Strange phenomena occur after a strong earthquake in Papua New Guinea

The powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook Papua New Guinea a few hours ago triggered a well-known geological phenomenon, soil liquefaction. Find out what’s here.

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.6And the I arrived east Papua New Guinea Last Saturday (10). The earthquake, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), At 23:46 (UTC) on September 10with The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 67 km from the city of Kinantu. The earthquake was widely felt and caused by residents in the eastern part of the country At least two deaths. The damage, at least according to the first testimonies, was not catastrophic in terms of the strength of the earthquake, But there are still reports of severe damage to villages in mountainous areasThe seismic event could have caused several landslides.

It was one of the consequences of the strong earthquake Opening many cracks in the ground from which mud and sand came out. The strange phenomenon that can be seen in the video below, due to soil liquefactionIt is a well-known phenomenon at the geological level. Soil liquefaction after earthquakes has been observed several times across the planet. Phenomena of this type occurred after the 1995 Kobe earthquake (Japan), after the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquake (New Zealand).

Sediment liquefaction is one of the most famous hydrogeological phenomena It can be caused by earthquakes greater than 5.5 or 6.0. It usually occurs in sandy soils where there is waterlogging: A strong earthquake can trigger this process, turning soil into liquids with serious problems for buildings and infrastructure in general.

The ground shaking caused by an earthquake increases the pressure of the water trapped within the sediment.. This increased pressure of water has a surprising consequence for the observer: Converts sediment to liquid. At this point, the water is looking for a way to escape to the surface, forming, for example, the strange phenomenon of mud volcanoes.