page_title: Congo Canyon
section_title: Turbidity currents
hierarchical_section_title: Congo Canyon / Turbidity currents
caption_attribution_description: English: A diagram showing the process of formation and propagation of a turbidity current.
context_page_description: Congo Canyon is a submarine canyon found at the end of the Congo River in Africa. It is one of the largest submarine canyons in the world.
context_section_description: The turbidity currents found in Congo Canyon are the strongest measured in the world. These are essentially underwater avalanches that can propagate for hundreds of kilometers, and their strength and frequency correlate strongly with the period of highest outflow from the Congo River. Their speeds vary from about 0.7 m/s to 3.5 m/s and events can last for more than a week. These currents are the major source of erosion in the canyon and represent a significant portion of the sediment that ends up in the fan at the end of the canyon. They commonly destroy equipment laid on the bottom of the ocean and have destroyed telegraph cables and moorings.
caption: Turbidity Current Diagram
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