Peeled cross section of a liquefied layers

Liquefaction is a phenomenon wherein a water saturated and loosely compacted sandy layer temporarily loses its strength due to earthquake shaking, causing said the layer to behave like a liquid. The lower Tone River region suffered damages as a result of liquefaction in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. This is a peeled cross section taken from a trench survey conducted in Kozaki Town, Chiba Prefecture, which clearly illustrates the distinctive subsurface structure after liquefaction. Part of the dredged sand layer at the bottom of the panel was liquefied, penetrated the layer of soil above, and formed a sand dyke.