Global significance of wind forcing on deflecting sediment plumes at river mouths: Implications for hyperpycnal flows, sediment transport, and provenance
2019; Volume: 36; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2582-2020
Autores Tópico(s)Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
ResumoAbstract: This review, based on sediment plumes at the mouths of 29 rivers worldwide, has revealed that sediment (density) plumes are commonly deflected away from the normal downslope direction in 18 out of 29 cases. These deflected sediment plumes have been documented at the mouths of Brisbane, Congo, Connecticut, Dart, Ebro, Eel, Elwha, Fonissa, Guadalquivir, Krishna-Godavari, Mississippi, Monros, Rio de la Plata, Pearl, Rhone, Tiber, Yellow, and Yangtze rivers. As a consequence, current directions change drastically and sediment distribution occurs on only one side of river mouths. In these cases, sediment transport is diverted by a plethora of 22 oceanographic, meteorological, and other external factors. Empirical data show that wind forcing is the most dominant factor. Other influencing factors are tidal currents, ocean currents, and coastal upwelling. Deflection of sediment plumes defies the conventional use of paleocurrent directions in determining sediment transport and provenance in the ancient sedimentary record. Failure to recognize deflected sediment plumes in the rock record could result in construction of erroneous depositional models with economic implications for reservoir prediction in petroleum exploration.
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