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Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution

Heijnen, Maarten S.; Clare, Michael A.; Cartigny, Matthieu J.B.; Talling, Peter J.; Hage, Sophie; Lintern, D. Gwyn; Stacey, Cooper; Parsons, Daniel R.; Simmons, Stephen M.; Chen, Ye; Sumner, Esther J.; Dix, Justin K.; Hughes Clarke, John E.

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Authors

Maarten S. Heijnen

Michael A. Clare

Sophie Hage

D. Gwyn Lintern

Cooper Stacey

Daniel R. Parsons

Stephen M. Simmons

Ye Chen

Esther J. Sumner

Justin K. Dix

John E. Hughes Clarke



Abstract

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 time-lapse mapping of an active submarine channel along its full length in Bute Inlet, Canada. Past studies suggested that meander-bend migration, levee-deposition, or migration of (supercritical-flow) bedforms controls the evolution of submarine channels. We show for the first time how rapid (100–450 m/year) upstream migration of 5-to-30 m high knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution. Knickpoint migration-related changes include deep (>25 m) erosion, and lateral migration of the channel. Knickpoints in rivers are created by external factors, such as tectonics, or base-level change. However, the knickpoints in Bute Inlet appear internally generated. Similar knickpoints are found in several submarine channels worldwide, and are thus globally important for how channels operate.

Citation

Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Lintern, D. G., …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

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 26, 2020
Online Publication Date Jun 19, 2020
Publication Date 2020
Deposit Date Jul 1, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Nature Communications
Publisher Nature Research
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 11
Issue 1
Article Number 3129
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x

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