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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2003; v. 216; p. 1-8;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2003.216.01.01
© 2003 Geological Society of London

Subsurface sediment mobilization: introduction

Pieter Van Rensbergen1, Richard R. Hillis2, Alex J. Maltman3 & Christopher K. Morley4

1 Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281-S8, Gent, Belgium pieter_vanrensbergen{at}yahoo.com
2 National Centre of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
3 Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberswyth University of Wales, Aberystwyth, SY23 2AX, UK
4 Department of Petroleum Geosciences, University of Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan 2023, Brunei

Subsurface sediment mobilization (SSM) — which includes soft sediment deformations, sand injections, shale diapirs and mud volcanoes — is more widespread than previously thought. The ever-increasing resolution of subsurface data yielded many new observations of SSM, not only from regions obviously prone to sediment remobilization, such as an active tectonic setting or in a region with exceptionally large sediment supply, but also from tectonically quiescent areas. Until now, all the different aspects of SSM have largely been treated as separate phenomena. There is very little cross-referencing between, for example, studies of mud volcanoes and those of sand injections, although both are caused by sediment fluidization. Divisions according to sediment type, mobilization depth or triggering mechanism make little sense when trying to understand the processes of SSM. There is a gradation in mobilization processes that cause considerable overlap between categories in any classification. Hence, it is necessary to integrate our understanding of all types of SSM, regardless of scale, depth, location, grain size or triggering mechanism. In addition, polygonal faults are important in this context, as this nontectonic structural style is closely associated with sedimentary injections and may also reflect large scale mobilization.

The main goal of this volume is to help develop a more integrated understanding of subsurface sediment mobilization. It contains specific case studies and a number of overview papers about the mechanisms of sediment mobilization in the subsurface (Maltman & Bolton), about polygonal faulting (Cartwright) and about shale diapirs (Morley). Other recent review papers were published about sand

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