A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending onto the continental shelf, with nearly vertical walls that can rise as much as five kilometers from canyon floor to rim. Submarine canyons act as channels for turbidity currents, dense sediment-laden flows supplied by rivers or triggered by storms, submarine landslides and earthquakes, which travel downslope at great speed, eroding the slope before depositing sediment onto the abyssal plain.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.