Numerical simulation analysis of seismically triggered load and ball-and-pillow structures in the lacustrine sediment

YAN Zelong; FAN Ruixiang; LIANG Lianji; ZHONG Ning; ZHANG Junjie

doi:10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026005

Volume 32 Issue 4

Aug. 2026

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Article Navigation > Journal of Geomechanics > 2026 > 32(4): 933-941

YAN Z L，FAN R X，LIANG L J，et al.，2026. Numerical simulation analysis of seismically triggered load and ball-and-pillow structures in the lacustrine sediment[J]. Journal of Geomechanics，32（4）：933−941 doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026005

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Numerical simulation analysis of seismically triggered load and ball-and-pillow structures in the lacustrine sediment

doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026005

YAN Zelong^1
,,
FAN Ruixiang^1
,,
LIANG Lianji^{1, 2
,
,},
ZHONG Ning^3
,,
ZHANG Junjie^1
,

1.
College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics of Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100037, China
3.
Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Funds: This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42572128) and the Open Fund of the Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics of Ministry of Natural Resources (Grant No. J2408).

More Information

Received: 2026-01-13
Revised: 2026-05-09
Accepted: 2026-05-11

Available Online: 2026-06-17

Published: 2026-08-28

Abstract

Abstract

Objective Seismically triggered soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDSs) in the lacustrine sediments serve as reliable stratigraphic records for studying paleoearthquake events in tectonically active regions. Load and ball-and-pillow structures, as common types of SSDSs, are generally attributed to gravitational instability caused by an inverse density gradient between adjacent sedimentary layers. However, their formation mechanisms and the quantitative relationship between their development and seismic intensity remain poorly constrained. Methods This study employs the multiphase-flow numerical simulation approach implemented in ANSYS Fluent to simulate the formation of load and ball-and-pillow structures in saturated sand–clay layers under different peak ground accelerations (PGAs; 0.125g, 0.25g, 0.5g, and 0.8g) and varying physical properties, including density, dynamic viscosity and layer thicknesses). The effects of sediment physical properties on the development of these deformation structures and their relationship with seismic intensity were investigated. Results The results show that as the PGA increases, load and flame structures develop earlier at the sand–clay interface and progressively evolve from small load structures into larger-scale load and ball-and-pillow structures. Under the same PGA, a larger density contrast, a smaller dynamic viscosity contrast, and a thicker overlying sand layer result in greater deformation and larger-scale development of load and ball-and-pillow structures. Conclusions The morphologies of the load and ball-and-pillow structures produced by the numerical simulations are highly consistent with those observed in lacustrine sediments in the Tashkorgan area. This agreement supports the proposed mechanical mechanism of their formation and provides a quantitative basis for understanding the development of SSDSs under different seismic and sedimentary conditions. Significance This finding verifies the seismic trigger of SSDSs in this region and provides a new technological insight into the study of SSDSs and paleoearthquakes.
- lacustrine sediments,
- paleoearthquake,
- soft sediment deformation,
- load structure,
- ball-and-pillow structure,
- numerical simulation

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References(48)

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