Wave-induced seepage and its possible contribution to the formation of pockmarks in the Huanghe (Yellow) River delta

Abstract

Wave-induced seepage and its possible contribution to the formation of pockmarks in the Huanghe (Yellow) River delta were investigated experimentally and numerically. Laboratory experiments were carried out to explore the response of a layered silty seabed with various saturation conditions under cyclic wave loads, in which the pore pressure and seepage-related phenomena were particularly monitored. Numerical models to simulate wave-induced seepage in the seabed were presented and evaluated, then applied to the Huanghe River delta. The experimental results show that the excess pore pressure decreases more rapidly at the surface layer, while the seepage-related phenomena are more pronounced when large cyclic loads are applied and the underlying layer is less saturated. The proposed numerical models were verified by comparing with the experiments. The calculated seepage depth agreed well with the depth of the pockmarks in the Huanghe River delta. The experimental and numerical results and the existing insitu investigations indicate that the wave-induced seepage may be a direct cause of the pockmarks in the Huanghe River delta. Extreme storm waves and the dual-layered structure of hard surface layer and weak underlying layer are essential external and internal factors, respectively. Wave- or current-induced scour and transport are possible contributors to the reformation of pockmarks at a later stage.