Experiments on Self-Channelized Subaqueous Fans Emplaced by Turbidity Currents and Dilute Mudflows

Sinuous deep-water channels: Genesis, geometry and architecture

“…Similarly, increasing the discharge resulted in a loss of channelisation. Instabilities within flows whose discharge is insufficient to cover the whole surface appear to be the key to channelisation within the experiments (Yu et al, 2006).…”

“…The channels were associated with terraces but did not form bars (Me´tivier et al, 2005). Yu et al (2006) also produced weakly sinuous channels, but from low-concentration (estimated at 1-2% volumetric concentration), low discharge (15-50 ml/s), clay-rich particulate flows. These channels formed on a slope of 41 and showed a downslope change from erosive channels to fully depositional channels with micro-levee relief of 1-2 mm.…”

Flow processes and sedimentation in submarine channel bends

“…Fluvial modelling has made extensive use of analogue physical modelling revealing many process relationships (e.g., Leopold and Wolman, 1957;Schumm and Khan, 1972;Schumm et al, 1987;van Heijst et al, 2001;Sheets et al, 2002). Similarly, analogue models have been utilised to study the initiation and development of submarine channels (Me´tivier et al, 2005;Keevil et al, 2006a;Yu et al, 2006). In the case of submarine channel flows, scale modelling approaches such as those adopted in some fluvial studies (e.g., Ashmore, 1982;Moreton et al, 2002;Peakall et al, 2007) are not possible, since there are insufficient measurements from natural systems to provide the prototype or generic data required.…”

Channel-mouth lobe complex of the recent Amazon Fan: The missing piece

“…The exact mechanism of such apparently rapid channel progradation remains elusive to us, because our seismic records cannot resolve the fine-scale architecture at the bed scale. Nevertheless, experimental studies by Yu et al (2006) and Cantelli et al (2006) show that given relatively long duration turbidity currents under the right slope and sediment composition (mud-rich), channels initiate and prograde relatively quickly over previously unchannelized surfaces.…”