We report an observation of the spontaneous liquefaction of glass beads immersed in water and compacted by external isotropic stress. We show that during compression, loose granular samples exhibit a series of sudden rearrangements accompanied by a transient overpressure of interstitial fluid. Ultimately, spontaneous liquefaction with large deformation of the sample is observed. By contrast, denser samples do not show a liquefaction by maintaining its shape integrity. We then discuss the potential mechanisms which could explain this unexpected liquefaction.
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