Submarine geomorphology of the Diamantina Trench (SE Indian Ocean) based on high-resolution multibeam sonar bathymetry and push core sediments

Diamantina Trench in the southeast Indian Ocean is one of the less unexplored hadal trenches (> 6000 m) of our planet, which develops the second deepest point (Dordrecht Deep, ca. 7019 m depth) in the Indian Ocean. Humans did not visit its ocean floor until the Chinese submersible Fendouzhe reached its deepest point in January 2023. This expedition collected high-resolution multibeam sonar bathymetry data covering about 3000 nautical miles and conducted 28 scientific dives with high-resolution videos and push core sediments of the upper seafloor (max. 40 cm) at a wide range of submarine geomorphology. This study combines these materials to fully assess the morphological variability of the trench and the causative factors and processes determining such characteristics.

Bathymetry data indicate a rugged and complex landscape with various seamounts and debris deposits in the Diamantina Trench which could be classified into three sections. Bounded by the Broken Ridge to the north, the western section contains a series of basins and gorges, as well as parallel intruded ridges (WNW striking). The eastern section shows deeper and steeper slopes compared to the western section. The transitional area of the two sections (the Dordrecht Deep area, 270 km²) is the deepest part of the trench.

Four push core sediment profiles were analyzed from the most west and east locations, the Dordrecht Deep area, and the western trend with foraminifera oozes. Layers of foraminifera and calcareous nannofossil oozes occur at the western section, whereas brownish pelagic sediments with occasionally coarse-grained Fe-Mn nodules develop at the eastern section. The preliminary results of total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) suggest distinct differences among and within profiles. TC values reach 12% in foraminifera oozes and less than 1.2% in the pelagic sediments. TC values decrease rapidly at the upper 10 cm and remain low (0.1–0.2%) at the lower part in the profiles from the eastern section and Dordrecht Deep area. An analogous trend applies to the TN graphs. The sediment profile from the western section, however, shows decreasing TC and TN values within depth.

This research provides the first knowledge of the highly spatial heterogeneity of submarine geomorphological characteristics and sediment dynamics in the Diamantina Trench. The ongoing measurements of organic matter content, carbon isotope, and grain size from different topographic locations with the potential of dating methods (e.g., ¹⁴C and paleontological data) will further aid in reconstructing the spatial variations of paleoenvironmental changes and organic cycling process, as well as in understanding the relationship with tectonic activities and catastrophic events in hadal zones.