A detailed knowledge of the wave-induced seabed instability is particularly
important for engineers involved in the design procedure of many marine st
ructures and offshore installations. In this paper, the basic aspects of su
ch instability will be examined. The current understanding of the mechanism
of the wave-seabed interaction phenomenon and available approaches will be
reviewed. Based on the framework of simplified analysis, the potential for
such instability will be formulated that will help engineers to identify p
otential unstable sediments in the vicinity of a marine structure. (C) 2000
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.