Context
Deep down in the ocean, marine sediments move over the base of the ocean, shaping the probability of geohazards.
Marine geohazards take place when the seafloor is unstable and is not able to withstand the transport processes of marine sediments from landwards deep into the ocean bottom. In such a situation, placement of drilling rigs becomes hazardous due to instability of the seabed.
In news
Scientists have used 3D seismic data to understand the interaction between the bottom surface of marine sediments and the seafloor in the northern Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand.
Significance
- This can help apprehend the precursors of marine geohazards.
- While understanding marine sediments' interaction during their flow over the seabed is crucial to detect triggers of marine hazards like landslides, associated morphological investigation is a very challenging task, and geophysical/seismic prospecting methods are essential for it.
- The study will help understand different flow mechanisms associated with sediment movement over the seafloor.
- It will also shed light on several flow indicators that define the dynamics of the sediment mass movement or the dominant transport directions and mechanism of the mass flow.
- Understanding these phenomena can help apprehend precursors of marine geohazards or the nature and physiography of the seafloor over which sediments can move.
Source: PIB
