Abstract
The erosion mechanisms of abandoned coastal section are understood detailedly by flume experiment, which play an important role to the offshore engineering facilities. A movable-bed physical model has been used to investigate the coastal erosion of an abandoned section of the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta. The theory of physical scale models is discussed and a method for constructing the representative seabed section is developed. The results indicate that during the period initially after the abandonment of the delta the entire bed experienced rapid erosion because the seabed was steep and prone to liquefaction that resulted from storm wave action. After this initial period, a balance of erosion and accretion was established, and the beach profile equilibrated with a point of balance present on the profile. The experimental results indicate that the volume of deposition was about half that of the erosion. Wave action may also induce significant stratal changes through its interaction with the soft seabed. The major morphological features developed in the model delta section were found to be qualitatively comparable with those observed in the prototype. A distorted modeling law that maintains the similarity of the modeled and prototype equilibrium beach profiles is proposed. Experimental results show that the distorted modeling is able to reproduce the beach-face slope in nature, and the model also successfully reproduced three historical evolutionary stages of erosion.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen W M, Yang Z S. 1993. Study of Subaqueous Slope Instability of the Modern Changjiang River Delta. In: Proceedings of the 1993 PACON China symposium. Ocean Press, Beijing, p. 133–143.
Cheng G D. 1987. Framework and evolution of the modern Huanghe River delta. Mar. Geol. Quat. Geol., 7(Suppl.): 7–18. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Chen S L, Zhang G A, Chen X Y. 2006. Coastal erosion feature and mechanism at Feiyantan in the Huanghe River delta. Marine Science Bulletin, 8(1): 11–30. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Glen R, Philip J, Peter S. 2001. Analytical Technique for the Interpretation of Measured Pore Pressures in Shallow Marine Sediments. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference. Stavange, Norway: The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers, p. 469–475.
Komar P D. 2000. Coastal erosion-underlying factors and human impacts. Shore & Beach, 68(1): 3–16.
Kumar V, Neelamani S, Narasimha S R. 2005. Wave interaction with a submarine pipeline in clayey soil due to random waves. Ocean Engineering, 32: 1 517–1 538.
Li G X, Wei H L, Han Y S. 1998. Sedimentation in the Huanghe River delta, Part I: flow and suspended sediment structure in the upper distributary and the estuary. Marine Geology, 149: 93–111.
Li G X, Wei H L, Yue S H et al. 1998b. Sedimentation in the Huanghe River delta, Part II. Suspended sediment dispersal and deposition on the subaqueous delta. Marine Geology, 149: 113–131.
Li G X, Zhuang K L, Wei H L. 2000. Sedimentation in the Huanghe River delta. Part III. Seabed erosion and diapirism in the abandoned subaqueous delta lobe. Marine Geology, 168: 129–144.
Li G X, Cheng G D, Li S Q. 1987. Evolution of the modern Huanghe River delta coast. Mar. Geol. Quat. Geol., 7(Suppl.): 81–89. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Li G X, Liu S Q, Jiang Y C. 1999. Primary study on the diaper in the north of the Huanghe River delta. Science in China (Series D), 42(2): 153–160.
Li G X, Yue S H, Zhao D B et al. 2004. Rapid deposition and dynamic processes in the modern Huanghe River mouth. Mar. Geol. & Quat. Geol., 24(3): 29–37. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Li P, Zhu D K. 1997. The role of wave action on the formation of Huanghe River delta. Mar. Geo. & Qua. Geol., 17(2): 39–44. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Morgan J P. 1968. Mudlumps: diapiric structures in Mississippi delta sediments. In: Braunstein I, O’Brian G D. eds. Diapirism and Diapirs, Memoir 8. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, Oklahoma, p. 145–161.
Yuksek O, Onsoy H, Alin R B. 1995. Coastal erosion in eastern black sea region. Coastal Engineering, 26: 225–239.
Prior D B, Yang Z S, Bornhold B D. 1986. Active slope failure, sediment collapse and silt flows on the modern subaqueous Huanghe Delta. Geo-Marine Letter, 6(2): 85–95.
Prior D B, Suhayda J N, Lu N Z et al. 1989. Storm wave reactivation of a submarine landslide. Nature, 341: 47–50.
Seed H B, Rahman M S. 1978. Wave induced pore pressure in relation to ocean floor stability of cohesionless soils. Marine Geotechnology, 3(2): 123–150
Wang H J, Yang Z S. Saito Y et al. 2007. Stepwise decreases of the Huanghe (Huanghe River) sediment load (1950–2005): Impacts of climate change and human activities. Global and Planetary Change, 57: 331–354.
Yin Y H, Zhou Y P, Ding D. 2004. Evolution of modern Huanghe River delta. Marine Science Bulletin, 23(2): 32–40. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Yang Z S, Wang T. 1993. Marine environment in Chengdao Oil Field development, Qingdao Ocean University Press, Qingdao, China. p. 641–872.
Yang Z S, Milliman J D, Galler J. 1998. Huanghe River’s water and sediment discharge decreasing steadily. EOS Transactions, 79: 589–592.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by The National Basic Research Program (973 Program) (Nos. 2005CB422304 and 2002CB412408)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gao, T., Li, G., Shi, J. et al. A flume test on erosion mechanism for an abandoned section of the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 28, 684–692 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9053-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9053-y