Cyclone‐induced hyperpycnal turbidity currents in a submarine canyon

Abstract

Density currents such as turbidity currents are major transport agents in various terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine environments worldwide. However, a gap exists between those who study the deposits by turbidity currents (turbidite) on a field scale, and those who study turbidity currents using small‐scale laboratory experiments and theoretical/numerical models. We report two typhoon‐triggered hyperpycnal turbidity current events observed in a submarine canyon. Our findings verify turbidite sequences with the characteristics of suspended sediment carried by passing turbidity currents that displayed distinct waxing and waning phases. Our study also confirms the direct link between typhoon‐triggered hyperpycnal flows in a small mountainous river and turbidity currents in a nearby submarine canyon that transport sediment to the deep‐sea efficiently.