Abstract
Abstract. Large rivers play a key role in delivering water and sediment into the global oceans. Large-river deltas and associated coastlines are important interfaces for material fluxes that have a global impact on marine processes. In this study, we compare water and sediment discharge from Mississippi and Yangtze rivers by assessing: (1) temporal variation under varying climatic and anthropogenic impacts, (2) delta response of the declining sediment discharge, and (3) deltaic lobe switching and Holocene sediment dispersal patterns on the adjacent continental shelves. Dam constructions have decreased both rivers’ sediment discharge significantly, leading to shoreline retreat along the coast. The sediment dispersal of the river-dominated Mississippi Delta is localized but for the tide-dominated Yangtze Delta is more diffuse and influenced by longshore currents. Sediment declines and relative sea level rises have led to coastal erosion, endangering the coasts of both rivers.
Highlights
Large rivers play a key role in delivering water and sediment to oceans (Milliman & Meade, 1983; Milliman & Syvitski, 1992; Milliman & Farnsworth, 2011)
Large river deltas and associated coastlines are important interfaces between continents and oceans for material fluxes that have a global impact on marine processes (Bianchi & Allison, 2009)
During the past 4600 years, the Mississippi has created six major delta complexes (Fig. 6; Day et al, 2007). These large-scale deltaic morphological changes resulted from changes in slope and spaces available for sediment accumulation, which were influenced by sea level change and tectonics uplift/subsidence
Summary
Large rivers play a key role in delivering water and sediment to oceans (Milliman & Meade, 1983; Milliman & Syvitski, 1992; Milliman & Farnsworth, 2011). Large river deltas and associated coastlines are important interfaces between continents and oceans for material fluxes that have a global impact on marine processes (Bianchi & Allison, 2009). The transport of water and sediment, is controlled by climatic, fluvial, geomorphological, anthropogenic and other processes. The Mississippi and Yangtze (Fig. 1) are the largest rivers in North America and Asia, respectively. Water and sediment discharges from the Mississippi and Yangtze rivers are compared. This study has scientific, social and economic relevance to both the Unites States and China
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