Quick clay is a marine clay found in the Northern Hemisphere that can liquefy when disturbed, causing landslides and safety risks. It is difficult to identify and can be triggered by earthquakes or human activity. It is millions of years old and formed during glaciation periods.
Quick clay is a type of marine clay with a very high water content that is prone to liquefaction when disturbed. This unusual clay is found mostly in the upper regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in places such as Canada, Sweden, Norway and Russia. It presents a significant safety risk, as it can cause landslides and other public safety issues. The clay is often covered in a seemingly stable layer of topsoil, making it difficult to spot when people are surveying an area for geological hazards.
This clay consists of very fine particles of clay mixed with significant amounts of water. Surface tension creates a matrix, holding it together in a somewhat gelatinous state. When the surface tension is disrupted, such as when the clay is agitated by an earthquake or by human activities such as digging, the quick clay liquefies, turning into an oozing substance instead of a solid gel. This can be catastrophic if the clay is in the wrong place.
In a rapid clay slide, disturbed clay begins oozing out of a mountain or hillside, carrying the topsoil and anything on it, such as houses and trees, with it. The landslide will continue until the landscape flattens out or the clay meets an obstacle. Such landslides are a major concern in geologically active areas, as the clay can be disturbed during even relatively small earthquakes. Construction can also involve risks, as agitation from piles, excavation, or heavy equipment can liquefy quick clay and turn a construction site into a landslide.
Known in some regions as Leda clay, quick clay can be difficult to identify. When it’s visible, soil samples will show a tendency to liquefy, but when it’s covered by other layers of material, it’s harder to find in a survey. Surveyors may clear an area for construction or other activities, not realizing that the underlying substrate is quick clay. Once a rapid clay slide begins, it can set off a chain reaction, disturbing other loose soils and clays in the area and creating a major disaster.
This clay appears to be millions of years old in many places, dating back to significant glaciation periods. As glaciers glide across the surface of the earth, they break up rock and soil into very fine particles, perfect for creating a suspension of clay and water like that seen with quick clay.
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