Bedforms and bed material transport pathways in the Changjiang (Yangtze) Estuary

Abstract

Bed features were mapped using a thermal depth recorder and a side-scan sonar in the Changjiang (Yangtze) Estuary, and flows were observed and bed surface materials were sampled to investigate bed material transport pathways. Distinct scales and dimensions of dunes were observed in terms of the classification scheme of Ashley [Ashley, G.M., 1990. Classification of large-scale sub-aqueous bedforms: A new look at an old problem. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 61, 160–172], forming a dune set in the flood season. Large dunes occurred predominately in the surveyed area of the estuarine zone, and two-dimensional dunes predominated in the dry season while three-dimensional dunes prevailed in the flood season. Sharp lee sides of dunes have low angles, indicating a significant suspended-load transport for the bedform migration, and the majority of them face down-estuary reflecting the controlling process by the ebb current. The bed material migrations in terms of relative maximum gross transport show a satisfactory agreement with the sonar mapping in the dry season. The relative maximum gross transport as an independent estimator of migration direction, can be used to effectively determine the bed material transport directions in the Changjiang Estuary.