Sediment Formation in Nearshore Environments: Strength, Rheology, Microstructure, and Stability

Our goals are to understand how geotechnical and physical properties develop in marine sedimentary deposits on continental margins and how these properties influence sediment transport processes and the development of geomorphology. Our studies include predicting stability of sediment on the continental shelf and slope, providing input parameters for models of sediment transport and deformation, and distinguishing morphologic features caused by slope failure from those caused by other gravity-driven processes. Our studies also include improving our understanding of the transition between initial slope failure and the development of debris flows and turbidity currents and predicting the rheological properties that determine the dynamics of such flows. We applied this approach to the EuroSTRATAFORM project, within which we collaborate with scientists seeking to model the formation and alteration of nearshore sedimentary bodies.