Conditions and mechanisms of origination of gravitational instability in layered bulk-elastic geomasses

Abstract

Various geophysical processes which can lead to the origination of gravitational instability of the Rayleigh-Taylor type in layered bulk-elastic geomasses are analyzed. The analysis is based on obtained by the authors general results of theoretical study of two-layer systems of heavy bulk-elastic materials which are arbitrarily stratified over depth and occupy domains of arbitrary shape. Additionally some presented in a number of recent publications erroneous assertions related to considered issues of stability, are criticized.