Submarine canyon

Depth of water

Shelf edge - Abyssal plain (120 - 5,000 m)

Circumstances

Long submarine valleys on the continental slopes where sediments from the continental shelf flow as sediment gravity flows (turbidity currents) when an earthquake happens. Submarine canyons are very long from the continental shelf edges to the bottom of forearc basins or the abyssal plain. Turbidity currents pass intermittently, whereas sediments always pass in the terrestrial canyons. Submarine canyons are erosional site, not depositional site. The downstream of submarine canyons is connected to the submarine channels of Submarine fan of passive continental margin or Submarine fan of forearc basin.