Measurements in the bottom boundary layer on the Amazon subaqueous delta

Marine Geology
By: , and 

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Abstract

An instrumented bottom tripod (GEOPROBE) recorded flow and suspended sediment data in the bottom boundary layer above the lower foresets of the Amazon subaqueous delta in 65 m mean water depth in February, 1990. After about two weeks of operation the apparent seafloor at the tripod site rapidly elevated over a 14-hour period by about 44 cm. This sudden change, which was detected by an acoustic altimeter and which caused the loss of signals from the lowermost GEOPROBE current and optical sensors, is though to have been caused by the incursion of a dense bottom layer of fluid mud that migrated downslope from shallower sections of the foresets. The fluid-mud migration across the outer part of the foresets, if a repetitive and occasional process in this region, could be a major mechanism for episodic seaward growth of the delta. Current velocity profiles are used to estimate shear velocities, u*, and roughness lengths, zo, during the first two weeks of measurements. -from Authors
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Measurements in the bottom boundary layer on the Amazon subaqueous delta
Series title Marine Geology
DOI 10.1016/0025-3227(95)00014-P
Volume 125
Issue 3-4
Year Published 1995
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Description 23 p.
First page 235
Last page 257
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