Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory

Basic Research: Density Current Deposits

Primary investigators: Octavio Sequeiros and Gary Parker.

Abstract

A turbidity current is created by means of a saline flow. The salinity currents coming out of the diffuser located upstream picks up sediment generating a salinity-turbidity current propagating downstream. An underwater basin is created by the imposition of an obstruction. The water contained in the basin is denser than the fresh water above and has a density as high as that of the incoming salinity current. Once inside the denser region the density current will be stopped before arriving to the downstream end of the basin creating a particular depositional pattern. The deposit will depend on the current characteristics, the density in the basin, and the type of sediment being carried by the current.

Media

Download a movie of a saline current (LARGE) (WMV format, 45.5 MB).

Download a movie of a saline current (SMALL) (WMV format, 3.14 MB).

Keywords

turbidity current; saline flow; density current; sediment deposit; deposit; environmental hydraulics