Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Total Suspended Solids in the Yellow River Estuary Under New Water-Sediment Regulation: Insights from Sentinel-3 OLCI
Résumé
The Water and Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS), implemented since 2002, has been essential for controlling water flow and mitigating sediment siltation in the lower Yellow River. However, WSRS was suspended for the first time in 2016 and 2017 due to extremely low water flow. The rapid floodwater discharge over roughly 20 days conducted by WSRS strongly impacts total suspended solids (TSS) distribution in the Yellow River Estuary (YRE). This study employs high-frequency Sentinel-3 OLCI satellite imagery to investigate intraday TSS variations in the YRE under new water-sediment regulation conditions from 2016 to 2023. TSS concentrations were generally low during the 2016 and 2017 flood seasons, but increased markedly after WSRS resumed in 2018. Peak TSS values occurred in July or August, sometimes extending into September and October during autumn floods. A moderately strong positive correlation was observed between TSS concentrations at the river mouth and sediment load at Lijin Station during the flood seasons. The 2018 WSRS event generated an extensive river plume, with average TSS concentrations at the river mouth exceeding 400 g•m -3 . From 2018 to 2023, TSS concentrations exhibited a declining trend during flood seasons, attributed to reduced sediment discharge and ongoing sediment accretion in the Yellow River Delta. Our findings highlight Sentinel-3 OLCI as a powerful tool to resolve WSRS-driven sediment dynamics, offering critical guidance for estuarine management.
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