Comparison of the Causes of Erosion-Deposition between Yellow River, Yangtze River and Mekong River Subaqueous Deltas II: Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The estuary delta is an area where human economic activities are active and natural ecological environment is fragile. With global change and the intensification of human activities, coastal and seabed erosion around the world is becoming more and more serious. In this paper, we used the Delft 3D numerical simulation to compare the hydrodynamic effects of sediment transport paths in the Yellow River delta (river-controlled type), Yangtze River delta (tidal type) and Mekong River delta (tidal wave type) in the East Asian monsoon area, and analyzed the causes of accumulation erosion landform distribution in three different types of subaqueous deltas. This study finds the Yellow River Delta has experienced varying degrees of erosion at the estuary, but its subaqueous delta is still dominated by deposition; the Yangtze River Delta has ensured the stability of its shoreline under the influence of artificial shoreline reinforcement, but the subaqueous delta (water depth: 0–15 m) is in a state of erosion all year round; and in the Mekong River Delta the erosion occurs in both its shoreline and subaqueous delta. Additionally, only by analyzing the erosion and deposition within the transport range of resuspended sediment, the changes in the properties of the entire subaqueous delta could be recognized. The research results can not only be helpful to analyze whether the change of river sediment will lead to the change of delta type under human influence, but also provide more powerful scientific support for the protection of delta ecological environment, geological environment safety and geological disaster prevention.