At an Indian Ocean marine refuge, tides drive cold water laden with nutrients onto the tops of underwater mountains, where it sustains a long food chain that culminates in sharks, tuna, and seabirds.
seafloor
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Do Deep-Sea Gravity Currents Transport Sediment So Far?
The first field measurements of turbidity currents flowing around submarine channel bends indicate spiral flow plays a key role in keeping sediment suspended for hundreds of kilometers.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracking Deep-Earth Processes from Rapid Topographic Changes
Rapid elevation-rise in Turkey, tracked by marine sediments that now sit at 1.5 km in elevation, is linked to deep-Earth processes that can explain short-lived, extreme rates of topographic change.
Posted inScience Updates
How Offshore Groundwater Shapes the Seafloor
The MARCAN project, launched last January, is working to fill a gap in our knowledge of how freshwater flowing underground shapes and alters the continental margins.
Posted inNews
Iron Readings Hint That Ocean Depth Influences Seabed Volcanism
Water pressure on mid-ocean ridges may affect magma production kilometers beneath the ocean floor.
Posted inNews
Deep-Seabed Mining May Come Soon, Says Head of Governing Group
New regulations could open the door for sustainable mining, says the head of the International Seabed Authority. However, he and others pointed to environmental, financial, and technical challenges.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Sloping Topography and Oceanic Surface Modes
An accurate understanding of the influence of ocean bottom topography helps to diagnose the velocities of subsurface currents.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Seafloor Activity Sheds Light on Plate Tectonics
Scientists in Japan study stress released by oceanic earthquakes in newborn sections of seafloor.
Posted inScience Updates
An 1888 Volcanic Collapse Becomes a Benchmark for Tsunami Models
When volcanic mountains slide into the sea, they trigger tsunamis. How big are these waves, and how far away can they do damage? Ritter Island provides some answers.
Posted inOpinions
Keeping Our Focus on the Subseafloor
Hard-pressed funding agencies wonder whether marine seismic facilities are worth the investment. A recent survey gives a resounding yes.