The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Widespread and progressive seafloor-sediment failure following volcanic debris avalanche emplacement: Landslide dynamics and timing offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles

Widespread and progressive seafloor-sediment failure following volcanic debris avalanche emplacement: Landslide dynamics and timing offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles
Widespread and progressive seafloor-sediment failure following volcanic debris avalanche emplacement: Landslide dynamics and timing offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles
Landslides associated with flank collapse are volumetrically the most significant sediment transport process around volcanic islands. Around Montserrat, in the Lesser Antilles, individual landslide deposits have volumes (1 to 20 km3) that are up to two orders of magnitude larger than recent volcanic dome collapses (up to 0.2 km3). The largest landslide deposits were emplaced in at least two stages, initiated by the emplacement of volcanic debris avalanches which then triggered larger-scale failure of seafloor sediment, with deformation propagating progressively downslope for up to 30 km on gradients of <1°. An unusually detailed seismic, side-scan sonar and bathymetric dataset shows that the largest landslide off Montserrat (forming Deposit 8) incorporated ~ 70 m of in-situ sediment stratigraphy, and comprises ~ 80% seafloor sediment by volume. Well-preserved internal bedding and a lack of shortening at the frontally-confined toe of the landslide, shows that sediment failure involved only limited downslope transport. We discuss a range of models for progressively-driven failure of in-situ bedded seafloor sediment. For Deposit 8 and for comparable deposits elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles, we suggest that failure was driven by an over-running surface load that generated excess pore pressures in a weak and deforming undrained package of underlying stratigraphy. A propagating basal shear rupture may have also enhanced the downslope extent of sediment failure. Extensive seafloor-sediment failure may commonly follow debris avalanche emplacement around volcanic islands if the avalanche is emplaced onto a fine-grained parallel-bedded substrate. The timing of landslides off Montserrat is clustered, and associated with the deposition of thick submarine pyroclastic fans. These episodes of enhanced marine volcaniclastic input are separated by relatively quiescent periods of several 100 ka, and correspond to periods of volcanic edifice maturity when destructive processes dominate over constructive processes.
seafloor-sediment slide, progressive landslide, frontal confinement, undrained loading, volcanic debris avalanche, Montserrat
0025-3227
69-94
Watt, S.F.L.
76f594eb-9252-4a8b-822f-be71038b18db
Talling, P.J.
1cbac5ec-a9f8-4868-94fe-6203f30b47cf
Vardy, M.E.
8dd019dc-e57d-4b49-8f23-0fa6d246e69d
Masson, D.G.
edd44c8b-38ca-45fb-8d0d-ac8365748a45
Henstock, T.J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb
Huhnerbach, V.
1ea7cdde-a6fd-4749-b880-504c958c588c
Minshull, T.A.
bf413fb5-849e-4389-acd7-0cb0d644e6b8
Urlaub, M.
7dd888d5-083c-490d-9fe5-1d13bd7f08e7
Lebas, E.
f17bb18d-4425-4ba8-b4f8-72a6d4d76815
Le Friant, A.
8216e8e1-46a9-4f2b-9bb3-5217349e7035
Berndt, C.
231544d4-f681-44a2-ae6e-74385e588bf6
Crutchley, G.J.
67b17760-a46f-4cdd-96d9-20d91ba015d9
Karstens, J.
f0fdbf0c-ffb5-492f-a960-97f7ea80fda2
Watt, S.F.L.
76f594eb-9252-4a8b-822f-be71038b18db
Talling, P.J.
1cbac5ec-a9f8-4868-94fe-6203f30b47cf
Vardy, M.E.
8dd019dc-e57d-4b49-8f23-0fa6d246e69d
Masson, D.G.
edd44c8b-38ca-45fb-8d0d-ac8365748a45
Henstock, T.J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb
Huhnerbach, V.
1ea7cdde-a6fd-4749-b880-504c958c588c
Minshull, T.A.
bf413fb5-849e-4389-acd7-0cb0d644e6b8
Urlaub, M.
7dd888d5-083c-490d-9fe5-1d13bd7f08e7
Lebas, E.
f17bb18d-4425-4ba8-b4f8-72a6d4d76815
Le Friant, A.
8216e8e1-46a9-4f2b-9bb3-5217349e7035
Berndt, C.
231544d4-f681-44a2-ae6e-74385e588bf6
Crutchley, G.J.
67b17760-a46f-4cdd-96d9-20d91ba015d9
Karstens, J.
f0fdbf0c-ffb5-492f-a960-97f7ea80fda2

Watt, S.F.L., Talling, P.J., Vardy, M.E., Masson, D.G., Henstock, T.J., Huhnerbach, V., Minshull, T.A., Urlaub, M., Lebas, E., Le Friant, A., Berndt, C., Crutchley, G.J. and Karstens, J. (2012) Widespread and progressive seafloor-sediment failure following volcanic debris avalanche emplacement: Landslide dynamics and timing offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles. Marine Geology, 323-325, 69-94. (doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2012.08.002).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Landslides associated with flank collapse are volumetrically the most significant sediment transport process around volcanic islands. Around Montserrat, in the Lesser Antilles, individual landslide deposits have volumes (1 to 20 km3) that are up to two orders of magnitude larger than recent volcanic dome collapses (up to 0.2 km3). The largest landslide deposits were emplaced in at least two stages, initiated by the emplacement of volcanic debris avalanches which then triggered larger-scale failure of seafloor sediment, with deformation propagating progressively downslope for up to 30 km on gradients of <1°. An unusually detailed seismic, side-scan sonar and bathymetric dataset shows that the largest landslide off Montserrat (forming Deposit 8) incorporated ~ 70 m of in-situ sediment stratigraphy, and comprises ~ 80% seafloor sediment by volume. Well-preserved internal bedding and a lack of shortening at the frontally-confined toe of the landslide, shows that sediment failure involved only limited downslope transport. We discuss a range of models for progressively-driven failure of in-situ bedded seafloor sediment. For Deposit 8 and for comparable deposits elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles, we suggest that failure was driven by an over-running surface load that generated excess pore pressures in a weak and deforming undrained package of underlying stratigraphy. A propagating basal shear rupture may have also enhanced the downslope extent of sediment failure. Extensive seafloor-sediment failure may commonly follow debris avalanche emplacement around volcanic islands if the avalanche is emplaced onto a fine-grained parallel-bedded substrate. The timing of landslides off Montserrat is clustered, and associated with the deposition of thick submarine pyroclastic fans. These episodes of enhanced marine volcaniclastic input are separated by relatively quiescent periods of several 100 ka, and correspond to periods of volcanic edifice maturity when destructive processes dominate over constructive processes.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 1 September 2012
Additional Information: Funded by NERC: How is ash dispersed in the ocean around volcanoes? (NE/F010478/1)
Keywords: seafloor-sediment slide, progressive landslide, frontal confinement, undrained loading, volcanic debris avalanche, Montserrat
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics, Marine Geoscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 343546
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/343546
ISSN: 0025-3227
PURE UUID: a59e2972-e776-45a8-a6eb-ba25e1a64044
ORCID for T.J. Henstock: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2132-2514
ORCID for T.A. Minshull: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8202-1379

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Oct 2012 12:39
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:04

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: S.F.L. Watt
Author: P.J. Talling
Author: M.E. Vardy
Author: D.G. Masson
Author: T.J. Henstock ORCID iD
Author: V. Huhnerbach
Author: T.A. Minshull ORCID iD
Author: M. Urlaub
Author: E. Lebas
Author: A. Le Friant
Author: C. Berndt
Author: G.J. Crutchley
Author: J. Karstens

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×