Why in the news?
- A 2025 study in Global and Planetary Change discovered 117-million-year-old mud waves buried beneath the Atlantic seabed near Guinea-Bissau.
Mud Wave
- What is it?
- A mud wave is a large, wavelike sedimentary structure found on the deep ocean floor, composed mainly of fine-grained mud.
- They are typically formed by the slow movement of bottom currents that transport and deposit fine sediments over time.
- Location and Occurrence
- Common in abyssal plains, continental rises, and areas near deep-sea channels.
Found in regions with steady but gentle thermohaline circulation or contour currents. - Examples: North Atlantic Ocean (near Mid-Atlantic Ridge flanks), areas influenced by Antarctic Bottom Water.
- Common in abyssal plains, continental rises, and areas near deep-sea channels.
- Formation Process
- Suspension Settling: Fine particles settle from the water column to the seafloor.
- Bottom Current Influence: Slow, persistent deep currents (contour currents) redistribute sediments.
- Wave-like Shapes: Alternating ridges and troughs form perpendicular to current direction, creating a “wavy” seabed.
- Characteristics
- Wavelength: Several hundred metres to kilometres.
- Height: A few metres to tens of metres.
- Composition: Predominantly clay and silt.
- Stability: Form slowly and remain stable over long geological timescales.
- Geographical Importance
- Indicator of paleocurrent directions in deep ocean.
- Act as sediment traps, storing organic carbon and influencing deep-sea ecology.
- Useful in submarine geology and oil/gas exploration studies.