Underwater rivers are more powerful and long-lasting than first thought

New research shows underwater rivers are more powerful and long-lasting than first thought. October 2017) A team of scientists, including experts from Durham University, has discovered that sediment avalanches occurring deep under the ocean are far more frequent and long-lasting than previously thought. The team, led by Dr Matthieu Cartigny , Professor Peter Talling , Dan Parsons, and Mike Clare, and their respective groups at Durham University, the University of Hull and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), have been examining the first direct measurements of deep-water sediment avalanches, called turbidity currents. Turbidity currents These powerful flows occurred 2,000 metres under the ocean's surface within the Congo Canyon, offshore West Africa, which connects the world's second largest river to the deep-sea. Such flows can damage and break important seafloor infrastructure that underpins global digital communications, but until now it has been unclear as to how often these offshore flows occur and how large they can be. The team's work on these powerful seafloor flows reveals they carry globally significant volumes of sediment into the deep sea over week-long timescales, as well as large amounts of organic carbon. This transport of material to the deep-ocean supports seafloor ecosystems and contributes to the regulation of climate change through the long-term burial of organic carbon.