Physical experimental study on the formation mechanism of pockmark by aeration

AbstractAs one of the common geological disasters on the seafloor, the occurrence of pockmarks often indicates the existence of submarine fluid. And the formation of the pockmarks is generally attributed to the soil carried away by the fluid. The research established physical model test and found: (1) The pockmark formed after aeration, and particle gradation changed in the center area of the pockmark where coarse particle (particle size/0.25 mm) increased obviously and fine particle (particle size ≤0.075 mm) decreased significantly; (2) Comparing the volume of the pockmark with the volume of the soil extracted by siphon, it can be found that the volume of the pockmark was much larger than the loss of soil, and the difference reached its peak when the inflation pressure was 20 kPa; (3) Comparing the cone resistance of the soil in the surface and boundary, it can be found that the resistance of the center and marginal soil was much bigger than the outside, and the cone resistance of the boundary was also i...