Nadezhda Lagunova

Submarine gravity flows entrained by ocean circulation: Processes and related sedimentary products - SWEPT

Turbidity currents are gravity-driven flows in which sediment is supported by turbulence. They are one of the main conduits for transport of particles from the shelf to the deep ocean and are capable of transporting and depositing large volumes of sediment.

It is known from previous studies, that turbidity currents can be strongly affected by the ocean circulation, forming mixed turbidite-contourite systems. However, the mechanisms of such interaction are still not well-studied.

The main objective of the SWEPT project is to better understand how ocean circulation can affect gravity flows (i.e. turbidity currents), and thus the transfer of sediment from the continent to the deep sea. In order to achieve our main goal, we apply a multidisciplinary approach that combines in situ observations of natural systems using oceanographic measurements from moorings and geophysical investigations of the seafloor, with numerical modelling of sedimentary processes.

The results of this project will improve palaeoceanographic reconstructions and will help predict particle transport and accumulation in the submarine environment which would have important implications for deep-marine ecosystems, distribution and fate of pollutants, and carbon burial.