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Marine Geotechnics

Research

 
 

Research topics and regions

  1. Geotechnical Laboratory:

    This includes the determination of sediment-physical (geotechnical) parameters for the stability of soils and rocks. Examples of applications are the determination of the stability of continental slopes, the simulation of static and dynamic loading of water-bearing sediments, or shear experiments up to pressures equivalent to those in the seismogenic zone at active continental margins.
    Two engineering geological-geotechnical laboratories at MARUM are available for the suite of measurements.


  2. In situ measurements and Long term-Monitoring:

    In order to control the laboratory experiments and to ensure data collection as close to nature as possible, instruments are developed to collect physical parameters in nature. These marine devices penetrate the seabed and carry out measurements ranging from a few minutes to months (long-term stations). The main aim here is to record the variation over time, as processes such as landslides, earthquakes, siltation etc. are cyclical. The main focus is on measuring sediment strength, pore pressure as a trigger for episodic processes and temperature.
    Realised devices include two CPT (cone penetration testing) free-fall lances, the NIMROD penetrometer, long-term pore water lances, borehole pore pressure instruments, a wired ocean bottom station, or an omnidirectional sonar tower (see below).

  • Landslides and slope stability (Eastern Mediterranean/Hellenic subduction zone, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Chile, Ligurian Basin, Gibraltar Arc, Lake Lucerne/Switzerland, Uruguay, Nankai accretionary wedge)

  • Seismogenesis (Nankai Trough/Japan, Gibraltar Arc, Costa Rica, Eastern Mediterranean/Hellenic Subduction Zone)
    Sediment physical characterisation with a multi-method approach (North Sea, Baltic Sea, New Zealand, Lake Lucerne/Switzerland)

  • Siltation and physical control factors (North Sea, Baltic Sea, Ems estuary, New Zealand)

  • Long-term monitoring of pore pressure variation (North Sea, Ligurian Basin, Gibraltar Arc, Azerbaijan, Nankai accretionary wedge)

  • Mud volcanism (Azerbaijan, Central America, Eastern Mediterranean/Hellenic subduction zone, Nankai accretionary wedge)