Swept away by a turbidity current in Mendocino submarine canyon, California
Swept away by a turbidity current in Mendocino submarine canyon, California
We present unique observations and measurements of a dilute turbidity current made with a remotely operated vehicle in 400?m water depth near the head of Mendocino Canyon, California. The flow had a two-layer structure with a thin (0.5 to 30?m), relatively dense (<0.04?vol %) and fast (up to ~1.7?m/s) wedge-shaped lower layer overlain by a thicker (up to 89?m) more dilute and slower current. The fast moving lower layer lagged the slow moving, dilute flow front by 14?min, which we infer resulted from the interaction of two initial pulses. The two layers were strongly coupled, and the sharp interface between the layers was characterized by a wave-like instability. This is the first field-scale data from a turbidity current to show (i) the complex dynamics of the head of a turbidity current and (ii) the presence of multiple layers within the same event.
turbidity current, submarine canyon, Mendocino Canyon
7611-7618
Sumner, E.J.
dbba4b92-89cc-45d9-888e-d0e87e5c10ac
Paull, C.K.
baf105b3-905a-4994-86bb-69cb5ec95743
16 November 2014
Sumner, E.J.
dbba4b92-89cc-45d9-888e-d0e87e5c10ac
Paull, C.K.
baf105b3-905a-4994-86bb-69cb5ec95743
Sumner, E.J. and Paull, C.K.
(2014)
Swept away by a turbidity current in Mendocino submarine canyon, California.
Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (21), .
(doi:10.1002/2014GL061863).
Abstract
We present unique observations and measurements of a dilute turbidity current made with a remotely operated vehicle in 400?m water depth near the head of Mendocino Canyon, California. The flow had a two-layer structure with a thin (0.5 to 30?m), relatively dense (<0.04?vol %) and fast (up to ~1.7?m/s) wedge-shaped lower layer overlain by a thicker (up to 89?m) more dilute and slower current. The fast moving lower layer lagged the slow moving, dilute flow front by 14?min, which we infer resulted from the interaction of two initial pulses. The two layers were strongly coupled, and the sharp interface between the layers was characterized by a wave-like instability. This is the first field-scale data from a turbidity current to show (i) the complex dynamics of the head of a turbidity current and (ii) the presence of multiple layers within the same event.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 2014
Published date: 16 November 2014
Keywords:
turbidity current, submarine canyon, Mendocino Canyon
Organisations:
Geology & Geophysics
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Local EPrints ID: 371819
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/371819
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: acaabb18-e2ee-4a02-8c47-4e8d4c58013b
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Date deposited: 17 Nov 2014 10:57
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 18:27
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Author:
C.K. Paull
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