Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins
Abstract Natural depressions on continental margins termed minibasins trap turbidity currents, a class of sediment-laden seafloor density driven flow. These currents are the primary downslope vectors for clastic sediment, particulate organic carbon, and microplastics. Here, we establish a method tha...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46120-2 |
| _version_ | 1797266685429809152 |
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| author | J. Kevin Reece Robert M. Dorrell Kyle M. Straub |
| author_facet | J. Kevin Reece Robert M. Dorrell Kyle M. Straub |
| author_sort | J. Kevin Reece |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Natural depressions on continental margins termed minibasins trap turbidity currents, a class of sediment-laden seafloor density driven flow. These currents are the primary downslope vectors for clastic sediment, particulate organic carbon, and microplastics. Here, we establish a method that facilitates long-distance self-suspension of dilute sediment-laden flows, enabling study of turbidity currents with appropriately scaled natural topography. We show that flow dynamics in three-dimensional minibasins are dominated by circulation cell structures. While fluid rotation is mainly along a horizontal plane, inwards spiraling flow results in strong upwelling jets that reduce the ability of minibasins to trap particulate organic carbon, microplastics, and fine-grained clastic sediment. Circulation cells are the prime mechanism for distributing particulates in minibasins and set the geometry of deposits, which are often intricate and below the resolution of geophysical surveys. Fluid and sediment are delivered to circulation cells by turbidity currents that runup the distal wall of minibasins. The magnitude of runup increases with the discharge rate of currents entering minibasins, which influences the amount of sediment that is either trapped in minibasins or spills to downslope environs and determines the height that deposits onlap against minibasin walls. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-285a474c58da47199f32e80de9371fc0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-285a474c58da47199f32e80de9371fc02024-03-10T12:17:19ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-03-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-46120-2Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasinsJ. Kevin Reece0Robert M. Dorrell1Kyle M. Straub2Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane UniversityEnergy and Environment Institute, University of HullDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane UniversityAbstract Natural depressions on continental margins termed minibasins trap turbidity currents, a class of sediment-laden seafloor density driven flow. These currents are the primary downslope vectors for clastic sediment, particulate organic carbon, and microplastics. Here, we establish a method that facilitates long-distance self-suspension of dilute sediment-laden flows, enabling study of turbidity currents with appropriately scaled natural topography. We show that flow dynamics in three-dimensional minibasins are dominated by circulation cell structures. While fluid rotation is mainly along a horizontal plane, inwards spiraling flow results in strong upwelling jets that reduce the ability of minibasins to trap particulate organic carbon, microplastics, and fine-grained clastic sediment. Circulation cells are the prime mechanism for distributing particulates in minibasins and set the geometry of deposits, which are often intricate and below the resolution of geophysical surveys. Fluid and sediment are delivered to circulation cells by turbidity currents that runup the distal wall of minibasins. The magnitude of runup increases with the discharge rate of currents entering minibasins, which influences the amount of sediment that is either trapped in minibasins or spills to downslope environs and determines the height that deposits onlap against minibasin walls.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46120-2 |
| spellingShingle | J. Kevin Reece Robert M. Dorrell Kyle M. Straub Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins Nature Communications |
| title | Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| title_full | Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| title_fullStr | Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| title_short | Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| title_sort | circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46120-2 |
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