Collaborative Research: High-Density Combined Flows and Bedforms

合作研究：高密度组合流和床型华盛顿大学jeffrey Parsons （EAR-0309887）科罗拉多学院Paul Myrow （EAR-0309693）摘要将探讨泥沙负荷、泥沙大小、波浪运动和坡度对波调制浊流形成和维持的关系。在一个独一无二的倾斜波管中，实验室实验将用于约束在波主导环境中负责重力驱动输运的物理过程。与有关湍流对重力流影响的有限工作相反，PIs的早期实验似乎表明，由于“捕获”了高浓度的沉积物，波浪可以增强重力驱动的运输。将在几个古代环境中进行实地考察，以检验这一假设以及在实验室实验过程中提出的其他假设。实地考察还将有助于形成新的假设，以便在实验室中进行测试。现场地点(纽芬兰查普尔岛组，科罗拉多州Minturn组，向西Ho！和布德组（英格兰西南部）的选择突出了沉积物负荷和波浪活动都很大的各种陆架环境。这些环境是过去气候的最佳记录之一，因为它们既保存完好，又受到大气过程的强烈影响。从广义上讲，pi的工作将有助于湍流悬浮液的研究，其应用范围从化学工程到地貌学。它还将有助于限制世界各地许多浅海露头的环境条件。研究计划的结构是这样的，本科生将在实验室实验和实地考察中发挥积极作用。

Collaborative Research: High-Density Combined Flows and BedformsJeffrey Parsons, University of Washington(EAR-0309887)Paul Myrow, Colorado College(EAR-0309693)ABSTRACTPIs will explore the relationship between sediment loading, sediment size, wave motions and slope on the formation and the maintenance of wave-modulated turbidity currents. In a one-of-a-kind tilting wave duct, laboratory experiments will be used to constrain the physical processes responsible for gravity-driven transport in wave-dominated environments. Contrary to limited work related to the effects of turbulence on gravity currents, PIs' early experiments appear to indicate that waves can enhance gravity-driven transport owing to the "trapping" of high concentrations of sediment there.Fieldwork in several ancient environments will be conducted that will test this and other hypotheses developed during the course of the laboratory experiments. The fieldwork will also aid in the formation of new hypotheses to be tested in the lab. The field sites (Chapel Island Formation, Newfoundland; Minturn Formation, Colorado; Westaward Ho! and Bude Formations, southwest England) were chosen to highlight various shelf environments where both sediment loading and wave activity is large. These environments are one of the best records of past climate because they are both well preserved and strongly affected by atmospheric processes.In a broad sense, PIs work will aid research on turbulent suspensions, with applications ranging from chemical engineering to geomorphology. It will also help constrain the environmental conditions found in numerous shallow marine outcrops around the world. The research program is structured such that undergraduates will have an active role in both the laboratory experiments and the fieldwork.