All Outputs (34)

Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon (2024)
Journal Article
Ruffell, S. C., Talling, P. J., Baker, M. L., Pope, E. L., Heijnen, M. S., Jacinto, R. S., Cartigny, M. J., Simmons, S. M., Clare, M. A., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Hage, S., Hasenhündl, M., & Parsons, D. R. (2024). Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon. Geomorphology, 463, Article 109350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109350

The largest canyons on Earth occur on the seafloor, and seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents play a key role in carving these submarine canyons. However, the processes by which turbidity currents erode submarine canyons are very poorly doc... Read More about Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon.

Bottom and Suspended Sediment Backscatter Measurements in a Flume—Towards Quantitative Bed and Water Column Properties (2024)
Journal Article
Van Dijk, T. A., Roche, M., Lurton, X., Fezzani, R., Simmons, S. M., Gastauer, S., …Parsons, D. R. (2024). Bottom and Suspended Sediment Backscatter Measurements in a Flume—Towards Quantitative Bed and Water Column Properties. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 12(4), Article 609. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12040609

For health and impact studies of water systems, monitoring underwater environments is essential, for which multi-frequency single- and multibeam echosounders are commonly used state-of-the-art technologies. However, the current scarcity of sediment r... Read More about Bottom and Suspended Sediment Backscatter Measurements in a Flume—Towards Quantitative Bed and Water Column Properties.

Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel (2024)
Journal Article
Hasenhündl, M., Talling, P. J., Pope, E. L., Baker, M. L., Heijnen, M. S., Ruffell, S. C., da Silva Jacinto, R., Jacinto, S., Gaillot, A., Hage, S., Simmons, S. M., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Clare, M. A., & Cartigny, M. J. (2024). Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel. Frontiers in Earth Science, 12, Article 1381019. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1381019

Submarine canyons and channels are globally important pathways for sediment, organic carbon, nutrients and pollutants to the deep sea, and they form the largest sediment accumulations on Earth. However, studying these remote submarine systems compreh... Read More about Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel.

Monopile-induced turbulence and sediment redistribution form visible wakes in offshore wind farms (2024)
Journal Article
Bailey, L. P., Dorrell, R. M., Kostakis, I., McKee, D., Parsons, D., Rees, J., Strong, J., Simmons, S., & Forster, R. (2024). Monopile-induced turbulence and sediment redistribution form visible wakes in offshore wind farms. Frontiers in Earth Science, 12, Article 1383726. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1383726

Offshore wind farms are becoming an increasingly common feature in the marine environment as a renewable energy source. There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of wind farms on the seabed and its organisms. However, an important and unders... Read More about Monopile-induced turbulence and sediment redistribution form visible wakes in offshore wind farms.

Time-Lapse Seafloor Surveys Reveal How Turbidity Currents and Internal Tides in Monterey Canyon Interact With the Seabed at Centimeter-Scale (2023)
Journal Article
Wolfson-Schwehr, M., Paull, C. K., Caress, D. W., Gwiazda, R., Nieminski, N. M., Talling, P. J., Carvajal, C., Simmons, S., & Troni, G. (2023). Time-Lapse Seafloor Surveys Reveal How Turbidity Currents and Internal Tides in Monterey Canyon Interact With the Seabed at Centimeter-Scale. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128(4), Article e2022JF006705. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006705

Here we show how ultra-high resolution seabed mapping using new technology can help to understand processes that sculpt submarine canyons. Time-lapse seafloor surveys were conducted in the axis of Monterey Canyon, ∼50km from the canyon head (∼1,840m... Read More about Time-Lapse Seafloor Surveys Reveal How Turbidity Currents and Internal Tides in Monterey Canyon Interact With the Seabed at Centimeter-Scale.

Density stratification controls the bedform phase diagram of saline-gravity currents versus open-channel flows (2023)
Journal Article
Ohata, K., de Cala, I., Dorrell, R. M., Naruse, H., McLelland, S. J., Simmons, S. M., & McCaffrey, W. D. (in press). Density stratification controls the bedform phase diagram of saline-gravity currents versus open-channel flows. Sedimentology, https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13075

Sedimentary bedforms such as ripples and dunes are generated both by river flows and sediment-laden gravity currents. Gravity current deposits are usually parameterized using existing bedform phase diagrams which are based on data from laboratory exp... Read More about Density stratification controls the bedform phase diagram of saline-gravity currents versus open-channel flows.

Detailed monitoring reveals the nature of submarine turbidity currents (2023)
Journal Article
Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M., Pope, E., Baker, M., Clare, M., Hage, S., …Maier, K. L. (2023). Detailed monitoring reveals the nature of submarine turbidity currents. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00458-1

Seafloor sediment flows, called turbidity currents, form the largest sediment accumulations, deepest canyons and longest channels on Earth. It was once thought that turbidity currents were impractical to measure in action, especially given their abil... Read More about Detailed monitoring reveals the nature of submarine turbidity currents.

Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming (2022)
Journal Article
Pope, E. L., Heijnen, M., Talling, P., Jacinto, R. S., Gaillot, A., Baker, M., …Urlaub, M. (in press). Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming. Nature Geoscience, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01017-x

Landslide-dams, which are often transient, can strongly affect the geomorphology, and sediment and geochemical fluxes, within subaerial fluvial systems. The potential occurrence and impact of analogous landslide-dams in submarine canyons has, however... Read More about Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming.

Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea (2022)
Journal Article
Talling, P. J., Baker, M. L., Pope, E. L., Ruffell, S. C., Jacinto, R. S., Heijnen, M. S., Hage, S., Simmons, S. M., Hasenhündl, M., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Apprioual, R., Ferrant, A., Cartigny, M. J., Parsons, D. R., Clare, M. A., Tshimanga, R., Trigg, M. A., Cula, C. A., Faria, R., …Hilton, R. J. (2022). Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea. Nature communications, 13(1), Article 4193. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31689-3

Here we show how major rivers can efficiently connect to the deep-sea, by analysing the longest runout sediment flows (of any type) yet measured in action on Earth. These seafloor turbidity currents originated from the Congo River-mouth, with one flo... Read More about Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea.

First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents (2022)
Journal Article
Pope, E. L., Cartigny, M. J., Clare, M. A., Talling, P. J., Lintern, D. G., Vellinga, A., …Vendettuoli, D. (2022). First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents. Science Advances, 8(20), eabj3220. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj3220

Until recently, despite being one of the most important sediment transport phenomena on Earth, few direct measurements of turbidity currents existed. Consequently, their structure and evolution were poorly understood, particularly whether they are de... Read More about First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents.

Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes? (2022)
Journal Article
Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Pope, E. L., …Hughes Clarke, J. E. (2022). Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes?. Earth and planetary science letters, 584, Article 117481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117481

Submarine channels are the primary conduits for land-derived material, including organic carbon, pollutants, and nutrients, into the deep-sea. The flows (turbidity currents) that traverse these systems can pose hazards to seafloor infrastructure such... Read More about Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes?.

Knickpoints and crescentic bedform interactions in submarine channels (2021)
Journal Article
Chen, Y., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., Williams, R., Cartigny, M. J. B., Hughes Clarke, J. E., …Vendettuoli, D. (2021). Knickpoints and crescentic bedform interactions in submarine channels. Sedimentology, 68(4), 1358-1377. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12886

Submarine channels deliver globally important volumes of sediments, nutrients, contaminants and organic carbon into the deep sea. Knickpoints are significant topographic features found within numerous submarine channels, which most likely play an imp... Read More about Knickpoints and crescentic bedform interactions in submarine channels.

Preconditioning by sediment accumulation can produce powerful turbidity currents without major external triggers (2021)
Journal Article
Bailey, L. P., Clare, M. A., Rosenberger, K. J., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Paull, C. K., Gwiazda, R., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., Xu, J., Haigh, I. D., Maier, K. L., McGann, M., Lundsten, E., & Monterey CCE Team. (2021). Preconditioning by sediment accumulation can produce powerful turbidity currents without major external triggers. Earth and planetary science letters, 562, Article 116845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116845

Turbidity currents dominate sediment transfer into the deep ocean, and can damage critical seabed infrastructure. It is commonly inferred that powerful turbidity currents are triggered by major external events, such as storms, river floods, or earthq... Read More about Preconditioning by sediment accumulation can produce powerful turbidity currents without major external triggers.

Relating the Flow Processes and Bedforms of Steady-State and Waning Density Currents (2020)
Journal Article
de Cala, I., Ohata, K., Dorrell, R., Naruse, H., Patacci, M., Amy, L. A., Simmons, S., McLelland, S. J., & McCaffrey, W. D. (2020). Relating the Flow Processes and Bedforms of Steady-State and Waning Density Currents. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, Article 535743. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.535743

© Copyright© 2020 de Cala, Ohata, Dorrell, Naruse, Patacci, Amy, Simmons, McLelland and McCaffrey. The interaction between turbidity currents and mobile substrates can lead to the development of different types of bedforms. Although much research has... Read More about Relating the Flow Processes and Bedforms of Steady-State and Waning Density Currents.

Author Correction: Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (3129), 10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x) (2020)
Journal Article
Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Lintern, D. G., Stacey, C., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., Chen, Y., Sumner, E. J., Dix, J. K., & Clarke, J. E. (2020). Author Correction: Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (3129), 10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x). Nature communications, 11(1), Article 4425. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18394-9

© 2020, The Author(s). The original version of this Article contained an error in the labelling of the cross-section in Fig. 2g and the vertical axis in Fig. 2b. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution (2020)
Journal Article
Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J. B., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Lintern, D. G., Stacey, C., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., Chen, Y., Sumner, E. J., Dix, J. K., & Hughes Clarke, J. E. (2020). Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution. Nature communications, 11(1), Article 3129. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x

Submarine channels are the primary conduits for terrestrial sediment, organic carbon, and pollutant transport to the deep sea. Submarine channels are far more difficult to monitor than rivers, and thus less well understood. Here we present 9 years of... Read More about Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution.

Asymmetric effects of a modelled tidal turbine on the flow and seabed (2020)
Journal Article
Ramírez -Mendoza, R., Murdoch, L., Jordan, L. B., Amoudry, L. O., McLelland, S., Cooke, R. D., Thorne, P., Simmons, S. M., Parsons, D., & Vezza, M. (2020). Asymmetric effects of a modelled tidal turbine on the flow and seabed. Renewable energy, 159, 238-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.05.133

The extraction of power from the flow of water has become an important potential source of clean energy. In spite of significant interest in the interaction between energy extraction devices and water currents, comparatively little work has focused o... Read More about Asymmetric effects of a modelled tidal turbine on the flow and seabed.

Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current (2020)
Journal Article
Maier, K. L., Paull, C. K., Cartigny, M. J., Simmons, S. M., Talling, P. J., Wang, Z., Xu, J., Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M. J. B., Simmons, S. M., Gwiazda, R., Paull, C. K., Maier, K. L., & Parsons, D. R. (in press). Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, Article 103300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2020.103300

Submarine turbidity currents are one of the most important sediment transfer processes on earth. Yet the fundamental nature of turbidity currents is still debated; especially whether they are entirely dilute and turbulent, or a thin and dense basal l... Read More about Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current.

Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents (2020)
Journal Article
Simmons, S. M., Azpiroz-Zabala, M., Cartigny, M. J. B., Clare, M. A., Cooper, C., Parsons, D. R., Pope, E. L., Sumner, E. J., & Talling, P. J. (2020). Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(5), Article e2019JC015904. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015904

Turbidity currents transport prodigious volumes of sediment to the deep-sea. But there are very few direct measurements from oceanic turbidity currents, ensuring they are poorly understood. Recent studies have used acoustic Doppler current profilers... Read More about Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents.

What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents? (2019)
Journal Article
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

© 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 f... Read More about What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?.