The failure propagation of weakly stable sediment: A reason for the formation of high-velocity turbidity currents in submarine canyons -- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(1):100-117

	Cite this paper:
	Yupeng REN, Yi ZHANG, Guohui XU, Xingbei XU, Houjie WANG, Zhiyuan CHEN. The failure propagation of weakly stable sediment: A reason for the formation of high-velocity turbidity currents in submarine canyons[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2023, 41(1): 100-117

The failure propagation of weakly stable sediment: A reason for the formation of high-velocity turbidity currents in submarine canyons

Yupeng REN^1,2, Yi ZHANG^1,3, Guohui XU^1,3, Xingbei XU^1,3, Houjie WANG², Zhiyuan CHEN^1,3

1 Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, Qingdao 266100, China;
2 Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China;
3 Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266100, China

Abstract:

The long-distance movement of turbidity currents in submarine canyons can transport large amounts of sediment to deep-sea plains. Previous studies show obvious differences in the turbidity current velocities derived from the multiple cables damage events ranging from 5.9 to 28.0 m/s and those of field observations between 0.15 and 7.2 m/s. Therefore, questions remain regarding whether a turbid fluid in an undersea environment can flow through a submarine canyon for a long distance at a high speed. A new model based on weakly stable sediment is proposed (proposed failure propagation model for weakly stable sediments, WSS-PFP model for short) to explain the high-speed and long-range motion of turbidity currents in submarine canyons through the combination of laboratory tests and numerical analogs. The model is based on two mechanisms: 1) the original turbidity current triggers the destabilization of the weakly stable sediment bed and promotes the destabilization and transport of the soft sediment in the downstream direction and 2) the excitation wave that forms when the original turbidity current moves into the canyon leads to the destabilization and transport of the weakly stable sediment in the downstream direction. The proposed model will provide dynamic process interpretation for the study of deep-sea deposition, pollutant transport, and optical cable damage.

Key words: turbidity current|excitation wave|dense basal layer|velocity|WSS-PFP model

Received: 2021-09-10 Revised:

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Articles by Yupeng REN

Articles by Yi ZHANG

Articles by Guohui XU

Articles by Xingbei XU

Articles by Houjie WANG

Articles by Zhiyuan CHEN

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