The
Hudson Canyon is a
submarine canyon that begins from the shallow outlet of the
estuary at the mouth of the
Hudson River. It extends out over seaward across the
continental shelf finally connecting to the deep
ocean basin at a depth of 3 to 4 km below
sea level. It begins as a natural
channel of several kilometers width, starting as a 20-40 m depression at Hudson Channel southward from
Ambrose Light, then carving through a deep notch of about 1 km depth in the shelf break, and running down the continental rise. Tidally associated flows of about 30 cm/s (1 km/h) up and down the deeper parts of the canyon have been recorded. As silt, sand and mud are carried down the Hudson River, they flow into the canyon and out into the deep sea.