--- title: "Submarine Landslide Research Provides New Insights" url: https://newscentral.site/submarine-landslide-research-provides-new-insights/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Science" published: 2026-11-13T16:00:13.000Z updated: 2026-11-14T00:50:27.293Z id: 2d34ecad-6a26-441f-93e5-48781936a968 source: "Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-11-submarine-landslide-reveals-seafloor.html" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/submarine-landslide-research-provides-new-insights/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Submarine Landslide Research Provides New Insights A team of international researchers has provided the first-ever direct observations of submarine landslides through a recent study published in Science. Submarine landslides have long been a mystery, their unpredictable nature making them difficult to study. Now, new research has shed light on these elusive events through direct observation. A team of international researchers, co-led by Dr. Sanem Acikalin from Newcastle University, has provided the first-ever direct observations of submarine landslides. The Homathko Delta in British Columbia, Canada, is a key location for studying submarine landslides. This delta receives massive amounts of sediment and organic carbon every summer due to seasonal snowmelt. Researchers have been monitoring the surrounding 50-kilometer submarine channel system, noting that this material eventually gets remobilized and transported offshore. The team's findings were published in a recent issue of Science, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding submarine landslides. Led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Durham University, the research team has developed an innovative approach to studying these events. To monitor the Homathko Delta, researchers employed sonar equipment and sensors during an 18-day field campaign. This equipment allowed them to track the delta in real-time, every second, providing a wealth of data on submarine landslides and related processes. The research team's work has provided crucial insights into the removal and transport of sediment and organic carbon from the Homathko Delta. Their findings have significant implications for marine ecology and infrastructure, highlighting the importance of continued research into these complex events. The research team's daily mapping of the seafloor provided valuable insights into the delta front's characteristics. The data collected during this period were used to analyze the sediment samples, which are now stored at Newcastle University for further study. Acikalin, a senior lecturer in geology at Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, explained that underwater landslides on deltas can have devastating consequences. These events not only damage critical infrastructure such as seabed cables and pipelines but also transport pollutants into the deep ocean. The team's observations were made possible by their ability to study the landslide in its natural environment. Unlike previous studies that relied on computer models or laboratory experiments, this research provides a unique understanding of how submarine landslides occur. The Homathko Delta front is characterized by instabilities in water-saturated sediment at the transition from river to fjord. This specific condition contributes to the development of submarine landslides. These events differ significantly from liquefaction-induced failures, where sediment grains pack more tightly and pressure increases rapidly. In contrast, breaching occurs when sediment grains move apart during a disturbance. The prolonged failure mechanism results in turbidity currents, powerful slurries of water and sediment that can travel kilometers downslope. These currents have significant implications for marine ecology and infrastructure. The team's research on the Homathko Delta has important implications for other sandy deltas and submarine canyon heads worldwide that share similar conditions. These environments are prone to breach failures, which can have devastating effects on offshore infrastructure such as seabed cables and pipelines. Engineers need to consider the prolonged forces generated by underwater landslides when designing these structures. The transformation of landslide material into turbidity currents poses a significant threat to shoreline stability and coastal ecosystems. These currents can travel great distances from the shore, causing widespread damage and affecting marine life habitats. The findings suggest that engineers should adopt different mitigation strategies for breach failures compared to other types of landslides. This includes reinforcing slopes with rock or compacting and draining sediment to reduce the risk of sudden collapse. Smaller landslides may have a significant impact on global carbon budgets, as they can efficiently transport river sediment, carbon, and pollutants into the deep ocean. Fjords alone account for around 11% of the organic carbon buried in the oceans, highlighting the importance of understanding these processes. The movement of submarine landslides has significant implications for the transport of carbon, pollutants, and other materials to offshore environments. These underwater landslides can occur frequently and rapidly transfer large amounts of material several kilometers into the open ocean, highlighting a strong connection between coastal ecosystems and the deep seafloor. --- Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-submarine-landslide-reveals-seafloor.html) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/submarine-landslide-research-provides-new-insights/