Slope instability detection for muddy submarine channels using sub-bottom profile images based on bidimensional empirical mode decomposition

Slope stability is a key problem for safe submarine channel operation on muddy coasts. The early detection and identification of slope instabilities is important to allow safety measures to be taken in a timely manner. Owing to the difficulties in predicting or providing early forecasts of slope collapse in muddy submarine channels, this study introduces a bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) with adaptive time–frequency resolution to identify slope instabilities using sound prints of sub-bottom profile images. The results show that three bidimensional intrinsic mode function (BIMF) images decomposed by BEMD with frequencies ranging from high to low can depict the spatial variation in the sound prints. The second and third BIMF images reveal the spatial relationship between the sound prints and the slope abnormalities at the early stage of slope collapse. This approach effectively identifies the early sound prints and the spatial information of the sub-bottom profile images during the process of slope collapse, which can improve abnormal feature recognition. This method will help in the prediction and early forecast of channel slope instability and collapse.