New Publication by A. Bernhardt in Science Advances: What Shapes Submarine Canyons?

We’re excited to share a new paper published in Science Advances, the result of a great collaboration with Wolfgang Schwanghart!

Submarine canyons—vast valleys carved into the seafloor—are key players in carbon transport and climate regulation. Yet, their formation has remained a mystery.

Our global analysis of over 2,000 canyons reveals that seafloor slope, rather than sediment input from rivers, is the primary factor controlling their distribution. This challenges previous assumptions and sheds new light on the dynamics of deep-sea sediment transport and the ocean's role in Earth's carbon cycle.

Seafloor Slopes Control Submarine Canyon Distribution: A Global Analysis
Read the full study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv3942

Press releases:

https://www.fu-berlin.de/presse/informationen/fup/2025/fup_25_088-unterwasser-canyons/index.html

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/presse/informationen/fup/2025/fup_25_088-unterwasser-canyons/index.html

Freie Universität Berlin | University of Potsdam

#ScienceAdvances #SubmarineCanyons #Geoscience #CarbonCycle #EarthSystemScience #NewPaper