• the transport of bottom sediments by traction or rolling, and by saltation. In the
gravitational transport, one can differentiate sediment collapse and talus on the
one hand, and slide on the other. Movements of the first type are accompanied by
the interaction between solid particles and underlying surface, processes of shifts
of the whole mass of particles are typical of slides and similar phenomena-debris
flows and mud flows;
• the transport of suspended particles, which can be regarded as a type of viscous
liquid flow, strongly depends on the flow density. This relation is so strong that
one can talk about qualitatively different processes of suspension flow motion
with a high and low density.
There are lithodynamic processes in the world ocean, which are not involved in
the dynamics of the bottom contact zone and occur beyond it. These processes are
the horizontal and vertical sediment transports occurring in the entire water column
and its top layers. These motions, as a rule, involve fine grained terrigenous
particles and biogenic material into the water column. The inflow of sediment
load brought by the rivers can occur outside the contact zone even on the continental shelf, while in the areas with greater water depths, accumulations of such
particles with fine grain sediments brought by suspension flows can form nepheloid
clouds, migrating several hundred meters along the isobaths and gradually
descending towards the continental slope. Continuous deposition of the skeletons
of sea microorganisms, being a lithodynamic process itself, is accompanied by their
constant transport along the sea floor. Although this process is not related directly to
the flow of the terrigenous material, it forms sediments, which together with the
terrigenous component take part in the lithodynamic processes of the contact zone.
The pathway of fine grained terrigenous material towards the contact zone is even
more complicated, because this material is first absorbed by the living organisms
and then excreted by them with changed mechanical and hydraulic properties.
Coarse grained material driven by the ice is sometimes transported into the contact
zone. Regularities of these migrations differ greatly from the regularities of the
contact zone dynamics, but their participation in the general lithodynamic process
of the ocean is evident and their existence should not be ignored when developing
the regional and global models of ocean lithodynamics.
The sediment transport on the surface of the lithosphere causes a number of
phenomena, which follow the laws dictated by the water transport. The most
essential of these phenomena is sediment differentiation according to its hydraulic
properties and topography variations related to the changing volume of the clastic
material moving towards the contact zone. On the other hand, migration of sediment is accompanied by numerous phenomena, which are not directly related to the
mechanics and energies of the lithodynamic processes but influence them greatly.
These processes include coagulation of fine grained particles, chemical and thermal
weathering of rocks, which contribute to their subsequent destruction and mobilization by water flows, as well as the motion of organisms on the ocean floor and in
the water, causing transport and transformation of fine grained sediments. These
phenomena are not caused by lithodynamic processes and do not follow their
7 Lithodynamics of the Coastal Zone
119
gravitational transport, one can differentiate sediment collapse and talus on the
one hand, and slide on the other. Movements of the first type are accompanied by
the interaction between solid particles and underlying surface, processes of shifts
of the whole mass of particles are typical of slides and similar phenomena-debris
flows and mud flows;
• the transport of suspended particles, which can be regarded as a type of viscous
liquid flow, strongly depends on the flow density. This relation is so strong that
one can talk about qualitatively different processes of suspension flow motion
with a high and low density.
There are lithodynamic processes in the world ocean, which are not involved in
the dynamics of the bottom contact zone and occur beyond it. These processes are
the horizontal and vertical sediment transports occurring in the entire water column
and its top layers. These motions, as a rule, involve fine grained terrigenous
particles and biogenic material into the water column. The inflow of sediment
load brought by the rivers can occur outside the contact zone even on the continental shelf, while in the areas with greater water depths, accumulations of such
particles with fine grain sediments brought by suspension flows can form nepheloid
clouds, migrating several hundred meters along the isobaths and gradually
descending towards the continental slope. Continuous deposition of the skeletons
of sea microorganisms, being a lithodynamic process itself, is accompanied by their
constant transport along the sea floor. Although this process is not related directly to
the flow of the terrigenous material, it forms sediments, which together with the
terrigenous component take part in the lithodynamic processes of the contact zone.
The pathway of fine grained terrigenous material towards the contact zone is even
more complicated, because this material is first absorbed by the living organisms
and then excreted by them with changed mechanical and hydraulic properties.
Coarse grained material driven by the ice is sometimes transported into the contact
zone. Regularities of these migrations differ greatly from the regularities of the
contact zone dynamics, but their participation in the general lithodynamic process
of the ocean is evident and their existence should not be ignored when developing
the regional and global models of ocean lithodynamics.
The sediment transport on the surface of the lithosphere causes a number of
phenomena, which follow the laws dictated by the water transport. The most
essential of these phenomena is sediment differentiation according to its hydraulic
properties and topography variations related to the changing volume of the clastic
material moving towards the contact zone. On the other hand, migration of sediment is accompanied by numerous phenomena, which are not directly related to the
mechanics and energies of the lithodynamic processes but influence them greatly.
These processes include coagulation of fine grained particles, chemical and thermal
weathering of rocks, which contribute to their subsequent destruction and mobilization by water flows, as well as the motion of organisms on the ocean floor and in
the water, causing transport and transformation of fine grained sediments. These
phenomena are not caused by lithodynamic processes and do not follow their
7 Lithodynamics of the Coastal Zone
119