Global monitoring data shows grain size controls turbidity current structure

Vendettuoli, Daniela; Clare, Michael Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1448-3878; Sumner, Esther Joanne; Cartigny, Matthieu J.B.; Talling, Peter; Wood, Jon; Bailey, Lewis; Azpiroz-Zabala, Maria; Paull, Charles K; Gwiazda, Roberto; Stacey, Cooper D; Lintern, Gwyn; Simmons, Stephen M; Pope, Ed L; Hage, Sophie; Xu, Jinping. 2020 Global monitoring data shows grain size controls turbidity current structure. Earth and Space Science Open Research Archive. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503647.1 (Submitted)

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Abstract/Summary

The first detailed measurements from active turbidity currents have been made in the last few years, at multiple sites worldwide. These data allow us to investigate the factors that control the structure of these flows. By analyzing the temporal evolution of the maximum velocity of turbidity currents at different sites, we aim to understand whether there are distinct types of flow, or if a continuum exists between end-members; and to investigate the physical controls on the different types of observed flow. Our results show that the evolution of the maximum velocity of turbidity currents falls between two end-members. Either the events show a rapid peak in velocity followed by an exponential decay or, flows continue at a plateau-like, near constant velocity. Our analysis suggests that rather than triggers or system input type, flow structure is primarily governed by the grain size of the sediment available for incorporation into the flow.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503647.1
Date made live:	05 Jan 2022 17:27 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531701

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