Sediment gravity flow

A sediment gravity flow is one of several types of sediment transport mechanisms, of which most geologists recognize four principal processes. These flows are differentiated by their dominant sediment support mechanisms, which can be difficult to distinguish as flows can be in transition from one type to the next as they evolve downslope.Grain flows (sand avalanches) on the slip faces of sand dunes at Kelso in the Mojave desert, CaliforniaDish structures in the deposit (Bouma A, Lowe S3) of an ancient liquefied sediment flow preserved in outcrop.Debris flows filling a gully after intense storms of 2010 in Ladakh in the Himalayas.Debris flow deposit in outcrop showing free-floating large clasts suspended in a clay matrix.A powder snow avalanche is a form of turbidity current where air is the supporting fluid.Fine-grained turbidites in outcrop showing Bouma B-D layers deposited by low-density turbidity currents.High-density turbidite (Bouma A, Lowe S1) cutting into low-density turbidites, Topatopa Mountains, California. A sediment gravity flow is one of several types of sediment transport mechanisms, of which most geologists recognize four principal processes. These flows are differentiated by their dominant sediment support mechanisms, which can be difficult to distinguish as flows can be in transition from one type to the next as they evolve downslope.