Numerical Constraints on the Causes and Processes of Submarine Slope Failure along Active, Passive, and Volcanic Margins

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The PIs will attempt to understand why submarine slopes fail where and when they do, through numerical modeling that will simulate the evolution of stresses and fluid pressures (and flow) in sedimentary buildups. They propose to use Discrete Element Methods (DEM) to model these processes, inputting laboratory and borehole constraints such as shear strength, internal friction, density and porosity and deriving internal friction, compressive and tensile shear strengths, and elastic modulii through modeling. The focus of the study research will be to attempt to understand the causes of failure in these environments, which is difficult to accomplish through direct observation. Broader impacts include graduate student training, support of underrepresented groups in the Earth Sciences, K-12 outreach, enhanced computational infrastructure, dissemination of results to the broader geohazards community, and the societal benefits of understanding the risk associated with submarine landslide hazards.