Which risk increases when an earthquake occurs in a region with unconsolidated, water-saturated sediment?

💡 Explanation

When seismic waves pass through unconsolidated, saturated sediment, liquefaction occurs because the pore water pressure increases, reducing effective stress and causing the soil to behave like a liquid. Therefore structural collapse results, rather than tsunami generation, landslides or volcanic eruptions which entail separate triggering mechanisms.

• Which consequence results when groundwater extraction increases behind a barrier island?
• Which mechanism causes mantle plume volcanism far from subduction zones or plate boundaries?
• Which process causes increased deposition of alluvial sediment at a river delta when average sea level rises steadily?
• Which consequence results when thermokarst thawing weakens Arctic slopes?
• Which primary effect results when large earthquake ruptures a subsea megathrust boundary with very shallow hypocenter?
• Which process drives cirque formation when glacial ice accumulation fluctuates?