Distribution and transport of suspended sediments off the Yellow River (Huanghe) mouth and the nearby Bohai Sea

Abstract

Hydrological and sedimentological investigations were carried out off the Yellow River (Huanghe) mouth and the nearby Bohai Sea during August–September 2007 to examine the distribution and transport of suspended sediments. Our data witnessed that suspended sediments from the Yellow River mouth primarily extend southerly and southeasterly during the flood season. High suspended sediment concentration (SSC) occurs as turbid plume on both sides of the river mouth, where it can reach >20 mg l −1 in the surface water and >40 mg l −1 in the bottom water. Accordingly, salinity varies from 25 to 29 psu, mean grain size (Dmz) is >200 μm, and volume concentration (VC) is >100 μl l −1. High SSC was concentrated in the river mouth area as two muddy patches, i.e. the North Mud and South Mud, consisting mostly of fine-grained silt and clayey silt sediments. Our results have verified the larger extent of the South Mud than that of the North one, implicating south- and southeastward sediment dispersal paths that prevail near the river mouth area. The existing anti-clockwise and clockwise flows in the river mouth area were synthesized as the major hydrodynamics responsible for forming the two muddy patches. Tidal and residual currents are considered as the key hydrodynamic factors controlling the sediment distribution and transport in the region.