Quick clay is actually an old seabed. The clay thus formed under water, but came to the surface when the landscape rose after the last ice age.
However, this camp was not so dangerous, because it was full of salt from the sea. Only when the salt in the clay was washed out of fresh water from rain and groundwater did it turn into quick clay.
But what exactly makes quick clay so unstable?
An article was published about the subject in Eos Science News by AGU:
Eos org – Insights for Making Quick Clay Landslides Less Quick
Read more about it:
Norwegian SciTech News – Researchers want to find out why quick clay is so unstable
EurekAlert! – Researchers want to find out why quick clay is so unstable
Alpha Galileo – Researchers want to find out why quick clay is so unstable
Norwegian articles:
Gemini.no – Forskere vil finne ut hvorfor kvikkleiren er så ustabil
Forskning.no – Nå vet forskerne mer om hvorfor kvikkleiren er så ustabil