The Interplay between a Mountainous River and Nearby Submarine Canyon in Southern Taiwans Ray T. Hsu and James T. Liu Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Submarine Canyons are Everywhere on This Planet!

Submarine Canyons Around Taiwan

Kaoping Submarine Canyon Taiwan Study Area

The Annual Mean Runoff of The Kaoping River 78%

Field Survey

Trap Array and Tripod Tripod

Result

Observations on The Tripod

Suspended Sediments Captured in Traps and SSC Measured from LISST-100)

Observation on RCM

Temperature (Tripod and Trap Array)

Discussion Coastal impact by kai-tek typhoon. Coastal impact by kai-tek typhoon The sand fraction in the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the canyon came from the shelf floor above and has the highest correlation with the river sediment discharge. The sand fraction in the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the canyon came from the shelf floor above and has the highest correlation with the river sediment discharge. Clay composes the largest fraction of SSC in the canyon. Clay composes the largest fraction of SSC in the canyon

Coastal Impact by Kai-tek Typhoon SSC and Wave Field at Kaoping River Mouth

Sand in The Submarine Canyon Sand Fall in San Lucas Submarine Canyon

Grain Size Composition of Captured Sediments

Conclusion (1) High mountainous rivers located in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world whose runoff and sediment content (sediment load) display: Distinct dry and flood seasons in their annual hydrological cycle The range of magnitude can span several orders of magnitude the extreme values in the runoff and sediment content are controlled by episodic events that mostly occur in the summer (flood season)

Conclusion (2) The largest fraction in SSC in Kaoping Submarine Canyon (KPCY) is from clay to very fine grains. The role of the KPCY is an important conduit for sediments from the river to the ocean, especially in episodic events, such as typhoons