Changes of coastline and tidal flat and its implication for ecological protection under human activities: Take China’s Bohai Bay as an example

The change processes and trends of shoreline and tidal flat forced by human activities are essential issues for the sustainability of coastal area,which is also of great significance for understanding coastal ecological environment changes and even global changes.Based on field measurements,combined with Linear Regression(LR)model and Inverse Distance Weighing(IDW)method,this paper presents detailed analysis on the change history and trend of the shoreline and tidal flat in Bohai Bay.The shoreline faces a high erosion chance under the action of natural factors,while the tidal flat faces a different erosion and deposition patterns in Bohai Bay due to the impact of human activities.The implication of change rule for ecological protection and recovery is also discussed.Measures should be taken to protect the coastal ecological environment.The models used in this paper show a high correlation coefficient between observed and modeling data,which means that this method can be used to predict the changing trend of shoreline and tidal flat.The research results of present study can provide scientific supports for future coastal protection and management.

Sediment yield and erosion–deposition distribution characteristics in ephemeral gullies in black soil areas under geocell protection

Investigating the effect of geocells on the erosion and deposition distribution of ephemeral gullies in the black soil area of Northeast China can provide a scientific basis for the allocation of soil and water conservation measures in ephemeral gullies.In this study,an artificial simulated confluence test and stereoscopic photogrammetry were used to analyze the distribution characteristics of erosion and deposition in ephemeral gullies protected by geocells and the effect of different confluence flows on the erosion process of ephemeral gullies.Results showed that when the confluence flow was larger,the effect of geocell was more evident,and the protection against ephemeral gully erosion was stronger.When the confluence flow rates were 0.6,1.8,2.4,and 3.0 m^(3)/h,ephemeral gully erosion decreased by 37.84%,26.09%,21.40%,and 35.45%.When the confluence flow rates were 2.4 and 3.0 m^(3)/h,the average sediment yield rate of the ephemeral gully was close to 2.14 kg/(m^(2)•min),and the protective effect of ephemeral gully erosion was enhanced.When the flow rate was higher,the surface fracture of the ephemeral gully was more serious.With an increase in confluence flow rate,the ratio of erosion to deposition increased gradually,the erosion area of ephemeral gullies was expanded,and erosion depth changed minimally.In conclusion,geocell measures changed erosion patterns by altering the rill erosion/deposition ratio,converting erosion from rill erosion to sheet erosion.

Effects of soil crust on the collapsing erosion of colluvial deposits with granite residual soil

Collapsing erosion is a unique phenomenon commonly observed on the granite residue hillslopes in the tropical and subtropical regions of southern China,characterized by its abrupt occurrence and significant erosion volumes.However,the impacts of soil crust conditions on the erosion of colluvial deposits with granite residual soils have only been studied to a limited extent.To address this issue,this study investigates the impacts of three soil crust conditions(i.e.,without crust,10-minute crust,and 20-minute crust)on gully morphology,rainfall infiltration,and runoff and sediment yield during slope erosion of colluvial deposits with granite residues(classified as Acrisols)in Yudu County,Ganzhou City,Jiangxi Province,China,using simulated rainfall tests and photographic methods.The results showed that as the strength of the soil crust increased,the capacity of moisture infiltration and the width and depth of the gully as well as the sediment concentration and yield ratio decreased;at the same time,the runoff ratio increased.The sediment yield in the without-crust test was found to be 1.24 and 1.43 times higher than that observed in the 10-minute crust and 20-minute crust tests,respectively.These results indicate that soil crusts can effectively prevent slope erosion and moisture infiltration,while providing valuable insights for the management of soil erosion in natural environments.

Exploration of the Mechanisms for the Low Sensitivity of Deposition Flux to Upstream Sediment Reduction in the North Passage, Yangtze Estuary

Deltas are densely populated industrialized regions,and home to important ports and navigation channels.Due to human interferences,the Yangtze Estuary has experienced a significant reduction in sediment load caused by the Three Gorges Dam(TGD),as well as adjustment to local morphodynamics by the Deep-water Navigation Channel(DNC).While the dramatic reduction in sediment triggers the increased channel erosion,the deposition flux of the DNC located at the estuary mouth has little change.To explore the physical mechanism of this phenomenon,a two-dimensional model is used to establish the relationship between sediment load and the sediment budget of channels based on the bathymetry in 2016.Model results show that the tidal reach and the inner estuary have a negative sediment budget.And the seasonal characteristics of water and sediment fluxes become less obvious downstream.Sensitivity analysis shows that the influence of upstream sediment load on deposition flux decreases along the channel,with a transition from deposition to erosion occurring in the tidal reach.For the last-level bifurcation,the annual siltation of sediment in the North Passage(NP)decreases by 4.5%with low sensitivity.This is attributed to the reduction of sediment load partially mitigated by riverbed erosion and cascade bifurcations.In addition,the lateral sediment supply,which accounts for 68%of the sediment input in the NP,is stable.Overall,this study strengthens the understanding of the relationship between sediment load and artificially deepened systems,thus allowing for better management of estuarine sediment and navigation channel.

A Comparative Analysis of Evaporate Sediments on Earth and Mars: Implications for the Climate Change on Mars

The knowledge of Martian salts has gone through substantial changes during the past decades. In the 70th of last century, Viking landers have noticed the existence of salts on Mars. Several salt species have been suggested from then on, such as sulfates and chlorides. However, their origin was a mystery due to the lack of observations. The recent explorations and related studies at the beginning of this century revealed that the crustal composition of Mars is similar to that of Earth, and it was hypothesized that almost one third of Martian surface was covered by oceans and lakes in the early stage of Mars. The huge water bodies may have dissolved a large quantity of ions from Martian primary rocks during the whole Noachian and Hesperian epoch. After the enormous drought event happened during the late Hesperian and the early Amazonian, these dissolved ions have formed huge salts deposits and most of them were preserved on Mars until today. To date, carbonates, sulfates, chlorides have all been detected by orbital remote sensing and by landers and rovers. However, the salt mineral assemblages on Mars seems to have some differences from those on Earth, e.g., rich in sulfates and lack of massive carbonates. To explain this difference, we propose that most of the surface carbonates precipitated from the ancient oceans may have been dissolved by the later ubiquitous acidic fluids originated from the global volcanism in the Hesperian era, and formed the enormous sulfate deposits as detected, and this hypothesis seems to be supported by the evidence that most of the sulfate deposits distribute around the Tharsis volcanic province while the survived carbonates located far from it. This process can release most of the carbon on Mars to the atmosphere in the form of CO2 and then be erased by the late heavy bombardments, which might have profound influence on the climate change happened in the Hesperian age. The positive correlation between the GRS results of the potassium distributions and the distribution of chlorides on Mars, together with the high Br concentration measured from the evaporate sediments at two Mars exploration rover landing sites, indicate that the brines in the regions where the chlorides deposited may have reached the stage for potassium salts deposition, thus we propose for the first time that potassium salts deposits might be prevalent in these regions.

Analysis on Suspended Sediment Deposition Rate for Muddy Coast of Reclaimed Land

A new expression for calculating suspended fine-sediment deposition rate is developed based on theoretic analysis and experiments. The resulting equation is applied to simulation of fine sediment deposition in the reclaimed land in the Hangzhou Bay, China. The hydrodynamic environment in this area is solved by use of a long wave model, which gives the 2D-velocity field and considers bathymetric changes due to fine sediment deposition. The expression is proved convenient to use in engineering practice, and the predicted deposition rate agrees with the annual data available from field measurements from the first year to the third year after the construction of the long groin as a reclaiming method.

Seabed deposition and erosion change and influence factors in the Yangshan Deepwater Port over the years

The seabed scouring and silting are very important to the construction of port and waterway engineering. Seabed deposition and erosion change is complicated due to the influence of sediment supply, human activities and other factors. The Yangshan Deepwater Port is the new deep water harbor, which is an important part of the Shanghai International Shipping Service Center. Its construction has received much attention. At present, the water depth from the 1 st to the 3 rd harbor district is currently suitable under regular dredging and tidal current action. The fourth harbor district will be built in the world’s largest fully-automated deep water wharf. In the study, bathymetry change of the entire sea area of the Yangshan Deepwater Port and the 4 th harbor district(i.e.,Phase IV project) waters were analyzed quantitatively using multiyear bathymetric, hydrological and sediment data. The results show that from 1998 to 2010, seabed changes are characterized by large volumes of erosion and sedimentation, which the southern part was deposited and the northern part was eroded in the inner harbor waters, but the seabed of the Kezhushan inlet was eroded. Seabed changes of Phase IV project waters generally show a scour tendency in recent few years with the annual scour rate about 0.7 m. Among the many factors, the existence of Kezhushan inlet and its influence of the western water flow play an important positive role in water depth changes under the ebb tide action.

Analysis of deposition and erosion of Dongting Lake by GIS

The sediments of the Dongting Lake come from four channels (one of them was closed in 1959), connected with the Yangtze River, four tributaries (Lishui, Yuanjiang, Zishui and Xiangjiang) and local area, and some of them are transported into the Yangtze River in Chenglingji, which is located at the exit of the Dongting Lake, some of them deposit into drainage system in the lake region and the rest deposit into the lake. The annual mean sediment is 166,555x104 t, of which 80% come from the four channels, 18% from the four tributaries and 2% from local area, whereas 26% of the total sediments are transported into the Yangtze River and 74% deposited into the lake and the lake drainage system. Based on topographic maps of 1974, 1988 and 1998, and the spatial analysis method with geographic information system (GIS), changes in sediment deposition and erosion are studied in this paper. By overlay analysis of 1974 and 1988, 1988 and 1998, erosion and sediments deposition areas are defined. The main conclusions are: (1) sediment rate in the lake is larger than erosion rate from 1974 to 1998. The mean deposition in the lake is 0.43 m; (2) annual sediment deposition is the same between 1974-1988 and 1988-1998, but the annual volume of deposition and erosion of 1988-1998 is bigger than that in 1974-1988; (3) before the completion of the Three Gorges Reservoir, there will be 7.82x108 m3 of sediments deposited in the lake, which would make the lake silted up by 0.33 m; (4) in the lake, the deposition area is found in the north of the east Dongting Lake, the south-west of the south Dongting Lake, and the east of the west Dongting Lake; while the eroded area is in the south of the east Dongting Lake, the middle of the south Dongting Lake, the west of the west Dongting Lake, as well as Xiangjiang and Lishui river flood channels.

Assessment of Land Erosion and Sediment Accumulation Caused by Runoff after a Flash-Flooding Storm Using Topographic Profiles and Spectral Indices

This research deals with the characterization of areas associated with flash floods and erosion caused by severe rainfall storm and sediment transport and accumulation using topographic attributes and profiles, spectral indices (SI), and principal component analysis (PCA). To achieve our objectives, topographic attributes and profiles were retrieved from ASTER-V2 DEM. PCA and nine SI were derived from two Landsat-OLI images acquired before and after the flood-storm. The images data were atmospherically corrected, sensor radiometric drift calibrated, and geometric and topographic distortions rectified. For validation purposes, the acquired photos during the flood-storm, lithological and geological maps were used. The analysis of approximately 100 colour composite combinations in the RGB system permitted the selection of two combinations due to their potential for characterizing soil erosion classes and sediment accumulation. The first considers the “Intensity, NDWI and NMDI”, while the second associates form index (FI), brightness index (BI) and NDWI. These two combinations provide very good separating power between different levels of soil erosion and degradation. Moreover, the derived erosion risk and sediment accumulation map based on the selected spectral indices segmentation and topographic attributes and profiles illustrated the tendency of water accumulation in the landscape, and highlighted areas prone to both fast moving and pooling water. In addition, it demonstrated that the rainfall, the topographic morphology and the lithology are the major contributing factors for flash flooding, catastrophic inundation, and erosion risk in the study area. The runoff-water power delivers vulnerable topsoil and contributes strongly to the erosion process, and then transports soil material and sediment to the plain areas through waterpower and gravity. The originality of this research resides in its simplicity and rapidity to provide a solid basis strategy for regional policies to address the real causes of problems and risks in developing countries. Certainly, it can help in the improvement of the management of water regulation structures to develop a methodology to maximize the water storage capacity and to reduce the risks caused by floods in the Moroccan Atlas Mountain (Guelmim region).

Evaluation of an erosion-sediment transport model for a hillslope using laboratory flume data

Climate change can escalate rainfall intensity and cause further increase in sediment transport in arid lands which in turn can adversely affect water quality. Hence, there is a strong need to predict the fate of sediments in order to provide measures for sound erosion control and water quality management. The presence of micro- topography on hillslopes influences processes of runoff generation and erosion, which should be taken into account to achieve more accurate modelling results. This study presents a physically based mathematical model for erosion and sediment transport coupled to one-dimensional overland flow equations that simulate rainfall-runoff generation on the rill and interrill areas of a bare hillslope. Modelling effort at such a fine resolution considering the flow con- nection between Jnterrill areas and rills is rarely verified. The developed model was applied on a set of data gath- ered from an experimental setup where a 650 cm×136 cm erosion flume was pre-formed with a longitudinal rill and interrJll having a plane geometry and was equipped with a rainfall simulator that reproduces natural rainfall characteristics. The flume can be given both longitudinal and lateral slope directions. For calibration and validation, the model was applied on the experimental results obtained from the setup of the flume having 5% lateral and 10% longitudinal slope directions under rainfall intensities of 105 and 45 mm/h, respectively. Calibration showed that the model was able to produce good results based on the R2 （0.84） and NSE （0.80） values. The model performance was further tested through validation which also produced good statistics （R2=0.83, NSE=0.72）. Results in terms of the sedigraphs, cumulative mass curves and performance statistics suggest that the model can be a useful and an important step towards verifying and improving mathematical models of erosion and sediment transport.

Relating Fish Hg to Variations in Sediment Hg, Climate and Atmospheric Deposition

This article addresses total fish Hg concentrations (THg) by variations in lake Sediment THg, atmospheric Hg deposition (atmHgdep), and climate, i.e., mean annual precipitation (ppt) and air temperature. The Fish THg data were taken from the 1967-to-2010 Fish Mercury Datalayer (FIMDAC). This compilation was standardized for 12-cm long Yellow Perch in accordance with the USGS National Descriptive Model for Mercury in Fish (NDMMF [1]), and documents Fish THg across 1936 non-contaminated lakes in Canada. About 40% of the standardized Fish THg variations related positively to increasing ppt and Sediment THg, but negatively to increasing mean annual July temperature (TJuly). Only 20% of the Fish THg variations related positively to atmHgdep alone. Increasing TJuly likely influences Fish Hg through increased lake and upslope Hg volatilization, in-fish growth dilution, and temperature-induced demethylization. FIMDAC Fish THg effectively did not change over time while atmHgdep decreased. Similarly, the above Fish Hg trends would likely not change much based on projecting the above observations into the future using current 2070 climate-change projections across Canada and the continental US. Regionally, the projected changes in Fish Hg would mostly increase with increasing ppt. Additional not-yet mapped increases are expected to occur in subarctic regions subject to increasing permafrost decline. Locally, Fish THg would continue to be affected by upwind and upslope pollution sources, and by lake-by-lake changes in water aeration and rates of lake-water inversions.

Simulation of three-dimensional cohesive sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay,China

Sediment transport in the Hangzhou Bay is extremely complicated due to its bathymetry and hydrodynamic conditions. The ECOMSED model is employed to simulate three-dimensional （3-D） cohesive sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay. Dynamical factors such as Coriolis force, tides, salinity, river discharges, and waves are considered in the model. The wave parameters, including the significant wave height, period, and direction, are calculated with the SWAN model. The Grant-Madsen model is introduced for the bed shear stress due to the combined effect of waves and currents. The formulation of bed shear stress used to calculate the sink/source terms is modified based on previous research that sufficiently validated the formulation with measurement data. The integrated model of the above-mentioned models is applied to simulate sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay. The results of the simulation agree well with field observations concerning the distribution of suspended sediment, indicating that the sediments are remarkably suspended in Hangzhou Bay under the action of waves and currents.

Using ^(137)Cs Tracing Methods to Estimate Soil Redistribution Rates and to Construct a Sediment Budget for a Small Agricultural Catchment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China

Soil erosion and associated off-site sedimentation are threatening the sustainable use of the Three Gorges Dam. To initiate management intervention to reduce sediment yields, there is an increasing need for reliable information on soil erosion in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region （TGRR）. The purpose of this study is to use 137Cs tracing methods to construct a sediment budget for a small agricultural catchment in the TGRR. Cores were taken from a pond and from paddy fields, for laTCs measurements. The results show that the average sedimentation rate in the pond since 1963 is 1.50 g cm-2 yr-1 and the corresponding amount of sediment deposited is 1,553 t. The surface erosion rate for the sloping cultivated lands and the sedimentation rate in the paddy fields were estimated to be 3,770 t km-2 yr-1 and 2,600 t km-2 yr^1 respectively. Based on the estimated erosion and deposition rates, and the area of each unit, the post 197o sediment budget for the catchment has been constructed. A sediment delivery ratio of 0.5 has been estimated for the past 42 years. The data indicate that the sloping cultivated lands are the primary sediment source areas, and that the paddy fields are deposition zones. The typical land use pattern （with the upper parts characterized by sloping cultivated land and the lower parts by paddy fields） plays an important role in reducing sediment yield from agricultural catchments in the TGRR. A 137Cs profile for the sediment deposited in a pond is shownto provide an effective means of estimating the land surface erosion rate in the upstream catchment.

Investigation of Kiashahr-Dastak Coastline(SW Caspian Sea) Changes Using GIS

In this research,geological and hydrodynamic induced changes in the Kiashahr-Dastak coastal zone (SW Caspian Sea)were investigated based on aerial photographs(1967 and 1993)and ETM satellite images(2002)of the region utilizing GIS based softwares.The results were represented as erosional and sedimenttation maps during this time spam.GIS based studies and field investigations show that

小浪底水库运行以来对黄河下游河道河床演变特性的影响

小浪底水库自1999年10月下闸蓄水,23年来深刻改变了进入黄河下游河道的径流泥沙过程,进而引起了下游河道的再造床。本研究以1960—2022年长序列水文泥沙、断面地形、遥感影像等多源资料为基础,从径流泥沙、冲淤演变、形态调整三个方面阐明了小浪底水库运行以来对下游河道河床演变特性的影响。结果表明:(1)水库拦沙效果显著,下泄水量在年内分配更加均匀、沙量则向汛期更加集中;大流量和高含沙事件的严重程度和发生频率均有所降低;悬沙调整不明显,床沙粗化显著。(2)扭转了黄河下游河道持续淤积的趋势,冲淤调整主要发生在花园口至高村的游荡性河段;冲刷效率持续下降,主槽过流能力得到显著恢复。(3)游荡性河段横断面形态向窄深发展,二级悬河发育得到有效缓解,整体河势处于相对稳定状态。研究成果丰富了多沙河流修建水库对下游河道影响的科学认识,也可为小浪底水库优化调度提供科技支撑。

三门峡水库控制运用方式的优化探讨

三门峡水库“蓄清排浑”运用为多沙河流的治理提供了宝贵经验,随着来水来沙情况的变化及对水库功能需求和对水库泥沙冲淤规律认识的深化,该运行方式亦在实践中不断调整和完善。为此,针对不同的典型年份设定集中敞泄与分段敞泄的敞泄排沙方案,采用一维非恒定水沙数学模型,对选取的2018~2019年丰水少沙年和2014~2016年枯水少沙年设定12种控制运用方案进行模拟,比较各方案下库区冲淤变化的优劣,据此选取适合三门峡水库的控制运用方式。结果表明,2018~2019年分段敞泄方案的冲刷效果优于集中敞泄方案,即使在后汛期的控制水位抬高至310 m,也能达到较好的冲刷效果;2014~2016年分段敞泄方案虽优于集中敞泄方案,但其冲刷主要集中于2014年汛期,2015、2016年整体呈淤积状态,综合考虑建议枯水少沙年份水库采用“泥沙年际调节”运用模式。

黑龙江干流黑河市城区段河床演变研究

黑龙江黑河市城区河段河道受自然及人为因素影响,河床演变复杂。采用Mann-Kendall趋势检验法和双累积曲线法分析了水沙变化趋势。基于实测水文和泥沙资料,对河床稳定性及冲淤变化进行了定量研究。研究结果表明,该河段属于少沙河流,结雅河口以上年径流和输沙量随时间呈减小趋势,结雅河口以下年径流没有明显的趋势性变化,年输沙量呈减小趋势。自然状态下,河段岸线和深泓线位置基本稳定,河床冲淤变化不大,以约10年为一个周期,基本可以达到冲淤平衡。在人类活动及支流汇入影响下,黑河水位站至长发岛段纵向不稳定,预测会引起该段未防护岛屿洲滩的岸线变迁。

Predicted trends of soil erosion and sediment yield from future land use and climate change scenarios in the Lancang-Mekong River by using the modified RUSLE model

Soil erosion and sediments in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin as a result of climate change and changes in land use pose a threat to the existence of the riparian people,biodiversity and ecosystems.This study seeks to assess the annual soil erosion in terms of spatial distribution and the trends of sediment yield with the climate and land changes in future scenarios in 2030 and 2040 through the modified RUSLE model.Future lands were simulated by using the MLP artificial neural network and the Markov chain analysis.The future climate was examined by using the Max Planck Institute model,which showed a corrected bias and downscaled grid size under the Representative Concentration Pathways(RCPs).The simulated land use indicated that the forest areas were converted mostly to agricultural lands and urban areas.In the future,the average rainfall under all RCP scenarios is higher than that from the historical period.The R and C factors changed constantly,thereby affecting the soil erosion rate and sediment yield.The maximum erosion was estimated at approximately 21,000 and 21,725 t/km2/y under RCP8.5 in both years.Meanwhile,the results of sediment yield in 2030 and 2040 under RCP scenarios were much higher when compared to historical sediment data around 66.3%and 71.2%,respectively.Thailand's plateau,some parts of Cambodia and Laos PDR and the Mekong Delta are vulnerable to increase soil erosion and sediment yield.Measures to address these issues need to be planned to prepare and mitigate the possible effects,especially the loss of storage capacity in dams.

黄河下游河道冲淤分布模式及冲淤特征

为揭示黄河下游河道的沿程冲淤分布模式及分布特征,对黄河下游1952—2021年间共70年的河段实测冲淤量数据进行了系列统计分析。研究表明:(1)黄河下游河道存在7种沿程冲淤分布模式,其中全线冲刷、全线淤积、上冲下淤、上淤下冲等4种为基本模式。上淤下冲模式的冲淤临界位置在孙口附近,上冲下淤模式的冲淤临界位置在游荡性河段。各模式对河道整体冲淤的贡献率存在较大差异,两边冲中间淤模式对冲刷量的贡献率最大,全线淤积模式对淤积量的贡献率最大;(2)1952年以来,黄河下游河道沿程冲淤分布模式的变化过程可分为1952—1959年、1960—1985年、1986—1999年、2000年后共4个阶段;(3)各河段冲淤量大小以0点为中心近似呈偏态分布,冲淤量在多年尺度下具有沿程减小的趋势性特征以及“冲久必淤、淤久必冲”的周期性特征;(4)各河段整体冲淤发生年数差别不大,反映了河道冲淤的平衡趋向性;70年内淤积于黄河下游河床底部的泥沙有一半左右被冲走,花园口到孙口河段的累计冲淤量接近下游总冲淤量的8成,孙口以下河段很小;(5)全线冲刷模式为小浪底水库运用后下游河道的主要冲淤模式,小花段前期淤积的泥沙基本被冲完,夹高段、高孙段及孙艾段仅冲走了前期淤积泥沙的二到三成。研究结果总结了黄河下游河道的沿程冲淤分布模式,分析了冲淤分布特征,有助于深化对下游河道冲淤现象的整体认识。

持续冲刷期内黄河下游河床演变特点分析

基于2006年10月至2018年11月黄河下游12个典型断面观测数据,通过分析断面主槽平滩形态特征参数变化率及深泓线和主槽中心线的摆动强度,探讨了持续冲刷期内下游河床的调整变化过程及特点。结果表明:黄河下游断面形态调整表现出既有横向展宽又有冲深下切或淤高态势;河床平面摆动促进了断面主槽形态调整,河相系数变化率与深泓线和主槽中心线摆动强度均成正相关关系;来水来沙条件是主槽形态改变的主要驱动力,且可引起局部河段深泓线摆动强度增大。通过调整小浪底水库的运行模式及布设控导工程可进一步塑造并维持稳定的黄河下游中水河槽。