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Modeling the Yellow River sediment flux and its deposition patterns under climatological conditions

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Abstract

A numerical sediment transport model was embedded into a coupled wave-tide-circulation model to quantitatively estimate the suspended sediment fluxes (SSF) and distribution in different areas for the Yellow River derived sediment. The model is validated by comparing model simulated sediment deposition rates with those from observations. Simulated results show that the SSF of the Yellow River across two major sections (the Bohai Strait and the 37° N section) are highest during September and October, whereas for the 32° N section the flux is negligibly small (less than 0.1 kg/s). We demonstrate that the sediment flux is primarily driven by the buoyancy forcing of the Yellow River freshwater discharge and modulated by the wind-driven surface wave and circulation patterns in this region. The SSF across the Bohai Strait is about 30 % of the Yellow River discharge, while across the 37° N section it is 15.8 %. Therefore, about 70 % of the total discharged Yellow River sediments are deposited in the Bohai Sea, 14.1 % in the North Yellow Sea, and 13.9 % in the South Yellow Sea. There are two deposition branches in the Yellow Sea. The primary one is located off the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula and extends to the southwest off the coastline, which is consistent with the observed “Ω”-shape deposition pattern. This simulated tongue shape deposition pattern is isolated from the north by the strong resuspension off the eastern tip of Shandong Peninsula. The secondary branch extends to the middle of the South Yellow Sea and has been strengthened by resuspension process. The two deposition branches are separated by the wintertime Yellow Sea Warm Current in the bottom layer.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the China–Korea Cooperation Project on the development of oceanic monitoring and prediction system on nuclear safety, Project 908 of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), China (grant No. 908-02-01-04 and 908-02-01-03), KIOST Project PE98743 and Beneficial Project No. 201205001. The deposition rate data are provided by the Key Laboratory of Marine Sedimentology and Environmental Geology, SOA, China. The M2 tidal observation data is from Prof. Guohong Fang. We thank Guansuo Wang for running the wave model. This is a publication of the Sino-Australian Research Centre for Coastal Management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, 6 Xian-xia-ling Road, Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Qingdao, 266061, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Lu, Fangli Qiao, Yong Teng & Yanguang Liu

  2. School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales at Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia

    Xiaohua Wang

  3. Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Ansan, South Korea

    Kyung Tae Jung

Authors
  1. Jing Lu
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  2. Fangli Qiao
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  3. Xiaohua Wang
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  4. Yong Teng
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  5. Kyung Tae Jung
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  6. Yanguang Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fangli Qiao.

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Responsible Editor: Yasumasa Miyazawa

This article is part of the Topical Collection on the 4th International Workshop on Modelling the Ocean in Yokohama, Japan 21–24 May 2012

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Lu, J., Qiao, F., Wang, X. et al. Modeling the Yellow River sediment flux and its deposition patterns under climatological conditions. Ocean Dynamics 63, 709–722 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-013-0626-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-013-0626-0

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