Evidence of modern erosional processes in submarine canyons north of Molokai, Hawaii

Abstract

The research in this paper is focused on submarine canyons north of Molokai, Hawaii to determine if they continue to be eroded by underwater landslides and sediment flows, or if erosion halted when they were submerged. Key factors that create erosive sediment flows are the steepness of the canyon basins and the amount of sediment accumulating in them. I used sonar to created detailed high-resolution maps of the canyons to determine the canyon gradients and cores of sediment to determine the accumulation rate. Sediment flows of the type in this research carry carbon and other minerals to the deep ocean so are important in our understanding of the Earth’s climate system and the chemical makeup of our oceans.