Spatial and temporal variation process of seabed dynamic response induced by the internal solitary wave

Internal solitary wave (ISW) is often accompanied by huge energy transport, which will change the pore water pressure in the seabed. Based on the two-dimensional Biot consolidation theory, the excess pore water pressure in seabed was simulated, and the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of excess pore water pressure was studied. As the parameters of both ISW and seabed can affect the excess pore water pressure, the distribution of pore water pressure showed both dissipation and phase lag. And parametric studies were done on these two phenomena. Due to influenced by the phase lag of excess pore water pressure, the penetration depth under the site of northern South China Sea with total water depth 327 m, induced by typical internal solitary wave increased by 26.19%, 53.27% and 149.86% from T0 to T0.5 in sand silt, clayey silt and fine sand seabed, respectively. That means the effect of ISW on seabed will be underestimated if we only take into accout the penetration depth under ISW trough, especially for fine sand seabed. In addition, the concept of “amplitude-depth ratio” had been introduced to describe the influence of ISW on seabed dynamic response in the actual marine environment. In present study, it is negatively correlated with the excess pore water pressure, and an ISW with smaller amplitude-depth ratio can wide the range of lateral impacts. Our study results help understand the seabed damage induced by the interaction between ISW and seabed.