Susceptible Soil Types

• Soils near shorelines are at risk for soil liquefaction.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Soils constituted primarily of sandy or silty particles are susceptible to liquefaction. The chance for liquefaction is magnified when these soils are saturated, as is often the condition of soils near bodies of water.
  
  

Resistant Soil Types

• Clay soils are resistant to liquefaction.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Soils with a clay content of at least 15 percent are considered generally immune to the ravages of liquefaction. Dry soils, regardless of content, are also not at risk of becoming liquefied.
  
  

How It Occurs

• Water is forced to the surface during a liquefaction event.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  During a traumatic event such as an earthquake, soil particles are compressed into a cohesive structure. This forces any moisture that was being held within the soil to the surface. The resulting effect is liquefaction.