Swept Away by a Turbidity Current in Mendocino Submarine Canyon, California

Abstract:

Direct observations of turbidity currents in the ocean are rare, yet essential for validating and developing conceptual models of these enigmatic flows. We present a novel set of observations and measurements collected by a remotely operated vehicle entrained within a turbidity current in Mendocino Canyon, California. The flow had a two layer structure with a thin (0.5 to 30 m), relatively dense (<0.04 vol %) and fast (up to ~1.7 m/s) wedge-shaped lower layer overlain by a thicker (up to 89m) more dilute and slower current. The fast moving lower layer lagged the slow moving, dilute flow front by 14 min, which we infer resulted from the interaction of two initial pulses. The two layers were strongly coupled, and the sharp interface between the layers was characterized by a wave-like instability. This is the first field-scale data from a turbidity current to show (i) the complex dynamics of the head of a turbidity current and (ii) the presence of multiple layers within the same event. This data set provides a new perspective on the character of turbidity currents in the ocean. The data pose challenges not simply for understanding the dynamics of turbidity currents but also for how we interpret existing data based on cable breaks and how we might measure similar flows in the future.