A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean

Details A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean

Oct 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3619603c&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 19, CiteID L19603

Physics

Geophysics

2

Cryosphere: Rivers (0483, 1856), Hydrology: Human Impacts, Geodesy And Gravity: Mass Balance (0762, 1223, 1631, 1836, 1843, 3010, 3322, 4532), Geodesy And Gravity: Ocean/Earth/Atmosphere/Hydrosphere/Cryosphere Interactions (0762, 1218, 3319, 4550), History Of Geophysics: Hydrology

Scientific paper

Major rivers with high sediment or water discharge act as natural integrators of surficial processes, including human activities within their drainage basins, and they are also the primary sources of terrestrial materials entering the ocean. The river-derived materials flux entering the coastal oceans, however, has been strongly affected by anthropogenic activities. Recent studies related to human impacts on river sediment flux have mainly focused on qualitative descriptions. Here we present a quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from nine major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean, including Changjiang (Yangtze), Huanghe (Yellow), Zhujiang (Pearl), Songhuajiang, Liaohe, Haihe, Huaihe, Qiantangjiang, and Minjiang. During 1959-2007, dams and reservoirs, soil and water conservation programs, water consumption, as well as sand mining decreased the amount of sediment delivered to the ocean by 28, 11.5, 7.5 and 3 gigatons (Gt), respectively. If combined (50 Gt for the period 1959-2007), this reduction was close to the total decreased sediment flux (43 Gt) measured from these nine major rivers over the same period. Besides, the temporal variations in water and sediment fluxes into the ocean from these rivers generally during 1953-2007 were presented. These results are useful for further studies on Chinese and even global river-derived material flux to the ocean and associated ecological risks.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A quantitative assessment of human impacts on decrease in sediment flux from major Chinese rivers entering the western Pacific Ocean will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1513143