Suspension and deposition within turbidity currents

This study presents numerical simulations aimed at exploring particle suspension and deposition in turbidity currents. By employing Lagrangian particle tracking combined with a discrete element model, we provide a detailed analysis of autosuspension, deposition, and the overall behavior of turbidity currents. We investigate the main body of the current, formed by suspended particles, and describe its temporal evolution through distinct phases: initial slumping, propagation, and eventual dissipation. Particle tracking enables us to follow autosuspended particles and to analyze how autosuspension contributes to current propagation using an energy budget framework. Next, we examine particle deposition patterns, emphasizing variations in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. Transverse differences are linked to lobe-and-cleft (LC) structures, while longitudinal differences are associated with vortex detachment—particularly pronounced for larger particles. We find that when particle size increases and the Stokes number exceeds 0.1, rapid settling suppresses LC structures, resulting in broader lobes at the deposition height.