Mud depocenters (MDCs) represent major proximal-marine sinks for fine-grained terrigenous material, carbon, and contaminants on modern continental shelves. Throughout the past decades, several studies have shed light on the physical processes controlling MDC development at various timescales, ranging from controlled flume experiments and in-situ oceanographic monitoring, to stratigraphic analyses of recent and ancient deposits based on seismo-acoustic and sediment-core data. Thereby, key mechanisms related to the formation and maintenance dynamics of MDCs have been discovered: a) cross-shore bottom transport of suspended mud through gravity flows, b) interaction of mud with density gradients associated with oceanic fronts, c) resuspension and dispersal control of mud by internal waves, d) bedload deposition of mud forming laminated bedding under energetic flow conditions, and e) mud resuspension resulting from chronic bottom trawling.

Among the physical processes identified or proposed, three conceptual paradigms for MDC development can be distinguished: 1. continuous supply, associated with a steady sediment supply and hemipelagic settling in relatively calm conditions; 2. continual resuspension-deposition cycles, wherein parts of an MDC area are subject to multiple cycles of resuspension, redeposition and reworking before ultimate burial; and 3. episodic sedimentation and erosion, in which extreme events such as riverine floods and atmospheric storms dominate the total, long-term sediment flux. Although the predominance of each of these paradigms within a single MDC depends to a large degree on the timescales considered, case studies tend to emphasize processes associated with only one of these three paradigms. As a result, the relative, long-term contribution of individual processes remains largely uncertain for many MDCs.

The ability of numerical models to accurately predict medium to long-term mud accumulation is restricted not only by computational costs, but also by insufficient parametrizations of the muddy sedimentation process. These remain challenging to constrain due to the multiplicity and complexity of factors affecting the cohesive properties of mud, including its state of consolidation, and the amount and type of organic matter present. Bridging the gap between individual events and long-term accumulation is the key to a more complete understanding of sedimentation processes in MDCs.

泥浆沉积中心（MDC）代表了现代大陆架上主要的近海水槽，这些水槽用于细粒陆源物质，碳和污染物。在过去的几十年中，几项研究揭示了在各个时间尺度上控制MDC发展的物理过程，从受控的水槽实验和原位海洋学监测，到基于地震声波和沉积核的近期和古代矿床的地层分析。数据。因此，已经发现了与MDCs的形成和维持动力学有关的关键机制：a）悬浮泥浆通过重力流的跨岸底部运输，b）泥浆与海洋前沿相关的密度梯度相互作用，c）悬浮和分散控制的泥内部波，d）在高能流动条件下形成层状垫层的泥浆的底荷沉积，以及e）长期拖网造成的泥浆重悬浮。

在确定或提议的物理过程中，可以区分出MDC发展的三个概念范式：1.连续供给，与稳定的沉积物供给和相对平静的半沉积沉降有关；2.连续的重悬沉积循环，其中MDC区域的一部分在最终埋葬之前要经历多个重悬，重新沉积和重做的循环；和3.间歇性沉积和侵蚀，其中河流洪水和大气风暴等极端事件主导了长期的总沉积物通量。尽管在单个MDC中每种范例的优势在很大程度上取决于所考虑的时间尺度，但案例研究倾向于强调仅与这三种范例之一相关的过程。结果，对于许多MDC而言，单个过程的相对长期贡献仍然不确定。

数值模型准确预测中长期泥沙淤积的能力不仅受到计算成本的限制，而且还受到泥泞沉淀过程参数化不足的限制。由于影响泥浆粘结性的因素的多样性和复杂性，包括固结状态，存在的有机物的数量和类型，这些因素仍然难以约束。弥合单个事件与长期积累之间的鸿沟，是更全面地了解MDC中沉积过程的关键。