Improved experimental evidence for autosuspension

The final element required to confirm autosuspension as a real physical phenomenon is experimental evidence; above all, that the energy required to maintain suspension is supplied by the gravitational power of the flow itself, and by no external process. Early attempts to reproduce autosuspension in the laboratory have been unconvincing, or have only achieved limited success. The laboratory experiments described in the present paper were therefore undertaken to improve and extend the available experimental evidence of autosuspension. The methodology used represents a significant advance in terms of technique and instrumentation, allowing collection of considerably more and higher quality data. The new data reinforce the confidence with which autosuspension may be regarded as an important factor in the transport of sediment from continental areas to eventual deposition in the deeper marine environment.