A global analysis of controls on submarine-canyon geomorphology

Extending morphometric scaling relationships: the role of bankfull width in unifying subaquatic channel morphologies

“…These were examined using untransformed linear data, concluding in regression analysis on semi-logarithmic transformed harmonized data or linear data. The threshold of coefficient of determination (R 2 ) exceeding 0.1 and a p-value ≤0.01 (t-statistic, rejecting the non-correlation hypothesis) was designated as indicative of relevance (Lemay et al, 2020;Bührig et al, 2022a), as represented by a continuous line, whereas regressions failing this threshold were delineated with dashed lines. Relationships with R 2 values greater 0.3 were recognized as meaningful following previous studies (Clark et al, 1992; Konsoer Frontiers in Earth Science frontiersin.org…”

“…Taking inspiration from the morphometric analysis of river systems, where planform characteristics (wavelength, amplitude, sinuosity) and cross-sectional characteristics (bankfull width, bankfull depth, cross-sectional area) correlate and follow power law scaling relationships (Leopold and Maddock, 1953;Leopold and Wolman, 1960;Schumm, 1979), a similar avenue has been pursued for submarine sediment conduits. Notably, the biggest comparative studies have primarily focused on submarine canyons, encompassing entire incised cross-sections without differentiating between channelized sediment conduits within the canyons (Harris and Whiteway, 2011;Bührig et al, 2022a). These channelized sediment conduits, both within canyons and valleys (defined up to the first distinct terrace or levee crest) and outside as leveed or incised channels, hold particular interest due to their connection with bankfull geometries and scaling relationships related to the activity of channel-forming turbidity currents (Lemay et al, 2020;Covault et al, 2021).…”

“…This study seeks to expand the scope of morphometric analyses beyond the traditionally focused uniform submarine channels, encompassing a well-balanced selection of subaquatic systems with varying settings, sizes, sediment supplies, and locations. To achieve this, crucial methodological improvements are introduced, employing a consistent analytical approach across all systems without relying on measurements from different sources (Konsoer et al, 2013;Lemay et al, 2020;Bührig et al, 2022a) and employing a novel data harmonization technique to counteract the aforementioned bias towards larger channels and ensure equitable representation of different system types (Konsoer et al, 2013;Lemay et al, 2020).…”

The Coastal Areas of the Bay of Naples: The Sedimentary Dynamics and Geological Evolution of the Naples Canyons

“…The submarine canyons are significant erosional features of the sea bottom, cutting deeply through long belts of continental slopes and serving as a primary conduit through which both siliciclastic and volcaniclastic materials emanating from the coastal zones reach the deep oceanic basins [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Geological research on the Neogene evolution of the main continental margins of the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, and Pacific areas has confirmed the occurrence of large palaeo-channels, often interlayered in the Quaternary deposits of the sedimentary basins, suggesting that the origin of these kinds of canyons could be genetically related to the subaerial environment [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

“…More recently, Buhrig et al [14] compiled an updated database of submarine canyons focusing on the statistical analysis of the geomorphological parameters, including the maximum and average canyon dimensions, the canyon sinuosity, the average canyon thalweg gradient, and the maximum canyon sidewall steepness [14]. The scaling relationships between canyon morphometric parameters and correlations with the attributes of the canyon physiographic settings, terrestrial catchments, and continental shelves and slopes have been quantitatively assessed.…”