Spatial, seasonal and climatic drivers of suspended sediment atop Great Bahama Bank

Abstract

Suspension is the key mechanism by which fine‐grained sediment (≤125 μm) is winnowed and transported across shallow‐water carbonate platforms into adjacent deep waters. Unlike sliding and saltation, which deliver sedimentary structures via bedload, the sedimentological signature of suspended sediment is more cryptic. This study focuses on suspended sediment, and its drivers – wind, waves and tides – to better constrain the processes responsible for the transport of fine‐grained sediments. By building forward from remote sensing algorithms developed for deep‐waters, sediment suspension in the shallow water column can be mapped from satellite. By applying machine learning to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data for Great Bahama Bank, this study demonstrates how the drivers of sediment suspension change over 18 years across this 100,000 km2 carbonate platform. Through time, both seasonal patterns of suspension, as well as those induced by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and, more subtly, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation were tracked. El Niño‐Southern Oscillation modulates wind‐induced currents, while Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation affects local sea level. Across space, this study shows how the eastern margin of GBB, which is traditionally considered to be wind‐dominated, primarily owes its suspended sediment to tidal currents focused between islands. Sediment suspension across the leeward margin of Great Bahama Bank, meanwhile, can be attributed to wind‐induced currents and waves. The authors consider this work a step towards delivering a quantitative, reproducible, process‐based understanding of sediment suspension atop carbonate platforms using Earth observation data.