Origins of Nepheloid Layers on Continental Slopes: Laboratory and Field Experimentation

Abstract

Abstract : This was a two-part study to investigate mechanisms for generating intermediate nepheloid layers (INLs) on continental slopes. The first part was a laboratory experiment that generated internal waves on a sloping bed in a stratified fluid which produced INLs. The second part applied the physical understanding gained from the laboratory results to analyze field data collected from the Northern California continental slope as part of the STRATAFORM project. Field data showed that INLs were often associated with regions of critical slope topography where internal wave reflection is common, suggesting that internal waves may be responsible for the generation of slope INLs.