Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Lewis P. Bailey, Michael A. Clare, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Matthieu J. B. Cartigny, Peter J. Talling, Charles K. Paull, Roberto Gwiazda, Daniel R. Parsons, Stephen M. Simmons, Jingping Xu, Ivan D. Haigh, Katherine L. Maier, Mary McGann, Eve Lundsten
Summary: This study analyzed detailed measurements of powerful turbidity currents in Monterey Canyon, California, and found that the triggering mechanism of turbidity currents is not always major external events, but can occur more easily during enhanced seasonal sediment supply.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Anne Bernhardt, Wolfgang Schwanghart
Summary: The efficiency of sediment routing from land to the ocean depends on the position of submarine canyon heads with regard to terrestrial sediment sources, and our study found that steep and narrow shelves facilitate canyon-head connectivity to the shore. Shore-connected canyons are more likely to occur along active margins characterized by resistant bedrock and high river-water discharge.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Roy Jaijel, Eli Biton, Yishai Weinstein, Tal Ozer, Timor Katz
Summary: Most in-situ studies and observations of turbidity currents have been conducted in large submarine canyons near big rivers, while little research has been done in small submarine canyons farther offshore. This study focuses on Bat-Galim Canyon, a small submarine canyon located offshore Haifa, Israel, which is fed by minor and ephemeral streams. Measurements were collected using mooring stations in the canyon, revealing that the canyon serves as an active conduit for sediment transport via turbidity currents, with similar characteristics to larger canyons. The study also found temperature inversions during these events, which have implications for water column processes.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Lewis P. Bailey, Michael A. Clare, Ed L. Pope, Ivan D. Haigh, Matthieu J. B. Cartigny, Peter J. Talling, D. Gwyn Lintern, Sophie Hage, Maarten Heijnen
Summary: Quantification of the controls on turbidity current recurrence is necessary for better understanding sediment, carbon, and pollutant fluxes and for designing infrastructure that is resilient to such flows. This study analyzes the timing and causes of 113 directly-monitored turbidity currents in a submarine channel located offshore from glacial-fed river deltas. A statistical model is developed to predict turbidity current probability based on river discharge and water level, which shows high success rates in predicting turbidity current activity in other river deltas.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lenaig Brun, Ivane Pairaud, Ricardo Silva Jacinto, Pierre Garreau, Bernard Dennielou
Summary: This study presents observations of currents, temperature, and turbidity in the Cassidaigne canyon in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. The circulation in this area is influenced by upwelling and downwelling-favorable winds, the Northern Current, and the local morphology. The study finds that upwellings occur under different stratification conditions and are triggered by winds stronger than 14 m/s. The mesoscale variability of the Northern Current can lead to cross currents over the canyon. Turbidity currents were also observed, indicating the importance of the canyon's internal hydrodynamics on shelf sedimentary processes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Kunwen Luo, Shan Liu, Ming Su, Haiteng Zhuo, Heqi Cui, Hui Chen, Yaping Lei, Mingdong Yu
Summary: This study reveals the morphologic features of a bended submarine canyon in the Wanhu Seamount region, northern South China Sea, based on multiple data sources. The analysis focuses on the impact of submarine canyon bending on sediment waves and sediment transport.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alice Lauren Bruemmer, Awantha Dissanayake, Jaime Selina Davies
Summary: Litter in the ocean interacts with fauna and leads to unquantified impacts. Marine litter, mostly sourced from land, undergoes slow degradation upon settling on the ocean floor. Submarine canyons have high concentrations of litter, but studying litter in these areas is challenging. Interactions between litter and fauna are often not considered or documented, resulting in a lack of global comparison and analysis. A standardized framework has been created to report litter-fauna interactions and can aid in research collaboration and data collection. Impacts from these interactions, mainly entanglement and smothering, are significant.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Masao Amano, Kagari Aoki, Hayao Kobayashi, Shingo Minamikawa, Katsufumi Sato, Tsunemi Kubodera
Summary: This study investigated the movement patterns of male sperm whales in Nemuro Strait, Japan, and found that they dive deeper at night compared to during the day. The whales also change their north-south movement direction every 4-6 hours, independent of the current direction. These tactics help the whales efficiently search for prey in the narrow submarine canyon. The results highlight the whales' ability to adapt their foraging strategies based on the prey environment and suggest the importance of social cohesion among foraging male sperm whales.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tiziana Ciuffardi, Zoi Kokkini, Maristella Berta, Marina Locritani, Andrea Bordone, Ivana Delbono, Mireno Borghini, Maurizio Demarte, Roberta Ivaldi, Federica Pannacciulli, Anna Vetrano, Davide Marini, Giovanni Caprino
Summary: This article presents a 2-year dataset from a stand-alone mooring deployed in the Levante Canyon of the eastern Ligurian Sea in November 2020. The Levante Canyon Mooring (LCM) is a deep submarine observatory located at 608 m depth in a crucial ecosystem area. The dataset includes measurements of hydrodynamics and thermohaline properties conducted with current meters and CTD probes across the water column. The ongoing observatory and regularly updated dataset are publicly available and of significant scientific interest.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Wei Zhou, Domenico Chiarella, Haiteng Zhuo, Yingmin Wang, Wu Tang, Mengjun Zou, Qiang Xu
Summary: This study documents for the first time the Quaternary deep-water canyon-confined large-scale sediment waves developed on the northern South China Sea margin, dating back to approximately 140,000 years ago during the Penultimate Glacial Maximum. The large-scale sediment waves have evolved from a more depositional phase to erosion-dominated phase due to variations in sediment supply and submarine slope accommodation.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
William L. Fisher, William E. Galloway, Ronald J. Steel, Cornel Olariu, Charles Kerans, David Mohrig
Summary: Sedimentary margins grow through different methods, with shelf-incising canyons and shelf-edge deltas supplying sediment in distinct ways. The characteristics of shelf-and slope-incising canyons include basin-floor sediment aggradation and onlapping against eroded basin margins.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Paradis, Marta Arjona-Camas, Miguel Goni, Albert Palanques, Pere Masque, Pere Puig
Summary: Submarine canyons play a crucial role in transporting sediment and organic matter to deep-sea environments. This study found that natural events such as storms and river floods, as well as human activities like bottom trawling, contribute to the inputs of sediment and organic matter. Bottom trawling not only increases the magnitude of particle fluxes, but also alters the composition of organic carbon, potentially affecting benthic communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
L. Verweirder, D. Van Rooij, A. Georgiopoulou
Summary: In this study, the seismic stratigraphy of the Gollum Channel System (GCS) is established for the first time using well data integrated with airgun seismic reflection data. It is found that the GCS was formed before Quaternary glaciations and its origin is tentatively associated with a phase of Northeast Atlantic margin tilting in the early Pliocene. Gravity flows from Quaternary glacial processes reused the channels and incised the margin. Interaction with along-slope bottom currents was crucial for sediment and nutrient distribution.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Qiang Li, Bing Wang, Jingping Xu
Summary: Submarine canyons on the continental shelf in the northern South China Sea have significant impacts on the generation and propagation of internal tides. The rough seafloor of these canyons affects the dissipation of internal tides and induces intensified mean flow and clockwise circulation inside each canyon.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Erika E. McPhee-Shaw, Eric Kunze, James B. Girton
Summary: The study reveals anomalously high dissolved oxygen levels in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, attributed to turbulence and isopycnal-spreading driven mixing processes. This highlights the potential of using oxygen as a tracer for tracking mixing and lateral dispersal in marine environments.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
