Marine Geohazards: A Bibliometric-Based Review

Marine geohazard research has developed during recent decades, as human activities intensified towards deeper waters. Some recent disastrous events (e.g., the 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Japan tsunamis) highlighted geohazards socioeconomic impacts. Marine geohazards encompass an extensive list of features, processes, and events related to Marine Geology. In the scientific literature there are few systematic reviews concerning all of them. Using the search string ‘geohazard*’, this bibliometric-based review explored the scientific databases Web of Science and Scopus to analyze the evolution of peer-reviewed scientific publications and discuss trends and future challenges. The results revealed qualitative and quantitative aspects of 183 publications and indicated 12 categories of hazards, the categories more studied and the scientific advances. Interdisciplinary surveys focusing on the mapping and dating of past events, and the determination of triggers, frequencies, and current perspectives of occurrence (risk) are still scarce. Throughout the upcoming decade, the expansion and improvement of seafloor observatories’ networks, early warning systems, and mitigation plans are the main challenges. Hazardous marine geological events may occur at any time and the scientific community, marine industry, and governmental agencies must cooperate to better understand and monitor the processes involved in order to mitigate the resulting unpredictable damages.