Are asymmetric flow fields around kilometer-scale topographic seafloor elevations reflected in the sediment?
Abyssal hills, knolls and seamounts are ubiquitous and abundant features of the oceanic seafloor. Physical oceanographic studies have indicated that there are asymmetric flow fields enfolding such seafloor elevations: On the northern hemisphere the lateral asymmetry in the flow exhibits an accelerated flow to the left of the elevation, looking downstream, and decelerated flow to the right. We expect this asymmetry to be reflected in the intensity and quality of sediment deposition. To address the proposed effect on intensity of sediment deposition we assessed the spatial distribution of sedimentary excess 210Pb (210Pbxs) inventories and compared these inventories to the expected 210Pb input from the water column. On the summit and on the western slope 210Pbxs inventories are smaller than expected. There is also some evidence for 210Pbxs inventories on the northern and eastern slopes to be somewhat higher than expected. This spatial 210Pbxs pattern coincides with the predicted pattern o
