Which mechanism increases liquefaction risk in saturated silty sediment layers upon seismic wave propagation?

💡 Explanation

When seismic waves propagate through saturated silty sediments, pore water pressure increases because the soil particles rearrange, reducing effective stress and causing liquefaction. Therefore, reduced effective stress is the key mechanism, not dilatancy, thixotropy or desiccation, which would all stabilize the soil or require other processes.

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