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Hyperpycnal sediment discharge from semiarid southern California rivers: Implications for coastal sediment budgets

2003; Geological Society of America; Volume: 31; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/g19671.1

1943-2682

Jonathan A. Warrick, John D. Milliman,

Soil erosion and sediment transport

Research Article| September 01, 2003 Hyperpycnal sediment discharge from semiarid southern California rivers: Implications for coastal sediment budgets Jonathan A. Warrick; Jonathan A. Warrick 1Coastal and Marine Geology Program, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 999, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John D. Milliman John D. Milliman 2School of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Jonathan A. Warrick 1Coastal and Marine Geology Program, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 999, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA John D. Milliman 2School of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 17 Mar 2003 Revision Received: 14 May 2003 Accepted: 25 May 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2003) 31 (9): 781–784. https://doi.org/10.1130/G19671.1 Article history Received: 17 Mar 2003 Revision Received: 14 May 2003 Accepted: 25 May 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Jonathan A. Warrick, John D. Milliman; Hyperpycnal sediment discharge from semiarid southern California rivers: Implications for coastal sediment budgets. Geology 2003;; 31 (9): 781–784. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G19671.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Southern California rivers discharge hyperpycnal (river density greater than ocean density) concentrations of suspended sediment (>40 g/L, according to buoyancy theory) during flood events, mostly during El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. Because hyperpycnal river discharge commonly occurs during brief periods (hours to occasionally days), mean daily flow statistics often do not reveal the magnitude of these events. Hyperpycnal events are particularly important in rivers draining the Transverse Range and account for 75% of the cumulative sediment load discharged by the Santa Clara River over the past 50 yr. These events are highly pulsed, totaling only ∼30 days (∼0.15% of the total 50 yr period). Observations of the fate of sediment discharge, although rare, are consistent with hyperpycnal river dynamics and the high likelihood of turbidity currents during these events. We suggest that much of the sediment load initially bypasses the littoral circulation cells and is directly deposited on the adjacent continental shelf, thus potentially representing a loss of immediate beach sand supply. During particularly exceptional events (>100 yr recurrence intervals), flood underflows may extend past the shelf and escape to offshore basins. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.