepwater environment. Focus lies on the acquisition of new geophysical data (swath bathymetry, high‐resolution 2D seismic, decimeter‐scale resolution 3D Chirp seismic, OBS) as well as high‐quality samples for geological, geochemical, geophysical and geotechnical analysis. Identification will be derived not only from qualitative seismic interpretation, but also the quantitative determination of geo‐acoustic properties, which in turn can be correlated with geotechnical parameters derived from the core material. Empirical relations developed from this calibration process can then be used to map the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of slide‐prone layers in different settings.

Key objectives are:

  • Identify and parameterize slip planes in two different settings in which comparable landslides occur;
  • To understand the processes involved in failure, including stratigraphy, lithology, and chronology from seismic and high‐resolution core data and geotechnical analysis (pore pressure, shear strength, stress history);
  • Assess present‐day stability and geohazard risk of these landslides (slope stability modelling)

 PROJECT PERIOD: 2010 - 2011

FUNDING: Norwegian Deepwater Programme, Seabed IV

PROJECT COORDINATOR: NGI (Dr. Maarten Vanneste )

PROJECT PARTNERS: NGI, NGU, UiB-GEO

PEOPLES IINVOLVED at UIB: Haflidi Haflidason (PI), Jo Brendryen