Sediment transfer from shelf to deepwater slope: How does it happen?
Yuqian Gan, Flavio N. de Almeida, Valentina Marzia Rossi, Ron J. Steel, Cornel Olariu
Abstract
ABSTRACT The processes that transport sediment from the coastline to the shelf edge are key components of the sedimentary source-to-sink system, determining basin-margin building, deepwater deposition, organic-material accumulation, and the long-term carbon cycle. Research on shelf sediment transport has been aided recently by advances in modeling and marine technology. In this study we provide a much needed review of up-to-date findings on how sediment moves from the outer shelf onto the upper slope, and we summarize four dominant shelf-to-slope drivers: 1) river currents, 2) reworking storm waves and longshore currents, 3) strong tidal currents supplementing river outflow, and 4) small-scale to very large-scale gravity collapse of the shelf-edge area.