IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-31689-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea

Author

Listed:
  • Peter J. Talling

    (Durham University)

  • Megan L. Baker

    (Durham University)

  • Ed L. Pope

    (Durham University)

  • Sean C. Ruffell

    (Durham University)

  • Ricardo Silva Jacinto

    (IFREMER Centre de Brest)

  • Maarten S. Heijnen

    (National Oceanography Centre Southampton
    University of Southampton)

  • Sophie Hage

    (University of Brest, CNRS, IFREMER
    University of Calgary)

  • Stephen M. Simmons

    (University of Hull)

  • Martin Hasenhündl

    (TU Wien)

  • Catharina J. Heerema

    (Durham University)

  • Claire McGhee

    (Newcastle University)

  • Ronan Apprioual

    (IFREMER Centre de Brest)

  • Anthony Ferrant

    (IFREMER Centre de Brest)

  • Matthieu J. B. Cartigny

    (Durham University)

  • Daniel R. Parsons

    (University of Hull)

  • Michael A. Clare

    (National Oceanography Centre Southampton)

  • Raphael M. Tshimanga

    (University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN))

  • Mark A. Trigg

    (University of Leeds)

  • Costa A. Cula

    (Angola Cables SA)

  • Rui Faria

    (Angola Cables SA)

  • Arnaud Gaillot

    (IFREMER Centre de Brest)

  • Gode Bola

    (University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN))

  • Dec Wallance

    (Subsea Centre of Excellence Technology, BT)

  • Allan Griffiths

    (Vodaphone Group)

  • Robert Nunny

    (Ambios)

  • Morelia Urlaub

    (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research)

  • Christine Peirce

    (Durham University)

  • Richard Burnett

    (Newcastle University)

  • Jeffrey Neasham

    (Newcastle University)

  • Robert J. Hilton

    (Department of Earth Sciences)

Abstract

Here we show how major rivers can efficiently connect to the deep-sea, by analysing the longest runout sediment flows (of any type) yet measured in action on Earth. These seafloor turbidity currents originated from the Congo River-mouth, with one flow travelling >1,130 km whilst accelerating from 5.2 to 8.0 m/s. In one year, these turbidity currents eroded 1,338-2,675 [>535-1,070] Mt of sediment from one submarine canyon, equivalent to 19–37 [>7–15] % of annual suspended sediment flux from present-day rivers. It was known earthquakes trigger canyon-flushing flows. We show river-floods also generate canyon-flushing flows, primed by rapid sediment-accumulation at the river-mouth, and sometimes triggered by spring tides weeks to months post-flood. It is demonstrated that strongly erosional turbidity currents self-accelerate, thereby travelling much further, validating a long-proposed theory. These observations explain highly-efficient organic carbon transfer, and have important implications for hazards to seabed cables, or deep-sea impacts of terrestrial climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter J. Talling & Megan L. Baker & Ed L. Pope & Sean C. Ruffell & Ricardo Silva Jacinto & Maarten S. Heijnen & Sophie Hage & Stephen M. Simmons & Martin Hasenhündl & Catharina J. Heerema & Claire McG, 2022. "Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31689-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31689-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31689-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-31689-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charles K. Paull & Peter J. Talling & Katherine L. Maier & Daniel Parsons & Jingping Xu & David W. Caress & Roberto Gwiazda & Eve M. Lundsten & Krystle Anderson & James P. Barry & Mark Chaffey & Tom O, 2018. "Powerful turbidity currents driven by dense basal layers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. John E. Hughes Clarke, 2016. "First wide-angle view of channelized turbidity currents links migrating cyclic steps to flow characteristics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Maarten S. Heijnen & Michael A. Clare & Matthieu J. B. Cartigny & Peter J. Talling & Sophie Hage & D. Gwyn Lintern & Cooper Stacey & Daniel R. Parsons & Stephen M. Simmons & Ye Chen & Esther J. Sumner, 2020. "Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Maarten S. Heijnen & Michael A. Clare & Matthieu J. B. Cartigny & Peter J. Talling & Sophie Hage & D. Gwyn Lintern & Cooper Stacey & Daniel R. Parsons & Stephen M. Simmons & Ye Chen & Esther J. Sumner, 2020. "Author Correction: Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-1, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. M. A. Clare & A. Lichtschlag & S. Paradis & N. L. M. Barlow, 2023. "Assessing the impact of the global subsea telecommunications network on sedimentary organic carbon stocks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. J. Kevin Reece & Robert M. Dorrell & Kyle M. Straub, 2024. "Circulation of hydraulically ponded turbidity currents and the filling of continental slope minibasins," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. M. S. Heijnen & F. Mienis & A. R. Gates & B. J. Bett & R. A. Hall & J. Hunt & I. A. Kane & C. Pebody & V. A. I. Huvenne & E. L. Soutter & M. A. Clare, 2022. "Challenging the highstand-dormant paradigm for land-detached submarine canyons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31689-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.