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First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents

Pope, Ed L.; Cartigny, Matthieu J.B.; Clare, Michael A.; Talling, Peter J.; Lintern, D. Gwyn; Vellinga, Age; Hage, Sophie; Açikalin, Sanem; Bailey, Lewis; Chapplow, Natasha; Chen, Ye; Eggenhuisen, Joris T.; Hendry, Alison; Heerema, Catharina J.; Heijnen, Maarten S.; Hubbard, Stephen M.; Hunt, James E.; McGhee, Claire; Parsons, Daniel R.; Simmons, Stephen M.; Stacey, Cooper D.; Vendettuoli, Daniela

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Authors

Michael A. Clare

D. Gwyn Lintern

Age Vellinga

Sophie Hage

Sanem Açikalin

Lewis Bailey

Natasha Chapplow

Ye Chen

Joris T. Eggenhuisen

Alison Hendry

Catharina J. Heerema

Maarten S. Heijnen

Stephen M. Hubbard

James E. Hunt

Claire McGhee

Daniel R. Parsons

Stephen M. Simmons

Cooper D. Stacey

Daniela Vendettuoli



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.

Citation

Pope, E. L., Cartigny, M. J., Clare, M. A., Talling, P. J., Lintern, D. G., Vellinga, A., …Vendettuoli, D. (2022). First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents. Science Advances, 8(20), Article eabj3220. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj3220

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 4, 2022
Online Publication Date May 18, 2022
Publication Date May 20, 2022
Deposit Date May 24, 2022
Publicly Available Date Jul 21, 2022
Journal Science Advances
Electronic ISSN 2375-2548
Publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 8
Issue 20
Article Number eabj3220
DOI https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj3220

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2022
The Authors, some
rights reserved;
exclusive licensee
American Association
for the Advancement
of Science. No claim to
originalU.S. Government
Works. Distributed
under a Creative
Commons Attribution
License 4.0 (CC BY)





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