Loughborough University
Browse
Accepted article.pdf (3.61 MB)

Geomorphic evolution of the Qingshuigou channel of the Yellow River Delta in response to changing water and sediment regimes and human interventions

Download (3.61 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2020-05-12, 10:55 authored by Shasha Han, Stephen Rice, Guangming Tan, Kairong Wang, Shan Zheng
Delta channels are important landforms at the interface of sediment transfer from terrestrial to oceanic realms and affect large, and often vulnerable, human populations. Understanding these dynamics is pressing because delta processes are sensitive to climate change and human activity via adjustments in, for example, mean sea level, and water and sediment regime. Data collected over a 40-year period along a 110km distributary channel of the Yellow River Delta offers an ideal opportunity to investigate morphological responses to changing water and sediment regimes and intensive human activity. Complementary data from the delta front provide an opportunity to explore the interaction between delta channel geomorphology and delta-front erosionaccretion patterns. Cross-section dimensions and shape, longitudinal gradation and a sediment budget are used to quantify spatial and temporal morphological change along the Qingshuigou channel. Distinctive periods of channel change are identified, and analysis provides a detailed understanding of the temporal and spatial adjustments of the channel to specific human interventions, including two artificial channel diversions and changes in water and sediment supply driven by river management, and downstream delta-front development. Adjustments to the This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. diversions included a short-lived period of erosion upstream and significant erosion in the newly activated channel, which progressed downstream. Channel geomorphology widened and deepened during periods when management increased water yield and decreased sediment supply, and narrowed and shallowed during periods when management reduced water yield and the sediment load. Changes along the channel are driven by both upstream and downstream forcing. Finally, there is some evidence that changing delta-front erosion-accretion patterns played an important role to the geomorphic evolution of the deltaic channel; an area that requires further investigation.

Funding

National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC0405502)

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51779183)

History

School

  • Social Sciences and Humanities

Department

  • Geography and Environment

Published in

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Volume

45

Issue

10

Pages

2350 - 2364

Citation

Han, S. ... et al., (2020). Geomorphic evolution of the Qingshuigou channel of the Yellow River Delta in response to changing water and sediment regimes and human interventions. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 45 (10), pp.2350-2364.

Publisher

Wiley

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Rights holder

© John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Publisher statement

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Han, S. ... et al., (2020). Geomorphic evolution of the Qingshuigou channel of the Yellow River Delta in response to changing water and sediment regimes and human interventions. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 45 (10), pp.2350-2364, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4884. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

Acceptance date

2020-04-17

Publication date

2020-04-25

Copyright date

2020

ISSN

0197-9337

eISSN

1096-9837

Language

  • en

Depositor

Prof Stephen Rice Deposit date: 11 May 2020