A new study led by Tsinghua University has revealed that powerful turbidity currents, capable of damaging subsea cables, are more common than previously thought. These currents can form in gentle environments like lakes and reservoirs, challenging prior assumptions about their formation.
This research enhances understanding of powerful underwater currents that threaten global internet infrastructure, potentially leading to improved protection for vital subsea cables and better management of reservoirs.
Scientists have long understood that powerful undersea flows known as turbidity currents can alter ocean floors and damage critical cables that support global internet traffic. However, the precise mechanisms of their formation and behavior have remained largely elusive until now.
A recent study, spearheaded by an international team from Tsinghua University, has revealed that these potent currents are significantly more prevalent than previously assumed. The research indicates that these flows can originate in seemingly gentle environments, such as reservoirs and lakes, challenging the long-held belief that such currents were confined to more extreme submarine settings.
The findings, coupled with a newly developed framework for understanding turbidity current formation, are expected to enhance the ability to predict and manage these powerful natural phenomena. This improved understanding could lead to better protection for vital underwater infrastructure, including intercontinental telecommunication cables, and aid in the management of reservoirs.
In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers described self-accelerating turbidity currents as formidable, erosive gravity underflows. They noted that despite progress in small-scale experimental setups, field observations of these accelerating currents have been rare, with most documented cases occurring in submarine environments.