New Concept for the Origin of Fjords and Submarine Canyons: Consequence of Whole-Earth Decompression Dynamics

Abstract

Fjords occur in different parts of the world suggesting a common origin. Although being the subject of debate for more than a century, a common origin has not yet been disclosed; the relative importance of glaciation is still controversial. Here I propose that the primary origin of fjords, like submarine canyons, occurs as a consequence of decompression-driven Earth surface curvature changes, and suggest that glaciation, rather than being the primary agent of fjord formation, as widely assumed, instead is the principal agent of fjord preservation.