What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?

Heerema, Catharina J.; Talling, Peter J.; Cartigny, Matthieu J.; Paull, Charles K.; Bailey, Lewis; Simmons, Stephen M.; Parsons, Daniel R.; Clare, Michael A.; Gwiazda, Roberto; Lundsten, Eve; Anderson, Krystle; Maier, Katherine L.; Xu, Jingping P.; Sumner, Esther J.; Rosenberger, Kurt; Gales, Jenny; McGann, Mary; Carter, Lionel; Pope, Edward

Abstract

© 2019 Seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents form some of the largest sediment accumulations, deepest canyons and longest channel systems on Earth. Only rivers transport comparable sediment volumes over such large areas; but there are far fewer measurements from turbidity currents, ensuring they are much more poorly understood. Turbidity currents differ fundamentally from rivers, as turbidity currents are driven by the sediment that they suspend. Fast turbidity currents can pick up sediment, and self-accelerate (ignite); whilst slow flows deposit sediment and dissipate. Self-acceleration cannot continue indefinitely, and flows might reach a near-uniform state (autosuspension). Here we show how turbidity currents evolve using the first detailed measurements from multiple locations along their pathway, which come from Monterey Canyon offshore California. All flows initially ignite. Typically, initially-faster flows then achieve near-uniform velocities (autosuspension), whilst slower flows dissipate. Fractional increases in initial velocity favour much longer runout, and a new model explains this bifurcating behaviour. However, the only flow during less-stormy summer months is anomalous as it self-accelerated, which is perhaps due to erosion of surficial-mud layer mid-canyon. Turbidity current evolution is therefore highly sensitive to both initial velocities and seabed character.

Citation

Heerema, C. J., Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M. J., Paull, C. K., Bailey, L., Simmons, S. M., Parsons, D. R., Clare, M. A., Gwiazda, R., Lundsten, E., Anderson, K., Maier, K. L., Xu, J. P., Sumner, E. J., Rosenberger, K., Gales, J., McGann, M., Carter, L., & Pope, E. (2020). What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?. Earth and planetary science letters, 532, Article 116023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.116023

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 7, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 19, 2019
• Publication Date: Feb 15, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 20, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 21, 2020
• Journal: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
• Print ISSN: 0012-821X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 532
• Article Number: 116023
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.116023
• Keywords: turbidity current; submarine canyon; ignition; dissipation; autosuspension; flow behaviour
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3340716
• Contract Date: Jan 21, 2020