Liquefaction or liquefiction? Anthropogenic regulation and the influence of evaporite dissolution on ground failure in the 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake and beyond

Optical remote sensing observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence revealed a significant amount of surface ejecta in the nearby Searles Lake, including one area where the surface ejecta was arranged in a repeating hexagonal “honeycomb” pattern. This pattern is collocated with injection wells from a solution mining operation, suggesting anthropogenic activities influenced the spatial distribution of surface ejecta. Lithology, geotechnical soil behavior, and the spatial distribution of long-term subsidence indicate that surface ejecta in Searles Lake is not likely related to liquefaction. We propose a process, similar to liquefaction, that results in surface ejecta: (1) dissolution of evaporites increases the void/cavity space that is filled with fluid, (2) ground shaking causes void/cavity collapse (i.e., a volume reduction), (3) the collapse increases the fluid pressure, and (4) the increased pressure results in fluid flow to the surface 

Burgi (2023) Liquefaction or liquefiction? Anthropogenic regulation and the influence of evaporite dissolution on ground failure in the 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake and beyond, USGS Landslide Hazards Seminar, 015 February 2023.