Shu Gao

Net sediment transport patterns inferred from grain-size trends, based upon definition of “transport vectors”—reply

A new approach to the analysis of the grain-size trends, associated with net sediment transport directions in shallow marine environments, is developed here. Two specific trends, modified from McLaren and Bowles (1985) on the basis of a literature review, are used to define a grid of “trend vectors”. Such vectors are filtered and transformed into “transport vectors”. It is suggested that an ordered pattern of the transport vectors represents net transport paths. The orderliness of the derived pattern is examined on the basis of a significance test, using the average length of the transport vectors as a criterion. Both the filtering operation and the significance test procedure are based upon the assumption that the trend vectors which are not associated with net transport have the same probability of being in any direction. The technique is applied to data from Yangpu Harbour, southern China. The technique can be applied to inner continental shelf and coastal environments. For such an analysis, the area under investigation should be sampled at an interval large enough to reflect the real grain-size trends resulting from net sediment transport, but small compared with the dimensions of the sedimentary environment. The time-scale of the results depends upon the sampling depth. Applicability of the technique is likely to be somewhat limited, where the environment is highly variable over short distances. Furthermore, due to its statistical character, the analysis may fail to identify net transport patterns.

Last deglaciation in the Okinawa Trough: Subtropical northwest Pacific link to Northern Hemisphere and tropical climate

[1] Detailed deglacial and Holocene records of planktonic delta O-18 and Mg/Ca - based sea surface temperature (SST) from the Okinawa Trough suggest that at similar to 18 to 17 thousand years before present (kyr B. P.), late spring/ early summer SSTs were approximately 3 degrees C cooler than today, while surface waters were up to 1 practical salinity unit saltier. These conditions are consistent with a weaker influence of the summer East Asian Monsoon (EAM) than today. The timing of suborbital SST oscillations suggests a close link with abrupt changes in the EAM and North Atlantic climate. A tropical influence, however, may have resulted in subtle decoupling between the North Atlantic and the Okinawa Trough/EAM during the deglaciation. Okinawa Trough surface water trends in the Holocene are consistent with model simulations of an inland shift of intense EAM precipitation during the middle Holocene. Millennial-scale alternations between relatively warm, salty conditions and relatively cold, fresh conditions suggest varying influence of the Kuroshio during the Holocene.

Grain size trends associated with net sediment transport patterns: an example from the Belgian continental shelf

Grain size trends in relation to net sediment transport pathways are examined, using some commonly-used grain size parameters. The results of the trend analysis (for 15 types of the trends) are compared with a known net sediment transport pathways established on the basis of the sandbank hydro- and sediment-dynamics (i.e. general water and sediment movement patterns and bedform asymmetry). It is shown that: (1) the results for grain size trends associated with “a worsening in sorting along the transport pathways” have little similarity to transport pathways; (2) the results for grain size trends associated with “an improvement in sorting along the transport pathways” have relatively high degree of similarity to the identified pathways; and (3) the residual pattern, derived on the basis of a combined grain size trend used elsewhere (Gao and Collins, 1992), appears to be most similar and suitable for defining transport pathways.

Water and sediment movement in the vicinity of linear sandbanks: the Norfolk Banks, southern North Sea

Geophysical surveys, current meter measurements and fluorescent sand tracer experiments were undertaken in the vicinity of the Broken Bank. The data are used to establish localised and regional patterns of water and sediment movement. The results obtained confirm mechanisms proposed previously for sandbank growth, with particular reference to the North Sea; these include the clockwise circulation of water and sand, with convergence at the crestline. Secondary helical water circulations do not appear to be a dominant process influencing sandbank maintenance. However, such circulation may still be important in the initial formation of linear sandbanks and/or at some stages in the bank development. On a regional basis, residual currents, bedform asymmetries and tracer dispersion indicate an offshore sediment transport component. This observation supports the hypothesis of other investigators, formed on the basis of geomorphological observations and numerical model predictions, concerning the movement of sand under extreme conditions. Moreover, these transport pathways may persist under low wave and tidally-dominated conditions, as opposed to being restricted to storm activity.

Changes in water and sediment exchange between the Changjiang River and Poyang Lake under natural and anthropogenic conditions, China

To study the fluvial interaction between Changjiang River and Poyang Lake, we analyze the observed changes of riverine flux of the mid-upstream of Changjiang River catchment, the five river systems of Poyang Lake and Poyang Lake basin. Inter-annual and seasonal variations of the water discharge and sediment exchange processes between Changjiang River and Poyang Lake are systematically explored to determine the influence of climate change as well as human impact (especially the Three Gorges Dam (TGD)). Results indicate that climate variation for the Changjiang catchment and Poyang Lake watershed is the main factor determining the changes of water exchanges between Changjiang River and Poyang Lake. However, human activities (including the emplacement of the TGD) accelerated this rate of change. Relative to previous years (1956-1989), the water discharge outflow from Poyang Lake during the dry season towards the Changjiang catchment increased by 8.98 km(3)y(-1) during 2003-2010. Evidently, the water discharge flowing into Poyang Lake during late April-late May decreased. As a consequence, water storage of Poyang Lake significantly reduced during late April-late May, resulting in frequent spring droughts after 2003. The freshwater flux of Changjiang River towards Poyang Lake is less during the flood season as well, significantly lowering the magnitude and frequency of the backflow of the Changjiang River during 2003-2010. Human activities, especially the emplacement and operation of the TGD and sand mining at Poyang Lake impose a major impact on the variation of sediment exchange between Changjiang main river and Poyang Lake. On average, sediments from Changjiang River deposited in Poyang Lake before 2000. After 2000, Changjiang River no longer supplied sediment to Poyang Lake. As a consequence, the sediment load of Changjiang River entering the sea increasingly exists of sediments from Lake Poyang during 2003-2010. As a result, Poyang Lake converted from a depositional to an erosional system, with a gross sediment loss of 120.19 Mty(-1) during 2001-2010, including sand mining.

Dynamics of the Coastal Zone

Earth’s coastline has evolved for many thousands ofyears, experiencing changes to habitat, coastal dynam-ics and the supply of sediment from the continentalinterior. Relative sea level has risen in some areas, butfallen elsewhere. There is an acknowledged range innatural variability within a given region of the globalcoastal zone, within a context of longer-term geologicalprocesses.Many of the regional controls on sea level involvelong-term geological processes (e.g., subsidence, iso-stasy), and have a profound influence on controllingshort-term dynamics. As sea levels fluctuate, the mor-phology of a coastal zone will further evolve, changingthe boundary conditions of other coastal processes: cir-culation, waves, tides and the storage of sediment onflood plains.Human development of coastal regions has modifiedpristine coastlines around the globe, by deforestation,cultivation, changes in habitat, urbanisation, agriculturalimpoundment and upstream changes to river flow.Humans can also influence changes in relative sea levelat the local scale. For example, removal of groundwaterand hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs maycause subsidence in nearby areas, with a concomitantrise in relative sea level. Our concern in LOICZ is notjust in the magnitude of change, but also in the recentand accelerated rate of change. Our interests extendto whether alterations on the local level can cumula-tively give rise to coastal zone changes of global signifi-cance.Climate warming may also contribute significantlyto sea level fluctuations. Predictions by the InternationalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that sea levelis rising globally (15 to 95 cm by 2100) as a result of therecent warming of the ocean and the melting of ice caps(Houghton et al. 2001). As sea levels rise, coastal desta-bilisation may occur due to accelerated beach erosion,trapping of river sediment on flood plains and increas-ing water residence during floods. The predicted IPCCclimate-warming scenario will undoubtedly impactsome regions more than others. The Siberian coast isexperiencing a reduction in offshore sea-ice cover, witha associated increase in ocean fetch, leading to highersea levels during the open-water summer and accelera-tion of coastal erosion. Recent studies also suggest thattropical and temperate coastal environments are expe-riencing stormier conditions (i.e., increased numbersand severity of hurricanes). Will local storm surges mag-nify the impact of a global sea-level rise, increasing risksto humans and their infrastructure? Are there negativefeedbacks to engineering options for the protection ofcoastal settlements?Perhaps the largest impact on coastal stability is dueto modification to the global flux of sediment to thecoastal zone. Changes in global hydrology have modi-fied the timing and intensity of floods, and thereforethe effective discharge available for sediment transport.Climate shifts have varied the contributions from melt-water (snow, ice), altered the intensity of rainfall,changed drainage basin water-storage capacity, and al-tered precipitation and evaporation rates. Human influ-ences have also greatly modified downstream flow. Overhalf of the world’s rivers have seen stream-flow modi-fication through the construction of large reservoirs.These and other rivers have also been impacted by wa-ter withdrawal for agriculture, industry and settlements.Our understanding of the importance of submarinegroundwater discharge in the coastal zone and of itsprocesses has improved markedly in recent years; asignificant impetus has been given to this understand-ing by the LOICZ-associated SCOR Working Group 112.The outcomes of its work are summarised in this chap-ter.Human migration to the coastal zone and consequentland-use changes have also greatly impacted the stabil-ity of our coastal areas. Human impacts on the coastalzone ranges from massive (e.g., reduction in wetlands,urbanisation) to non-existent (e.g., many polar coast-lines). This chapter synthesises how climate shifts andhumans can affect and have affected our coasts on a glo-bal scale.

Socio-economic Impacts on Flooding: A 4000-Year History of the Yellow River, China

We analyze 4000-year flood history of the lower Yellow River and the history of agricultural development in the middle river by investigating historical writings and quantitative time series data of environmental changes in the river basin. Flood dynamics are characterized by positive feedback loops, critical thresholds of natural processes, and abrupt transitions caused by socio-economic factors. Technological and organizational innovations were dominant driving forces of the flood history. The popularization of iron plows and embankment of the lower river in the 4th century bc initiated a positive feedback loop on levee breaches. The strength of the feedback loop was enhanced by farming of coarse-sediment producing areas, steep hillslope cultivation, and a new river management paradigm, and finally pushed the flood frequency to its climax in the seventeenth century. The co-evolution of river dynamics and Chinese society is remarkable, especially farming and soil erosion in the middle river, and central authority and river management in the lower river.

Resuspension and advection processes affecting suspended particulate matter concentrations in the central English Channel

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) measurements obtained along a cross-section in the central English Channel (Wight-Cotentin transect) indicate that the area may be differentiated into: (1) an English coastal zone, associated with the highest concentrations; (2) a French coastal zone, with intermediate concentrations; and (3) the offshore waters of the Channel, characterised by a very low suspended-sediment load. The SPM particle-size distribution was modal close to the English coast (main mode 10-12 mu m); the remainder of the area was characterised by flat SPM distributions. Examination of the diatom communities in the SPM suggest:; that material resuspended in the intertidal zone and the estuarine environments was advected towards the offshore waters of the English Channel.

Sediment dynamic processes of the Yuehu inlet system, Shandong Peninsula, China

In order to investigate the sediment dynamic behavior of the Yuehu, a small inlet system characterized by abundant sediment supply and rapid sediment infilling, measurements and sampling were undertaken to obtain data sets of tidal water levels, current velocities, suspended sediment concentrations, grain size parameters, deposition rates and organic carbon contents. Sediment budget and the time-velocity asymmetry patterns of the inlet system were analyzed. The results show that the deposition rates are relatively high within the tidal basin. The total sediment flux cannot be balanced by the input from the open sea, the aerosol and biological production; rather, the material from land (which has been intensified by agricultural activities over the past several decades) represents a major component for the balance. Thus, the denudation rate must be reduced to protect the Yuehu as a natural reserve. Furthermore, it is found from the present study that the Yuehu inlet system exhibits all of the four time-velocity asymmetry patterns with varied frequencies of occurrence, compared with the two asymmetry patterns identified for larger inlet systems; such phenomena are partly due to the adjustment of entrance channel geometry. This behavior may be representative of the small tidal inlets at their late stage of morphological evolution and, therefore, may be utilized to prolong the lifespan of small inlet systems

Turbidity maximum formation in a well-mixed macrotidal estuary: The role of tidal pumping

Traditionally, vertical circulation (induced by gravity circulation and tidal straining), tidal pumping, and resuspension are suggested as the major processes for the formation and maintenance of the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM). Due to strong mixing, tidal pumping is considered as the dominating process in macrotidal estuaries. To analyze field observation data, the classical empirical decomposition method is commonly suggested, but the tidal pumping flux (TPF) based on this method may lead to erroneous conclusions about the mechanisms of ETM formation because the effects of advection induced by the horizontal SSC gradient and fine bed sediment supply are ignored. If these effects are included, the TPF clearly reproduces the convergence patterns and thus demonstrates its role in the formation of the ETM. By a simplified analytical solution, the TPF is the result of the competition between the downstream flux induced by the river current together with the lag in sediment response and the upstream flux induced by tidal asymmetry and the lag. Field observations in the well-mixed macrotidal Yalu River estuary (located between China and North Korea) were analyzed. Tidal pumping is identified as the dominant mechanism of its ETM formation, and the position of the ETM for different river discharges and sediment settling velocities can be predicted by the concept of tidal pumping by numerical and analytical procedures. The present study provides a typical example of how to evaluate the tidal pumping contributions on ETM formation using the combined information provided by field data, numerical modeling results, and analytical solutions.