International Workshop: "Dialogue Between Contourite & Oceanography Process"

The workshop is being held at the University of Hull on 28th & 29th January 2013 with a pre-conference evening event on 27th January 2013 and field trips on 30th January 2013.

This International Workshop aims to break down barriers between physical and geological communities studying deep water flows and resultant sedimentary deposits, challenging each with the evidence and understanding presented by the other. We aim to create a new phase of holistic and collaborative research, to the benefit of both those studying modern and ancient circulation systems.


Goals:
Understanding deep water-mass circulation is essential to understanding the behavior of the ocean today and to understanding past changes in its operation. In the contemporary Earth System, these currents represent a major component in regulating both the climate system and biogeochemical cycles. However, despite their fundamental importance to the Earth-System, our understanding of the fundamental features of deep water-mass circulation, including the local flow bottom currents, internal waves, their mixing, behavior, variability and role in the sedimentary evolution of continental margin remain poorly understood. Our rising to the challenge of understanding these systems is impeded by the strict division of those researchers studying them from the perspective of the water itself and the geological deposits derived from them. No genuine, realistic and process-oriented understanding of past changes in a deep ocean circulation system can he gained without, deep engagement with the physics of water flow aid mixing. Equally, neglect of the evidence of long-long term changes in these systems carried within the geological archives denies the ocean physics community knowledge of fundamental modes of operation under non–contemporary boundary conditions; the geological record contains a truly unique set of evidence to test our understanding of the response of these systems to external forces.

Keynote Speakers:
• Anna Wahlin (Univ. Gothenburg, Sweden)
• Sheldon Bacon (NOC Southampton, UK)
• Hans van Haren (NIOZ, NL)
• Tina van der Flierdt (Imperial College, UK)

Principal topics:
Geostrophic/thermohaline circulation & bottom currents
Internal Waves
Modern contourite deposits
Geological record of past geostrophic currents (Environmental, tectonic & other controls in process and deposits)
Numerical & physical modelling of process
Seabed habitats
Economic importance

Más información.