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Talling PJ, Baker ML, Pope EL, Ruffell SC, Jacinto RS, Heijnen MS, Hage S, Simmons SM, Hasenhündl M, Heerema CJ, McGhee C, Apprioual R, Ferrant A, Cartigny MJB, Parsons DR, Clare MA, Tshimanga RM, Trigg MA, Cula CA, Faria R, Gaillot A, Bola G, Wallance D, Griffiths A, Nunny R, Urlaub M, Peirce C, Burnett R, Neasham J, Hilton RJ. Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4193. [PMID: 35858962 PMCID: PMC9297676 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31689-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
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 flow travelling >1,130 km whilst accelerating from 5.2 to 8.0 m/s. In one year, these turbidity currents eroded 1,338-2,675 [>535-1,070] Mt of sediment from one submarine canyon, equivalent to 19–37 [>7–15] % of annual suspended sediment flux from present-day rivers. It was known earthquakes trigger canyon-flushing flows. We show river-floods also generate canyon-flushing flows, primed by rapid sediment-accumulation at the river-mouth, and sometimes triggered by spring tides weeks to months post-flood. It is demonstrated that strongly erosional turbidity currents self-accelerate, thereby travelling much further, validating a long-proposed theory. These observations explain highly-efficient organic carbon transfer, and have important implications for hazards to seabed cables, or deep-sea impacts of terrestrial climate change. This paper analyses the longest sediment flows measured in action on Earth. These seabed flows were caused by floods and spring tides, and flushed prodigious sediment and carbon volumes into the deep sea, as they accelerated for a thousand kilometres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Talling
- Departments of Geography and Earth Science, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Megan L Baker
- Department of Geography, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Ed L Pope
- Department of Geography, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Sean C Ruffell
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | | | - Maarten S Heijnen
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK.,School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Sophie Hage
- University of Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, Geo-Ocean, 29280, Plouzané, France.,Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Stephen M Simmons
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Martin Hasenhündl
- Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, TU Wien, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Catharina J Heerema
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Claire McGhee
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ronan Apprioual
- Marine Geosciences Unit, IFREMER Centre de Brest, Plouzané, France
| | - Anthony Ferrant
- Marine Geosciences Unit, IFREMER Centre de Brest, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Daniel R Parsons
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Michael A Clare
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK
| | - Raphael M Tshimanga
- Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) and Department of Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Mark A Trigg
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS3 9JT, UK
| | - Costa A Cula
- Angola Cables SA, Cellwave Building 2nd Floor Via AL5, Zona XR6B, Talatona-Luanda, Angola
| | - Rui Faria
- Angola Cables SA, Cellwave Building 2nd Floor Via AL5, Zona XR6B, Talatona-Luanda, Angola
| | - Arnaud Gaillot
- Marine Geosciences Unit, IFREMER Centre de Brest, Plouzané, France
| | - Gode Bola
- Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) and Department of Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Dec Wallance
- Subsea Centre of Excellence Technology, BT, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Nunny
- Ambios, 1 Hexton Road, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8HL, UK
| | - Morelia Urlaub
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Wischhofstraße 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christine Peirce
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Richard Burnett
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Jeffrey Neasham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Robert J Hilton
- Department of Earth Sciences, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
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Pope EL, Cartigny MJB, Clare MA, Talling PJ, Lintern DG, Vellinga A, Hage S, Açikalin S, Bailey L, Chapplow N, Chen Y, Eggenhuisen JT, Hendry A, Heerema CJ, Heijnen MS, Hubbard SM, Hunt JE, McGhee C, Parsons DR, Simmons SM, Stacey CD, Vendettuoli D. First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabj3220. [PMID: 35584216 PMCID: PMC9116613 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj3220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
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 dense or dilute. Here, we analyze the largest number of turbidity currents monitored to date from source to sink. We show sediment transport and internal flow characteristic evolution as they runout. Observed frontal regions (heads) are fast (>1.5 m/s), thin (<10 m), dense (depth averaged concentrations up to 38%vol), strongly stratified, and dominated by grain-to-grain interactions, or slower (<1 m/s), dilute (<0.01%vol), and well mixed with turbulence supporting sediment. Between these end-members, a transitional flow head exists. Flow bodies are typically thick, slow, dilute, and well mixed. Flows with dense heads stretch and bulk up with dense heads transporting up to 1000 times more sediment than the dilute body. Dense heads can therefore control turbidity current sediment transport and runout into the deep sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ed L. Pope
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Matthieu J. B. Cartigny
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Michael A. Clare
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Peter J. Talling
- Departments of Earth Science and Geography, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - D. Gwyn Lintern
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 9860 W Saanich Road, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - Age Vellinga
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Sophie Hage
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Geo-Ocean, F-29280 Plouzané, France
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sanem Açikalin
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Lewis Bailey
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Natasha Chapplow
- Department of Earth Science, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Ye Chen
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Joris T. Eggenhuisen
- Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alison Hendry
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Catharina J. Heerema
- Department of Earth Science, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Maarten S. Heijnen
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Stephen M. Hubbard
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - James E. Hunt
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Claire McGhee
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Daniel R. Parsons
- Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | | | - Cooper D. Stacey
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 9860 W Saanich Road, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - Daniela Vendettuoli
- National Oceanography Centre Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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