TURBIDITES FROM GIANT HAWAIIAN LANDSLIDES - RESULTS FROM OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAM SITE-842

Pliocene to Pleistocene volcanic sand turbidites recovered 320 km west of the island of Hawaii at Ocean Drilling Program Site 842 contain fr agments of fresh, weakly vesicular glass and tests of Pleistocene and Eocene radiolarians. This sand is probably related to turbidity curren ts generated from debris avalanches produced by giant landslides on th e flanks of the Hawaiian Islands. On their way to Site 842, the curren ts flowed over the similar to 500-m-high Hawaiian Arch, indicating tha t the turbidity currents were at least 325 m thick Similar sand has be en reported 930 km south of the islands. Thus, Hawaiian giant landslid es play a significant role in central Pacific deep-sea sedimentary pro cesses.