Sedimentary flows are important geomorphic agents along continental margins. They are capable of transporting large volumes of sediment – up to hundreds of cubic kilometers – at velocities of up to 20 m/s and over distances exceeding 1,000 km. While recent decades have brought valuable insights into the location, structure, and extent of these flows, many questions remain, particularly regarding how they initiate, how they behave once underway, and what impacts they produce on the seafloor. 

Between November 2024 and April 2025, the Seafloor Processes lab collaborated with the Continental Margins lab, the Seafloor Mapping lab and international colleagues to carry out a comprehensive experiment focused on sedimentary flows along Monterey Canyon. The experiment involved the deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers, moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), and hydrophones. These instruments were used to capture data on the size, speed, timing, and structure of sedimentary flows. 

To complement these measurements, we conducted monthly AUV-based multibeam echosounder (MBES) surveys of the canyon head to quantify topographic changes resulting from sedimentary flows and related slope failures. In shallower waters, additional surveys were performed using a pole-mounted multibeam echosounder system aboard the R/V Paragon. This system, provided by Alessandra Savini (University of Milano-Bicocca), was operated by her during her Fulbright-funded research visit to MBARI. 

Together, these efforts provide an unprecedented, integrated view of the morphological impacts of sedimentary flows in Monterey Canyon.