The sediment-starved Yellow River Delta as remotely controlled by human activities in the river basin

Abstract:

Human presented significant disturbances on the natural processes of land-ocean interactions in context of global change. Here we illustrate how the signals of human activities in the river basin have been transferred to the coastal ocean along the hydrological pathway and remotely controlled the Yellow River Delta. Dam-orientated water and sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) has resulted in effective erosion of the lower channel and mitigation of siltation within the reservoirs. However, significant impacts have been identified on the delta morphology and coastal ecosystem ten years after the WSRS, which was unexpected at the beginning of engineering efforts. The coarser sediment derived from the channel erosion during the first phase of WSRS was directly contributed to the rapid accretion of present river mouth, whereas the delta was starved and declined due to insufficient sediment supply and regime shift of sediment transport. The fine-grained sediment exported from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir during the second phase of WSRS seemed to be a critical carrier for the nutrients and pollutants. The human-altered hydrological cycle, enhanced delivery of nutrient and pollutants and the changing estuarine environment present unpredictable impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem in the delta region. These confirm that humans are modifying the river-coast system in ways that go well beyond climate change, and an integrated management of the river-coast continuum is crucially important for the sustainability of the river-delta system.