Abstract
Various geological processes and features that might inflict hazards identified in the South China Sea by using new technologies and methods. These features include submarine landslides, pockmark fields, shallow free gas, gas hydrates, mud diapirs and earthquake tsunami, which are widely distributed in the continental slope and reefal islands of the South China Sea. Although the study and assessment of geohazards in the South China Sea came into operation only recently, advances in various aspects are evolving at full speed to comply with National Marine Strategy and ‘the Belt and Road’ Policy. The characteristics of geohazards in deep-water seafloor of the South China Sea are summarized based on new scientific advances. This progress is aimed to aid ongoing deep-water drilling activities and decrease geological risks in ocean development.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbott, P. L., 2009. Natural Disasters. The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York, 516pp.
Canals, M., Lastras, G., Urgeles, R., Casamor, J., Mienert, J., Cattaneo, A., De Batist, M., Haflidason, H., Imbo, Y., and Laberg, J., 2004. Slope failure dynamics and impacts from seafloor and shallow sub-seafloor geophysical data: Case studies from the COSTA project. Marine Geology, 213: 9–72.
Chen, H. J., Liang, J., and Gong, Y. H., 2018. Comprehensive investigation of submarine slide zones and mass movements at the northern continental slope of South China Sea. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 101–117.
Dao, M. H., Tkalich, P., Chan, E. S., and Megawati, K., 2009. Tsunami propagation scenarios in the South China Sea. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 36 (1): 67–73.
Dugan, B., and Flemings, P. B., 2000. Overpressure and fluid flow in the New Jersey continental slope: Implications for slope failure and cold seeps. Science, 289 (5477): 288–291.
Field, M., and Edwards, B., 1993. Submarine landslides in a basin and ridge setting, southern California. In: Submarine Landslides: Selected Studies in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Schwab, W. C., et al., eds., US Geological Survey, Denver, 176–183.
Haflidason, H., Sejrup, H. P., Nygård, A., Mienert, J., Bryn, P., Lien, R., Forsberg, C. F., Berg, K., and Masson, D., 2004. The Storegga slide: Architecture, geometry and slide development. Marine Geology, 213: 201–234.
Hampton, M., and Lee, H., 1996. Submarine landslides. Reviews of Geophysics, 34 (1): 33–59.
Liu, Y., Santos, A., Wang, S. M., Shi, Y., Liu, H., and Yuen, D. A., 2007. Tsunami hazards along Chinese coast from potential earthquakes in South China Sea. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 163: 233–244.
Li, Q. C., Cheng, Y. F., Zhang, H. W., Yan, C. L., and Liu, Y. W., 2018. Simulating the effect of hydrate dissociation on wellhead stability during oil and gas development in deep-water. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 35–45.
Locat, J., and Lee, H. J., 2002. Submarine landslides: Advances and challenges. Canada Geotechnology Journal, 39: 193–212.
Ma, Z. J., and Ye, H., 2005. The Dec. 26, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake: Tectonic setting and the tsunami disaster. Earth Science Frontiers, 12 (1): 281–287.
McConnell, D. R., Zhang, Z., and Boswell, R., 2012. Review of progress in evaluating gas hydrate drilling hazards. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 34 (1): 209–223.
Megawati, K., Shaw, F., Sieh, K., Huang, Z., Wu, T. R., Lin, Y., Tan, S. K., and Pan, T. C., 2009. Tsunami hazard from the subduction megathrust of the South China Sea: Part I. Source characterization and the resulting tsunami. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 36 (1): 13–20.
Pettingill, H. S., and Weimer, P., 2002. Worlwide deep-water exploration and production: Past, present, and future. The Leading Edge, 21 (4): 371–376.
Ren, S. R., Liu, Y. M., Gong, Z. W., Yu, L., Wang, Y. Y., Xu, Y., and Deng, J. Y., 2018. Numerical simulation of water and sand blowout when penetrating through shallow water flow formations in deep-water drilling. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 17–24.
Sloan Jr., E. D., and Koh, C., 2007. Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1–624.
Sun, L., Zhou, X., Huang, W., Liu, X., Yan, H., Xie, Z., Wu, Z., Zhao, S., Da, S., and Yang, W., 2013. Preliminary evidence for a 1000-year-old tsunami in the South China Sea. Scientific Report, 3: 1655.
Sun, Q., Wu, S., Cartwright, J., and Dong, D., 2012. Shallow gas and focused fluid flow systems in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea. Marine Geology, 315: 1–14.
Sun, J., Wu, S. H., Deng, J. G., Lin, H., and Zhang, H. Y., 2018. Numerical simulation of mechanical compaction of deepwater shallow sediments. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 53–64.
Sun, Y. B., Zhang, X. H., Wu, S. G., Wang, L., and Yang, S. X., 2018. Submarine landslide related to hydrate occurrences in Baiyun Depression, South China Sea. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 129–138.
Tan, Q., Deng, J. G., Sun, J., Liu, W., and Yu, B. H., 2018. Study on leak-off mechanism and leak-off pressure prediction of shallow sediments in deep-water drilling. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 65–71.
Wan, K. Y., Sun, J. L., Xie, X. L., Xia, S. H., Zhang, X., Cao, J. H., Zhao, F., Fan, C. Y., and Xu, H. L., 2018. Seismotectonics of the Taiwan Shoal region in the northeastern South China Sea: Insights from the crustal structure. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 156–168.
Wang, D., Wu, S., Qin, Z., Spence, G., and Lü, F., 2013. Seismic characteristics of the Huaguang mass transport deposits in the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea: Implications for regional tectonic activity. Marine Geology, 346 (11): 165–182.
Wang, D., Wu, S., Li, C., and Yao, G., 2016. Submarine slide evidence for late Miocene strike-slip reversal of the Red River fault. Science China–Earth Sciences, 59 (11): 2231–2239.
Wang, H. L., Zhao, Q., Wu, S. H., Wang, D. W., and Wang, B., 2018a. Post-rifting magmatism and the drowned reefs in the Xisha Archipelago domain. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 195–208.
Wang, L., Wu, S., Li, Q., Wang, D., and Fu, S., 2014. Architecture and development of a multi-stage Baiyun submarine slide complex in the Pearl River canyon, northern South China Sea. Geo-Marine Letter, 34: 327–343
Wang, W. W., Guo, J., Cai, G. Q., and Wang, D. W., 2018b. Intelligent identification of edges of remnant ridge in the western region of Yongxing Island, South China Sea. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 118–128.
Wang, W. W., Wang, D. W., Wu, S. G., Völker, D., Zeng, H. L., Cai, G. Q., Li Q. P., and Lv, F. L., 2018c. Geophysical characteristics and transport model of submarine landslides on the north continental slope of the South China Sea. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 83–100.
Wei, J., Liu, H. S., Xing, L., and Du, D., 2018. Application of seismic interferometric migration for shallow seismic high precision data processing: A case study in the Shenhu area. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 46–52.
Wu, S., Wang, D., and Yao, G., 2015. Deep-Water Petroleum Reservoir and Sedimentation in the South China Sea. Science Publication, Beijing, 1–264 (in Chinese).
Wu, S., Sun, Y., Wang, X., Zhao, Q., Liu, F., and Dong, D., 2010. Geophysical signature and detection of shallow water flow in the deep-water basin of the northern South China Sea. Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 53 (7): 1681–1690 (in Chinese with English abstract).
Wu, S., Wang, D., and Qin, Z., 2011. Geohazards and prediction techniques in deep-water oil and gas development. Journal of Natural Disasters, 20 (supplementary): 1–8 (in Chinese with English abstract).
Wu, S., Yuan, S. Q., Zhang, G. C., Ma, Y. B., Mi, L. J., and Xu, N., 2008. Seismic characteristics of a reef carbonate reservoir and implications for hydrocarbon exploration in deep-water of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern SCS. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 26 (6): 817–823.
Xia, S. H., Cao, J. H., Sun, J. L., Lv, J. S., Xu, H. L., Zhang, X., Wan, K. Y., Fan, C. Y., and Zhou, P. X., 2018. Seismogenic structures of the 2006 ML4.0 Dangan Island earthquake offshore Hong Kong. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 169–176.
Xie, Y. B., Wu, T. Y., Sun, J., Zhang, H. Y., Wang, J. L., Gao, J. W., and Chen, C. X., 2018. Sediment compaction and pore pressure prediction in deep-water basin of the South China Sea: Estimation from ODP and IODP drilling well data. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 25–34.
Xu, Y. Q., Liu, L. J., Zhou, H., Huang, B. Q., Li, P., Ma, X. D., and Dong, F. Y., 2018. Submarine landslide identified in DLW3102 core of the northern continental slope, South China Sea. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 147–155.
Ye, Y., 2012. Chinese Ocean Geohazards. Ocean Press, Beijing, 1–560 (in Chinese).
Zhang, H. W., Cheng, Y. F., Li, Q. C., Yan, C. L., and Han, X. T., 2018a. Numerical analysis of wellbore instability in gas hydrate formation during deep-water drilling. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 8–16.
Zhang, H. Y., Liu, H. S., Wu, S. G., Sun, J., Yang, C. Q., Xie, Y. B., Chen, C. X., Gao, J. W., and Wang, J. L., 2018b. Pre-drilling prediction techniques on the high temperature high pressure hydrocarbon reservoirs offshore Hainan Island. China. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 72–82.
Zhang, X., Ye, X. W., Lv, J. S., Sun, J. L., and Wang, X. N., 2018c. Crustal structure and tectonic implications revealed by deep seismic sounding profile of Baijing-Gaoming-Jinwan in the Pearl River Delta. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 186–194.
Zhou, D., Ru, K., and Chen, H. Z., 1995. Kinematics of Cenozoic extension on the South China Sea continental margin and its implications for the tectonic evolution of the region. Tectonophysics, 251 (1): 161–177.
Zhou, P. X., Xia, S. H., Sun, J. L., Cao, J. H., Xu, H. L., Zhao, F., and Chen, C. X., 2018. Spatial variations of b-values in the coastal area of Guangdong. Journal of Ocean University of China, 17 (1): 177–185.
Acknowledgements
We thank all the authors and reviewers for their assistance with this special issue. We also thank editor office, Dr. Chen Wenwen, for her outstanding work. This study was funded by the MOST 973 program (No. 2015CB25 1201), the Guangzhou Marine Geology Survey project (Nos. GZH201400210 and GZH201601040), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 912282 08 and 41666012).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, S., Wang, D. & Völker, D. Deep-sea geohazards in the South China Sea. J. Ocean Univ. China 17, 1–7 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-018-3490-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-018-3490-1