Underwater Landslide Characteristics from 2D Laboratory Modeling

Abstract

Landslide-generated impulse waves are considered a severe danger for humans and infrastructure. Design formulas following intensive laboratory research allow for a quick assessment of potential slide-event wave features. Unfortunately, prototype data are rare except for underwater slide deposits often corresponding to the only traces of a past event. If past events could be back-analyzed based on in situ scanned underwater slide deposits, the existing assessment approaches could be supported. Video recordings of 41 slide-generated impulse wave tests in a two-dimensional (2D) wave channel were analyzed regarding the underwater slide dynamics and their final deposition patterns. The underwater slide propagation process is described for three specifically selected tests. Correlation equations are presented for underwater slide front propagation and velocity, which are also useful for numerical modeling purposes. In addition, correlation equations are given for slide deposit features, including length and thickness, allowing for their estimation based on initial slide parameters.