Landslide generated tsunamis are a primary natural hazard to coastal communities and infrastructure, but the present state of knowledge is limited to the specific details of momentum transfer from the landslide to the water body for either subaerial or fully submerged conditions. Here we report a series of novel experiments and an analytical model that bridges this gap, by exploring the collapse of a granular column for a wide range of water depths. We show that the maximum seaward wave amplitude is governed by a single dimensionless ratio, the relative depth of submergence. Based on the experimental observations, we propose a continuous function that quantifies the maximum wave amplitude by considering the momentum flux from the initially vertical granular column to the initially still fluid. Predictions made using the momentum function are in good agreement with observations of the present study and with other experimental studies of granular column collapse at larger scales. The analytical model allows the prediction of maximum wave amplitude over the full range of submergence conditions from subaerial to partially submerged and fully submerged collapses, with potential applications for tsunami hazard assessment.

The granular column collapse is a simplified system of the complex dynamics observed in gravity-driven natural mass-movements (i.e., landslides, debris flows, rock avalanches) and industrial applications (i.e., pharmaceutics, concrete, and food industry). In this system, a granular column is built with an initial height and initial width and then is allowed to collapse by self-weight onto a horizontal plane, while observing the variation in runout as a function of its initial geometry. Despite its wide use in the study of mass-movements mobility, either dry or with a liquid, little is known on the internal physics during collapse and its variation when immersed in an ambient fluid. This work presents a planar setup that allows the study of fully and partially immersed granular columns, with little disturbance at release [1]. The use of a planar configuration allows the monitoring of the moving mass and its deformation patterns, providing a unique insight into the particle-fluid interactions at release and during collapse that were not possible before. These observations are of great importance for the understanding of particle-fluid interactions at a mesoscale and can shed light into larger processes like a submarine and subaerial landslides. This work addresses these interactions by varying the geometry and measuring the mobility in dry and immersed conditions. The associated deformation patterns are observed both at the column-scale and at the particle-scale, reflecting in the velocity scaling of a deformable and moving granular mass and the occasional ejection of particles at its surface. We observed that the area of the released portion decreases during collapse and converges toward an equivalent portion of surface particles with little influence by the initial column geometry. These observations validate the planar setup for the study of granular columns, provides a novel interpretation in the momentum transfer in particle-fluid systems, and sets a validation case for future numerical simulations.

Submerged mass flows are commonly considered a natural geohazard that interacts with terrestrial and submarine infrastructure and communities and are linked to the generation of tsunamis. Previous studies have investigated submerged mass flows by means of the benchmark case of a granular column collapse. This study explores the mobility and collapse dynamics of submerged granular columns within a planar configuration as a function of the column aspect ratio a. The use of a planar configuration allows the monitoring of the moving mass and its deformation patterns and provides a novel insight into the particle-fluid interactions at release and during collapse not possible before. Special attention was devoted to the column saturation and release mechanism. The column mobility is observed to be directly controlled by a and is linked to a clear distinction between triangular and trapezoidal deposits. The column collapse is found to be described by two characteristic times, marking transition points through the collapse stages. The associated deformation patterns reflect both at a column scale and at localized particle groups during collapse, reflecting in the velocity scaling of a deformable and moving granular mass and the occasional ejection of particles at its surface. We observed that the area of the released portion decreases during collapse and converge toward an equivalent portion of surface particles with little influence by a. The experimental results provide a novel insight into the study of submerged mass flows and set a reference behavior for future numerical validations.