552 - Mudslides during Hurricane Ivan and an Assessment of the Potential for Future Mudslides in the Gulf of Mexico

Phase I (Sept. 2005 - Sept. 2006) focused on gathering mudslide data that occurred during Ivan and using that data to validate existing OTRC seafloor stability model for conditions as severe as Ivan by analyzing selected sites. Data on historical mudslides prior to Ivan was also reviewed. The final report for Phase I was completed in October 2006 and attached for review in the Reports section below.

Phase II (May 2005 to October 2007) validated numerical models to predict seafloor movements and studied the potential for mudslides from future hurricanes in areas of interest, e.g., existing and future pipeline routes and platform locations. Phase II included probabilistic analyses and calibrated models to provide estimates of mudslide potential and the likelihood for future seafloor movements. The Phase II final report was completed in October 2007 and attached for review in the Reports section below along with a mudslide susceptibility program (Excel spreadsheet).

Project Number	552
Date of Summary	January 2, 2008
Subject	Mudslides during Hurricane Ivan and an Assessment of the Potential for Future Mudslides in the Gulf of Mexico
Performing Activity	Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)
Principal Investigator	Stephen Wright, Robert Gilbert, E.G. Ward. Mary Nodine, Jeong Yeon Cheon
Contracting Agency	Minerals Management Service
Estimated Completion	Completed
Description	During 2004 and 2005, Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita damaged and destroyed hundreds of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore pipelines and platforms, many from mudslides both in line with and adjacent to the hurricanes' path. This two-phase project examined the mudflow/mudslide areas in the high risk mudslide regions of the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Mississippi Delta in order to better understand these events.
Progress	Project Completed as follows: Phase I (Sept. 2005 - Sept. 2006) focused on gathering mudslide data that occurred during Ivan and using that data to validate existing OTRC seafloor stability model for conditions as severe as Ivan by analyzing selected sites. Data on historical mudslides prior to Ivan was also reviewed. The final report for Phase I was completed in October 2006 and attached for review in the Reports section below. Phase II (May 2005 to October 2007) validated numerical models to predict seafloor movements and studied the potential for mudslides from future hurricanes in areas of interest, e.g., existing and future pipeline routes and platform locations. Phase II included probabilistic analyses and calibrated models to provide estimates of mudslide potential and the likelihood for future seafloor movements. The Phase II final report was completed in October 2007 and attached for review in the Reports section below along with a mudslide susceptibility program (Excel spreadsheet).
Reports
AA (44 pages)	Phase I Final Report entitled Mudslides During Hurricane Ivan and an Assessment of the Potential for Future Mudslides in the Gulf of Mexico, October 2006, by E.G. Ward of the Offshore Technology Research Center at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and Mary C. Nodine, Stephen G. Wright, and Robert B. Gilbert of the Offshore Technology Research Center at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas.
AB (192 pages)	Mudslides during Hurricane Ivan and an Assessment of the Potential for Future Mudslides in the Gulf of Mexico, October 2007, by E.G. Ward of the Texas A&M University Offshore Technology Research Center, College Station, Texas and Mary C. Nodine, Jeong Yeon Cheon, Stephen G. Wright, and Robert B. Gilbert of the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
AC	Mudslide Susceptibility Spreadsheet, November 2007, Offshore Technology Research Center, College Station, Texas.
Privacy \| Disclaimers \| Accessibility \| Topic Index \| FOIA Last Updated: 07/28/2008, 01:36 PM