COMMISSION GEOLOGIOUE - Arkisto.gsf.fi

8
ON THE INFLUENCE OF SEISMIC VIBRATIONS ON SEDIMENTS 1)
BY
ERIC OLAUSSON and SULO UUSITALO
Institute 01 Marine Science, University 01 Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
The manganese nodules and magnetic spherules at the sediment-water interface
have been explained in a number of ways. A new approach to the problem is
presensed in this paper. The influence of seismic waves is discussed in the light
of experiments and mathematical theory.
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION
101
EXPERIMENTS ................................ . ........................... 102
MOVEMENTS OF SAND DURING SHAKING .................................. 104
HORIZONTAL SHAKING WITH PEBBLES IN SAND ......... ... .... .......... 106
APPLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTS TO DEEP SEA DEPOSITS .............. 109
INVERSE GRADING .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 111
THE DISTRIBUTION OF NODULES AND MAGNETIC SPHERULES . ........ . .. 111
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
REFERENCES 114
INTRODUCTION
The following study concerns the influence of earthquakes on sediments
on the vertical distribution of particles in sea floor sediments. The scope
of the investigation was to see if vibrations might be able to keep larger
and lighter particles on the sediment surface and thus be a factor to be
remembered in discussion concerning the abundant occurence of manganese
nodules, etc., at the sediment-water interfaces.
1) Received October 15, 1963.