Subaerial debris flows, with water contents ranging from as little as 10 wt% up to no more than about 25 wt% (Pierson, 1986; Pierson and Costa, 1987), are non-Newtonian fluids that move as fairly coherent masses with yield strength (owing to bulk densities and viscosity that are much greater than those of clear water), which enables them to suspend and transport large clasts. Their flow behavior is thought to be predominantly laminar, although the relative importance of laminar and turbulent flow has not been established and is debatable. They leave deposits (debrites) that are characteristically poorly sorted with large clasts in their middle portions and commonly protruding from their tops. Although generally ungraded or normally graded in their upper portions, many have centimeter- to decimeter-thick inversely graded basal zones (Arguden and Rodolfo, 1990, doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1990)1022.3.CO;2).

Supplement to: Rodolfo, Kelvin S; Arguden, Tevfik; Solidum, Renato U (1992): Textural characteristics of Oligocene submarine debris-flow deposits, Sites 792 and 793. In: Taylor, B; Fujioka, K; et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 126, 97-99