An understanding of the sedimentary environment in relation to its controlling factors is of great importance in coastal geomorphology,ecology,tourism and aquaculture studies.We attempt to deal with this issue,using a...An understanding of the sedimentary environment in relation to its controlling factors is of great importance in coastal geomorphology,ecology,tourism and aquaculture studies.We attempt to deal with this issue,using a case study from the Xincun Lagoon,Hainan Island in southern China.For the study,surficial sediment samples were collected,together with hydrodynamic and bathymetric surveys,during August 2013.Numerical simulation was carried out to obtain high-spatial resolution tidal current data.The sediment samples were analyzed to derive mean grain size,sorting coefficient,skewness and kurtosis,together with the sand,silt and clay contents.The modern sedimentary environments were classified using system cluster and principal component analyses.Grain size analysis reveals that the sediments are characterized by extremely slightly sandy silty mud(ESSSM) and slightly silty sand(SSS),which are distributed in the central lagoon and near-shore shallow water areas,respectively.Mean grain size varies from 0 to 8.0Ф,with an average of 4.6Ф.The silt content is the highest,i.e.,52% on average,with the average contents of sand and clay being 43% and 5%,respectively.There exists a significant correlation between mean size and water depth,suggesting that the surficial sediments become finer with increasing water depth.Cluster analyses reveals two groups of samples.The first group is characterized by mean grain size of more than 5.5Ф,whilst the second group has mean grain size of below 3.5Ф.Further,these groups also have different correlations between mean grain size and the other grain size parameters.In terms of the tidal current,the average values of the root mean square velocity(RMSV) are 7.5 cm/s and 6.9 cm/s on springs and neaps,respectively.For the RMSVs that are higher than 4 cm/s,a significant positive correlation is found between the content of the 63–125 μm fraction and the RMSV,suggesting that the RMSV determines the variability of the very fine sand fraction.Based on system cluster and principal component analyses(PCA),the modern sedimentary environments are classified into three types according to the grain size parameters,RMSVs and water depth data.The results suggest the importance of grain size parameters and high-spatial resolution hydrodynamic data in differentiating the coastal sedimentary environments.展开更多
Two kinds of regression equations are used to reproduce the sediment flux of the 26 small coastal watersheds in southeastern China.The first kind is the global equations suggested by Milliman and Syvitski(1992),Mulder...Two kinds of regression equations are used to reproduce the sediment flux of the 26 small coastal watersheds in southeastern China.The first kind is the global equations suggested by Milliman and Syvitski(1992),Mulder and Syvitski(1996),Syvitski et al.(2003),and Syvitski and Milliman(2007).The second kind is the modified equations revised by the characteristics of the coastal watersheds,including the drainage area,mean water discharge,and mean sediment discharge.Compared with the observations of the hydrometric stations,the global equations overestimate the sediment flux by 1–2 orders of magnitude.By using the modified equations,the accuracy of the estimated sediment flux is significantly improved,with the relative error in the range of 7%–24%.The reason for the overestimation mainly caused by different parameters’domain and regression coefficients between global rivers and study coastal watersheds.This study demonstrates that modification needs to be considered when using global regression equations to reproduce the sediment flux of the small coastal watersheds in southeastern China.展开更多
Continental shelf islands are contributors of terrestrial sediment supply to shelf regions,and the sediment flux from these islands shall be quantified.We calculated the sediment flux of continental shelf islands in t...Continental shelf islands are contributors of terrestrial sediment supply to shelf regions,and the sediment flux from these islands shall be quantified.We calculated the sediment flux of continental shelf islands in the southeastern China using two empirical equations under two preconditions.The first,the sediment load/yield of the islands has the same pattern as the adjacent small,mountainous rivers along the coastline;and the second,each of the islands was treated as a single catchment.The results show that the sediment supply from these islands reached an order of magnitude of 1 Mt/a,which is comparable to the supply from the local smaller rivers.A sensitivity analysis indicates that this value represents the lower limit of estimate;if the accurate amount of sub-catchments of any island is considered,then this value will be enhanced slightly.This study demonstrates that the sediment supply from continental shelf islands to oceans is an important factor affecting the regional sedimentation and,therefore,should be paid with attention.展开更多
Observations of fluid mud were made in the lower North Passage of the Yangtze Estuary in February 2000, on 10～11 August 2000, on 30～31 August 2000 (after two strong typhoons), on 21～24 August 2000 (neap tide) and o...Observations of fluid mud were made in the lower North Passage of the Yangtze Estuary in February 2000, on 10～11 August 2000, on 30～31 August 2000 (after two strong typhoons), on 21～24 August 2000 (neap tide) and on 3～6 September 2000 (mean tide) respectively. In situ data show that the fluid mud in this area consists of fine cohesive sediment (median size 7.23 μm). The formation and movement of fluid mud varied during the neap-spring and flood-ebb tidal cycle. Observations suggest that fluid mud phenomena in this area may be categorised in a three-fold manner as slack water, storm and saltwedge features. The thickness of the fluid mud layer of slack water during the neap tide ranged from 0.2 to 0.96 m, whereas during the mean tide, the thickness ranged from 0.17 to 0.73 m, and the thickness of the fluid mud layer was larger during slack water than at the flood peak. Shoals cover an area of 800 km2 with a water depth smaller than 5 m. Erosion of these extensive intertidal mudflats due to storm action provides an abundant sediment source. This is particularly significant in this estuary when the tidal level is lower than 5 m. The lower North Passage is a typical zone of saltwater wedging, so the saltwedge fluid mud has the most extensive spatial range in the estuary.展开更多
Attempt has been made to discuss the coupling relation of neotectonism and paleoclimate that have played a critical role in controlling the Quaternary sediment distribu-tion and sedimentary facies evolution on the Yan...Attempt has been made to discuss the coupling relation of neotectonism and paleoclimate that have played a critical role in controlling the Quaternary sediment distribu-tion and sedimentary facies evolution on the Yangtze coast. On the basis of petrological analysis, up to six sedimentary cyclicities have been identified in the Quaternary sediment boreholes on the time scale of 0.4―0.5 Ma. The lower sedi-mentary cyclicities (Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) are char-acterized largely by thicker gravelly coarse sands, topped by thinner fine silt and silty clay. Gravels are very angular and clayey gravels prevail. Sediments are usually of poor sorting, rich in log fragments and have no microfossils. Bedload as denoted by C-M plot occurs throughout the section. This evidence represents the alluvial fan sedimentation which took place as the basin began to subside. The middle sedimentary cyclicities (often including Early to Middle Pleistocene) con-sist of basal gravelly sands and clayey silt at the middle and upper sediment sections. Sorting becomes relatively better, and foraminifer appears sporadically. C-M plot reveals the mixture of sediment transport media via bedload, saltation and suspension, representing sedimentation of braided river system at the early stage and subsequently, the sedimentation of meandering river pattern. The upper sedimentary cyclic-ities (including Late Pleistocene to Holocene) comprise basal gravelly sands (exclusive of the Holocene sediment) and thick fine sand and silty clay on the upper section. Sorting becomes fine and foraminifer appears throughout the sediment sec-tion. C-M plot shows that saltation and suspension serve as the main sediment transport media in the sediment section and bedload transport weakens. These evidence the sedi-mentation of meandering river pattern near coast during Late Pleistocene and Holocene time, when marine transgres-sion invaded into the paleoriver valleys, which often forms drowned-valley facies and shallow marine facies. Of note is the Recent delta facies developed on the top of the cyclicities, and characterized by a large proportion of fine sand and siltyclay, and various sedimentary beddings. These phenomena have proved enhanced climate function on sedimentary fa-cies evolution on the basis of previous alluvial fan system, largely affected by tectonic subsidence setting.展开更多
The present study is to examine the spatial and temporal distribution of eight trace elements (Sr, Ba, B, Ga, Ni, V, Cu, and F) in various Holocene marine subfacies in the Yangtze Estuary, including its subaqueous del...The present study is to examine the spatial and temporal distribution of eight trace elements (Sr, Ba, B, Ga, Ni, V, Cu, and F) in various Holocene marine subfacies in the Yangtze Estuary, including its subaqueous delta by sediment borehole and vibrocore. Results demonstrate that grain size is the determinant factor in controlling the concentration of most trace elements discussed. Prodelta mud that occurs usually below the normal wave base can serve as a depository sink for trapping trace elements over the long-term time period. For example, copper concentration is 5-6 times higher than those found in the estuarine sediment. Boron, which is used to be a salinity indicator, shows a strong negative correlation with paleosalinity (using sediment phosphate method), implying desalinized water setting in the Yangtze Estuary, into which a large quantity of the Yangtze freshwater (924×109 m3/a) has discharged. Trace element concentrations of the study area were compared with those collected from the middle展开更多
The knowledge of geomorphological evolution from an estuary to a river delta is necessary to form the formulation of comprehensive land-ocean interaction management strategies. In this study, the dominant factor contr...The knowledge of geomorphological evolution from an estuary to a river delta is necessary to form the formulation of comprehensive land-ocean interaction management strategies. In this study, the dominant factor controlling the geomorphological variability and the threshold sediment flux(TSF) to form a river delta in Hainan Island, southern China, including accommodation space, sediment supply, and reworking forces, was investigated by the method of big data analytics. The results indicated the 25 estuaries in consideration can be divided into three geographical groups, i.e. the multi-factors-controlled northern mixed estuaries, wave-dominated western estuaries with river deltas, and typhoon-dominated eastern coastal lagoon estuaries. For alluvial plain(AP) estuaries, the order of magnitude of TSFs is the smallest(10~1 kt·yr^(–1)), for barrier-lagoon(BL) ones is the highest(>10~2 kt·yr^(–1)), and for drowned valley(DV) ones is moderate(10~2 kt·yr^(–1)). The river deltas associated with DV systems should be relatively large, and those related to BLs should be small, with the AP deltas being between the above mentioned types. The present study provides a technique to evaluate the role played by TSF for the formation of river deltas in micro-tidal and wave-dominated and typhoon-influenced coastal environments.展开更多
Topographic/bathymetric conditions of the continental shelf can significantly influence the long-term growth of river deltas.In particular,these conditions constrain the accommodation space for sedimentation in the de...Topographic/bathymetric conditions of the continental shelf can significantly influence the long-term growth of river deltas.In particular,these conditions constrain the accommodation space for sedimentation in the deltaic areas.In this study,we use a conceptual geometric model to evaluate the role played by this factor,on the basis of the principle of mass conservation.The Ganges-Brahmaputra,Mekong and Nile deltas are examined as three typical examples,in terms of their different original seabed morphologies.The control variate method is applied to eliminate the effect of the difference in model input variables.The results show that,assuming a constant sediment load,the delta growth rate will decrease with time;a higher value of the original seabed slope leads to a lower shoreline progradation rate for the subaerial delta and a higher growth rate for the subaqueous delta.Thus,the original seabed morphology represented by slope is a critical factor affecting the evolution of Holocene large-river deltas.These results explain the interrelationships between sediment load,deltaic plain area,and the original seabed slopes for the 27 large-river deltas worldwide,located in the middle/low latitudes,with different tectonic backgrounds.In the future,the conceptual geometric model may be combined with sediment dynamic modeling to identify more details of the evolution of these deltas.展开更多
Knowledge of the sediment flux derived from different sources is critical for interpreting the sedimentary records associated with large river sedimentary systems. For the Changjiang River system, previous studies har...Knowledge of the sediment flux derived from different sources is critical for interpreting the sedimentary records associated with large river sedimentary systems. For the Changjiang River system, previous studies hardly focused on the sediment load from the adjacent Zhoushan Archipelago(ZA). Based on four prediction models, aiming to improve the understanding of the sediment load from the ZA during the Holocene, we show that the predicted sediment flux of the ZA ranges from ~0.7 to 26.5 Mt·yr^(-1), with an average value of 10.7 Mt·yr^(-1), and the islands with a relatively large area or high relief contribute greatly to the total flux. This sediment load is an order of magnitude lower than that of the Changjiang River, but it is similar to those of the local small rivers. Located in the core area of the southward dispersal path of the Changjiang River plume, the ZA also influences the sediment transport into Hangzhou Bay and over the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal seas. On the Holocene temporal scale, e.g., for the period from 6 ka BP to 2 ka BP, the sediments discharged from the ZA had a considerable effect on the shelf sedimentary system. This study provides evidence for an important role an archipelago can play in terms of sediment supply and transport in coastal and inner continental shelf regions.展开更多
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.41530962
文摘An understanding of the sedimentary environment in relation to its controlling factors is of great importance in coastal geomorphology,ecology,tourism and aquaculture studies.We attempt to deal with this issue,using a case study from the Xincun Lagoon,Hainan Island in southern China.For the study,surficial sediment samples were collected,together with hydrodynamic and bathymetric surveys,during August 2013.Numerical simulation was carried out to obtain high-spatial resolution tidal current data.The sediment samples were analyzed to derive mean grain size,sorting coefficient,skewness and kurtosis,together with the sand,silt and clay contents.The modern sedimentary environments were classified using system cluster and principal component analyses.Grain size analysis reveals that the sediments are characterized by extremely slightly sandy silty mud(ESSSM) and slightly silty sand(SSS),which are distributed in the central lagoon and near-shore shallow water areas,respectively.Mean grain size varies from 0 to 8.0Ф,with an average of 4.6Ф.The silt content is the highest,i.e.,52% on average,with the average contents of sand and clay being 43% and 5%,respectively.There exists a significant correlation between mean size and water depth,suggesting that the surficial sediments become finer with increasing water depth.Cluster analyses reveals two groups of samples.The first group is characterized by mean grain size of more than 5.5Ф,whilst the second group has mean grain size of below 3.5Ф.Further,these groups also have different correlations between mean grain size and the other grain size parameters.In terms of the tidal current,the average values of the root mean square velocity(RMSV) are 7.5 cm/s and 6.9 cm/s on springs and neaps,respectively.For the RMSVs that are higher than 4 cm/s,a significant positive correlation is found between the content of the 63–125 μm fraction and the RMSV,suggesting that the RMSV determines the variability of the very fine sand fraction.Based on system cluster and principal component analyses(PCA),the modern sedimentary environments are classified into three types according to the grain size parameters,RMSVs and water depth data.The results suggest the importance of grain size parameters and high-spatial resolution hydrodynamic data in differentiating the coastal sedimentary environments.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41625021,41676079 and 41906021the Project of Enhancing School with Innovation of Guangdong Ocean University under contract No.Q18307the Program for Scientific Research Start-up Funds of Guangdong Ocean University under contract No.060302112010
文摘Two kinds of regression equations are used to reproduce the sediment flux of the 26 small coastal watersheds in southeastern China.The first kind is the global equations suggested by Milliman and Syvitski(1992),Mulder and Syvitski(1996),Syvitski et al.(2003),and Syvitski and Milliman(2007).The second kind is the modified equations revised by the characteristics of the coastal watersheds,including the drainage area,mean water discharge,and mean sediment discharge.Compared with the observations of the hydrometric stations,the global equations overestimate the sediment flux by 1–2 orders of magnitude.By using the modified equations,the accuracy of the estimated sediment flux is significantly improved,with the relative error in the range of 7%–24%.The reason for the overestimation mainly caused by different parameters’domain and regression coefficients between global rivers and study coastal watersheds.This study demonstrates that modification needs to be considered when using global regression equations to reproduce the sediment flux of the small coastal watersheds in southeastern China.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41625021,41876092,41576095,41906021)。
文摘Continental shelf islands are contributors of terrestrial sediment supply to shelf regions,and the sediment flux from these islands shall be quantified.We calculated the sediment flux of continental shelf islands in the southeastern China using two empirical equations under two preconditions.The first,the sediment load/yield of the islands has the same pattern as the adjacent small,mountainous rivers along the coastline;and the second,each of the islands was treated as a single catchment.The results show that the sediment supply from these islands reached an order of magnitude of 1 Mt/a,which is comparable to the supply from the local smaller rivers.A sensitivity analysis indicates that this value represents the lower limit of estimate;if the accurate amount of sub-catchments of any island is considered,then this value will be enhanced slightly.This study demonstrates that the sediment supply from continental shelf islands to oceans is an important factor affecting the regional sedimentation and,therefore,should be paid with attention.
文摘Observations of fluid mud were made in the lower North Passage of the Yangtze Estuary in February 2000, on 10～11 August 2000, on 30～31 August 2000 (after two strong typhoons), on 21～24 August 2000 (neap tide) and on 3～6 September 2000 (mean tide) respectively. In situ data show that the fluid mud in this area consists of fine cohesive sediment (median size 7.23 μm). The formation and movement of fluid mud varied during the neap-spring and flood-ebb tidal cycle. Observations suggest that fluid mud phenomena in this area may be categorised in a three-fold manner as slack water, storm and saltwedge features. The thickness of the fluid mud layer of slack water during the neap tide ranged from 0.2 to 0.96 m, whereas during the mean tide, the thickness ranged from 0.17 to 0.73 m, and the thickness of the fluid mud layer was larger during slack water than at the flood peak. Shoals cover an area of 800 km2 with a water depth smaller than 5 m. Erosion of these extensive intertidal mudflats due to storm action provides an abundant sediment source. This is particularly significant in this estuary when the tidal level is lower than 5 m. The lower North Passage is a typical zone of saltwater wedging, so the saltwedge fluid mud has the most extensive spatial range in the estuary.
基金This study was supported by the N ational Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.4034 1009)APN(Asia Pacific Networks)START(SysTem Analysis Research and Training)(Grant No.2004-06_CMY).
文摘Attempt has been made to discuss the coupling relation of neotectonism and paleoclimate that have played a critical role in controlling the Quaternary sediment distribu-tion and sedimentary facies evolution on the Yangtze coast. On the basis of petrological analysis, up to six sedimentary cyclicities have been identified in the Quaternary sediment boreholes on the time scale of 0.4―0.5 Ma. The lower sedi-mentary cyclicities (Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) are char-acterized largely by thicker gravelly coarse sands, topped by thinner fine silt and silty clay. Gravels are very angular and clayey gravels prevail. Sediments are usually of poor sorting, rich in log fragments and have no microfossils. Bedload as denoted by C-M plot occurs throughout the section. This evidence represents the alluvial fan sedimentation which took place as the basin began to subside. The middle sedimentary cyclicities (often including Early to Middle Pleistocene) con-sist of basal gravelly sands and clayey silt at the middle and upper sediment sections. Sorting becomes relatively better, and foraminifer appears sporadically. C-M plot reveals the mixture of sediment transport media via bedload, saltation and suspension, representing sedimentation of braided river system at the early stage and subsequently, the sedimentation of meandering river pattern. The upper sedimentary cyclic-ities (including Late Pleistocene to Holocene) comprise basal gravelly sands (exclusive of the Holocene sediment) and thick fine sand and silty clay on the upper section. Sorting becomes fine and foraminifer appears throughout the sediment sec-tion. C-M plot shows that saltation and suspension serve as the main sediment transport media in the sediment section and bedload transport weakens. These evidence the sedi-mentation of meandering river pattern near coast during Late Pleistocene and Holocene time, when marine transgres-sion invaded into the paleoriver valleys, which often forms drowned-valley facies and shallow marine facies. Of note is the Recent delta facies developed on the top of the cyclicities, and characterized by a large proportion of fine sand and siltyclay, and various sedimentary beddings. These phenomena have proved enhanced climate function on sedimentary fa-cies evolution on the basis of previous alluvial fan system, largely affected by tectonic subsidence setting.
基金The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49971011) the Geological and Mineral Ministry of China+1 种基金 US National Geographical Society (Grant No. #6693-00) TCTPF-China to Z.C.
文摘The present study is to examine the spatial and temporal distribution of eight trace elements (Sr, Ba, B, Ga, Ni, V, Cu, and F) in various Holocene marine subfacies in the Yangtze Estuary, including its subaqueous delta by sediment borehole and vibrocore. Results demonstrate that grain size is the determinant factor in controlling the concentration of most trace elements discussed. Prodelta mud that occurs usually below the normal wave base can serve as a depository sink for trapping trace elements over the long-term time period. For example, copper concentration is 5-6 times higher than those found in the estuarine sediment. Boron, which is used to be a salinity indicator, shows a strong negative correlation with paleosalinity (using sediment phosphate method), implying desalinized water setting in the Yangtze Estuary, into which a large quantity of the Yangtze freshwater (924×109 m3/a) has discharged. Trace element concentrations of the study area were compared with those collected from the middle
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41530962,No.41706096supports in part by the China Scholarship Council,No.201606190151
文摘The knowledge of geomorphological evolution from an estuary to a river delta is necessary to form the formulation of comprehensive land-ocean interaction management strategies. In this study, the dominant factor controlling the geomorphological variability and the threshold sediment flux(TSF) to form a river delta in Hainan Island, southern China, including accommodation space, sediment supply, and reworking forces, was investigated by the method of big data analytics. The results indicated the 25 estuaries in consideration can be divided into three geographical groups, i.e. the multi-factors-controlled northern mixed estuaries, wave-dominated western estuaries with river deltas, and typhoon-dominated eastern coastal lagoon estuaries. For alluvial plain(AP) estuaries, the order of magnitude of TSFs is the smallest(10~1 kt·yr^(–1)), for barrier-lagoon(BL) ones is the highest(>10~2 kt·yr^(–1)), and for drowned valley(DV) ones is moderate(10~2 kt·yr^(–1)). The river deltas associated with DV systems should be relatively large, and those related to BLs should be small, with the AP deltas being between the above mentioned types. The present study provides a technique to evaluate the role played by TSF for the formation of river deltas in micro-tidal and wave-dominated and typhoon-influenced coastal environments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41625021,41906021,and 41676079)the Program for Scientific Research Start-up Funds of Guangdong Ocean University。
文摘Topographic/bathymetric conditions of the continental shelf can significantly influence the long-term growth of river deltas.In particular,these conditions constrain the accommodation space for sedimentation in the deltaic areas.In this study,we use a conceptual geometric model to evaluate the role played by this factor,on the basis of the principle of mass conservation.The Ganges-Brahmaputra,Mekong and Nile deltas are examined as three typical examples,in terms of their different original seabed morphologies.The control variate method is applied to eliminate the effect of the difference in model input variables.The results show that,assuming a constant sediment load,the delta growth rate will decrease with time;a higher value of the original seabed slope leads to a lower shoreline progradation rate for the subaerial delta and a higher growth rate for the subaqueous delta.Thus,the original seabed morphology represented by slope is a critical factor affecting the evolution of Holocene large-river deltas.These results explain the interrelationships between sediment load,deltaic plain area,and the original seabed slopes for the 27 large-river deltas worldwide,located in the middle/low latitudes,with different tectonic backgrounds.In the future,the conceptual geometric model may be combined with sediment dynamic modeling to identify more details of the evolution of these deltas.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41530962,No.41625021The National Basic Research Program of China,No.2013CB956500Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,No.BK20130056
文摘Knowledge of the sediment flux derived from different sources is critical for interpreting the sedimentary records associated with large river sedimentary systems. For the Changjiang River system, previous studies hardly focused on the sediment load from the adjacent Zhoushan Archipelago(ZA). Based on four prediction models, aiming to improve the understanding of the sediment load from the ZA during the Holocene, we show that the predicted sediment flux of the ZA ranges from ~0.7 to 26.5 Mt·yr^(-1), with an average value of 10.7 Mt·yr^(-1), and the islands with a relatively large area or high relief contribute greatly to the total flux. This sediment load is an order of magnitude lower than that of the Changjiang River, but it is similar to those of the local small rivers. Located in the core area of the southward dispersal path of the Changjiang River plume, the ZA also influences the sediment transport into Hangzhou Bay and over the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal seas. On the Holocene temporal scale, e.g., for the period from 6 ka BP to 2 ka BP, the sediments discharged from the ZA had a considerable effect on the shelf sedimentary system. This study provides evidence for an important role an archipelago can play in terms of sediment supply and transport in coastal and inner continental shelf regions.
