Cable failures off Oahu, Hawaii caused by Hurricane Iwa

Abstract

Six submarine telecommunications cables on the steep insular slope off southwest Oahu were damaged or broken by a combination of debris slides and large-block talus movement or, for the shallowest cables, wave induced chafe. These problems were caused by the sea floor's response to high surface energy produced by Hurricane Iwa. An examination of all available data does not support the concept of failure by turbidity currents.