In situ flume measurements of near-bed suspended sediment concentration change in the Yellow River Delta, China

The Yellow River carrying large amounts of sediment into the sea, and about 70-80% of the sediment into the sea deposited at the coastal region of the delta, the bed sediment will resuspend and transport continuously under the hydrodynamic force. Variability of near-bed suspended sediment concentration in the Yellow River Delta, under the effect of hydrodynamic action, is still unclear.

The following research was based on the existing studies of the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) “Marine Sediment Re-suspension Flux in-situ Monitoring Techniques during the Storm Process” (No.2008AA09Z109), and funded by the project of National Nature Science Foundation Projects “Study on Consolidated Sediment Re-suspension and Transportation in the Yellow River Estuary” (Project Number, 40876042) and “The storm against erosion control and seabed liquefaction to the Yellow River Subaqueous Delta” (Project Number, 41072215). It aimed to not only study the dynamic change of bed sediment under the effect of hydrodynamic action, but also apply the in-situ and real-time antomatic monitoring system to estimate suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and provide a new way for the in-situ research of sea-bed sediment resuspension and transport processes.

The research showed that:the variation of the suspended sediment concentration in ebb cycle showed a good correlation with the tidal water level and the current velocity in this survey station,In general, suspended sediment concentration will increase during spring tides, but reduce in the ebb process in certain water depths.The seabed erosion and deposition is closely related to the near seabed flow velocity.Because the wind wave is big in this area, the vertical distribution of the suspended sediment concentration in the Yellow River delta is very asymmetric.