Experimental erosion of calcareous ooze

Flume experiments on the erosion of abyssal calcareous ooze in shallow uniform flows of sea water show that erosion velocities range from 7–10 cm/sec soon after rapid deposition of the bed to 15–20 cm/sec after a few tens of hours. Continuing erosion produces shallow irregular longstream lineations but no sediment ripples. On the assumption of a hydrodynamically smooth boundary in the deep ocean, the measured erosion velocities can be approximately corrected for the effects of flow depth and water temperature different from oceanic conditions; even with this correction, the measured velocities are less than twice as great as current velocities common in the deep ocean.