It is generally believed in the geoscience world (with reference to published work) that, high intensity turbidity current and hyperpycnal flow have the ability to create deep cut or shallow cuts on the shelf breaks of continental margins. While some authors claim hyperpycnal flow to be the precursor of turbidity currents, others simply do not recognize the influence of hyperpycnal flow in turbidity currents initiation. Thus, the rising confusion of how best to differentiate the two flow processes.
Though, some may argue that hyperpycnal flow is mostly of coastal origin and turbidity current is perfectly influence by mass wasting induced by slides, slump and slope failures in the shallow marine environment; turbidity current is in fact not restricted to marine environments. These could create the thought of whether these two (turbidity current and hyperpycnal flow) processes are not the same and the genesis of the question: " what is the striking difference between high intensity turbidity current and hyperpycnal flow?".
Dear Mrs. Oguadinma,
the technical term of a hyperpycnal flow describes the water physics. The river water entering a water body such as the sea is denser than that of the depocenter, e.g., marine environment. It is said to result in a turbidity currents and last but-not-least turbidites in a way as depicted by you in your question but you can find them also in a wide range of deltas which can be fluvial-, wave – and tide-dominated. It is a density contrast at the entrance of continental run-off into a standing water body which may be caused by temperature, salinity contrasts or suspended material.
Kind regards H.G.Dill
Not a direct answer to your question but as you and Harald Dill mentioned, turbidity currents are not restricted to marine environments. Indeed the classical paper on turbidites is by Arnold Bouma and it focusses on lacustrine turbidites. The paper defined the now-classic A o E "Bouma Sequences". See: Bouma, Arnold H. (1962). Sedimentology of some flysch deposits: A graphic approach to facies interpretation. Elsevier, 168 p.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience