The temporal evolution of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in a river debouching into the ocean provides vital insights into erosion processes in the watershed and dictates the evolution of the inner continental shelf. While the delivery of sediment from rivers to the ocean has received special attention in the recent past, few studies focused on the variability and dynamics of river SSC, especially in the Changjiang (Yangtze) river, China, the longest river in Asia. Here, variations in SSC delivered by the Changjiang River to the East China Sea and possible causes of its variability were detected based on a long-term time series of daily SSC and monthly water discharge measured at the Datong gauging station. The SSC data are further compared to a hydrological analysis of yearly precipitation covering the entire catchment. The results indicate the presence of a decline in SSC in the period 1956-2013, which can be divided into three phases: (i) high SSC (0.69 kg/m 3) in the wet season and low SSC (0.2 kg/m 3) in the dry season from 1956 to 1970; (ii) relative high SSC (0.58 kg/m 3) in the wet season and low SSC (0.15 kg/m 3) in the dry season from 1971 to 2002; and (iii) low SSC (0.19 kg/m 3) in the wet season and very low SSC (0.09 kg/m 3) in the dry season after 2002. These three periods have a mean yearly SSC values of 0.62, 0.42, and 0.18 kg/m 3 , respectively. Compared with 1956-1970, the slope of the rating curve between SSC and water discharge decreased, respectively, by 2% and 30%

The magnitude of anthropogenic influence, especially dam regulation, on hydrological system is of scientific and practical value for large river management. As the largest dam in the world by far, Three Gorges Dam (TGD) is expected to be a strong evidence on dam impacts on downstream hydrological regime. In this study, statistical methods are performed on the pre-and post-TGD daily hydrological data at Yichang, Hankou, and Datong stations to detect the daily, monthly, yearly, and spatial fluctuations in river hydrology along the Yangtze River during the period of 2000-2013. It is found that TGD makes a significant hydrological variation along the Yangtze River following the dam operation since 2003. Specifically, the daily discharge and water level are gathered to normal event ranges with less extreme events than before 2003. Both maximum and minimum daily water levels at the study stations have decreased due to TGD-induced riverbed incision. The operation of TGD shifts the maximum monthly discharge and water level from August to July at Yichang station. The significance of TGD effect on discharge and water level relationship presents spatial variation. The rating curves at upstream reach experience the most significant effects with a substantial upward shift, while those at lower reach only suggest slight modification. Of the potential drivers considered in this study, dam regulation is responsible for the changes in downstream river hydrology. Moreover, the tributary and adjoining riparian lakes of the Yangtze River contribute to weaken the effect of TGD on downstream hydrological behavior.

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The mobility of coastal dunes is characterised by bio-geomorphological responses related to change in boundary conditions, particularly sediment supply, wind and vegetation cover, as well as human activities. There remains uncertainty regarding the relative importance of these drivers on dune mobility at a global scale. In this study, trends and dominant drivers of coastal dune mobility are synthesised through the literature review focusing on shifts in dune mobility over the last century (1870–2018). In total, 176 individual dunes, with 55 dunes from the Europe-Mediterranean area, 23 from Africa, 30 from North America, 23 from South America, 20 from Oceania and 23 from Asia, are reviewed in this work. The results show that there is a worldwide trend of dune stabilisation, with 93% (164 out of 176) of the reviewed sites showing a loss of bare sand area due to an increase in vegetation cover and urbanisation expansion. Multiple factors have contributed to the stabilisation process, including (a) land-use change such as the change of traditional farming practises, coastal urbanisation and tourism development; (b) dune stabilisation projects; (c) sediment decline caused by the riverine and coastal constructions; and (d) change in climate (i.e. the decrease in windiness, and the increase in temperature and rainfall) and storms. Our results suggest human intervention played a dominant role in altering dune mobility for most dunes during the past century, while climate and storms are also important drivers, especially for dune sites with limited human activities.

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