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Land‐To‐Sea Sediment Fluxes From a Major Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Were Stepped Rather Than Instantaneous (2025)
Journal Article
Bailey, L. P., Shugar, D. H., Tilston, M., Hubbard, S. M., Giesbrecht, I., Del Bel Belluz, J., Jackson, J. M., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J. B., Açıkalın, S., Hage, S., Talling, P. J., Basiuk, H., Menounos, B., & Geertsema, M. (2025). Land‐To‐Sea Sediment Fluxes From a Major Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Were Stepped Rather Than Instantaneous. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 130(4), Article e2024JF008126. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024jf008126

Glacial lake outburst floods can transport large volumes of sediment. Where these floods reach the coastline, much of the particulate matter is delivered directly to the marine environment. It has been suggested that offshore deposits, specifically i... Read More about Land‐To‐Sea Sediment Fluxes From a Major Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Were Stepped Rather Than Instantaneous.

Two-layer formulation for long-runout turbidity currents: theory and bypass flow case (2025)
Journal Article
Ma, H., Parker, G., Viparelli, E., Balachandar, S., Cartigny, M., Fu, X., & Luchi, R. (2025). Two-layer formulation for long-runout turbidity currents: theory and bypass flow case. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1009, Article A19. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2025.246

Turbidity currents, which are stratified, sediment-laden bottom flows in the ocean or lakes, can run out for hundreds or thousands of kilometres in submarine channels without losing their stratified structure. Here, we derive a layer-averaged, two-la... Read More about Two-layer formulation for long-runout turbidity currents: theory and bypass flow case.

Seabed Seismographs Reveal Duration and Structure of Longest Runout Sediment Flows on Earth (2024)
Journal Article
Baker, M. L., Talling, P. J., Burnett, R., Pope, E. L., Ruffell, S. C., Urlaub, M., Clare, M. A., Jenkins, J., Dietze, M., Neasham, J., Silva Jacinto, R., Hage, S., Hasenhündl, M., Simmons, S. M., Heerema, C. J., Heijnen, M. S., Kunath, P., Cartigny, M. J. B., McGhee, C., & Parsons, D. R. (2024). Seabed Seismographs Reveal Duration and Structure of Longest Runout Sediment Flows on Earth. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(23), Article e2024GL111078. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gl111078

Turbidity currents carve the deepest canyons on Earth, deposit its largest sediment accumulations, and break seabed telecommunication cables. Powerful canyon‐flushing turbidity currents break sensors placed in their path, making them notoriously chal... Read More about Seabed Seismographs Reveal Duration and Structure of Longest Runout Sediment Flows on Earth.

A threshold in submarine channel curvature explains erosion rate and type (2024)
Journal Article
Zulkifli, Z., Clare, M. A., Heijnen, M., Lintern, D. G., Stacey, C., Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M. J., Minshull, T. A., Moreno, H. M., Peakall, J., & Darby, S. (2024). A threshold in submarine channel curvature explains erosion rate and type. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118953

Submarine channels are conduits for sediment-laden flows called turbidity currents, which play a globally significant role in the offshore transport of sediment and organic carbon and pose a hazard to critical seafloor infrastructure. Time-lapse repe... Read More about A threshold in submarine channel curvature explains erosion rate and type.

Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon (2024)
Journal Article
Ruffell, S. C., Talling, P. J., Baker, M. L., Pope, E. L., Heijnen, M. S., Jacinto, R. S., Cartigny, M. J., Simmons, S. M., Clare, M. A., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Hage, S., Hasenhündl, M., & Parsons, D. R. (2024). Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon. Geomorphology, 463, Article 109350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109350

The largest canyons on Earth occur on the seafloor, and seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents play a key role in carving these submarine canyons. However, the processes by which turbidity currents erode submarine canyons are very poorly doc... Read More about Time-lapse surveys reveal patterns and processes of erosion by exceptionally powerful turbidity currents that flush submarine canyons: A case study of the Congo Canyon.

Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel (2024)
Journal Article
Hasenhündl, M., Talling, P. J., Pope, E. L., Baker, M. L., Heijnen, M. S., Ruffell, S. C., …Cartigny, M. J. B. (2024). Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel. Frontiers in Earth Science, 12, Article 1381019. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1381019

Submarine canyons and channels are globally important pathways for sediment, organic carbon, nutrients and pollutants to the deep sea, and they form the largest sediment accumulations on Earth. However, studying these remote submarine systems compreh... Read More about Morphometric fingerprints and downslope evolution in bathymetric surveys: insights into morphodynamics of the Congo canyon-channel.

Benthic biology influences sedimentation in submarine channel bends: Coupling of biology, sedimentation and flow (2024)
Journal Article
Azpiroz‐Zabala, M., Sumner, E. J., Cartigny, M. J. B., Peakall, J., Clare, M., Darby, S. E., …Johnson, J. (2024). Benthic biology influences sedimentation in submarine channel bends: Coupling of biology, sedimentation and flow. Depositional Record, 10(1), 159-175. https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.265

Submarine channels are key features for the transport of flow and nutrients into deep water. Previous studies of their morphology and channel evolution have treated these systems as abiotic, and therefore assume that physical processes are solely res... Read More about Benthic biology influences sedimentation in submarine channel bends: Coupling of biology, sedimentation and flow.

Controls on upstream-migrating bed forms in sandy submarine channels (2023)
Journal Article
Englert, R. G., Vellinga, A. J., Cartigny, M. J., Clare, M. A., Eggenhuisen, J. T., & Hubbard, S. M. (2023). Controls on upstream-migrating bed forms in sandy submarine channels. Geology, 51(12), 1137–1142. https://doi.org/10.1130/g51385.1

Submarine channels parallel river channels in their ability to transport sediment. However in contrast to rivers, sediment transport and bed-form development in submarine channels are less well understood. Many steep (>1°), sandy submarine channels a... Read More about Controls on upstream-migrating bed forms in sandy submarine channels.

Predicting turbidity current activity offshore from meltwater-fed river deltas (2023)
Journal Article
Bailey, L. P., Clare, M. A., Pope, E. L., Haigh, I. D., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Lintern, D. G., Hage, S., & Heijnen, M. (2023). Predicting turbidity current activity offshore from meltwater-fed river deltas. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 604, Article 117977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117977

Quantification of the controls on turbidity current recurrence is required to better constrain land to sea fluxes of sediment, carbon and pollutants, and design resilient infrastructure that is vulnerable to such flows. This is particularly important... Read More about Predicting turbidity current activity offshore from meltwater-fed river deltas.

Reconstructing sedimentary processes in a Permian channel–lobe transition zone: an outcrop study in the Karoo Basin, South Africa (2022)
Journal Article
Pohl, F., Eggenhuisen, J., de Leeuw, J., Cartigny, M., Brooks, H., & Spychala, Y. (2023). Reconstructing sedimentary processes in a Permian channel–lobe transition zone: an outcrop study in the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Geological Magazine, 160(1), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0016756822000693

Turbidity currents commonly bypass sediment in submarine channels on the continental slope, and deposit sediment lobes farther down-dip on the flat and unconfined abyssal plain. Seafloor and outcrop data have shown that the transition from bypass to... Read More about Reconstructing sedimentary processes in a Permian channel–lobe transition zone: an outcrop study in the Karoo Basin, South Africa.

Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming (2022)
Journal Article
Pope, E. L., Heijnen, M. S., Talling, P. J., Jacinto, R. S., Gaillot, A., Baker, M. L., Hage, S., Hasenhündl, M., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Ruffell, S. C., Simmons, S. M., Cartigny, M. J., Clare, M. A., Dennielou, B., Parsons, D. R., Peirce, C., & Urlaub, M. (2022). Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming. Nature Geoscience, 15(10), 845-853. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01017-x

Landslide-dams, which are often transient, can strongly affect the geomorphology, and sediment and geochemical fluxes, within subaerial fluvial systems. The potential occurrence and impact of analogous landslide-dams in submarine canyons has, however... Read More about Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming.

Experimental diagenesis using present-day submarine turbidite sands (2022)
Journal Article
Bello, A. M., Charlaftis, D., Jones, S. J., Gluyas, J., Acikalin, S., Cartigny, M., & Al-Ramadan, K. (2022). Experimental diagenesis using present-day submarine turbidite sands. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.952690

Hydrothermal-reactor experiments were conducted to investigate the potential formation of chlorite and microquartz grain coatings on detrital quartz and feldspar grains, and to understand their role in inhibiting the formation of quartz cement and fe... Read More about Experimental diagenesis using present-day submarine turbidite sands.

Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea (2022)
Journal Article
Talling, P. J., Baker, M. L., Pope, E. L., Ruffell, S. C., Jacinto, R. S., Heijnen, M. S., Hage, S., Simmons, S. M., Hasenhündl, M., Heerema, C. J., McGhee, C., Apprioual, R., Ferrant, A., Cartigny, M. J., Parsons, D. R., Clare, M. A., Tshimanga, R. M., Trigg, M. A., Cula, C. A., Faria, R., …Hilton, R. J. (2022). Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea. Nature Communications, 13(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31689-3

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 flo... Read More about Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea.

Turbidity Currents Can Dictate Organic Carbon Fluxes Across River‐Fed Fjords: An Example From Bute Inlet (BC, Canada) (2022)
Journal Article
Hage, S., Galy, V., Cartigny, M., Heerema, C., Heijnen, M., Acikalin, S., Clare, M., Giesbrecht, I., Gröcke, D., Hendry, A., Hilton, R., Hubbard, S., Hunt, J., Lintern, D., McGhee, C., Parsons, D., Pope, E., Stacey, C., Sumner, E., Tank, S., & Talling, P. (2022). Turbidity Currents Can Dictate Organic Carbon Fluxes Across River‐Fed Fjords: An Example From Bute Inlet (BC, Canada). Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 127(6), https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jg006824

The delivery and burial of terrestrial particulate organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments is important to quantify, because this OC is a food resource for benthic communities, and if buried it may lower the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 over geo... Read More about Turbidity Currents Can Dictate Organic Carbon Fluxes Across River‐Fed Fjords: An Example From Bute Inlet (BC, Canada).

First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents (2022)
Journal Article
Pope, E. L., Cartigny, M. J., Clare, M. A., Talling, P. J., Lintern, D. G., Vellinga, A., Hage, S., Açikalin, S., Bailey, L., Chapplow, N., Chen, Y., Eggenhuisen, J. T., Hendry, A., Heerema, C. J., Heijnen, M. S., Hubbard, S. M., Hunt, J. E., McGhee, C., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., …Vendettuoli, D. (2022). First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents. Science Advances, 8(20), Article eabj3220. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj3220

Until recently, despite being one of the most important sediment transport phenomena on Earth, few direct measurements of turbidity currents existed. Consequently, their structure and evolution were poorly understood, particularly whether they are de... Read More about First source-to-sink monitoring shows dense head controls sediment flux and runout in turbidity currents.

Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes? (2022)
Journal Article
Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Pope, E. L., Bailey, L., Sumner, E., Gwyn Lintern, D., Stacey, C., Parsons, D. R., Simmons, S. M., Chen, Y., Hubbard, S. M., Eggenhuisen, J. T., Kane, I., & Hughes Clarke, J. E. (2022). Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes?. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 584, Article 117481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117481

Submarine channels are the primary conduits for land-derived material, including organic carbon, pollutants, and nutrients, into the deep-sea. The flows (turbidity currents) that traverse these systems can pose hazards to seafloor infrastructure such... Read More about Fill, flush or shuffle: How is sediment carried through submarine channels to build lobes?.

Near‐Bed Structure of Sediment Gravity Flows Measured by Motion‐Sensing “Boulder‐Like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) in Monterey Canyon (2022)
Journal Article
Gwiazda, R., Paull, C., Kieft, B., Klimov, D., Herlien, R., Lundsten, E., McCann, M., Cartigny, M. J., Hamilton, A., Xu, J., Maier, K. L., Parsons, D., & Talling, P. J. (2022). Near‐Bed Structure of Sediment Gravity Flows Measured by Motion‐Sensing “Boulder‐Like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) in Monterey Canyon. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(2), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf006437

The near-bed section of submarine gravity flows travels at the highest and most destructive speeds making direct measurements of this region of the flow difficult. Here results are presented from “boulder-like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) that mea... Read More about Near‐Bed Structure of Sediment Gravity Flows Measured by Motion‐Sensing “Boulder‐Like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) in Monterey Canyon.

How distinctive are flood-triggered turbidity currents? (2022)
Journal Article
Heerema, C. J., Cartigny, M. J., Jacinto, R. S., Simmons, S. M., Apprioual, R., & Talling, P. J. (2022). How distinctive are flood-triggered turbidity currents?. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 92(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2020.168

Turbidity currents triggered at river mouths form an important highway for sediment, organic carbon, and nutrients to the deep sea. Consequently, it has been proposed that the deposits of these flood-triggered turbidity currents provide important lon... Read More about How distinctive are flood-triggered turbidity currents?.

Role played by clay content in controlling reservoir quality of submarine fan system, Forties Sandstone Member, Central Graben, North Sea (2021)
Journal Article
Bello, A. M., Jones, S. J., Gluyas, J. G., Acikalin, S., & Cartigny, M. (2021). Role played by clay content in controlling reservoir quality of submarine fan system, Forties Sandstone Member, Central Graben, North Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 128, Article 105058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2021.105058

Proximal to distal fan change in grain size, clay matrix content, and grain-coating clays have been identified as key contributing factors for eservoir quality evolution of submarine fan turbidite sandstones. This study evaluated the role played by g... Read More about Role played by clay content in controlling reservoir quality of submarine fan system, Forties Sandstone Member, Central Graben, North Sea.