Types and Acoustic Reflection Characteristics of Geo-Hazards in the Western of the North Yellow Sea

The geological environments in the western of the North Yellow Sea(NYS) are comparatively complicated and pregnant with various geo-hazards. High-resolution sub-bottom seismic data and previous research progress have been used to examine marine geo-hazards’ types, acoustic reflection features, origins and disaster mechanisms. The results indicate that the hazardous types are complicated and multiple in the western of the NYS, including tidal sand ridge, sand wave, tidal erosion gutter, underwater shoal, shallow gas, buried paleo-channel, active fault, irregular bedrock and so on. They have some connections as well as differentiations in their distribution and genesis. This paper can provide the theoretical basis on marine engineering, disaster prevention and mitigation in the western of the NYS . More attention should be given to severe geo-hazards that can constitute direct or potential hazards to the economic development and engineering construction.