George B. Tate

Rippled Scour Depressions on the Inner Continental Shelf Off Central California

ABSTRACT Side-scan sonar records taken during the recent Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) show elongate, shore-normal rippled depressions of low relief on the inner continental shelf off central California between Bodega Bay and Point Arena. These features extend up to 2 km from the coast into water depths of up to 65 m. The proposed mechanism for their generation is storm-generated bottom currents associated with coastal downwelling during the late fall and winter which scour the surficial fine-sand sediment and expose the coarser-sand substrate in the depressions. The zones of most intense erosion and the irregular spacing of the features may be controlled by submerged rock ledges and other prominent coastal features. The large straight-crested ripples within the depressions (heights to 40 cm; wavelengths to 1.7 m) are probably formed by large-amplitude, long-period surface waves generated by winter storms.

MEASUREMENTS IN THE BOTTOM BOUNDARY LAYER ON THE AMAZON SUBAQUEOUS DELTA

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 thought 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. The extremely energetic semi-diurnal tidal motion required correction of the estimates of u∗ and zo for acceleration. Average values of u∗ and zo for the two-week period were 1.7 cm/s and 0.3 cm, respectively. The effects of strong stratification due to flocculated, near-bottom suspended sediment on the estimates of u∗ are significant for the lower values of u∗ (u∗

The impact of wave loads and pore-water pressure generation on initiation of sediment transport

The build-up of pore-water pressure by waves can lead to sediment liquefaction and subsequent transport by traction currents. This process was investigated by measuring pore-water pressures both in a field experiment and laboratory wave tank tests. Liquefaction was observed in the wave tank tests. The results suggest that sand is less susceptible than silts to wave-induced liquefaction because of the tendency to partially dissipate pore-water pressures. However, previous studies have determined that pore-water pressures must approach liquefaction before current velocities necessary to initiate transport are reduced. Once liquefaction has occurred more sediment can be transported.

Bottom stress estimates and sand transport on northern California inner continental shelf

Abstract Measurements of velocities and light transmission in the bottom boundary layer on the continental shelf off northern California demonstrate the importance of storms in the transport of sediment along the coast and offshore in this region. Time-series estimates of bottom stress obtained from a combined wave-current bottom boundary layer model in which wave and current measurements from the Geoprobe tripod were used as input show high stress values of 10 dynes cm−2 during two distinct storm events in early February and early March, 1991. These stresses induce significant offshore sediment transport, achieving maximum values of about 0.5 g cm−1 s−1. The net transport over the entire measurement period from 30 January 1991 to 13 March 1991 was along the coast toward the north and offshore. This transport pattern explains slow migration of low amplitude, broad crescentic dunes along and across this portion of the inner continental shelf.

Internal tides and sediment movement on Horizon Guyot, Mid-Pacific Mountains

Internal tidal currents are the likely cause of erosional features such as current ripples, sand waves, and truncated bedding horizons on the sediment cap of Horizon Guyot. Current meter data obtained over a 9 month period in 1983–1984 at about 213 m above the guyot show that the tidal currents are anomalously strong for mid-oceanic depths, probably the result of topographically induced generation of internal tidal waves. An analysis of the initiation of motion of the foraminiferal sand by the internal tidal currents indicates that these currents, particularly during the months of March–May, are likely to transport the surficial sediment and generate the observed bedforms.

Crescentic dunes on the inner continental shelf off northern California

Large crescentic dunes that resemble barchans have been discovered within elongate scour depressions on the northern California inner continental shelf by using side-scan sonar. These dunes appear to be migrating obliquely to the regional shelf gradient; a preferred offshore direction of transport is indicated by the extended southern wings of many dunes. The isolated dunes and the scour depressions that contain them are located seaward of sea-floor outcrops off rocky capes and sea stacks. Repeated side-scan sonar records spanning four years (1981–1985) indicate that the dunes and bounding sidewalls of the scour depressions were somewhat modified, but the overall alteration to the bottom morphology during this period was only moderate to undetectable. The apparent low height of the dunes is consistent with a low migration speed. Over longer time periods (decades), the seaward transport of fine to medium sand in the crescentic dunes is probably an important way by which sand escapes the shallow part of the continental shelf in this region and mixes with the muddy deposits of the central shelf.

Variability of sea-floor roughness within the Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) region

Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant OCE 80-14938 and OCE 80-14941 and by the United States Geological Survey.

Sea-floor gouges caused by migrating gray whales off northern California

Abstract Side-scan sonar records collected during March and April 1981 and 1982 off northern California contain elongate depressions whose sizes and shapes are similar to sea-floor gouges made by feeding gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus ) in the northern Bering Sea and in shallow embayments off British Columbia. The discovery of the whale gouges in the sonar records was unexpected, and supports some of the previous speculation that gray whales feed opportunistically during migration. Gouges occupy about 0.032% of the 7.6 km 2 of sea floor that was surveyed, which represents about 575 metric tons of excavated material. Although seemingly minor in amount, the total amount of bottom sediment removed from the central and northern California continental shelf by gray whale activities year after year represents macroscale biologically induced erosion and could have significant geological implications in shelf erosion and depositional schemes. This is the only published evidence of benthic feeding by gray whales along their migration route off northern California.

Erosion and slope instability on Horizon Guyot, Mid-Pacific Mountains

Seismic-reflection profiles, sediment cores, and current velocities were assessed to study the impact of erosion and sediment redistribution on the pelagic sediment cap of Horizon Guyot, a flat-topped submarine volcanic ridge in the Mid-Pacific Mountains. These processes seem to concentrate their effect around the rim of the sediment cap. Sediment slumping occurs on the northwest perimeter of the guyots sediment cap. Slope stability analysis suggests that if overconsolidation on Horizon Guyot is the result of current reworking or if local undercutting by bottom currents steepens the sea floor declivity, the sediment cap may be unstable during infrequent earthquake loading, transporting sediment from the guyot summit to the abyssal sea floor.