In-situ measurements of velocity structure within turbidity currents

Turbidity currents are thought to be the main mechanism to move ∼500,000 m3 of sediments annually from the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon to the deep‐sea fan. Indirect evidence has shown frequent occurrences of such turbidity currents in the canyon, but the dynamic properties of the turbidity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2004-05, Vol.31 (9), p.L09311.1-n/a
Main Authors: Xu, J. P., Noble, M. A., Rosenfeld, L. K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Marine
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Summary:Turbidity currents are thought to be the main mechanism to move ∼500,000 m3 of sediments annually from the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon to the deep‐sea fan. Indirect evidence has shown frequent occurrences of such turbidity currents in the canyon, but the dynamic properties of the turbidity currents such as maximum speed, duration, and dimensions are still unknown. Here we present the first‐ever in‐situ measurements of velocity profiles of four turbidity currents whose maximum along‐canyon velocity reached 190 cm/s. Two turbidity currents coincided with storms that produced the highest swells and the biggest stream flows during the year‐long deployment.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2004GL019718