Detecting huge mud and sand flow under the seabed

British researchers have discovered evidence of a huge landslide in the seabed 60,000 years ago, creating a huge flow of mud and sand on the earth. This finding is very useful in exploring the seabed, searching and exploiting oil and gas.

Scientists sample sediment.(Photo: Noc)

This landslide is located on the northwest coast of Africa, dumping into the ocean estimated at 225 billion cubic meters of sediment and may last for days. This rocky stream stretches 1500km, the length from London (England) to Rome (Italy), before settling down.

Huge waves have pushed into the sea a huge amount of material, equivalent to all the sand and silt that all rivers in the world pour into the sea in ten years. After the soil blocks from the collapse of the slide, sand and mud floated hundreds of kilometers in the water, without settling on the seabed.

Dr. Peter Talling, University of Bristol (UK) said: This case is like snow rain, snow falls straight from the giant clouds. A difference in the small slope of the seabed (from 0.05 to 0.01 degrees) has caused this flow to accumulate. This flow is 150km wide, covering the sea floor.

Dr. Peter Talling said: 'Based on the length of the flow and the amount of material it swept away, it can be seen, its magnitude is equivalent to many volcanic eruptions ".

From the analysis of sediment samples taken from the northwestern sea floor of Africa, scientists have discovered the above flow. Understanding the causes and developments of rare flows like this can be helpful in exploring the sea floor.