Soil liquefaction is an event that changes the strength and stiffness of the soil during an earthquake or other rapid loading. It's the cause of lots of damage that occurs from earthquakes.
Soil liquefaction happens in wet soils; or soils that the space between the particles is filled with water. The water then applies stress on the soil particles that effects how tightly the particles are pressed together. Proceeding an earthquake, the water pressure is fairly low. Earthquake shaking can cause the water pressure to rise to the point where the soil particles can readily move with regard to one other.
Soil liquefaction can cause land/mud slides and cause dams to collapse. It can also cause buildings to sink into the ground as if they were on quicksand.
Source: http://www.ce.washington.edu/~liquefaction/html/what/what1.html
(Some words used were exact from this website.)
Posted by Hope
Soil liquefaction happens in wet soils; or soils that the space between the particles is filled with water. The water then applies stress on the soil particles that effects how tightly the particles are pressed together. Proceeding an earthquake, the water pressure is fairly low. Earthquake shaking can cause the water pressure to rise to the point where the soil particles can readily move with regard to one other.
Soil liquefaction can cause land/mud slides and cause dams to collapse. It can also cause buildings to sink into the ground as if they were on quicksand.
Source: http://www.ce.washington.edu/~liquefaction/html/what/what1.html
(Some words used were exact from this website.)
Posted by Hope