An approach to the age of Huanghe River in shelf regions of Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

There are two different opinions on the formation history of Huanghe （Yellow） River. One postulates that Huanghe River might have come into existence before Tertiary. The other supposes that it joined up into a long river only in the last stage of Late Pleistocene. The appearance of Huanghe River is believed to have close relation to the uplifting of Tibetan Plateau. It is not likely that it could have come into being before its high elevation riverhead was formed. Today Huanghe River occurred probably during the recession of the sea in glacial periods. In the last glacial age, the climate was very harsh in the area north of the modern estuary of Changjiang （Yangtse） River; some areas were permafrost and the others barren deserts. At that time, eolation was the major exogenic force on exposed shelf. Beginning from 12 Ka BP, the global climate warmed up, resulting in gradual disappearance of continental mountain glaciers retreated, and sea level rose. Consequently, Huanghe River was replenished with water to become modern river system. With continued rising of sea level, Huanghe River delta moved continuously eastward.     

Characteristics of the δ~(15)N_(NO_3) distribution and its drivers in the Changjiang River estuary and adjacent waters

In this study,we conducted investigations in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary and adjacent waters(CREAW) in June and November of 2014.We collected water samples from different depths to analyze the nitrogen isotopic compositions of nitrate,nutrient concentrations(including inorganic N,P,and Si),and other physical and biological parameters,along with the vertical distribution and seasonal variations of these parameters.The compositions of nitrogen isotope in nitrate were measured with the denitrifier method.Results show that the Changjiang River diluted water(CDW) was the main factor affecting the shallow waters(above 10 m) of the CREAW,and CDW tended to influence the northern areas in June and the southern areas in November.δ(15)N_(NO_3) values in CDW ranged from 3.21‰-3.55‰.In contrast,the deep waters(below 30 m) were affected by the subsurface water of the Kuroshio Current,which intruded into the waters near 31°N in June.The δ(15)N_(NO_3) values of these waters were 6.03‰-7.6‰,slightly higher than the values of the Kuroshio Current.Nitrate assimilation by phytoplankton in the shallow waters of the study area varied seasonally.Because of the favorable temperature and nutrient conditions in June,abundant phytoplankton growth resulted in harmful algae blooms(HABs).Therefore,nitrate assimilation was strong in June and weak in November.The δ(15)N_(NO_3) fractionations caused by assimilation of phytoplankton were4.57‰ and 4.41‰ in the shallow waters in June and November,respectively.These results are consistent with previous laboratory cultures and in situ investigations.Nitrification processes were observed in some deep waters of the study area,and they were more apparent in November than in June.The fractionation values of nitrification ranged from 24‰-25‰,which agrees with results for Nitrosospira tenuis reported by previous studies.     

Modeling transportation of suspended solids in Zhujiang River estuary, South China

A three-dimensional transportation model for suspended solids （SS） in Zhujiang （Pearl） River estuary, South China, was developed by coupling with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The model was validated using hourly measured data of sediment contents during 25-26, July 1999. The results showed that modeled contents matched well with measured ones and that the modeled top layer distribution agreed with the remotely sensed image of suspended solids in summer. The modeled results showed clearly the layers of suspended solids in depth, with larger sediment contents in lower layers though in the interface between salt water and freshwater the lowest contents appeared in middle layer. In overall, the suspended solids inflow from 8 rivers,transport southwestward, and carried by strong coastal flow in Zhujiang River estuary. Contours of sediment contents in the estuary spread further to the open sea during ebb tide rather than flood tide which reflects that the suspended solids in the estuary are land sourced.     

The effects of natural capital protection on pastoralist’s livelihood and management implication in the source region of the Yellow River, China

The interaction among different livelihood capitals is a key to generate a deeper understanding of the livelihood sustainability.In this paper,we use net income per capita(economic capital),meat and milk production per capita(physical capital),and areas of fenced pasture,livestock shelter,grassland rodent control and planted grassland(physical capital) as proxy indicators of livelihood promotion,livelihood provision,and livelihood protection respectively.By developing a correlation model between pastoralists’ livelihood protection and improvement,we found that(1) there is a statistically significant correlation between the pastoralists’ livelihood protection and promotion;(2) based on the maximum effect of pastoralists’ livelihood promotion and provision,there is a benchmark in the effect of the intervention intensity of livelihood capital(grassland resource protection) on livelihood improvement;(3) on basis of two indicators,i.e.net income per capita and meat production per capita,the reasonable scales of fenced pasture,livestock shelter and planted grassland are less than 843,860 and 46 thousand hectares(hm2) per year respectively.With the marginal effect of livelihood protection,moderately decreased areas of fenced pasture and planted grassland,and increased area of livestock shelter is a critical to ensure pastoralist’s livelihood sustainability.     

The absorption of water color components and spectral modes in the Pearl River estuary

In-situ data from cruises in the Pearl River estuary and adjacent marine areas were collected during March to May 2001. The absorption coefficients of the water color components were studied in detail containing total suspended matter (TSM), chlorophyll-a (chl-a), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and de-pigment particles. For absorption coefficient of TSM, ap, and that of de-pigment particles, ad, correlations of ap(440)-TSM, ad(440)-TSM, ap(440)-chl-a and ad-chl-a were done (the italicized term means the concentration). There was a good correlation between ap(440) and chl-a concentration. An empirical relationship model between aph(675) and chl-a was developed showing a strong correlation of 0.93. Based on the two models the chl-a and aph(λ) were correlated. The values of calculated empirical spectral slope for CDOM absorption coefficients and that of de-pigment particles, 0.017 0 and 0.011 6 respectively, both are within a relative standard error of 10.0%.     

Impacts of Land-use and Land-cover Changes on River Runoff in Yellow River Basin for Period of 1956–2012

River runoff is affected by many factors, including long-term effects such as climate change that alter rainfall-runoff relationships, and short-term effects related to human intervention(e.g., dam construction, land-use and land-cover change(LUCC)). Discharge from the Yellow River system has been modified in numerous ways over the past century, not only as a result of increased demands for water from agriculture and industry, but also due to hydrological disturbance from LUCC, climate change and the construction of dams. The combined effect of these disturbances may have led to water shortages. Considering that there has been little change in long-term precipitation, dramatic decreases in water discharge may be attributed mainly to human activities, such as water usage, water transportation and dam construction. LUCC may also affect water availability, but the relative contribution of LUCC to changing discharge is unclear. In this study, the impact of LUCC on natural discharge(not including anthropogenic usage) is quantified using an attribution approach based on satellite land cover and discharge data. A retention parameter is used to relate LUCC to changes in discharge. We find that LUCC is the primary factor, and more dominant than climate change, in driving the reduction in discharge during 1956–2012, especially from the mid-1980 s to the end-1990 s. The ratio of each land class to total basin area changed significantly over the study period. Forestland and cropland increased by about 0.58% and 1.41%, respectively, and unused land decreased by 1.16%. Together, these variations resulted in changes in the retention parameter, and runoff generation showed a significant decrease after the mid-1980 s. Our findings highlight the importance of LUCC to runoff generation at the basin scale, and improve our understanding of the influence of LUCC on basin-scale hydrology.     

Determination of trophic levels of marine fish in the Yellow Sea and northern East China Sea using nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) analysis of otoliths

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Fish otolith δ15N (δ15Noto) is a demonstrated source of information of dietary history for marine fish as it is available in otolith archives and...     

Provenance and Tectonic Implications of Paleozoic Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin,China–Revealed from the Borehole CSDP-2

Well CSDP-2 is a fully coring deep drilling hole, penetrating the thick Paleozoic marine strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin(SYSB) in the lower Yangtze Block(LYB). Based on the petrological and geochemical analysis of 40 sandstone samples from the core CSDP-2, the provenance and tectonic features of Paleozoic detrital rocks from SYSB are analyzed and systematically delineated in this article. The results show that the Silurian – Carboniferous sandstones are mature sublitharenite, while the Permian sandstones are unstable feldspathic litharenite. The average CIA(chemical index of alteration) is 74.61, which reflects these sediments were derived from source rocks with moderate chemical weathering. The REE(rare earth element) patterns are characterized by LREE enrichment, flat HREE and obviously negative Eu anomaly, which are similar to that of the upper continental crust. Dickinson QFL discrimination results indicate the recycled orogeny provenance. Various diagrams for the discrimination of sedimentary provenance based on major and trace element data show all the sediments were derived predominantly from quartz sedimentary rocks, of which the Permian strata contain more felsic sedimentary rocks. Geochemical data for these detrital rocks suggest they occur at the passive continental margin and island arc settings, and the Permian sandstone presents active continental margin setting.     

Spatial Pattern and Heterogeneity of Port & Shipping Service Enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta,2002–2016

Using the ‘theoretical hypothesis—empirical study—case verification' method, this paper studies the spatial distribution and differentiation of port shipping service enterprises(PSSE), as well as the variation process and underlying mechanism in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD). First, through inductive and deductive reasoning, we propose the following hypothesis: the regional distribution of different types of PSSE would show different spatial agglomeration-decentralization tendency; and there would be distinct regional differentiation in the industrial structure of the enterprises. Second, based on data obtained from enterprises, empirical research is conducted using Gini coefficient and spatial interpolation simulation methods. Results show that: 1) The overall enterprise distribution is decentralized within a city. 2) Different types of enterprises show different spatial agglomeration-decentralization tendencies. At 3000 m×3000 m grid scale, there is an agglomeration tendency along seas and rivers in the spatial distribution of enterprises. Shanghai has been identified consistently as a hot spot. 3) There is significant regional differentiation in 12 port cities with respect to the industrial structures of enterprises. Finally, the transportization and the increase of shipping service demand, the globalization and the expansion of multinational corporate activities, the hierarchization and the cooperation among port cities as well as the decentralization and the behavioral difference between the central and local states can be seen as main driving mechanism of the spatial phenomenon.     

Growth and Distribution of Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny, 1839–1841) in Haizhou Bay,Yellow Sea

Octopus fisheries have prospered in many areas of the world ocean over the last six decades. Despite degradation and overexploitation of Chinese coastal ecosystems, octopus has become a stable Chinese domestic fishery species. Among the octopus species in the Bohai and Yellow, East and South China Seas, Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny [in Férussac d'Orbigny], 1839–1841) plays an increasingly important role both economically and ecologically. However, no systematic research has been conducted on its biology and population dynamics in the China Seas. In this study, we characterized the growth and distribution of A. fangsiao in Haizhou Bay, Yellow Sea based on four years of trawl survey data. As the results, A. fangsiao is characterized by allometric growth and an overall sex ratio of 0.97 with a slight male bias. Small octopus can be observed through a whole year, suggesting that A. fangsiao may have an extended or continuous spawning season. A. fangsiao may migrate short distances along with seasonal changes and coastal currents, considering they overwinter in the offshore water and spawn in the inshore water. In addition to fishing pressure, annual variations in the population structure and biomass appeared to be influenced by ambient water temperature. These results provide basic biological information for a better understanding of the population dynamics and the ecological importance of A. fangsiao.     

Oasis System and Its Reasonable Development in Sangong River Watershed in North of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China

An oasis is a kind of medium-sized or small-sized non-zonal landscape coming into being in the dry climate and supported by natural rivers in deserts, which is characterized by the comparatively high primary pro- ductivity and has the mesophytic plants or xero-mesophytic plants as the dominant vegetation (Jia, 1996). The oasis system, first of all, is a subsystem within the macro system of “mountain-oasis-desert” in the arid region. It is also a complex system where the natural and artificia…     

Controls on geomorphic characteristics of the Xiaohei River basin in the upper Lancang-Mekong,China

Understanding the evolution of the fluvial geomorphology in an orogenic belt provides valuable insight into the relationship between upper crustal deformation and surface processes.The upper Lancang-Mekong River is in an area experiencing both uplift and erosion.The related processes provide a steady sediment supply to the lower reaches of the river and play an important role in the regional environmental changes.The Xiaohei(Weiyuan)River Basin is an important sub-basin in this area,which is characterized by large-scale topographic fluctuations,active tectonics and erosion,and anthropogenic activities.These different factors introduce numerous complexities to the local surface processes.In this study,we investigate and quantify the controls of geomorphic evolution of the Xiaohei River Basin.We located and mapped the main knick-zones within the channels and examined the main genetic factors,such as faults and stratigraphic differences.The results show that the areas with the lowest uplift rates are characterized by a low steepness index and are located in the southeastern part of the basin.The stream power of the mainstream increases downstream,with an average value of^122 W/m.The erosional activity of the various stream channels is intense.Overall,the basin tends to expansion,with only local instances of inward contraction.Our analysis confirms that a number of the geomorphic evolutionary characteristics of the Xiaohei River Basin are transient.In addition,the future potential for the increasing the number of dams and the hydropower development in the basin may weaken the expansion trend of the basin over a long period of time.     

Runoff change of Naoli River in Northeast China in 1955–2009 and its influencing factors

Runoff change and trend of the Naoli River Basin were studied through the time series analysis using the data from the hydrological and meteorological stations. Time series of hydrological data were from 1957 to 2009 for Bao′an station, from 1955 to 2009 for Baoqing station, from 1956 to 2009 for Caizuizi station and from 1978 to 2009 for Hongqiling station. The influences of climate change and human activities on runoff change were investigated, and the causes of hydrological regime change were revealed. The seasonal runoff distribution of the Naoli River was extremely uneven, and the annual change was great. Overall, the annual runoff showed a significant decreasing trend. The annual runoff of Bao′an, Baoqing, and Caizuizi stations in 2009 decreased by 64.1%, 76.3%, and 84.3%, respectively, compared with their beginning data recorded. The wet and dry years of the Naoli River have changed in the study period. The frequency of wet year occurrence decreased and lasted longer, whereas that of dry year occurrence increased. The frequency of dry year occurrence increased from 25.0%-27.8% to 83.9%-87.5%. The years before the 1970s were mostly wet, whereas those after the 1970s were mostly dry. Precipitation reduction and land use changes contributed to the decrease in annual runoff. Rising temperature and water project construction have also contributed important effects on the runoff change of the Naoli River.     

Ice-wedge Pseudomorphs Showing Climatic Change Since the Late Pleistocene in the Source Area of the Yellow River, Northeast Tibet

Introduction The Tibetan Plateau, located in west China, was uplifted during the Cenozoic and became the most youthful plateau in the world. Some researches have also shown that it started to develop into the cryosphere in the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene and became one of the three global cryospheres (two other cryospheres being the Artic and the Antarctic) (SHI et al. 1996). Because of the cryosphere development in the Tibetan Plateau, many periglacial and permafrost geomorpholog…     

International Freight Forwarding Services Network in the Yangtze River Delta, 2005–2015: Patterns and Mechanisms

This study examined the spatio-temporal trajectories of the international freight forwarding service(IFFS) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and explored the driving mechanisms of the service. Based on a bipartite network projection from an IFFS firm-city data source, we mapped three IFFS networks in the YRD in 2005, 2010, and 2015. A range of statistical indicators were used to explore changes in the spatial patterns of the three networks. The underlying influence of marketization, globalization, decentralization, and integration was then explored. It was found that the connections between Shanghai and other nodal cities formed the backbones of these networks. The effects of a city's administrative level and provincial administrative borders were generally obvious. We found several specific spatial patterns associated with IFFS. For example, the four non-administrative centers of Ningbo, Suzhou, Lianyungang, and Nantong were the most connected cities and played the role of gateway cities. Furthermore, remarkable regional equalities were found regarding a city's IFFS network provision, with notable examples in the weakly connected areas of northern Jiangsu and southwestern Zhejiang. Finally, an analysis of the driving mechanisms demonstrated that IFFS network changes were highly sensitive to the influences of marketization and globalization, while regional integration played a lesser role in driving changes in IFFS networks.     

Records of bulk organic matter and plant pigments in sediment of the “red-tide zone” adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary

Cultural eutrophication caused by nutrient over-enrichment in coastal waters will lead to a cascading set of ecosystem changes and deleterious ecological consequences,such as harmful algal blooms(HABs) and hypoxia.During the past two decades since the late 1990s,recurrent large-scale HABs(red tides)and an extensive hypoxic zone have been reported in the coastal waters adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary.To retrieve the history of eutrophication and its associated ecosystem changes,a sediment core was collected from the "red-tide zone" adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary.The core was dated using the~(210)Pb radioisotope and examined for multiple proxies,including organic carbon(OC),total nitrogen(TN),stable isotopes of C and N,and plant pigments.An apparent up-core increase of OC content was observed after the 1970s,accompanied by a rapid increase of TN.The concurrent enrichment of δ~(13)C and increase of the C/N ratio suggested the accumulation of organic matter derived from marine primary production during this stage.The accumulation of OC after the 1970 s well reflected the significant increase of primary production in the red-tide zone and probably the intensification of hypoxia as well.Plant pigments,including chlorophyll a,p-carotene,and diatoxanthin,showed similar patterns of variation to OC throughout the core,which further confirmed the important contribution of microalgae,particularly diatoms,to the deposited organic matter.Based on the variant profiles of the pigments representative of different microalgal groups,the potential changes of the phytoplankton community since the 1970s were discussed.     

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Coastal Wetlands and Reclamation in the Yangtze Estuary During Past 50 Years(1960s–2015)

Reclamation is one of the fastest-growing land use type developed in coastal areas and has caused degradation and loss of coastal wetlands as well as serious environmental problems. This paper was aimed at monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of coastal wetlands and reclamation in the Yangtze Estuary during the 1960s and 2015. Satellite images obtained from 1980 to 2015 and topography maps of the 1960 s were employed to extract changes of reclamation and coastal wetlands. Area-weight centroids were calculated to identify the movement trend of reclamation and coastal wetlands. The results show that from the 1960 s to 2015, the net area of natural wetlands declined by 574.3 km~2, while man-made wetlands and reclamation increased by 553.6 and 543.9 km~2, respectively. During the five study phases, the fastest areal change rate natural wetlands was –13.3 km~2/yr in the period of 1990–2000, and that of man-made areas was 24.7 km~2/yr in the same period, and the areal change rate of reclamation was 27.6 km~2/yr in the period of 2000–2010. Conversion of coastal wetlands mainly occurred in the Chongming Island, Changshu City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Reclamation was common across coastal areas, and was mainly attributed to settlement and man-made wetlands in the Chongming Island, Lianyungang City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Natural wetlands turned into farmlands and settlement, and man-made wetlands gained from reclamation of farmlands. The centroid of natural wetlands generally moved towards the sea, man-made wetlands expanded equally in all directions and inland, and the centroid of reclamation migrated toward Shanghai Municipality. Sea level rise, erosion-deposition changes, and reclamation activities together determine the dynamics of the Yangtze Estuary wetlands. However, reclamation activities for construction of ports, industries and aquaculture are the key causes for the dynamics. The results from this study on the dynamics of coastal wetlands and reclamation are valuable for local government to put forward sustainable land use and land development plans.     

Distribution of heavy metals and nutrients in rainwater in coastal regions between the southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Rainwater samples were collected in series in Qianliyan Island (southern Yellow Sea) and Shengsi Archipelago (East China Sea) between May 2000 and May 2002, chemical analysis for pH values,concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) and nutrients (NH4^-, NO3^-, PO43^-, SiO32^-) were performed.Results indicate that concentrations of most of the heavy metals and nutrients in rainwater show clear seasonal variation, i.e. high level in winter and low level in summer. Regionally, concentrations are higher in the southern Yellow Sea than in the East China Sea, but the annual input of heavy metals into oceans by wet deposition is similar in both stations. However, the input of nutrients by wet deposition in the East China Sea is 2-3 times higher than that in the southern Yellow Sea. In individual, Pb and PO4^3- are input to the sea mainly by dry deposition; whereas Cu, Zn, Cd and N compounds are input dominantly by wet deposition, the N/P ratios in the rainwater from two stations are much higher than those in seawater, showing a significant impact of atmospheric wet deposition on marine production and biogeochemical circulation of nutrients in these sea regions.     

A SIMULTANEOUS APPROACH TO WATER—RESOURCE PROTECTION AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT —A Case Study of Guanzhong Region in the Huanghe River Basin,China

A regional multiple-objective water-resource and economic optimization model was developed using a quantitative method of systematic analysis.Input to the model includes indexes of economic structure and development,water-resource utilization,wastewater and pollutant discharge,and investment in wastewater treatment.The model,which consists of producton-structure and industrial-structure optimization modules,was applied to the Guanzhong region in the middle reaches of the Huanghe(Yellow) River basin in China.By evaluating several alternative production and industrialization schemes,the modal indicate that water pollution will get worsen though wastewater treatment improves if the economy continues to develop at the planned speed without structural adjustment.However,the results also show that not only economic goals but also water-resource protection and pollution-control targets can be achieved under an alternative,recommended production and industrial structure.This example illustrates that economic development and environmental protection can be improved coordinately by the regional multiple-objective water-resource and economic optimization model.It provides an operable approach to the simultaneous sustained development of water resources and economic growth.