Abstract
A large-scale submarine landslide (Baiyun Slide) covering an area of 10,000 km2 was identified from the multibeam bathymetric data, high-resolution 2D and 3D seismic data acquired in the Baiyun Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea (SCS). Numerous polygonal faults are also found below the translational domain of the Baiyun Slide. Enhanced reflections, bright spots and pull-down reflection have been illustrated from the 2D and 3D seismic data, indicating the presence of gas. The headwall scarps of the slide are located stratigraphically above the sediments where the amplitude anomalies are identified. The focused fluid flow maybe leak from the gas reservoir and migrate upward into the base of the Baiyun Slide. Though the triggering mechanism of the Baiyun Slide is still poorly known, the fluid trapped below the slide will reduce the strength of the sediments and trigger the slope failure. We propose a conceptual model of the relationship between fluid migration and slope stability.
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge editor Christian Berndt, and the two reviewers Michael Strasser and Katrin Huhn for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. Our research is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (40930845 and 41276053) and the National Science and Technology Major Project (2011ZX05026-004-06).
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Li, W. et al. (2014). Baiyun Slide and Its Relation to Fluid Migration in the Northern Slope of Southern China Sea. In: Krastel, S., et al. Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 37. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_10
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