High resolution records of flood deposition in the mud area off the Changjiang River mouth during the past century

This paper presents a paleoflood study to determine the flood frequency of the Changjiang River, based on core cj0702, taken from the Changjiang River subaqueous delta. We identified flood deposits by means of high-resolution grain-size variation, sensitive population, geochemical indexes and magnetic susceptibility. The core covers a time span of 120 years by 210 Pb dating and was sampled at 1–2 cm intervals. Grain size, geochemical elements, and physical parameters were analyzed. The results indicate that the sediment of the core is mainly composed of silt and clay, as well as groups of interbedded silt, clay silt, and clay. Vertically, the grain size pattern was controlled by seasonal variations in water discharge and by the sediment input in winter from the abandoned Huanghe River delta. River flooding caused extreme values in all our measured parameters. We identified more than 20 flood events that occurred since 1887 using the physical parameter analysis method. The environmentally sensitive component of sediment grain size(14.32–96.39 μm) contribution30%, Zr/Rb ratio1.5, and magnetic susceptibility16 were selected as the criteria for flood identification generally. We also found that floods that had taken place in the upstream, midstream, or downstream parts of the river were clearly identified by these indexes while the large-scale floods that covered the whole drainage area did not leave clear indications in the sediment record. This study for identification of flood events is of great significance for understanding hyperpycnal current sedimentation as well as for forecasting of floods.     

Numerical simulation of the transport and diffusion of dissolved pollutants in the changjiang (Yangtze) river estuary

Based on a coupled hydrodynamic-ecological model for regional and shelf seas (COHERENS), a three-dimensional baroclinic model for the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and the adjacent sea area was established using the sigma-coordinate in the vertical direction and spherical coordinate in the horizontal direction. In the study, changing-grid technology and the “dry-wet” method were designed to deal with the moving boundary. The minimum water depth limit condition was introduced for numerical simulation stability and to avoid producing negative depths in the shallow water areas. Using the Eulerian transport approaches included in COHERENS for the advection and dispersion of dissolved pollutants, numerical simulation of dissolved pollutant transport and diffusion in the Changjiang River estuary were carried out. The mass centre track of dissolved pollutants released from outlets in the south branch of the Changjiang River estuary water course has the characteristic of reverse current motion in the inner water course and clockwise motion offshore. In the transition area, water transport is a combination of the two types of motion. In a sewage-discharge numerical experiment, it is found that there are mainly two kinds of pollution distribution forms: one is a single nuclear structure and the other is a double nuclear (dinuclear) structure in the turbid zone of the Changjiang River estuary. The rate of expansion of the dissolved pollutant distribution decreased gradually. The results of the numerical experiment indicate that the maximum turbid zone of the Changjiang River estuary is also the zone enriched with pollutants. Backward pollutant flow occurs in the north branch of the estuary, which is similar to the backward salt water flow, and the backward flow of pollutants released upstream is more obvious.     

The main phosphorous sources in the Changjiang estuary

Analysis using historical data on the phosphate sources in Changjiang （Yangtze River） estuary show that phosphate was supplied equally from the east, south, west and north of the estuary. These sources include the Changjiang River, the Taiwan Warm Current （TWC）, a cyclone-type eddy, and the 32°N Upwelling, supplying different phosphates in different times, ways and intensities. The magnitude of their supplying phosphate concentration was related with the size in the order of the Changjiang River 〈 the TWC 〈 the 32°N Upwelling 〈 the cyclone-type eddy, and the duration of the supplying was： the Changjiang River 〉 the TWC 〉 the cyclone-type eddy 〉 the 32°N Upwelling. The four sources supplied a great deal of phosphate so that the phosphate concentration in the estuary was kept above 0.2 pmol/L in previous years, satisfying the phytoplankton growth. The horizontal and vertical distribution of the phosphate concentration showed that near shallow marine areas at 122°E/31°N, the TWC in low nutrient concentration became an upwelling through sea bottom and brought up nutrients from sea bottom to marine surface. In addition, horizontal distribution of phosphate concentration was consistent with that of algae： Rhizosolenia robusta, Rhizosolenia calcaravis and Skeletonema, which showed that no matter during high water or low water of Changjiang River, these species brought by the TWC became predominant species. Therefore, the authors believe that the TWC flowed from south to north along the coast and played a role in deflecting the Changjiang River flow from the southern side.     

QUANTITATIVE MODELING OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT IN MIDDLE CHANGJIANG RIVER FROM MODIS

1INTRODUCTIONThe quality of water is traditionally determined by col-lectingwatersamplesandanalyzingthesamplesin a lab-oratory. However, sampling is very much hard sledding,time-consuming, slow and expensive, and easily in thecontrol of weather conditions, and does not include allwater areas. Satellite estimates of water quality havefound widespread application. Remote sensing instru-ments have been applied in water quality monitoringwith varying success (DANA and RICHARD, 1999;RUDD…     

TRANSPORT OF SUSPENDED MATTER FROM THE CHANGJIANG RIVER TO THE EAST CHINA SEA SHELF

lmooUcrI0NSuspendedrnatter(SM)wasanimPortantsubjeCtofstudyincomPrehensiveoasnographicsurveyinChinaintheendofthel950s.Inthel97ds,somesdentistSpeonjo,l974,Yatomoto,l979,EInery,l978)studndextenSiveynoncombustiblematterandgrainsizedistributionsinSManditSreintionshiptoupwelling.Inthel980s,TotaIsuspendedmatternyM)distributionintheEastChinaSea(Ees)wasinvestisatalduringtheChinaisjointstudyonsedhedynaAnesthere.YangZuosheng(l992)distaltherelationbeweenthemacrostrUctureofSMtIansportanddistrib…     

MIXING OF SALT WATER AND FRESH WATER IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY AND ITS EFFECTS ON SUSPENDED SEDIMENT

Using field hydrological data, the relationship between the mixing of salt water and fresh water and the tidal range/ high tidal level in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary is discussed, and the transporting and concentrating of suspended sediment in the estuary were also analysed in respect to the circulation, flocculation and stratified interface resulting from mixing.The calculation results by two-dimentional box model have confirmed the effects of the circulation on the concentrating of suspended sediment in the estuary. The conclusions derived from this work have deepened the understanding on the mixing in the Changjiang River estuary and are of significance in bo'th theory and practice.     

Long-term changes in sedimentary diatom assemblages and their environmental implications in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary,China

Long-term data on diatom assemblages in a sediment core （60 cm） obtained from the Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary were analyzed in order to assess the environmental changes that took place in the approximately 38 years （as determined by 210pb measurements）, i.e., between 1974 and 2012, of sediment accumulation. From the sediment core, 62 diatom taxa and genera were identified. The diatom biomass in the core generally increased beginning in the mid-1990s （core depth： 35 cm）, accompanied by a shift in the dominant species from Podosira stelliger and two species of Cyclotella （C. stylorum and C. striata） to Paralia sulcata, three species of Thalassiosira （ T. eccentria, I＂. oestrupii, and T. excentrica）, Actinoptychus undulates, and Thalassionema nitzschioides. The changes in both species diversity and abundance suggested that since the 1980s the estuary has undergone extensive eutrophication. This conclusion was supported by the increased proportion of planktonic species, another indicator of high nutrients inputs, in the Changjiang River estuary.     

IMPACTS OF FUTURE SEA LEVEL RISE ON SALT WATER INTRUSION IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY

Sea level rise could increase the salinity of an estuary by altering the balance between fresh water and salt water. The implications of sea level rise for increasing salinity have been examined in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary. By correlative analysis of chlorinity, discharge and tidal level and calculation of two-dimensional chlorinity, distribution of the Changjiang River estuary, the changes of the intensity and lasting hours of salt water intrusion at Wusong Station and the changes of chlorinity distribution in the South Branch of the Changjiang River estuary have been estimated when future sea level rises 50-100 cm. The intensity of salt water intrusion in the future will be far more serious than current trend.     

The environmental implication of diatom fossils in the surface sediment of the Changjiang River estuary(CRE) and its adjacent area

In order to depict the distribution of diatom fossils in surface sediments and to establish a reliable reference data for further paleoenvironmental study in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent waters, the diatom fossils from 34 surface sediment samples and their relationship with environmental variables were analyzed by principal component analysis and redundancy correspondence analysis. The diversity and abundance of diatom fossils were analyzed. Some annual average parameters of the overlying water(salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, depth, dissolved inorganic nitrogen,dissolved inorganic phosphate and dissolved inorganic silicate) were measured at each sampling site. A total of 113 diatom taxa and one silicoflagellate species were identified in the investigation area. Diatom fossils were better preserved in fine sediments. The absolute abundance of diatom fossils did not significantly dif fer between inshore and of fshore areas, the species diversity decreased from inshore to of fshore. This may be because high nutrients and low salinity promoted the growth of more brackish species in coastal waters. The diatom taxa were divided into three groups, on the basis of their response and indication to environmental changes. For example, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Cyclotella stylorum were dominant in coastal waters(Group 1 and Group 3) with high nutrients and low salinity; the relative abundances of Paralia sulcata and Podosira stelliger were significantly higher in of fshore sites(Group 2, average 39.5%),which were characterized by high salinity and deep water. Four environmental variables(salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, temperature and water depth) explained the composition and distribution of diatom taxa independently( P 0.05), this finding can be applied in further paleoenvironmental reconstruction research in this area.     

Sources of sediment in tidal fl ats off Zhejiang coast,southeast China

The growth of tidal fl ats off Zhejiang coasts in southwestern China has provided substantial areas for local agriculture and construction activities. To evaluate modern and future development of tidal fl ats in the region, a good understanding of sediment sources is necessary. Previous research has concluded that the Changjiang(Yangtze) River is the dominant supplier of sediments to this part of the southeast Chinese coast, despite the fact that sediment delivery from this source has been decreased markedly in the past two decades. In this study, we investigated the sources of tidal fl at sediments, and the magnetic and geochemical properties of recent tidal fl at sediments along the Zhejiang coast were compared with those discharged from rivers. Magnetic and geochemical properties of the tidal fl at samples reveal statistically distinct sediment provenance groups. The magnetic and geochemical scatter plots show that the suspended sediment samples are naturally divided into two diff erent groups, one including the Changjiang River and Qiantang River material, and the other including the Jiaojiang, Oujiang, and Feiyun Rivers that located in the central and southern parts of the study areas. At last, a binary source of tidal fl at sediments along the Zhejiang coast was determined, with the substantial majority originating from local rivers, while a much smaller proportion emanates from the Changjiang River to the north. We conclude that the sediment contribution of the Changjiang River to tidal fl at development in the region has been markedly overestimated, with important implications for management.     

Clay minerals and geochemistry of the bottom sediments in the northwestern East China Sea

Clay minerals of 34 sediments collected from the northwestern continental shelf of the East China Sea have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The clay mineral distribution is mainly controlled by the sediment source and the dominant circulation pattern. The predominant clay mineral in our study area is illite comprising more than 67% of the whole clay fraction. The highest concentration of illite (>68%) is found in the southeastern offshore parts beyond the reach of terrigenous input from the Jeju Island. It means that these illites are largely transported by the Kuroshio Current from the South China Sea (SCS). Smectite is highly concentrated in the northwest middle part and in the outer-shelf mud patch. It seems to be due to the high supply of smectite transported from China where fine-grained sediments are discharged from modern and ancient Huanghe (Yellow) River. The relatively high abundant kaolinite is likely derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River via the Taiwan Warm Current. In contrast, large amounts of chlorite and high chlorite/kaolinite ratios occur in the northwestern area, reflecting the transportation by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current from the southern Yellow Sea. The discrimination diagrams clearly show that the sediments in the northwestern East China Sea are ultimately sourced from Chinese rivers, especially from the Huanghe River, whereas the sediment in the northeast part might come from the Jeju Island. The muddy sediments of the Changjiang River’s submerged delta have much lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.716 2–0.718 0) than those of the Shandong Peninsular mud wedge (0.721 6–0.724 9), which are supposed to be originated from the Huanghe River, suggesting the distribution pattern of 87Sr/86Sr ratios as a new tracer to discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the study area. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the outer-shelf muddy sediments ranged from 0.7169 to 0.7216 in a wide range and was between those of the Huanghe River and Changjiang River sediments, suggesting multiple sources of the sediment in the area.     

MONITORING THE DIFFUSION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AND STABILITY OF TIDAL RADIAL SAND RIDGES AREA USING MULTI-SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING DATA

Nine Landsat TM tapes and images and MSS images, 10 NOAA tapes and images and 1 SAR image from 1973 to 1997 were used to analyse the diffusion of suspended sediments and the change of tidal radial sand ridges in the northern part of the Changjiang River delta, the South Yellow Sea. The results showed that the diffusion of suspended sediments was controlled by the tide, net current, and submarine topography in this area. The distribution of suspended sediments had close relationship with thesubmarine topography. The old Huanghe River delta and the Changjiang River comprise the main sediment supply for the formation of radial sand ridges, whose evolution can be divided into three stages since the Huangbe River changed its course and flowed northward into the Bohai Sea.     

Construction of lake bathymetry from MODIS satellite data and GIS from 2003 to 2011

In recent years, sedimentation conditions in Dongting Lake have varied greatly because of significant changes in runoff and sediment load in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River following the construction of Three Gorges Dam. The topography of the lake bottom has changed rapidly because of the intense exchange of water and sediment between the lake and the Changjiang River. However, time series information on lake-bottom topographic change is lacking. In this study, we introduced a method that combines remote sensing data and in situ water level data to extract a record of Dongting Lake bottom topography from 2003 to 2011. Multi-temporal lake land/water boundaries were extracted from MODIS images using the linear spectral mixture model method. The elevation of water/land boundary points were calculated using water level data and spatial interpolation techniques. Digital elevation models of Dongting Lake bottom topography in different periods were then constructed with the multiple heighted waterlines. The mean root-mean-square error of the linear spectral mixture model was 0.036, and the mean predicted error for elevation interpolation was -0.19 m. Compared with field measurement data and sediment load data, the method has proven to be most applicable. The results show that the topography of the bottom of Dongting Lake has exhibited uneven erosion and deposition in terms of time and space over the last nine years. Moreover, lake-bottom topography has undergone a slight erosion trend within this period, with 58.2% and 41.8% of the lake-bottom area being eroded and deposited, respectively.     

Occurrence and distribution of dissolved tellurium in Changjiang River estuary

With the implementation of the GEOTRACES program, the biogeochemical cycle and distribution of tellurium （Te） in marine environments are becoming increasing environmental concerns. In this study, the concentration of dissolved Te in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary and nearby waters was determined in May 2009 by hydride-generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry to elucidate the abundance, dominant species, distribution, and relationship with environmental factors. Results show that： （1） dissolved Te was low owing to its low abundance in the Earth＇s crust, high insolubility in water, and strong affinity to particulate matter; （2） Te（IV） and Te（VI） predominated in surface water. Te（VI） was the dominant species in bottom water, and Te（IV） was the minor species; （3） Horizontally, resulting from low phytoplankton metabolism and the weak reduction from Te（VI） to Te（IV） in the shore, Te（IV） was concentrated in the central zone instead of the coastal region. However, Te（VI） was abundant near the mouth of the Changjiang River where the Changjiang water is diluted and in the area to the south where the Taiwan Warm Current invaded. In the adsorption-desorption process, Te（IV） was negatively related to suspended paniculate matter （SPM）, indicating that it was adsorbed by particulate matter. While for Te（VI）, the positive correlation with SPM suggested that it was desorbed from the solid phase. In the estuary, dissolved Te had a negative correlation to salinity. However, it deviated from the dilution line in high-salinity regions due to the invasion of the Taiwan Warm Current and the mineralization of organic matter. The relationship between Te（IV） and SPM nutrients indicated that it was more bioavailable and more related to phosphorus than to nitrogen. Progress in the field is slow and more research is needed to quantify the input of Te to the estuary and evaluate the biochemical role of organisms.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THREE ELEMENTS OF WATER BALANCE IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER BASIN

The general trend of three elements (precipitation, runoff and evaporation) of the water balance of the Changjiang River Basin is discussed from the regional distribution of the mean annual values of view, i.e. isogram. The distribution of precipitation is non-uniform. The distribution of runoff mainly supplied from precipitation is more uniform than that of precipitation. The distribution of the evaporation from land is much more uniform than that of precipitation and runoff. Time distribution of these three elements shows the characteristics of comparatively distinct yearly variation and few variation between years. The relationship between precipitation and runoff, and between precipitation and evaporation in the humid region in the Changjiang River is analyzed. The slopes of their straight line correlation are nearly equal. The internal relationship between variables should be paid attention to, otherwise, a pseudo correlation may be resulted in. The paper provides the method of quantitative computa     

Ichthyoplankton recruitment from mainstream of the Changjiang River into the Dongting Lake,the second largest freshwater lake in China

Floodplains are important and distinctive ecosystems around the world, and the recruitment of ichthyoplankton from river to floodplain lakes is crucial to maintain this unique ecosystem. However,this process has not been well documented. In this study, ichthyoplankton were sampled to investigate the details of ichthyoplankton recruitment from the Changjiang(Yangtze) River to the Dongting Lake via a floodway channel, the Songzi River, from May to July in 2013 and 2014. During the study period, 41 species of eggs and larvae were sampled. Among the samples, 16 were river-lake migratory species(RL), representing23.5% of the species in the Dongting Lake. In 2013, an estimated 130 million eggs and 3 180 million larvae drifted through the sampling section, and in 2014, an estimated 1 060 million eggs and 1 040 million larvae drifted through the sampling section. The amount of eggs and larvae of RL reached 3 210 million in 2013 and 1 850 million in 2014, respectively. These results demonstrated the importance of ichthyoplankton recruitment from the river to the lake, as species diversity will decrease sharply without this recruitment.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) showed that water temperature and water flow are the two most important factors influencing the spawning activities of fish. To maintain the high fish diversity in the Changjiang floodplain, we suggest to irrigate the channel to increase water discharge and increase the transport of ichthyoplankton from the Changjiang mainstream into the Dongting Lake.     

Combined influence of sedimentation and vegetation on the soil carbon stocks of a coastal wetland in the Changjiang estuary

Coastal wetlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle.Large quantities of sediment deposited in the Changjiang(Yangtze) estuary by the Changjiang River promote the propagation of coastal wetlands,the expansion of saltmarsh vegetation,and carbon sequestration.In this study,using the Chongming Dongtan Wetland in the Changjiang estuary as the study area,the spatial and temporal distribution of soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks and the influences of sedimentation and vegetation on the SOC stocks of the coastal wetland were examined in 2013.There was sediment accretion in the northern and middle areas of the wetland and in the Phragmites australis marsh in the southern area,and sediment erosion in the Scirpus mariqueter marsh and the bare mudflat in the southern area.More SOC accumulated in sediments of the vegetated marsh than in the bare mudflat.The total organic carbon(TOC) stocks increased in the above-ground biomass from spring to autumn and decreased in winter;in the below-ground biomass,they gradually increased from spring to winter.The TOC stocks were higher in the below-ground biomass than in the above-ground biomass in the P.australis and Spartina altemiflora marshes,but were lower in the below-ground biomass in S.mariqueter marsh.Stocks of SOC showed temporal variation and increased gradually in all transects from spring to winter.The SOC stocks tended to decrease from the high marsh down to the bare mudflat along the three transects in the order:P.australis marsh S.alterniflora marsh S.mariqueter marsh bare mudflat.The SOC stocks of the same vegetation type were higher in the northern and middle transects than in the southern transect.These results suggest that interactions between sedimentation and vegetation regulate the SOC stocks in the coastal wetland in the Changjiang estuary.     

FUZZY COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF CONTAINER TRANSPORTATION MODES ALONG THE CHANGJIANG RIVER MAIN LINE AND ITS DELTA AREA

The Changjiang River (Yangtze) is one of the fastest growth areas of container transportation in Chi-na. Rail, road and water transportation have competed against each other for container transportation in the Chang-jiang River main line and its delta area. It is of significance to assess these different transportation modes scientifi-cally in order to organize container transportation efficiently in this area and make decision for integral plan and construction of transportation system in this area. This paper outlines application of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to appraise different modes of typical direction of containers. Twelve assessment indexes were decided. Membership functions were formulated. Evaluation results indicated that road transportation was optimal mode in the Changjiang River delta area, however water transportation was the primary way in the Changjiang River main line.     

Characteristics of Light Transmission in Summer and Winter and Its Relation on Sediment Transport in the East China Sea

Light transmission data collected from June to July 1987 and from February to March 1997 by the R/V Kexue 1 in the East China Sea were used to analyze its distribution characteristics and its relation to the sediment transport in this sea. Some results obtained were: (1) The Taiwan Warm Current flowing northwards seemed to be a barrier preventing suspended matter discharged from the Changjiang River Estuary from continuously moving southeastward and causing the suspended matter to flow along a path near 123°30′E in summer and 123°00′E in winter. (2) Suspended matter in the area adjacent to the Changjiang River Estuary could not be transported southward along the coast in summer due to opposing offshore currents including the Taiwan Warm Current flowing northward and the Changjiang Diluted Water turning northeastward. (3) The thermocline and temperature front bar suspended matter from crossing through.     

The distribution of dissolved aluminum in the Yellow and East China Seas

Water samples containing dissolved aluminum were collected from the Yellow and East China Seas in October-November 2000. The average concentrations of dissolved AI in the Yellow Sea （YS） and East China Sea （ECS） were 0.042 and 0.056 μ molL^-1, respectively. The concentration of dissolved aluminum decreased gradually across the continental shelf. The lower concentrations appeared in the YS cold water center and in the bottom layer at the shelf edge of the ECS, where they were 0.016 and 0.011 μmolL^-1, respectively. The distribution of dissolved Al was controlled by physical mixing processes rather than biological uptake processes. The impact of different water masses along the PN transect was calculated based on the mass balance model. The results show that the impact of the Changjiang River was mainly concentrated on the coastal area and the top thermocline water on the ECS shelf, where the impact percentage decreased from 12.6% to 1.1% in the surface water, while the contribution of the Kuroshio water was dominant on the ECS shelf in this survey, increasing from 77.6% to 97,8% along the PN transect from the Changjiang River Estuary to the Ryukyu Islands. It is concluded that aluminum can serve as a proper tracer for studying the impact of Changjiang terrestrial matter on the ECS shelf water.