Abstract
To understand the intricate runoff-sediment relationship in the middle Yellow River basin (MYRB), the Toudaoguai, Longmen, Tongguan and Huayuankou sites in the MYRB were selected to analyze the deterministic equilibrium and uncertainty relations of runoff-sediment based on 55-year hydrological data at multi-time scales. The Johansen test and wavelet neural network were used to verify the cointegration relationship among hydrological series. Runoff-sediment uncertain statistical relations and dynamics in the MYRB were also analyzed based on rating curves and hysteresis loops. The results showed that the logarithmic sequences of sediment load (SL), runoff and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) conformed to a linear cointegration relationship at the Toudaoguai station or in spring, winter or under small flow at other stations, but a nonlinear cointegration relationship was observed in other cases at other stations. Regarding runoff-sediment uncertain relationships, the rating curves, and hysteresis loops differed in stations (Toudaoguai and the other stations), as well as discharge (threshold: 1000 m3/s), season (ice-flood and rainy season) and saturation of flow at flood and monthly scales. At the annual scale, phased and unsynchronized characteristics of runoff and sediment load were evident with a decreasing trend. This study on the runoff-sediment relationship can rationally provide a theoretical basis for the management and development of the Yellow River and other similar rivers with sufficient sediment, especially for areas with serious soil erosion.
Highlights
The Yellow River in China is famous for its heavy sediment load (SL), as well as its different sources of runoff and sediment and their intricate spatio-temporal changes, especially in the middle YellowRiver basin (MYRB), which is endowed with unconsolidated and erodible loess, contributing 90% of the sediment load [1]
The research on the Yellow River has mainly focused on particular areas with heavy sediment load for the regulation of Yellow River, including reaches of Ningxia–Inner Mongolia [10,11]
Focused on the above issues, this paper provides an in-depth study on the runoff-sediment stable equilibrium relation and uncertain relationship of Toudaoguai, Longmen, Tongguan and Huayuankou stations in the middle Yellow River basin (MYRB) with different regional characteristics, followed by attempts to explore the hidden cointegration relationship, runoff-sediment dynamics, such as sediment origin and distribution, pollutant transport and the channel evolution and their statistical relation
Summary
The Yellow River in China is famous for its heavy sediment load (SL), as well as its different sources of runoff and sediment and their intricate spatio-temporal changes, especially in the middle Yellow. The behavior of sediment in the MYRB is an obvious nonlinear dynamic system, which is controlled by the complex interactions of time-varying sediment availability, rainfall intensity and distribution [2,3], as well as the morphology (slope, cross section shape) [4] and composition of the riverbed This implies an inharmonious and imbalanced relationship between runoff and sediment and complicated management issues of the Yellow River, such as the evolution of the channels [5,6], ecology and landscape [7,8] and the lifespan of infrastructure [9]. Focused on the above issues, this paper provides an in-depth study on the runoff-sediment stable equilibrium relation and uncertain relationship of Toudaoguai, Longmen, Tongguan and Huayuankou stations in the MYRB with different regional characteristics, followed by attempts to explore the hidden cointegration relationship, runoff-sediment dynamics, such as sediment origin and distribution, pollutant transport and the channel evolution and their statistical relation. This research rationally provides a theoretical basis for the management and development of the Yellow River and other similar rivers with sufficient sediment, especially for areas with serious soil erosion
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