Effects of water discharge and sediment load on evolution of modern Yellow River Delta, China, over the period from 1976 to 2009

Yu, Junbao; Yq, Fu; Yz, Li; Gx, Han; Wang, YL; Zhou, Daonian; Sun, Weidong; Yj, Gao; Meixner, Franz X.

doi:10.5194/bg-8-2427-2011

Cited by 75 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The Yellow River is regarded as largest contributor of fluvial sediment load to the ocean in the world (Wang and Aubrey, 1987), thus the quick evolution rate of the YRD is unique. A recent study showed that the average area increase rate of the eastern part of the modern YRD had decreased to about 3.94 km 2 year −1 in 1996-2008, which was only 24.3 % of that in 1986-1995, because of sharp reductions of runoff and sediment load, of which 84 %-85 % was caused by anthropogenic activities of the construction of reservoirs and dams in the river basin (Yu et al, 2011). We calculated that ∼25 km 2 was lost by erosion in the northern part of the YRD during the studied period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

Wang

et al. 2012

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Soil carbon sequestration plays an essential role in mitigating atmospheric CO 2 increases and the subsequently global greenhouse effect. The storages and dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) of 0-30 cm soil depth in different landscape types including beaches, reservoir and pond, reed wetland, forest wetland, bush wetland, farmland, building land, bare land (severe saline land) and salt field in the modern Yellow River Delta (YRD) were studied based on the data of the regional survey and laboratory analysis. The landscape types were classified by the interpretation of remote sensing images of 2000 and 2009, which were calibrated by field survey results. The results revealed an increase of 10.59 km 2 in the modem YRD area from 2000 to 2009. The SOC density varied ranging from 0.73 kg m −2 to 4.25 kg m −2 at depth of 0-30 cm. There were approx. 3.559 × 10 6 t and 3.545 × 10 6 t SOC stored in the YRD in 2000 and 2009, respectively. The SOC storages changed greatly in beaches, bush wetland, farm land and salt field which were affected dominantly by anthropogenic activities. The area of the YRD increased greatly within 10 years, however, the small increase of SOC storage in the region was observed due to landscape changes, indicating that the modern YRD was a potential carbon sink and anthropogenic activity was a key factor for SOC change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

Wang

et al. 2012

Biogeosciences

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“…The Yellow River, which is the second largest river in China, is regarded as the world's largest contributor of fluvial sediment load to the ocean (Yu et al 2011). Historically, it contributed a sediment load of nearly 100 million tons per year (Milliman 2001).…”

Section: The Yellow River Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

The hyperpycnite problem

Shanmugam

2018

J. Palaeogeogr.

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Sedimentologic, oceanographic, and hydraulic engineering publications on hyperpycnal flows claim that (1) river flows transform into turbidity currents at plunge points near the shoreline, (2) hyperpycnal flows have the power to erode the seafloor and cause submarine canyons, and, (3) hyperpycnal flows are efficient in transporting sand across the shelf and can deliver sediments into the deep sea for developing submarine fans. Importantly, these claims do have economic implications for the petroleum industry for predicting sandy reservoirs in deep-water petroleum exploration. However, these claims are based strictly on experimental or theoretical basis, without the supporting empirical data from modern depositional systems. Therefore, the primary purpose of this article is to rigorously evaluate the merits of these claims. A global evaluation of density plumes, based on 26 case studies (e.g., Yellow River, Yangtze River, Copper River, Hugli River (Ganges), Guadalquivir River, Río de la Plata Estuary, Zambezi River, among others), suggests a complex variability in nature. Real-world examples show that density plumes (1) occur in six different environments (i.e., marine, lacustrine, estuarine, lagoon, bay, and reef); (2) are composed of six different compositional materials (e.g., siliciclastic, calciclastic, planktonic, etc.); (3) derive material from 11 different sources (e.g., river flood, tidal estuary, subglacial, etc.); (4) are subjected to 15 different external controls (e.g., tidal shear fronts, ocean currents, cyclones, tsunamis, etc.); and, (5) exhibit 24 configurations (e.g., lobate, coalescing, linear, swirly, U-Turn, anastomosing, etc.). Major problem areas are: (1) There are at least 16 types of hyperpycnal flows (e.g., density flow, underflow, high-density hyperpycnal plume, high-turbid mass flow, tide-modulated hyperpycnal flow, cyclone-induced hyperpycnal turbidity current, multi-layer hyperpycnal flows, etc.), without an underpinning principle of fluid dynamics. (2) The basic tenet that river currents transform into turbidity currents at plunge points near the shoreline is based on an experiment that used fresh tap water as a standing body. In attempting to understand all density plumes, such an experimental result is inapplicable to marine waters (sea or ocean) with a higher density due to salt content. (3) Published velocity measurements from the Yellow River mouth, a classic area, are of tidal currents, not of hyperpycnal flows. Importantly, the presence of tidal shear front at the Yellow River mouth limits seaward transport of sediments. (4) Despite its popularity, the hyperpycnite facies model has not been validated by laboratory experiments or by real-world empirical field data from modern settings. (5) The presence of an erosional surface within a single hyperpycnite depositional unit is antithetical to the basic principles of stratigraphy. (6) The hypothetical model of "extrabasinal turbidites", deposited by river-flood triggered hyperpycnal flows, is untenable. This is because high-densit...

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“…The mean annual value during the historical period of was used as the baseline. The period of 1991-2002 was the low-flow period when the frequency of the zero-flow phenomenon peaked (Cui et al, 2009;Yu et al, 2011;Zhou and Huang, 2012). We are particularly interested in the recent period (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) when the frequency of the zero-flow phenomenon went down to zero (Yang et al, 2008;Hu et al, 2008;Cui et al, 2009).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Hailiutu river basin, a small catchment (∼ 2600 km 2 ) in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the river discharge reached its lowest level in the 1990s and recovered in the 2000s . At the river mouth, annual streamflow decreased severely from 1997 to 2002, but increased thereafter as the direct beneficiary of the environment-friendly water resource allocation projects (Cui et al, 2009;Yu et al, 2011). Although reservoir regulations may help to increase the low flow in the river channel, there must be enough water in the river systems to enable the allocation for eco-environmental water use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of natural runoff to recent climatic variations in the Yellow River basin, China

Tang

Tian

et al. 2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The zero-flow phenomenon appeared frequently in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China in the 1990s, whereas it has almost disappeared in recent years. The disappearance of the zero-flow phenomenon should be mainly attributed to the recent water management practices. However, little is known about the effects of recent climatic variations on natural runoff. In this study, we investigated the impacts of climatic variations on natural runoff above the Huayuankou station. The results indicate that there was little increase in precipitation, but substantial recovery of natural runoff in the recent period (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) compared with the low-flow period (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002). The recent precipitation was slightly greater (∼ 2 % of the baseline precipitation in than precipitation in the low-flow period. However, the recent natural runoff was much larger (∼ 14 % baseline runoff) than runoff in the low-flow period. The runoff reduction in the low-flow period was mainly caused by precipitation decrease. In the recent period, precipitation accounted for a runoff reduction (∼ 21 % baseline runoff), whereas net radiation, wind speed, air temperature, and relative humidity accounted for a runoff increase (∼ 7.5 % baseline runoff). The spatial pattern of the climatic variation is a factor influencing the response of runoff to climatic variations. The reduction in runoff induced by precipitation change was offset up to half by the impacts of changes in net radiation and wind speed at most sub-basins in the recent period.

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Effects of water discharge and sediment load on evolution of modern Yellow River Delta, China, over the period from 1976 to 2009

Cited by 75 publications

References 28 publications

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

The hyperpycnite problem

Responses of natural runoff to recent climatic variations in the Yellow River basin, China

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