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Wave Generation of Gravity‐Driven Sediment Flows on a Predominantly Sandy Seabed
Author(s) -
Flores Raúl P.,
Rijnsburger Sabine,
Meirelles Saulo,
HornerDevine Alexander R.,
Souza Alejandro J.,
Pietrzak Julie D.,
Henriquez Martijn,
Reniers Ad
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl077936
Subject(s) - seabed , geology , sediment , flood myth , sediment transport , oceanography , submarine pipeline , geomorphology , philosophy , theology
Wave‐supported gravity flows (WSGFs) generate rates of sediment flux far exceeding other cross‐shelf transport processes, contributing disproportionately to shelf morphology and net cross‐shelf fluxes of sediment in many regions worldwide. However, the conditions deemed necessary for the formation of WSGF limit them to a narrow set of shelf conditions; they have been observed exclusively in regions where the seabed consists of very fine‐grained sediment and typically co‐occur with nearby river flood events. Here we document the occurrence of a WSGF event on a predominantly sandy seabed and in the absence of a preceding river flood. Our measurements confirm that the dynamics are governed by the friction‐buoyancy balance observed in other WSGF and that WSGF can form in mixed grain‐size environments and transport high concentrations of sand. The occurrence of WSGF on a predominantly sandy seabed suggests that they may occur under a much wider range of conditions and, given the global prevalence of sandy shelves, they may be a more frequent and more ubiquitous feature of shelf dynamics than previously thought.