Knowra Sediment gravity flow Sediment gravity flow A downslope movement of sediment driven by gravity, commonly through a mixture of sediment and water. Its behavior depends on how sediment concentration, fluid motion, and grain interactions support transport.
Turbidity current : A sediment-laden density current that moves through water because it is denser than the surrounding water. Turbulence keeps its grains suspended, producing a distinctive kind of sediment gravity flow.
Sediment : Solid particles that have been transported and deposited by natural processes. Sediment is the material carried by these gravity-driven movements.
Turbidite : A sedimentary deposit formed by a turbidity current, commonly showing graded layers. Turbidity currents leave deposits that record the passage and waning of a sediment gravity flow.
Traction current : A current that transports sediment mainly by rolling, sliding, or saltating grains along a bed. Unlike many sediment gravity flows, traction currents need not contain enough sediment to be denser than surrounding water.
Debris flow : A rapid flow of water-saturated sediment in which grain interactions and sediment strength help support the mixture. Its high sediment concentration lets grains move together as a mass.
Density current : A current driven by density differences between a fluid mass and its surroundings. Many sediment gravity flows move because suspended particles make them denser than ambient water.
Submarine fan : A fan-shaped accumulation of sediment on the seafloor, commonly built by flows from submarine canyons. Repeated gravity flows transport sediment from canyon mouths into deep-water basins.
Debris avalanche : A rapid, highly fragmented mass movement of rock and soil, typically with little interstitial fluid. It is a gravity-driven granular movement, but differs from the sediment-water mixtures central to this concept.
Grain flow : A sediment flow in which grain collisions and friction support particles as they move downslope. Grain interactions, rather than fluid turbulence alone, sustain transport.
Pore water : Water occupying the spaces between sediment grains. Its pressure and movement influence whether grains remain locked or become mobile.
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