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Global (latitudinal) variation in submarine channel sinuosity

Global (latitudinal) variation in submarine channel sinuosity
Global (latitudinal) variation in submarine channel sinuosity
Current classifications of submarine channels and fans link channel sinuosity to gradient, and in turn to sediment caliber, with end members being high-sinuosity, low-gradient, fine-grained systems and low-sinuosity, high-gradient, coarse-grained systems. However, the most sinuous modern submarine channels, such as the Amazon, Bengal, Indus, and Zaire, along with ancient sinuous submarine channels, are located in equatorial regions. Here we quantitatively compare slope versus latitude controls on submarine channel sinuosity and show that the latitudinal control is strong, while that of slope is weak. Variation in sinuosity with latitude is shown to occur uniquely in submarine channels; no comparable relationship is observed for terrestrial river channels. Possible causal mechanisms for this latitudinal variation are explored, focusing on the influence of the Coriolis force, flow type, and sediment type. Although climate does not vary straightforwardly with latitude, climatic controls on flow and sediment type may explain some of the latitudinal variation; Coriolis force, however, varies with latitude alone and produces an excellent fit to the observed sinuosity-latitude distribution. Regardless of which control predominates, latitudinal global variation in channel sinuosity should have changed over geologic time. Since deposit architecture and facies are linked directly with sinuosity, submarine channel deposits should also systematically vary in space and time.
0091-7613
11-14
Peakall, Jeff
7d96abd2-5db3-4bae-b8cd-ac86574e19cc
Kane, Ian A.
dfdc39db-59b8-4b08-85e4-9d6d3a9cd41e
Masson, Doug G.
edd44c8b-38ca-45fb-8d0d-ac8365748a45
Keevil, Gareth
f062ac52-7342-4246-bd9f-5434454680c8
McCaffrey, William
1433b2dc-8f11-4a18-9fc2-b85276e0c958
Corney, Ransome
1f901537-36fc-46e4-ba8c-59b073d8e2f7
Peakall, Jeff
7d96abd2-5db3-4bae-b8cd-ac86574e19cc
Kane, Ian A.
dfdc39db-59b8-4b08-85e4-9d6d3a9cd41e
Masson, Doug G.
edd44c8b-38ca-45fb-8d0d-ac8365748a45
Keevil, Gareth
f062ac52-7342-4246-bd9f-5434454680c8
McCaffrey, William
1433b2dc-8f11-4a18-9fc2-b85276e0c958
Corney, Ransome
1f901537-36fc-46e4-ba8c-59b073d8e2f7

Peakall, Jeff, Kane, Ian A., Masson, Doug G., Keevil, Gareth, McCaffrey, William and Corney, Ransome (2012) Global (latitudinal) variation in submarine channel sinuosity. Geology, 40 (1), 11-14. (doi:10.1130/G32295.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Current classifications of submarine channels and fans link channel sinuosity to gradient, and in turn to sediment caliber, with end members being high-sinuosity, low-gradient, fine-grained systems and low-sinuosity, high-gradient, coarse-grained systems. However, the most sinuous modern submarine channels, such as the Amazon, Bengal, Indus, and Zaire, along with ancient sinuous submarine channels, are located in equatorial regions. Here we quantitatively compare slope versus latitude controls on submarine channel sinuosity and show that the latitudinal control is strong, while that of slope is weak. Variation in sinuosity with latitude is shown to occur uniquely in submarine channels; no comparable relationship is observed for terrestrial river channels. Possible causal mechanisms for this latitudinal variation are explored, focusing on the influence of the Coriolis force, flow type, and sediment type. Although climate does not vary straightforwardly with latitude, climatic controls on flow and sediment type may explain some of the latitudinal variation; Coriolis force, however, varies with latitude alone and produces an excellent fit to the observed sinuosity-latitude distribution. Regardless of which control predominates, latitudinal global variation in channel sinuosity should have changed over geologic time. Since deposit architecture and facies are linked directly with sinuosity, submarine channel deposits should also systematically vary in space and time.

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Published date: 2012
Organisations: Marine Geoscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 208507
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/208507
ISSN: 0091-7613
PURE UUID: 4cf4255a-5163-4ea4-8d90-2fd141cb59ee

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Date deposited: 19 Jan 2012 14:14
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:43

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Contributors

Author: Jeff Peakall
Author: Ian A. Kane
Author: Doug G. Masson
Author: Gareth Keevil
Author: William McCaffrey
Author: Ransome Corney

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