IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-34455-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A dimensionless framework for predicting submarine fan morphology

Author

Listed:
  • Abdul Wahab

    (Tulane University)

  • David C. Hoyal

    (ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company)

  • Mrugesh Shringarpure

    (ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company)

  • Kyle M. Straub

    (Tulane University)

Abstract

Observations of active turbidity currents at field scale offers a limited scope which challenges the development of theory that links flow dynamics to the morphology of submarine fans. Here we offer a framework for predicting submarine fan morphologies by simplifying critical environmental forcings such as regional slopes and properties of sediments, through densimetric Froude (ratio of inertial to gravitational forces) and Rouse numbers (ratio of settling velocity of sediments to shear velocity) of turbidity currents. We leverage a depth-average process-based numerical model to simulate an array of submarine fans and measure rugosity as a proxy for their morphological complexity. We show a systematic increase in rugosity by either increasing the densimetric Froude number or decreasing the Rouse number of turbidity currents. These trends reflect gradients in the dynamics of channel migration on the fan surface and help discriminate submarine fans that effectively sequester organic carbon rich mud in deep ocean strata.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdul Wahab & David C. Hoyal & Mrugesh Shringarpure & Kyle M. Straub, 2022. "A dimensionless framework for predicting submarine fan morphology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-34455-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34455-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-34455-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-34455-7?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. Valier Galy & Christian France-Lanord & Olivier Beyssac & Pierre Faure & Hermann Kudrass & Fabien Palhol, 2007. "Efficient organic carbon burial in the Bengal fan sustained by the Himalayan erosional system," Nature, Nature, vol. 450(7168), pages 407-410, November.
    2. Christopher John Stevenson & Peter Feldens & Aggeliki Georgiopoulou & Mischa Schӧnke & Sebastian Krastel & David J. W. Piper & Katja Lindhorst & David Mosher, 2018. "Reconstructing the sediment concentration of a giant submarine gravity flow," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    3. J. H. Nienhuis & A. D. Ashton & D. A. Edmonds & A. J. F. Hoitink & A. J. Kettner & J. C. Rowland & T. E. Törnqvist, 2020. "Global-scale human impact on delta morphology has led to net land area gain," Nature, Nature, vol. 577(7791), pages 514-518, January.
    4. Vamsi Ganti & Michael P. Lamb & Brandon McElroy, 2014. "Quantitative bounds on morphodynamics and implications for reading the sedimentary record," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, May.
    5. Jan de Leeuw & Joris T. Eggenhuisen & Matthieu J. B. Cartigny, 2016. "Morphodynamics of submarine channel inception revealed by new experimental approach," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, April.
    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. 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. Danghan Xie & Christian Schwarz & Maarten G. Kleinhans & Karin R. Bryan & Giovanni Coco & Stephen Hunt & Barend van Maanen, 2023. "Mangrove removal exacerbates estuarine infilling through landscape-scale bio-morphodynamic feedbacks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Xin Su & Jianliang Jia & Xiaoming Wang, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Variation in Mature Source Rocks Linked to the Generation of Various Hydrocarbons in the Fuxin Basin, Northeast China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Romy Hulskamp & Arjen Luijendijk & Bas Maren & Antonio Moreno-Rodenas & Floris Calkoen & Etiënne Kras & Stef Lhermitte & Stefan Aarninkhof, 2023. "Global distribution and dynamics of muddy coasts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Sarah Seabrook & Kevin Mackay & Sally J. Watson & Michael A. Clare & James E. Hunt & Isobel A. Yeo & Emily M. Lane & Malcolm R. Clark & Richard Wysoczanski & Ashley A. Rowden & Taaniela Kula & Linn J., 2023. "Volcaniclastic density currents explain widespread and diverse seafloor impacts of the 2022 Hunga Volcano eruption," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Jessica L. Raff & Steven L. Goodbred & Jennifer L. Pickering & Ryan S. Sincavage & John C. Ayers & Md. Saddam Hossain & Carol A. Wilson & Chris Paola & Michael S. Steckler & Dhiman R. Mondal & Jean-Lo, 2023. "Sediment delivery to sustain the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta under climate change and anthropogenic impacts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. 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.
    7. Xuejiao Hou & Danghan Xie & Lian Feng & Fang Shen & Jaap H. Nienhuis, 2024. "Sustained increase in suspended sediments near global river deltas over the past two decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, 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_s41467-022-34455-7. 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.