Sediment waves control origins of submarine canyons

Abstract Submarine canyons commonly occur on virtually all continental slopes. Their varied origins are widely studied but still debatable. Eastward (along-slope)–migrating submarine canyons, with nearly regular spacing, well developed at the northern South China Sea. High-resolution three-dimensional seismic data show that these localized in troughs between sediment waves. The waves were present slope since before ca. 10.5 Ma and especially during late Miocene (ca. 10.5–5.5 Ma). This interval can be divided into two units, of which upper unit (SU II) has larger much better-developed compared to lower I). fans canyon mouths within SU II downdip termination confinement caused by Gravity currents captured waves, resulting erosion mainly along them. forced migrate eastward migration confining In this study, we a new mechanism for origin such regularly spaced first time, attribute formation generated contour currents.