Evaluation of the mass transfer flux at interfaces between submarine sliding soils and ambient water

Abstract

Historically, frequent submarine slide hazards have directly or indirectly caused much devastating damage to offshore infrastructure, resulting in large economic losses that have attracted increasing international attention. Previous studies have focused more on the characteristics of submarine slides themselves (kinematics, sedimentology, etc.), but studies on the interaction between submarine sliding soils and the ambient water that affects these characteristics are relatively limited. In this paper, the mass transfer process at soil-water interfaces during submarine slide motions at different velocities is investigated by a series of experiments using a carefully designed flume testing system. The results show that the extent of the mass transfer process at soil-water interfaces mainly depends on the velocity and material properties (shear strength and apparent viscosity) of submarine sliding soils. Based on the experimental results, an empirical prediction equation for average mass transfer flux parameters at soil-water interfaces during movements of viscous marine sliding soils is recommended, providing a new reference for assessing the characteristics of submarine slides.