Analysis on River Sediment Changes of the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River

The sediment load and river sedimentation of the upper reaches of YangtzeRiver has been undergoing constant changes as complex landform, large mountain area and plentifulprecipitation make the drainage area of Yangtze River very vulnerable to watererosion and gravityerosion. Through analyzing the hydrological and sediment load statistics recorded by majorhydrological stations along Yangtze River since 1950s, and editing the accumulation graph of annualrunoff volume and annual sediment load, wefind out that the suspended-sediment of Yangtze river hasbeen decreasing year by year in Wulong Hydrological Station on Wujiang River, Beibei HydrologicalStation on Jialingjiang River, Lijiawan Hydrological Station on Tuojiang River and GaochangHydrological Station on Minjiang River, Yichang Hydrological Station, Cuntan Hydrological Stationalong Yangtze River mainstream share the same experience too. But the statistics obtained atPingshan Hydrological Station on Jinshajiang River shows the sedimentload there has increased.Taking ecological construction, hydraulic engineering construction and precipitation changes intoconsideration, the thesis analyses the causes for the sediment load decrease of Jialingjiang River,Tuojiang River, Minjiang River and Wujiang River and provides us both scientific foundation forfurther study of river sediment changes of the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and measures tocontrol river sedimentation.

Organic Phosphorus in Shallow Lake Sediments in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Area in China

Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.

Land Use Change During 1960～2000 Period and itsEco-environmental Effects in the Middle and UpperReaches of the Yangtze River:a Case Study in YiliangCounty,Yunnan,China

Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as well as one of the areas in China with most notable LUCC, have been on the Chinese Government's list of priority areas for ecological restoration. This paper is to reveal the trend of LUCC and the ecological degradation arising from it, and to provide a basis for the future sustainable use of land resources in the region based on a detailed analysis of Yiliang County. Based on the county's land use/cover maps in 1960, 1980 and 2000 drawn with the aid of aerial photograph interpretation, field investigation and GIS based spatial-temporal data analysis, LUCC during 1960~2000 period and the ecological degradation arising from it were analyzed. Using the Markv model, the paper brings out a forecast of what the county's LUCC would be like if the county's current land use continues, as well as the reasons and countermeasures for restoring degraded ecosystems.

The SIA method for spatial analysis of precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River

Using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the newest seasonal and annual average precipitation data of 679 meteorological stations from 1971 to 2000, the multiple regressions equations of the precipitation and topographical variables are established to extract the effect of topography on the annual and seasonal precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Then, this paper uses a successive interpolation approach (SIA), which combines GIS techniques with the multiple regressions, to improve the accuracy of the spatial interpolation of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results are very satisfactory in the case of seasonal rainfall, with the relative error of 6.86%, the absolute error of 13.07 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.070, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9675; in the case of annual precipitation, with the relative error of 7.34%, the absolute error of 72.1 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.092, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9605. The analyses of annual mean precipitation show that the SIA calculation of 3-5 steps considerably improves the interpolation accuracy, decreasing the absolute error from 211.0 mm to 62.4 mm, the relative error from 20.74% to 5.97%, the coefficient of variation from 0.2312 to 0.0761, and increasing the correlation coefficient from 0.5467 to 0.9619. The SIA iterative results after 50 steps identically converge to the observed precipitation.

A Preliminary Study on the Rational Utilization of Land Resources in the Poverty-Stricken Mountainous Areas in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River:A Case Study of Xueshan Township

As one of the most fragile alpine plateau and canyon areas in China,the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are the key areas of ecological construction in China.It is also a key area for poverty alleviation in the country.Therefore,it is necessary to take into account the dual goals of poverty reduction and ecological environment construction,and explore a win-win road of ecological construction and poverty alleviation in line with the reality of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.Taking Xueshan Township,Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County,Yunnan Province,which is located in the poor mountainous area of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as an example,based on many field investigations and existing investigation and statistical data,this paper analyzes the current situation and main problems of land use in Xueshan Township,and then puts forward measures and suggestions for rational utilization of land resources in Xueshan Township.This can provide a necessary reference for the next implementation of rural revitalization strategy and ecological construction.

Distribution Regularity of Debris Flow and Its Hazard in Upper Reaches of Yangtze River and Other Rivers of Southwestern China

In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China, the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms, complex geological structures and abundant rainfall. The distribution of debris flows has regularity in the regions with different landform, geological structure, and precipitation. The regularities of distribution of debris flows are as following： （1） distributed in transition belts of different morphologic regions; （2） distributed in the area with strong stream trenching; （3） distributed along fracture zones and seismic belts： （4） distributed in the area with abundant precipitation; （5） distribution of debris flow is azonal. The activity of abundant debris flows not only brings harm to Towns, Villages and Farmlands, Main Lines of Communication, Water-Power Engineering, Stream Channels etc., but also induces strong water and soil loss. According to the present status of debris flow prevention, the problems in disasters mitigation and soil conservancy are found out, and the key works are brought up for the future disasters prevention and soil conservancy.

Change in Sediment Load of the Yangtze River after Wenchuan Earthquake

On May 12, 2008, an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude on the Richter scale and its numerous aftershocks devastatingly hit Wenchuan County and its nearby region along the Longman Mountains in Sichuan Province, China. The heavy ruined area was up to 30,000km2 and 13% of its land surface was denuded by the extremely terrible quakes. The mountain collapses, landslides and debris flows induced by the earthquake not only scared the landscape at the immense scale, but also poured L66-billion-m3 sediment combined with offscourings and rubble into the Yangtze River and its breaches. This amount of sediments is 3 times more than the normal amount discharged into the Yangtze River, and will significantly increase sediment transportation of rivers and decrease storage capacities of reservoirs downstream. The dramatic increase in sediment load will imperil the engineering safety and impact the operation of the giant Three-Gorge Hydro-power Station if no proper prevention measures are taken.

GIS-Based Risk Assessment of Debris Flow Disasters in the Upper Reach of Yangtze River

This paper discussed theory and methodologies of debris-flow risk assessment and established an implementation process according to indicators of debris-flow hazard degree, vulnerability, risk degree, etc. Among these methodologies, historical and potential hazard degree was comprehensively considered into hazard assessment and hazard index was presented to indicate the debris-flow hazard degree. Regarding debris-flow vulnerability assessment, its statistical data and calculating procedure were based on the hazard-degree regionalization instead of administrative divisions, which improved the assessing scientificity and precision. These quantitative methodologies integrated with Geography Information System （GIS） were applied to the risk assessment of debris flows in the upper reach of Yangtze River. Its results were in substantial agreement on investigation data and the actual distribution of debris flows, which showed that these principles and methodologies were reasonable and feasible and can provide basis or reference for debris-flow risk assessment and disaster management.

Sediment Variation Characteristics of Major Rivers in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River

The sediment sequence analysis of Mann-Kendall method based on major rivers of 10 hydrological station in the middle reaches of the Yellow River*[1]*t,.The results show that:The main rivers in the middle reaches of the Yellow River hydrologic station sediment overall showed a trend of decreased significantly.Sediment discharge of all stations except Gao Jiachuan station have reached the maximum in 1956-1969s[2_3].Among various hydrologic station sediment discharge of inter-generational are generally shows the tendency of reducing year by year.Calculate the sediment transport of major river basin of Yellow River,which average is 0.63.

Does reduced sediment load contribute to increased outbreaks of harmful algal blooms off the Changjiang Estuary?

Harmful algal blooms（HABs） have been increasingly frequent in coastal waters around the world over the last several decades. Accelerated coastal eutrophication, resulting from the increased anthropogenic loadings of nutrients, is commonly assumed to be the primary cause of this increase. However, although important,accelerated coastal eutrophication may not be the only explanation for the increasing blooms or toxic outbreaks in estuarine waters. Changes in riverine material fluxes other than nutrients, such as sediment load, may significantly affect biological activities and HAB incidence in estuarine and coastal waters. A case study off the Changjiang（Yangtze River） Estuary indicated that with the increasing riverine loadings of nutrients, the sediment load from the Changjiang River has been reduced by 70% over the past four decades. A comparison of long-term data revealed that the phytoplankton biomass maximum has expanded to a region of much lower salinity due to the drastic reduction in riverine sediment load and the subsequent improvement in light penetration in the Changjiang River plume. Furthermore, there was an apparent mirror-image relationship between the sediment load from the Changjiang River and the HAB incidence off the Changjiang Estuary over the past four decades, and the number of HAB incidents was significantly negatively correlated with the sediment load. Therefore, it is argued that the drastic decline in sediment load from the Changjiang River reduced turbidity in the Changjiang Estuary and thus contributed to the increased frequency of HABs in the buoyant discharge plumes.

Recent changing patterns of the Changjiang(Yangtze River) Estuary caused by human activities

To evaluate the controlling factors for coastline change of the Changjiang（Yangtze River） Estuary since 1974,we extracted the mean high tide line from multi-temporal remote sensing images that span from 1974 to 2014 at 2-year intervals.We chose 42 scenes to constrain the changing pattern of the Changjiang Estuary coastline,and implemented GIS technology to analyze the area change of the Changjiang（Yangtze） Subaerial Delta.Runoff,sediment discharge and coastal engineering were withal considered in the analysis of the coastline changes.The coastline has transgressed seaward since 1974,and a part of it presents inter-annual variations.The area of the Changjiang Subaerial Delta increased by 871 km2,with a net accretion rate of 21.8 km2/a.Based on the change of sediment discharge due to the major projects in the Changjiang River Basin,we divided the changing pattern of the coastline into three stages：the slow accretion stage（1974–1986）,the moderate accretion stage（1987–2002）,and the rapid accretion stage（2003–2014）.Liner regression analysis illustrated that there is a significantly positive correlation between the area changes and sediment discharge in the Chongming Eastern Shoal and Jiuduansha.This suggested that sediment load has a fundamental effect on the evolution of the Changjiang Estuary.Construction of Deep Waterway in the North Passage of the Changjiang River（1998–2010） led to a rapid accretion in the Hengsha Eastern Shoal and Jiuduansha by influencing the hydrodynamics in North Passage.Coastal engineering such as reclamation and harbor construction can also change the morphology of the Changjiang Estuary.We defined a contribution rate of area change to assess the impact of reclamation on the evolution of Changjiang Estuary.It turned out that more than 45.3% of area increment of the Changjiang Estuary was attributed to reclamation.

Application of 2-D sediment model to fluctuating backwater area of Yangtze River

Based on the characteristics of backflow, a two-dimensional mathematical model of sediment movement was established. The complexity of the watercourse boundary at the confluence of the main stream and the tributary was dealt with using a boundary-fitting orthogonal coordinate system. The basic equation of the two-dimensional total sediment load model, the numerical calculation format, and key problems associated with using the orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system were discussed. Water and sediment flow in the Chongqing reach of the Yangtze River were simulated. The calculated water level, flow velocity distribution, amount of silting and scouring, and alluvial distribution are found to be in agreement with the measured data, which indicates that the numerical model and calculation method are reasonable. The model can be used for calculation of flow in a relatively complicated river network.

Middle-late Holocene environment change induced by climate and human based on multi-proxy records from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River,eastern China

Our knowledge about the interaction between human activities and the environment in the middle-late Holocene remains incomplete.Core C1 in Lake Chaohu from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (MLYR),eastern China,provides an opportunity to investigate vegetation and climate changes,human activities,and East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) evolution since 5100 cal.yr BP.These variables are assessed based on radiocarbon dating,pollen and charcoal records,and magnetic susceptibility (χ_(lf)),median grain size and TP.Results reveal a hiatus in sedimentation between 2080 and 730 cal.yr BP in the western part of Lake Chaohu,which is common in most lakes in the MLYR.Evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest retreated gradually after 3650 cal.yr BP,and was replaced by secondary Pinus forest after at least 730 cal.yr BP.Intense agricultural activities and vegetation clearance are first detected at 2520 cal.yr BP.Human settlements expanded from the lake front wetlands (during the period 2520–2080 cal.yr BP) to remote high-altitude areas(2080–400 cal.yr BP),and then returned to the lake front to reclaim the wetlands and lake (after 400 cal.yr BP).A gradual trend of recessional EASM strength from 4300 cal.yr BP and centennial-scale variations of EASM during the period5100–3650 cal.yr BP are revealed.The reduction of summer insolation,southward shift of the ITCZ,and El Ni?o Southern Oscillation may control the intensity of EASM and climate on a large regional scale.

Features and Sources of the Anomalous Moisture Transport for the Severe Summer Rainfall over the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River

Using the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the observation rainfalldata in China for the 1980-1997 period, features of severe summer rainfall over the upper reaches ofthe Yangtze River are investigated and then sources of moisture contributing to severe rainfallover eastern and western Sichuan Province (ES and WS for short) are examined with particularreference. It turns out that the severe rainfall occurring locally dominates summer rainfall overthe upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Climatological rainfall and anomalous one constitute severerainfall, but the latter accounts much for severe rainfall. The meridional moisture transportdominates the composite moisture transport on the occurrence day for ES region, while the zonal isequivalent to the meridional for WS region. Correlation between the moisture transport fluxes overthe two regions of severe rainfall and other regions, the anomaly and variation of the moisturetransport day by day during the period of severe rainfall lend a support for the conclusion that themeeting of the moisture from the West Pacific through the South China Sea (SCS) and the one fromnorthwestern China exerts a vital effect on the occurrence of severe rainfall, which can not beneglected.

Impacts of socio-economic factors on sediment yield in the Upper Yangtze River

In recent years, the role of human activities in changing sediment yield has become more apparent for the construction of hydraulic engineering and water conservation projections in the Upper Yangtze River, but it has not been evaluated at the macro scale. Taking Sichuan Province and Chongqing City as an example, this paper studies the relationship between socio-economic factors and sediment yield in the Upper Yangtze River based on section data in 1989 and 2007. The results show that sediment yield is significantly correlated with population density and cultivated area, in which the former appears to be more closely related to sediment yield. Moreover, in the relation of sediment yield vs. population density, a critical value of population density exists, below which the sediment yield increases with the increase of population density and over which the sediment yield increases with the decrease of population density. The phenomenon essentially reflects the influence of natural factors, such as topography, precipitation and soil property, and some human activities on sediment yield. The region with a higher population density than critical value is located in the east of the study area and is characterized by plains, hills and low mountains, whereas the opposite is located in the west and characterized by middle and high mountains. In the eastern region, more people live on the lands with a low slope where regional soil erosion is slight; therefore, sediment yield is negatively related with population density. In contrast, in the western region, the population tends to aggregate in the areas with abundant soil and water resources which usually lead to a higher intensity of natural erosion, and in turn, high-intensity agricultural practices in these areas may further strengthen local soil erosion. It is also found that population tends to move from the areas with bad environment and high sediment yield to the areas with more comfortable environment and less sediment yield. The natural factors have greater influence on sediment yield of western region than that of eastern region. Generally, the natural factors play a dominant role on sediment yield in the Upper Yangtze River.

GRACE observed mass loss in the middle and lower Yangtze basin

Anthropogenic architectures have a significant impact to the environment. The Three Gorges Dam(TGD),as the largest dam in the world, is a typical example, and has influenced the mass anomalies transported by the flow downstream in the Yangtze River since June 2003. However, the evidence of TGD influence on downstream mass transportation is not documented. In this study, we analyze the monthly gravity solutions from GRACE to investigate the downstream mass variations of Yangtze River. From our results,the considerable mass loss is detected in the downstream of TGD. By comparing our estimations with the in situ water level data of TGD, we find that the mass variations derived from GRACE at Datong station decreases shortly after the impoundment of TGD. This confirms a strong connection between them.Furthermore, by comparing with the in situ sediment load and river discharge at Yichang and Datong gauging stations, we find that the sediment load data shows a similar mass loss signature while the river discharge of both stations has stay at a relative stable level. This indicates that further study is still needed to understand the mechanism better.

Retrieval of suspended sediment concentrations in the turbid water of the Upper Yangtze River using Landsat ETM+

为象纵的范围峡区域(LRGR ) 一样的遥远的区域，它是难的测量推迟的沉积集中(SSC ) 。这研究试图由采用三个大气的修正方法估计 SSC：费用， iCOST (从费用修改了) 并且 TZB5 (最新求婚了) 。TZB5 能更精确地从太阳的天顶角度(TZ ) 沿着太阳地面表面路径(TAUz ) 决定大气的发射度，并且消除乐队的路径发光使用乐队 5 14。在 4 获得了使用 TZB5 的乐队的水表面反射在 03000 mg/L 的范围以内与 SSC 有一种更强壮的关系。发达算法能精确地在混浊的上面的长江从 ETM+ 图象直接估计 SSC，并且在中间的长江也是有效的。

ANALYSIS OF THE MICROPHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF RADIATION FOG IN XUANEN MOUNTAINOUS REGION OF HUBEI,CHINA

Based on data of radiation fog events in Xuanen, Hubei province, 2010, this paper analyzes the microphysical process and evolution characteristics of radiation fogs with complicated substrate in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and compares them with findings in other areas. Results are as follows: radiation fog in Xuanen is evidently weaker in droplet number concentration and liquid water content than land fogs in other areas. Its liquid water content fluctuates obviously, 0.01g/m3 with visibility of 1,000 meters, which is quite different from that in urban areas, but similar to the Nanling Mountains. Bi-modal droplet distribution is likely to occur in Xuanen mountain radiation fog(MRF) events. Statistical analysis shows that the observed droplet size distribution can be piecewise described well by the Gamma distribution. There is a positive correlation between liquid water content, fog droplet concentration and mean radius, especially in the development and dissipation stage. Condensation growth and droplet evaporation are major processes of Xuanen MRF. The dissipation time coincided with the time when the grass temperature reached the peak value, which indicated that dew evaporation is a key role in maintaining Xuanen MRF. In the early stage of dense fog's growth, droplets with diameter of over 20 micrometers can be observed with visibility of800-1,000 m, which might be caused by the transportation of low cloud droplets to earth's surface by turbulence. Big droplets in the initial stage correspond to higher water content, leading to the higher observed value of water content of Xuanen MRF.

Conservation and Sustainable Exploitation of Forest Ecosystem in Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River -Case Study on Gongga Mountain

The deforestation on large scale in the upper reaches of Yangtze River has caused serious problems of ecosystem and environment. Restoration of the degenerated forest ecosystems is one of the main research fields. Taking Gongga Mountain as an example, degeneration features and existing problems of forest ecosystems are analyzed in this paper, and the measures are also proposed.