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…

Transport of suspended matter from the Changjiang River to the East China Sea shelf

Suspended matter (SM) in the East China Sea (ECS) shelf seawater was investigated during Oct. 1993; Apr. and Oct. 1994. Results showed that the high total suspended matter(TSM) region (>7200 mg/L) was limited to near the estuary and reduced rapidly to <10 mg/L at 122 °30′E. The high TSM contour extended mainly NE in surface water but SE in near bottom water, i. e., SM transport from the Changjiang River was characterized by “stratification and different transport directions in different layers”. TSM distribution on sections showed that the up-climbing Kuroshio water prevents Changjiang River SM in middle and bottom water from transporting to the Okinawa Trough. Vertical distributions of the TSM showed a suspended-cline that appeared in the inner and middle shelf. TSM below it was dense and formed a turbid water layer; TSM above it was less dense, so the water was relatively clear. Formation of the suspended-cline correlated with high density current and resuspension of bottom sediment. Contribution No. 3078 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Project 49136130 supported by NSFC.