soil liquefaction
Earth becomes fluid
Soil liquefaction is a phenomenon where saturated soil temporarily loses its strength and behaves like a liquid, typically during earthquakes.
When ground shaking increases pressure in waterlogged soil, particles lose contact with each other and the soil flows.
Buildings sink or tilt, buried tanks float to the surface, and the ground may erupt in sand boils.
The 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused widespread soil liquefaction.
- earthquakeSeismic ground movement
- ground shakingEarth's surface vibrating
- seismic wavesEnergy from earth movements
- landslideMass of earth falling
- quicksandYielding, engulfing sediment
loose sand · saturated · soft ground · liquefied · drainage systems · permeability · aftershock · water table · sand · groundwater · foundation · retaining walls · silt · erosion · unstable · water · building · sediment
- earthquake engineeringearthquake engineering, seismic waves, seismic risk, dampers, ductility
- earthquakesearthquake, quake, earthquakes, quakes, epicenter
- collapsescollapse, bridge collapse, roof collapse, wall collapse, structural failure
soil liquefactionsolid ground
Stable surface beneath
bedrock · hard ground · frozen ground · permafrost · rock