Liquefaction Explained

Liquefaction is a phenomenon where earthquake shaking or other rapid ground shaking causes saturated, loose granular soils (like sand) to temporarily lose strength and behave like a liquid. This occurs because the shaking increases the water pressure between the soil grains, reducing the friction that holds them together.

Event Caused by Liquefaction

Among the given options, Quicksand is a direct result of liquefaction.

• Quicksand: Forms when water saturates sand or silt on a slope or riverbank. Shaking or rapid water flow increases the pore water pressure, causing the sand grains to lose contact and suspend in the water, behaving like a liquid.

Other Options Not Caused by Liquefaction

• Lahar: A destructive mudflow on the slopes of a volcano, typically after a volcanic eruption. It's a mixture of volcanic debris and water.
• Avalanche: A mass of snow, ice, and rock sliding rapidly down a mountainside.
• Rockslide: The rapid sliding of a mass of rock down a steep slope or cliff.

Therefore, quicksand is the event directly caused by the process of liquefaction.