convener:Yujin Kitamura(Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University), Kiichiro Kawamura(Yamaguchi University)

A large number of people inhabit coastal areas around the world that are susceptible to natural catastrophes and subaqueous landslides are one of such hazards as demostrated recently. The risk associated with the occurrence of subaqueous landslides is not only constrained to passive margins or subduction zones but any of water areas is also susceptible to their occurrence since subaqueous failures can be triggered at very low slope angles. This realization poses a significant challenge that requires the collection of vast amounts of information and data to unravel the true nature of these events and their potential risk to coastal communities. Despite these challenges, recent technical and engineering advances in the acquisition and processing of sea floor and shallow subsurface data are encouraging. There has also been a concerted effort by scientists from different earth-science disciplines to increase interdisciplinary cooperation at an international level to advance our collective understanding of subaqueous landslides and their consequences.
This session calls for technical contributions covering all aspects of subaqueous landslide research including but not limited to: physical properties of deformed sediments (pre- and post- deformation), role of interstitial fluids in subaqueous landslide development, slope stability and risk assessments, geomorphological and sedimentological/stratigraphic descriptions, tsunamigenic risk and modeling, description of ancient subaqueous landslides, sand-box models and numerical simulations of subaqueous landslides. Case studies from lacustrine landslides and subaerial coastal landslides transitioning into the marine realm are also welcome. Case studies associated with the broader topic of subaqueous gravity-driven flows (e.g.: turbidites and transitional flows) and their relationship with seafloor faulting are also of interest to this session. Participants of IUGS project S4SLIDE IGCP-640 sponsor this session.