A refreshing 3D view of an ancient sediment collapse and slope failure |
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| Authors: | Veerle A. I. Huvenne,Peter F. Croker,& Jean-Pierre Henriet |
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| Affiliation: | 1Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Krijgslaan 281, S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium,;2Petroleum Affairs Division, Beggars Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland |
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| Abstract: | The combined analysis of high-resolution 2D seismics and an industrial 3D seismic data volume from the western Porcupine Basin, offshore SW Ireland, revealed an unusual picture of a buried sediment collapse and slope failure. A proportionally thin (≤ 85 m) but vast (> 750 km2) slab of consolidated sediments started to slide downslope, in the meantime breaking into hundreds of vertically undisturbed blocks, up to 500 m in diameter. The most probably overpressured underlying horizon seems to have liquefied and acted as a slide plane until the excess pore pressure had dissipated. Then – still very early in the slide development – the process stopped, freezing the failure at its initial stage. |
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