Changjiang River sediment delivering into the sea in response to water storage of Sanxia Reservoir in 2003

1 IntroductionHuman activitieshavebeen stronglyaffecting theworld river sedimentsupply to the oceans since the19thor20thcentury(StanleyandW arne,1993;Fanos,1995;Sm ithandW inkley,1996;Stanley,1996;Yang,Shi,etal.,2004;Yang,Zhao,etal.,2002).Thesedi-m enttra…     

Deriving Changjiang coastal zone wind from C-band SAR and its application to salinity simulation

Wind plays an important role in hydrodynamic processes such as the expansion of Changjiang （Yangtze） River Diluted Water （CDW）, and shelf circulation in the Changjiang estuary. Thus, it is essential to include wind in the numerical simulation of these phenomena. Synthetic aperture radar （SAR） with high resolution and wide spatial coverage is valuable for measuring spatially inhomogeneous ocean surface wind fields. We have collected 87 ERS-2 SAR images with wind-induced streaks that cover the Cbangjiang coastal area, to verify and improve the validity of wind direction retrieval using the 2D fast Fourier transform method. We then used these wind directions as inputs to derive SAR wind speeds using the C-band model. To demonstrate the applicability of the algorithms, we validated the SAR-retrieved wind fields using QuikSCAT measurements and the atmospheric Weather Research Forecasting model. In general, we found good agreement between the datasets, indicating the reliability and applicability of SAR- retrieved algorithms under different atmospheric conditions. We investigated the main error sources of this process, and conducted sensitivity analyses to estimate the wind speed errors caused by the effect of speckle, uncertainties in wind direction, and inaccuracies in the normalized radar cross section. Finally, we used the SAR-retrieved wind fields to simulate the salinity distribution off the Changjiang estuary. The findings of this study will be valuable for wind resource assessment and the development of future numerical ocean models based on SAR images.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN CHANGJIANG DELTA AND ITS POSSIBLE MECHANISM*

Characteristics of climate change in the Changjiang Delta were analyzed based on the annual mean meteorological data since 1961,including air temperature,maximum and minimum air temperature,precipitation,sunshine duration and visibility at 48 stations in that area(southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang),and its adjacent areas(northern Jiangsu,eastern Anhui and southern Zhejiang),together with the environmental data.The results indicate that it is getting warmer in the Changjiang Delta and cooler in adjacent areas,thus the Changjiang Delta becomes a big heat island,containing many little heat islands consisting of central cities,in which Shanghai City is the strongest heat island.The intensity of heat islands enhances as economic development goes up.From the year 1978.the beginning year of reform and opening policy,to the year 1997,the intensity of big heat island of Changjiang Delta has increased 0.5℃ and Shanghai heat island increased 0.8℃.However.since 1978 the constituents of SO₂,NO_x and TSP(total suspended particles)in the atmosphere,no matter whether in the Changjiang Delta or in the adjacent areas,have all increased,but pH values of precipitation decreased.In the meantime,both sunshine duration and visibility are also decreased,indicating that there exists a mechanism for climate cooling in these areas.Our analyses show that the mechanism for climate warming in the Changjiang Delta may be associated with heating increase caused by,economic development and increasing energy consumption.It is estimated that up to 1997 the intensity of warming caused by this mechanism in the Changjiang Delta has reached 0.8-0.9℃,about 4-4.5 times as large as the mean values before 1978.Since then,the increase rate has become 0. 035℃/a for the Changjiang Delta.It has reached 1.3℃ for Shanghai in 1997,about 12-13 times as large as the mean values before 1978.This is a rough estimation of increasing energy consumption rate caused by economic development.     

Evaluation of food competition and resource partitioning of recruiting fish with permanent residents in a seagrass habitat

ABSTRACT

Recruiting King George whiting Sillaginodes punctatus were studied to assess the potential for food competition with permanent resident fish species in a nursery habitat. Marine migrant post larval S. punctatus (<60?mm TL) consumed primarily harpacticoid copepods and had high (>0.6) diet overlap with permanent resident fish species Favonigobius leteralis and Stigmatopora nigra. Food electivity index indicated that S. punctatus juveniles preferred harpacticoid copepods and amphipods, while juvenile Heteroclinus adelaide and Gymnapistes marmoratus migrating to the nursery habitat targeted larger prey such as amphipods. Preference for larger prey by H. adelaide and G. marmoratus species coupled with differences in prey composition in the stomach was due to mouth size and feeding habits, resulting in different food preferences to S. punctatus. The whiting showed an ontogenetic shift in diet with early settlers (>60?mm TL) consuming less copepods and more amphipods, while previous year recruits (>120?mm TL) consumed polychaete worms. This study indicates that competition for food resources between the new recruiting S. punctatus juveniles and permanent resident juveniles is reduced through differences in temporal and spatial feeding behaviours, mouth morphology, and ontogenetic shift in prey consumption.     

近40年来珠江口的海平面变化

利用大万山附近1°×1°经纬度网格的卫星高度计资料(1993—2006),计算出珠江口绝对海平面的上升速率为0·30±0·05cm/a,与由卫星高度计得出的全球平均海平面的上升速率一致。珠江口各验潮站近40年的潮位变化趋势分析表明,珠江口海平面正加速上升,为全球气候变暖所致;珠江口海平面与全球温度变化和ENSO活动密切相关,一般在ENSO年海平面相对较低。以IPCC有关全球温度上升幅度的预报值和海平面与全球温度变化的关系为依据,预计到2030和2050年珠江口绝对海平面将分别上升6～14和9～21cm,若考虑地面沉降以及波动值,珠江口部分岸段相对海平面将可能分别上升30和50cm。     

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.     

The effect of a storm surge event on the macrophytes of a temporarily open/closed estuary,South Africa

Temporarily open/closed estuaries typically open to the sea due to freshwater inflow coupled with storm surge events. In September 2008, in the absence of freshwater inflow, the mouth of the East Kleinemonde Estuary breached in response to a storm surge. The mouth of the estuary closed the following day at a high level. Marine overwash events following the breach introduced large volumes of saline water into the estuary and raised the water level by 0.07–0.33 m. Salinity was significantly higher in the 15 month closed phase after the breach (31 ± 0.9) compared to 21.9 ± 0.9 in the closed brackish phase before the breach. The historical average salinity for the estuary during a closed period is 23–25. The increase in salinity has reduced submerged macrophytes Ruppia cirrhosa and Chara vulgaris cover by 38.1%. Macroalgal cover of species such as Dictyota dichotoma, Caulacanthus ustulatus, Codium tenue and Ulva spp. have increased by 7.9%. The saline high water levels have also significantly reduced supratidal salt marsh cover by 15.2%, and reed and sedge cover by 19.7%. Loss of these habitats may result in bank destabilisation and erosion. This is the first record of an extended saline period in the 15 years the estuary has been monitored. Sea level rise in association with climate change, together with localised freshwater inflow reduction is likely to result in an increase in marine overwash events. The frequency and duration of closed saline periods are likely to increase in this type of estuary. A loss of submerged macrophytes may have significant impacts on faunal composition and abundance and on the subsequent functioning of temporarily open/closed estuaries. This has serious ecological implications since these estuaries represent 70% of the different types of estuaries found in South Africa.     

九龙江河口区现代沉积环境及其物质输运趋势

对九龙江河口区58个表层沉积物样品进行了激光粒度分析,并分别应用系统聚类分析和GSTA模型分析,探讨了研究区的沉积特征、沉积环境和表层沉积物输运趋势。结果表明,九龙江河口区表层沉积物由10种沉积物类型组成,与20世纪80年代相比,该海区底质沉积物在类型分布和粒径粗细上发生了一定的变化;将研究区划分为3种与沉积动力特征相对应的主要沉积环境区;表层沉积物输运趋势因受该区特殊的地形和复杂的水动力条件影响而表现为北进南出,海门岛西北海域形成逆时针方向输运趋势,而海门岛以东海域形成三向汇聚的输运趋势。     

TRANSPORT OF THE SUSPENDED SEDIMENT IN THE CHANGJIANG ESTUARY

The Changjiang River is characterized by the enormous volume of runoff and the great amount of sediment load with remarkable seasonal variation. The annual runoff sometimes is respondent to the amount of sediment load, and sometimes not. The amount of monthly sediment load after the month of the maximum runoff is larger than those before the month. The sediment concentration and net quantity of sediment transport in the vicinity of the river mouth varies greatly in time between the ebb and flood, spring and neap, and dry seasons and flood seasons. The three bifurcations also have differences in concentration and net quantity in space. Even in the same bifurcation they have differences in and out of the sand bar. At present, the North Channel is the main passage for water and sediment load emptying into the sea from the Changjiang River. More than 50 percent of the sediments from the river basin are deposited nearby the South Branch entrance and the main depositional area is situated in subaqueous delta off the South Channel. Between 122°30'E and 123°E is an important boundary for eastward sediment dispersion from which the suspended sediment are dispersed towards the east by south.