Sedimentary Dynamics Of Continental Shelves

Sedimentary dynamics of continental shelves

The application of multibeam and sediment transport measurement technologies and the adoption of multi-faceted research methodologies have greatly advanced our understanding of the sedimentary processes on continental shelves in the last decade. This book uniquely blends cutting-edge research and state-of-the art review articles that take stock of new advances in multibeam mapping and sediment transport technologies, spatial analysis and modelling, and the applications of these advances to the understanding of shelf sediments, morphodynamics, and sedimentary processes. Case studies are also presented to illustrate the utilization of seabed property and process knowledge in habitat mapping and ocean management With its mix of papers focusing on technological advances, integration of shelf morphology and processes, and the application of these advances to coastal and ocean management, this Special Publication volume will serve as a milestone reference for professional marine scientists and as advanced text for students in marine geology, sedimentology and oceanography. This book is part of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS) Special Publications. The Special Publications from the IAS are a set of thematic volumes edited by specialists on subjects of central interest to sedimentologists. Papers are reviewed and printed to the same high standards as those published in the journal Sedimentology and several of these volumes have become standard works of reference.

The world's continental shelves are the sites of vast resources of food, energy and minerals, the exploitation of which is continuously increasing. Fluctuating global sea levels throughout the Quaternary period produced multiple transgressive and regressive cycles that profoundly affected and shaped these shelves. The complex interactions among climate, sea level, tectonics, oceanography and sediment input have formed distinctive sediment packages on each shelf and provide a guide to the interpretation of older shelf sequences throughout the geological record. This Memoir compiles studies on 23 selected shelves from all the continents, focusing on their evolution and examining the patterns of sedimentation during the past approximately 125 000 years. In addition to providing basic background information for each area, the chapters consider specific aspects of continental shelf research, from seismic stratigraphy to geomorphology, from palaeoceanography to palaeo sea-level reconstruction and from palaeontology to geochemistry.

This volume on continental margin sedimentation brings together an expert editorial and contributor team to create a state-of-the-art resource. Taking a global perspective, the book spans a range of timescales and content, ranging from how oceans transport particles, to how thick rock sequences are formed on continental margins. Summarizes and integrates our understanding of sedimentary processes and strata associated with fluvial dispersal systems on continental shelves and slopes Explores timescales ranging from particle transport at one extreme, to deep burial at the other Insights are presented for margins in general, and with focus on a tectonically active margin (northern California) and a passive margin (New Jersey), enabling detailed examination of the intricate relationships between a wide suite of sedimentary processes and their preserved stratigraphy Includes observational studies which document the processes and strata found on particular margins, in addition to numerical models and laboratory experimentation, which provide a quantitative basis for extrapolation in time and space of insights about continental-margin sedimentation Provides a research resource for scientists studying modern and ancient margins, and an educational text for advanced students in sedimentology and stratigraphy

This exciting new book discusses the morphodynamic processes that link coastal physical oceanography to the geomorphology and geologic evolution of inner continental shelves. Topics include: classical models of inner shelf or "shoreface" equilibrium the geological history of inner shelves inner shelf physical oceanography, bottom boundary layer dynamics on the inner shelf inner shelf sediment transport processes the development, maintenance, and evolution of inner shelf morphology Throughout the book, theories, concepts, and models are grounded by application to real-world examples. Specifically, comparsions are made among four cases: Middle Atlantic Bight, the Louisiana Shelf, the shelf off southeastern Australia, and the epicontinental shelf of the Gulf of Bohai, China.

The rivers of East Asia are some of the largest and most important to human society and the global economy. They drain a variety of terrains from the Tibetan plateau, the hill country of southern China and the steep mountains of Taiwan. The sediment they carry potentially records the longterm evolution of continental environments within the marine stratigraphic record. Sediments reaching the ocean have to traverse the wide continental shelves where they may be reworked and transported by longshore currents, typhoon storm waves, as well as large ocean currents such as the Kuroshio. Deciphering any marine record requires us to understand the dynamics of sediment transport on the continental shelves, and this region acts as a global type example of such processes. Studies in this volume span a wide range of subdisciplines in the marine sciences and provide new insights into how sediment is distributed offshore after leaving the river mouths

Sediment Cascades: An Integrated Approach provides a comprehensive overview that addresses the transport of sediment through the landscape. Suitable for academic researchers, industry practitioners, research students and advanced level undergraduates, seeking detailed knowledge and an up-to-date review of the recent research literature. The emphasis is on contemporary sediment system dynamics with relevance both to landscape management and landform development. Sediment Cascades: An Integrated Approach begins with an explanation of the need for an integrated approach to sediment delivery systems and introduces the main themes of sediment production, delivery, storage and transfer. Further chapters then focus on specific environments from mountains, through floodplains, to estuaries and the continental shelf. Focuses on contemporary sediment system dynamics and current research Covers a sequence of environments from steep mountains to the continental shelf Highlights the continuity of the subject by linking each component area with its adjacent elements