High-resolution erosional and depositional features along the canyon axis and their implications for canyon activity in the northern South China Sea:Insights from AUV-based geophysical data

The geomorphic features along a canyon axis and their characteristics are the key to understanding the material transport and gravity flow in the canyon and the activity of the canyon. Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)-based multibeam bathymetry, sub-bottom profiles and side-scan sonar data were collected during the voyages in 2009‒2010 and were used to map the geomorphic features along the canyon axis in the northern South China Sea. These data are helpful for us to understand the details of the accumulation and erosion processes in the canyon, which cannot be obtained from previous geophysical data.