Morphodynamics and Morphological Development of Shelf Mud Depocenters : Morphodynamik und Morphologische Entwicklung von Schlammdepozentren auf dem Schelf

Abstract

Mud depocenters are accumulations of fine-grained sediment with meter-scale thickness that occur on many modern continental shelves. While a depocenter’s sedimentary record can provide useful data on past environmental conditions, its morphology can also be highly dynamic, and processes driving mud depocenter development are not yet fully understood. This thesis elucidates the physical mechanisms behind shelf mud accumulation. An extensive literature survey represents the first comprehensive compilation of known physical processes controlling mud depocenter development. Detailed case studies on two mud depocenters in the southwestern Baltic Sea give new insights into their morphodynamics by combining oceanographic and geological data with numerical modeling.