Simulation of the Failure Process of Submarine Landslides on a Seabed by Coupled MPM

Abstract

Mei, X.; Ma, G.; Hu, X.; Shi, B., and Huang, D., 2020. Simulation of the failure process of submarine landslides on a seabed by coupled MPM. In: Liu, X. and Zhao, L. (eds.), Today's Modern Coastal Society: Technical and Sociological Aspects of Coastal Research. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 111, pp. 231–237. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Submarine landslides are large-scale natural marine disasters that commonly occur in coastal areas, which significantly threats important subsea infrastructures and offshore facilities. This paper presents a two-dimensional numerical model using the material point method and hydromechanical coupling to simulate a typical submarine landslide, named the Storegga Slide. The numerical simulation for modeling the submarine landslide, consisting of submarine clay with a strain-softening constitutive model, has provided information about the landslide failure process, as well as the failure mechanisms of retrogression deformation under the effect of water. The simulation reproduces the evolution process with a final deposit morphology, which is consistent with the previous investigation result. Based on the modeling, the landslide failure process, mechanisms, and plastic strain state are comprehensively discussed. It is found that because of the water effect, some distinct characteristics in the sliding process can be observed in submarine landslides: movement hinderance, a bulbous configuration, and high fluidization, which is valuable for disaster mitigation.