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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.

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., …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.

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., …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., …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., …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., …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., …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., …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.

Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution (2020)
Journal Article
Heijnen, M. S., Clare, M. A., Cartigny, M. J., Talling, P. J., Hage, S., Lintern, D. G., …Hughes Clarke, J. E. (2020). Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution. Nature Communications, 11(1), Article 3129. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x

Submarine channels are the primary conduits for terrestrial sediment, organic carbon, and pollutant transport to the deep sea. Submarine channels are far more difficult to monitor than rivers, and thus less well understood. Here we present 9 years of... Read More about Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution.

Efficient preservation of young terrestrial organic carbon in sandy turbidity current deposits (2020)
Journal Article
Hage, S., Galy, V., Cartigny, M., Acikalin, S., Clare, M., Gröcke, D., …Talling, P. (2020). Efficient preservation of young terrestrial organic carbon in sandy turbidity current deposits. Geology, 48(9), 882-887. https://doi.org/10.1130/g47320.1

Burial of terrestrial biospheric particulate organic carbon in marine sediments removes CO2 from the atmosphere, regulating climate over geologic time scales. Rivers deliver terrestrial organic carbon to the sea, while turbidity currents transport ri... Read More about Efficient preservation of young terrestrial organic carbon in sandy turbidity current deposits.

Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents (2020)
Journal Article
Simmons, S., Azpiroz-Zabala, M., Cartigny, M., Clare, M., Cooper, C., Parsons, D., …Talling, P. (2020). Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(5), Article e2019JC015904. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jc015904

Turbidity currents transport prodigious volumes of sediment to the deep‐sea. But there are very few direct measurements from oceanic turbidity currents, ensuring they are poorly understood. Recent studies have used acoustic Doppler current profilers... Read More about Novel acoustic method provides first detailed measurements of sediment concentration structure within submarine turbidity currents.

Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current (2020)
Journal Article
Wang, Z., Xu, J., Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M. J., Simmons, S. M., Gwiazda, R., …Parsons, D. R. (2020). Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 161, Article 103300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2020.103300

Submarine turbidity currents are one of the most important sediment transfer processes on earth. Yet the fundamental nature of turbidity currents is still debated; especially whether they are entirely dilute and turbulent, or a thin and dense basal l... Read More about Direct evidence of a high-concentration basal layer in a submarine turbidity current.

The influence of a slope break on turbidite deposits: An experimental investigation (2020)
Journal Article
Pohl, F., Eggenhuisen, J., Cartigny, M., Tilston, M., Leeuw, J. D., & Hermidas, N. (2020). The influence of a slope break on turbidite deposits: An experimental investigation. Marine Geology, 424, Article 106160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106160

Bypassing turbidity currents can travel downslope without depositing any of their suspended sediment load. Along the way, they may encounter a slope break (i.e. an abrupt decrease in slope angle) that initiates sediment deposition. Depending on the i... Read More about The influence of a slope break on turbidite deposits: An experimental investigation.

What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents? (2019)
Journal Article
Heerema, C. J., Talling, P. J., Cartigny, M. J., Paull, C. K., Bailey, L., Simmons, S. M., …Pope, E. (2020). What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 532, Article 116023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.116023

Seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents form some of the largest sediment accumulations, deepest canyons and longest channel systems on Earth. Only rivers transport comparable sediment volumes over such large areas; but there are far fewer me... Read More about What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?.

New flow relaxation mechanism explains scour fields at the end of submarine channels (2019)
Journal Article
Pohl, F., Eggenhuisen, J., Tilston, M., & Cartigny, M. (2019). New flow relaxation mechanism explains scour fields at the end of submarine channels. Nature Communications, 10(1), Article 4425. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12389-x

Particle-laden gravity flows, called turbidity currents, flow through river-like channels across the ocean floor. These submarine channels funnel sediment, nutrients, pollutants and organic carbon into ocean basins and can extend for over 1000’s of k... Read More about New flow relaxation mechanism explains scour fields at the end of submarine channels.

Direct monitoring reveals initiation of turbidity currents from extremely dilute river plumes (2019)
Journal Article
Hage, S., Cartigny, M. J., Sumner, E. J., Clare, M. A., Hughes Clarke, J. E., Talling, P. J., …Watts, C. (2019). Direct monitoring reveals initiation of turbidity currents from extremely dilute river plumes. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(20), 11310-11320. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl084526

Rivers (on land) and turbidity currents (in the ocean) are the most important sediment transport processes on Earth. Yet, how rivers generate turbidity currents as they enter the coastal ocean remains poorly understood. The current paradigm, based on... Read More about Direct monitoring reveals initiation of turbidity currents from extremely dilute river plumes.

Sediment and organic carbon transport and deposition driven by internal tides along Monterey Canyon, offshore California (2019)
Journal Article
Maier, K. L., Rosenberger, K. J., Paull, C. K., Gwiazda, R., Gales, J., Lorenson, T., …Cartigny, M. J. (2019). Sediment and organic carbon transport and deposition driven by internal tides along Monterey Canyon, offshore California. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 153, Article 103108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2019.103108

Submarine canyons are globally important conduits for sediment and organic carbon transport into the deep sea. Using a novel dataset from Monterey Canyon, offshore central California, that includes an extensive array of water column sampling devices,... Read More about Sediment and organic carbon transport and deposition driven by internal tides along Monterey Canyon, offshore California.

Daily bathymetric surveys document how stratigraphy is built and its extreme incompleteness in submarine channels (2019)
Journal Article
Vendettuoli, D., Clare, M., Hughes Clarke, J., Vellinga, A., Hizzet, J., Hage, S., …Lintern, D. (2019). Daily bathymetric surveys document how stratigraphy is built and its extreme incompleteness in submarine channels. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 515, 231-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.03.033

Turbidity currents are powerful flows of sediment that pose a hazard to critical seafloor infrastructure and transport globally important amounts of sediment to the deep sea. Due to challenges of direct monitoring, we typically rely on their deposits... Read More about Daily bathymetric surveys document how stratigraphy is built and its extreme incompleteness in submarine channels.

Powerful turbidity currents driven by dense basal layers (2018)
Journal Article
Paull, C. K., Talling, P. J., Maier, K. L., Parsons, D., Xu, J., Caress, D. W., …Cartigny, M. J. (2018). Powerful turbidity currents driven by dense basal layers. Nature Communications, 9(1), Article 4114. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06254-6

Seafloor sediment flows (turbidity currents) are among the volumetrically most important yet least documented sediment transport processes on Earth. A scarcity of direct observations means that basic characteristics, such as whether flows are entirel... Read More about Powerful turbidity currents driven by dense basal layers.

What controls submarine channel development and the morphology of deltas entering deep-water fjords? (2018)
Journal Article
Gales, J., Talling, P., Cartigny, M., Hughes Clarke, J., Lintern, G., Stacey, C., & Clare, M. (2019). What controls submarine channel development and the morphology of deltas entering deep-water fjords?. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 44(2), 535-551. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4515

River deltas and associated turbidity current systems produce some of the largest and most rapid sediment accumulations on our planet. These systems bury globally significant volumes of organic carbon and determine the runout distance of potentially... Read More about What controls submarine channel development and the morphology of deltas entering deep-water fjords?.

How to recognize crescentic bedforms formed by supercritical turbidity currents in the geologic record: insights from active submarine channels (2018)
Journal Article
Hage, S., Cartigny, M., Clare, M., Sumner, E., Vendettuoli, D., Hughes Clarke, J., …Vellinga, A. (2018). How to recognize crescentic bedforms formed by supercritical turbidity currents in the geologic record: insights from active submarine channels. Geology, 46(6), 563-566. https://doi.org/10.1130/g40095.1

Submarine channels have been important throughout geologic time for feeding globally significant volumes of sediment from land to the deep sea. Modern observations show that submarine channels can be sculpted by supercritical turbidity currents (seaf... Read More about How to recognize crescentic bedforms formed by supercritical turbidity currents in the geologic record: insights from active submarine channels.

Which triggers produce the most erosive, frequent and longest runout turbidity currents on deltas? (2018)
Journal Article
Hizzett, J., Hughes Clarke, J., Sumner, E., Cartigny, M., Talling, P., & Clare, M. (2018). Which triggers produce the most erosive, frequent and longest runout turbidity currents on deltas?. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(2), 855-863. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl075751

Subaerial rivers and turbidity currents are the two most voluminous sediment transport processes on our planet, and it is important to understand how they are linked offshore from river mouths. Previously it was thought that slope failures or direct... Read More about Which triggers produce the most erosive, frequent and longest runout turbidity currents on deltas?.

A general model for the helical structure of geophysical flows in channel bends (2017)
Journal Article
Azpiroz-Zabala, M., Cartigny, M., Sumner, E., Clare, M., Talling, P., Parsons, D., & Cooper, C. (2017). A general model for the helical structure of geophysical flows in channel bends. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(23), 11,932-11,941. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl075721

Meandering channels formed by geophysical flows (e.g. rivers and seafloor turbidity currents) include the most extensive sediment transport systems on Earth. Previous measurements from rivers show how helical flow at meander bends plays a key role in... Read More about A general model for the helical structure of geophysical flows in channel bends.

Newly recognized turbidity current structure can explain prolonged flushing of submarine canyons (2017)
Journal Article
Azpiroz-Zabala, M., Cartigny, M., Talling, P., Parsons, D., Sumner, E., Clare, M., …Pope, E. (2017). Newly recognized turbidity current structure can explain prolonged flushing of submarine canyons. Science Advances, 3(10), Article e1700200. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700200

Seabed-hugging flows called turbidity currents are the volumetrically most important process transporting sediment across our planet and form its largest sediment accumulations. We seek to understand the internal structure and behavior of turbidity c... Read More about Newly recognized turbidity current structure can explain prolonged flushing of submarine canyons.

Direct monitoring of active geohazards: emerging geophysical tools for deep-water assessments (2017)
Journal Article
Clare, M., Vardy, M., Cartigny, M., Talling, P., Himsworth, M., Dix, J., …Belal, M. (2017). Direct monitoring of active geohazards: emerging geophysical tools for deep-water assessments. Near Surface Geophysics, 15(4), 427-444. https://doi.org/10.3997/1873-0604.2017033

Seafloor networks of cables, pipelines, and other infrastructure underpin our daily lives, providing communication links, information, and energy supplies. Despite their global importance, these networks are vulnerable to damage by a number of natura... Read More about Direct monitoring of active geohazards: emerging geophysical tools for deep-water assessments.

A new model for turbidity current behavior based on integration of flow monitoring and precision coring in a submarine canyon (2017)
Journal Article
Symons, W., Sumner, E., Paull, C., Cartigny, M., Xu, J., Maier, K., …Talling, P. (2017). A new model for turbidity current behavior based on integration of flow monitoring and precision coring in a submarine canyon. Geology, 45(4), 367-370. https://doi.org/10.1130/g38764.1

Submarine turbidity currents create some of the largest sediment accumulations on Earth, yet there are few direct measurements of these flows. Instead, most of our understanding of turbidity currents results from analyzing their deposits in the sedim... Read More about A new model for turbidity current behavior based on integration of flow monitoring and precision coring in a submarine canyon.

Long-term record of Barents Sea Ice Sheet advance to the shelf edge from a 140,000 year record (2016)
Journal Article
Pope, E., Talling, P., Hunt, J., Dowdeswell, J., Allin, J., Cartigny, M., …Watts, M. (2016). Long-term record of Barents Sea Ice Sheet advance to the shelf edge from a 140,000 year record. Quaternary Science Reviews, 150, 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.08.014

The full-glacial extent and deglacial behaviour of marine-based ice sheets, such as the Barents Sea Ice Sheet, is well documented since the Last Glacial Maximum about 20,000 years ago. However, reworking of older sea-floor sediments and landforms dur... Read More about Long-term record of Barents Sea Ice Sheet advance to the shelf edge from a 140,000 year record.

Preconditioning and triggering of offshore slope failures and turbidity currents revealed by most detailed monitoring yet at a fjord-head delta (2016)
Journal Article
Clare, M., Hughes Clarke, J., Talling, P., Cartigny, M., & Pratomo, D. (2016). Preconditioning and triggering of offshore slope failures and turbidity currents revealed by most detailed monitoring yet at a fjord-head delta. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 450, 208-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.06.021

Rivers and turbidity currents are the two most important sediment transport processes by volume on Earth. Various hypotheses have been proposed for triggering of turbidity currents offshore from river mouths, including direct plunging of river discha... Read More about Preconditioning and triggering of offshore slope failures and turbidity currents revealed by most detailed monitoring yet at a fjord-head delta.