Record #00410Nature archive
Zhemchug Canyon on the Bering Sea continental margin is among the largest known submarine canyons by excavated volume. A 1987 US Geological Survey report gives a lower bound of at least 5,800 km³, while a 1970 study estimated about 8,500 km³.
Current Record
at least5,800km³
Current record value
Zhemchug Canyon incises the southeastern Bering Sea continental margin and has branched channels shaped by both older structural depressions and subsequent erosion. Geophysical surveys, including side-scan sonar and seismic-reflection observations, have informed interpretations of its origin.
A 1987 USGS GLORIA sonar study described a canyon volume of at least 5,800 km³. An earlier 1970 study by Scholl and colleagues estimated 8,500 km³. Both indicate an exceptionally large submarine canyon, but the estimates should not be presented as the same measurement or an exact consensus value.
The record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: comparison of consistent primary data
The 1987 USGS Circular 998 GLORIA study explicitly identifies Zhemchug as the largest Beringian margin submarine canyon and states its volume is at least 5,800 km³. The USGS-hosted abstract of Scholl et al. (1970) gives 8,500 km³. These are distinct published estimates; the entry retains the expressly qualified 1987 lower bound and discloses the alternative estimate.
At least 5,800 km³ is a lower bound in a 1987 USGS study, not a precise globally standardized modern measurement; the 1970 original study reports 8,500 km³. The exact causes of this difference were not established from the inspected sources.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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