Transport and accumulation of river-derived sediment on the Washington continental shelf, USA

Abstract

The combined results of many physical oceanographic, geochemical, and geological investigations provide a coherent picture of the sedimentology of the Washington continental shelf. The major source of modern sediment is the Columbia River. Sediment on the shelf is transported by bottom currents resulting from surface wind stress and gravity waves which occur as individual storm or wave events lasting one to several days, primarily during the winter months. Field measurements of the sediment response to wind- and wave-generated bottom currents suggest that the modern sediment is transported as suspended load and disperses primarily northward parallel to the isobaths and is associated with a well-developed mid-shelf silt deposit. Smaller quantities of sediment are transported seaward over the shelf edge and into the numerous submarine canyons that incise the shelf. Analysis of available wave data suggests that thresholds of sediment motion were exceeded on the order of 22%, 16%, and 1.5% of the time annually on the inner, central, and outer shelf respectively. Bottom current measurements suggest that threshold conditions were exceeded 13% and 6% of the time annually on the inner and central shelf respectively. Measurements of accumulation rates using 210 Pb geochronology show that about 67% of the annual sediment discharge from the Columbia River is being deposited in the mid-shelf silt deposit; 6% is being deposited over the shelf edge on the open slope, and 11% is accumulating in the four major submarine canyons.