China study finds subsea cable-wrecking supercurrents more common than realised

China study finds subsea cable-wrecking supercurrents more common than realisedA team led by Tsinghua University says it has built a framework that could better predict and manage these powerful flows3-MIN READ3-MIN2ListenPublished: 12:00pm, 17 Jun 2026Updated: 12:47pm, 17 Jun 2026Scientists have known for decades that massive undersea flows called turbidity currents can reshape ocean floors and damage the vital cables which carry global internet traffic. But how they form and behave has remained elusive until now.An international team led by Tsinghua University has found that these flows are more common than previously believed, forming in gentle environments such as reservoirs and lakes, where such currents were thought to be impossible.The findings, along with a framework the researchers have built for understanding the formation of turbidity currents, could help to better predict and manage these powerful flows, protecting underwater infrastructure and managing reservoirs.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x