Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecss

Sediment transport in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

L.X. Dong a, W.B. Guan a, *, Q. Chen a, X.H. Li a, b, X.H. Liu a, X.M. Zeng a
a
b

State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, PR China

a r t i c l e i n f o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 19 April 2010
Accepted 3 April 2011
Available online 20 April 2011

Eight survey cruises in different seasons have been conducted in the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea
(ECS) during the period from 2000 to 2008. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and hydrological
data were collected during each cruise. Data analysis showed that total suspended sediment mass was
approximately 0.18
109 tons in the surveyed area during spring and autumn seasons. Highly turbid
waters were found in the shallow waters between the Subei coast, the Changjiang estuary and the
Zhejiang coast with seasonal variations.
The investigation provided convincing evidence that suspended sediments were transported from the
Subei coast and the southern entrance of the Yellow Sea Trough to the central YS. Muddy patches were
found at the sea bed when tidal currents were too weak to erode the bottom sediments and water
column stratication and eddies provided favorable conditions for trapping the ne-grained suspended
sediments.
The investigation indicated that the different front may have different effect on sediment transport
during different seasons. The front between the Yellow Sea Cold Water and the coastal water in the Subei
coast appeared to trap the high SSC sediments on the shallow water side of the front. During summer, the
front along the Zhejiang coast seemed to prevent suspended sediments from transport across the front
due to circulation in the front zone and upwelling along the Zhejiang coast. During winter, sediments
were likely transported across the front to the central continental shelf of the ECS with the help of the
downwelling and lateral Ekman transport driven by monsoon winds.
2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
suspended sediment transport
Yellow Sea
East China Sea
front

1. Introduction
The Yellow Sea (YS) and the East China Sea (ECS) are part of the
western Pacic marginal sea (Fig. 1). The YS between China and the
Korea peninsula is a semi-enclosed sea with a mean depth of 44 m.
A north-south oriented deep trough named the Yellow Sea Trough
is located in the YS with a depth of 60e80 m and it gradually
becomes shallower from south to north.
The ECS is connected to the YS at the north, and is linked to the
western pacic at the southeast by the Okinawa Trough and Ryukyu
Islands. It is one of the developed shelf seas in the world with
a broad continental shelf of approximately 640 km and a mean
depth of 72 m (Fig. 1). The Zhejiang coast lies to the south of the
Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary. It connects to the continental
shelf at the water depth of 50e60 m. The YS and the ECS receive
0.2
1010 t/a sediments supplied mainly by the Changjiang River
(0.48
109 t/a; Milliman and Meade, 1983), the Yellow River

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: gwb@sio.org.cn (W.B. Guan).
0272-7714/$ e see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2011.04.003

(0.11
1010 t/a; Milliman and Meade, 1983; Saito and Yang, 1995)
and the erosion of the old Yellow River mouth (0.5
109 t/a; Saito
and Yang, 1995). The importance of sediment transport in the
YS and the ECS for global material cycling has been demonstrated by
extensive studies on sediment distribution and transport in these
areas. It is not only because of the huge amount of sediments
existing there, but also because of the potential impact on one of the
most important shing grounds and the rapidly increasing pollution
pressure on the marine ecosystem (Milliman and Meade, 1983;
Deng and Yang, 1993; Zhang, 1995; Hong et al., 1997; Wu et al.,
2001; Ma et al., 2001; Li, 2008). Studies of sediment transport in
the YS and the ECS started in the 1930s (Shepard, 1932). Since the
National Comprehensive Investigation for Marine Resources was
initiated in 1958 by China, many studies have been published (Niino
and Emery, 1961; Milliman and Meade, 1983; Xie et al., 1983;
Sternberg et al., 1985; Qin and Zhao, 1986; Yang et al., 1991; Jin,
1992; Deng and Yang, 1993; Zhang, 1995; Yanagi et al., 1996; Hong
et al., 1997; Ma et al., 2001; Wu et al., 2001; Iseki et al., 2003; Lim
et al., 2006; Xu et al., 2009a; Shi and Wang, 2010). Studies conducted in the YS and the ECS include satellite data analysis,
numerical modeling and oceanographic in-situ measurements

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

249

Fig. 1. Topography and bathymetry for the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

(Milliman et al., 1986; Dong et al., 1989; Yanagi et al., 1996; Lee et al.,
2000; Hoshika et al., 2003; Liu et al., 2006, 2007; Li, 2008; Huang
et al., 2010). However, due to the complexity of sediment transport patterns and processes in the YS and the ECS, published studies

differ in their opinions of sediment transport mechanisms and are

often lack of detailed data to support their hypothesis.
The objective of this study is to present the survey results using
data sets measured in eight cruises during years 2000e2008 and to

Table 1
Cruise information.
Cruise No.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Date

Survey station in gure

Mean Wind

Start

End

Speed (m/s)

Direction

19 Oct. 2000
26 Mar. 2001
11 Sep. 2002
26 Nov. 2006
24 Feb. 2007
6 May 2007
6 May 2008
13 Jun. 2008

29 Nov. 2000
23 Apr. 2001
23 Sep. 2002
2 Jan. 2007
10 Mar. 2007
14 May 2007
14 May 2008
23 Jun. 2008

6.34
2.05
4.97
5.41
3.38
1.34
3.03
5.08

NNE
NNE
NNE
NNE
NEN
SSE
ENE
SSW

Note: Mean wind is the spatial and temporal vector averaged result calculated using the NCEP data.

Fig. 2a
Fig. 2a
Fig. 2b
AeD in Fig. 2c
E1eE6 in Fig. 2c
Fig. 2d
Fig. 2d
Fig. 2d

250

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

provide more in depth analysis and insight into the sediment

transport processes in the study area.
2. Field observation
Table 1 lists eight cruises during the period from 2000 to
2008. Hydrological data and water samples were collected
during each cruise. Vertical current proles were obtained
using RDIAcoustic Doppler Current Prolers (ADCP) with a 300

and78-kHz transducers installed in vessel. Proles of salinity,

temperature, turbidity and depth were measured using ConductivityeTemperatureeDepth instruments (CTD; SBE19 CTD or
SBE911 CTD). Water samples were collected using Niskin water
sampler at four to six vertical levels at each station. Each sample
contained 0.2e5 l sea water depending on turbidity. The samples
were frozen on board and ltered onto pre-weighed 0.45 mm
lter and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) was calculated in laboratory analysis.

Fig. 2. Sampling and observation stations for: (a) stations for Cruise no.1 (19 Octobere29 November 2000)and Cruise no.2 (26 Marche23 April 2001); (b) stations for Cruise no.3
(11e23 September 2002); (c) stations for Cruise no.4 (26 November 2006e2 January 2007) and Cruise no.5 (sections E1eE6, 24 Februarye10 March 2007); (d) stations for Cruise
no.6 (6e14 May 2007), Cruises no.7 (6e14 May 2008) and no.8 (13e23 June 2008); and (e) two anchored station located at S5-2 and S5-3 for cruise no.7 and no.8.

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

251

Fig. 3. SSC distribution in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea (mg/l). (a) SSC in the surface layer during Cruise no.1 (19 Octobere29 November 2000), (b) SSC in the bottom layer
during Cruise no.1, (c) SSC in the surface layer during Cruise no.2 (26 Mache23 April 2001), (d) SSC in the bottom layer during Cruise no.2.

252

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Table 2
SSC statistics in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea (mg/l).
South Yellow Sea

East China Sea

D < 60 m

D > 60 m

Total

Data set

D < 60 m

Total

Data set

16.76
13.50
26.12

5.31
4.01
4.89

13.4
10.1
19.6

Transect A
to E in
Cruise no. 2
(Fig. 2a)

12.66
23.59
52.36

3.54
3.25
7.40

7.4
13.2
34.9

6.0
15.8
30.1
7.4
8.2
39.6

2.45
2.60
21.8
4.02
3.39
5.59

4.43
10.00
26.43
4.3
3.8
8.6

Transect F to J of
Cruise no.2 (Fig. 2a),
Data observed in
Cruise no. 6 and no.7
(Fig. 2d)
Data observed in
Cruise no.8
Fig. 2d)
Section F to J in cruise no.1
(Fig. 2a)

28.49
39.91
57.89

3.71
3.25
4.19

Spring
(Mar.eMay)

S
M
B

Summer
(Jun.eAug.)

S
M
B
S
M
B

9.5
11.2
45.1

5.0
3.8
9.6

9.5
11.2
45.1

S
M
B

13.5
18.1
30.3

2.8
3.0
8.1

9.2
12.1
21.3

Autumn
(Sep.eNov.)

Winter
(Dec.eFeb.)

Transect A
to E in
Cruise no.1
(Fig. 2a)
Transect A
to D in
Cruise no.4
(Fig. 2c)

D > 60 m

10.2
13.0
18.3

Transect E1 to E6 in
Cruise no.4 (Fig. 2c)

Note: S is surface, M is middle and B is bottom.

The rst two cruises were conducted using the Beidou research
vessel in the autumn of 2000 and the spring of 2001 (Table 1 and
Fig. 2a). The remaining cruises were carried on with Dongfanghong
2 research vessel (Fig. 2bed).

bottom layers. The Subei coast is the old Yellow River e Changjiang
River complex delta. The Yellow River emptied into the YS via the
old Yellow River mouth in Subei for more than 700 years from 1128
to 1855 (Lu et al., 2007). Large amount of sediments brought by the
old Yellow River had accumulated in the delta and provided rich
materials ready for resuspension under strong tidal currents (Qin
and Li, 1983; Zhang et al., 2001). Two other turbid waters were
found located in the Changjiang estuary and central YS (centered at
123 E, 35 N) with SSC higher than 50 mg/l and 20 mg/l in the
bottom layer, respectively.
In the spring 2001 cruise, the highest SSC was more than
150 mg/l in both surface and bottom layers of Subei coast. Another
turbid water with SSC more than 20 mg/l was found in the
southwest of Cheju Island, where the sea bed sediments were
composed of ne-grained sediments (Fig. 3ced). Suspended sediments spread farther offshore in spring than in autumn. The SSC
isolines of 5e10 mg/l reached the central YS in the surface layer.
The 50e60 m isobaths separate the deep water from the
shallow water in both the YS and the ECS (Fig. 1). Statistics of the
SSC were calculated for both the shallow water (depth < 60 m)
and the deep water (depth  60 m). The results showed that the
mean SSC in the shallow water was much higher than that in the
deep water (Table 2). However, the timing of the high mean SSC
was different in the YS from that in the ECS. The high mean SSC in
the shallow water was found in autumn and winter for the YS,
while high mean SSC in the ECS was found in spring and winter.
This was likely due to the effect of East Asia Monsoon winds
prevailing in the YS and ECS. The monsoon winds are, in general,
northerly from September to the following April in the study area.
The strongest wind occurs in winter, with a mean speed of 6e7 m/
s in the northern part of the YS, 8e9 m/s in the southern part of
the YS and 9e10 m/s in the ECS. The summer monsoon winds are
mainly southerly from April to September but much weaker than

3. Observed results
3.1. Total mass of suspended sediment
Cruises no.1 and no.2 were conducted in the autumn of 2000
and the spring of 2001, respectively. Each cruise surveyed 10
transects which were perpendicular to the isobaths. Most areas of
the southern YS and ECS were covered in these two cruises (Fig. 2a).
A linear interpolation method was used to calculate total suspended sediment mass in the study area. The results showed that
the total mass of suspended sediment in the southern YS and the
ECS were 0.17
109 tons, 0.18
109 tons in spring and autumn
season, respectively. Since the area near the Korea Peninsula in the
southern YS was not included in the survey, the actual total mass of
suspended sediment in the entire southern YS and ECS should be
more than the amounts stated above. This total mass of suspended
sediment in the area was roughly one-third of the annual sediment
loading from the Changjiang River (0.48
109 t/a; Milliman and
Meade, 1983).
3.2. SSC distribution and seasonal variation
The horizontal distribution of SSC bore similarities for the spring
and autumn seasons. The highest SSC was located at the Subei
coast. In the cruise of autumn 2000, the highest SSC in surface and
bottom layers reached approximately 50 mg/l and 250 mg/l,
respectively (Fig. 3aeb). The 10 mg/l contour was spreading out to
the entire shallow waters (depth < 60 m) in both surface and
Table 3
Residual currents and net suspended sediment transport rate during September 2002.
Station

E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6

Position

Subsurface layer

Longitude ( )

Latitude ( )

121.03
123.10
124.00
122.67
122.63
125.00

35.00
34.50
32.50
30.99
29.00
29.64

Residual Current

Bottom layer
Transport rate

Depth (m)

Residual Current

Transport rate

Speed (cm/s)

Direction ( )

Rate (g/m2/s)

Direction ( )

Speed (cm/s)

Direction ( )

Rate (g/m2/s)

Direction ( )

4.5
4.8
3.6
18.9
9.2
7.5

5
25
40
144
219
52

0.10
0.01
1.30
6.47
0.23
0.10

44
62
48
178
222
58

2.7
0.4
4.0
0.3
2.3
3.4

322
263
7
230
19
4

0.03
0.10
2.09
0.46
0.18
0.02

138
286
41
211
33
7

38
77
41
22
65
87

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

that in winter. The mean wind speeds in summer are 4e6 m/s in
the YS and 5e6 m/s in the ECS (Feng et al., 1999). High winds
generate strong waves and enhance water mixing. In the YS, the
wave height reaches 2e6 m frequently in the autumn and winter
season. In summer wave height is only 0.4e1.2 m due to the
weaker wind. In the ECS, the waves are stronger in winter, from
October to the following February, with the monthly mean wave
height reaching 1.1e1.3 m. Waves are weaker from April to June,
with a wave height of 0.9 m (Huang, 1994). One would expect high
SSC in the shallow waters of the ECS during the winter season due
to sediment resuspension induced by stronger waves. But the
observation showed that the mean SSC in the shallow waters of
the ECS was also high in spring (see Table 2), when the waves
were not strong. This was probably because of the sediment
transport along the Zhejiang coast: the Changjiang plume turns
southwards when it runs out of the estuary mouth in winter and
early spring; sediments discharged from the Changjiang estuary
are transported into and accumulated in the coastal waters along

253

the Zhejiang coast (Xie et al., 1983; Xu et al., 2009a) and result in
higher SSC during any wave-induced sediment resuspension
events in spring.
3.3. Sediment transport rate
!
!
The residual currents R and the net sediment transport rates S
are calculated using the daily anchored data measured during
September 2002 and the equations below:

!
1
R
T

ZT
0

!
v dt

!
1
S
T

ZT

c!
v dt

where T is the tidal period, c is SSC, and !

v is the horizontal current
velocity. Tidal currents are dominated by M2 component in the YS
and the ECS. The observation in an anchored station lasted 25 h.
Let T 24.82 h, i.e., two cycles of the M2 tidal component.

Fig. 4. Distribution of (a) temperature ( C), (b) salinity (psu) and (d) SSC (mg/l) along Transect A during Cruise no.3 (September 2002).

254

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Fig. 5. Measured currents speed (top panel, m/s), SSC (middle panel, mg/l) and temperature (bottom panel, oC) at Station E2 during Cruise no.3 during the period of 11e23
September 2002. H is the height (m) above the bottom. Time is in hours beginning 12:00 of 25 September 2002.

!
!
R and S are calculated at the subsurface layer (i.e. the level of
0.2 H, where H is the total water depth) and the bottom layer, as the
current velocity data measured by ADCP were not considered of
good quality at sea surface.
The results showed that the residual current directions were
similar to those of the suspended sediment transport at the
subsurface and bottom layers of all stations except at the bottom
layer of station E1 (Table 3). There appeared to be large net transport rate at stations E3 and E4 (see Fig. 2b). Station E3 was located
between the Changjiang estuary and the Cheju Island. The salinity
and temperature varied in a range of 30.3e30.6 psu and
24.5e25.1  C respectively in the water column from 3 m below the
surface to the bottom. The low salinity (20.3e30.5 psu) could only
be found in the surface layer. These water properties showed that
values of both the salinity and temperature were between those in
the Changjiang estuary and its adjacent continental shelf, which
would mean that the water at station E3 was a mixture of Changjiang plume and the continental shelf water. Previous studies have
demonstrated that the Subei coastal water could be another source
of contribution to the waters in this area (Yuan et al., 1982;
Beardsley et al., 1985). The suspended sediments were mainly
come from the Changjiang River and the Subei coast (Xie et al.,
1983; Sun et al., 2000). The residual currents and the net

suspended sediment transport uxes indicated that water mass

and suspended sediments were transported toward the southern
entrance of the Yellow Sea Trough.
Station E4 was located at the outer edge of the Changjiang
plume with a salinity range from 24.0 to 31.4 psu and a temperature
range from 25.0 to 25.6  C. The residual currents and suspended
sediment transport were southeastwards in the subsurface layer
and northwestwards in the bottom layer. The two-layer ow is the
typical estuary circulation near the plume front (Chao and Boicourt,
1986). Similarly, the two-layer residual currents and associated
suspended sediment transport at station E5 were the buoyancydriven near the low salinity water bulge (Chao and Boicourt, 1986).
4. Discussion
4.1. Effect of the tidal front off the Subei coast
A high SSC area in the front zone was identied during the trip
of Cruise no.3 (Oct. 2002; Fig. 4; see Fig. 2b for the section position).
This nding conrmed high SSC area found in the front zone in
spring and autumn by previously published reports (Yang et al.,
1991; Guo et al., 1999). The concurrently measured CTD data
showed that the water column was slightly stratied from station

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

A1 to station A5, with water temperature higher than 22  C and

salinity less than 31.5 psu. But the water column was stratied from
station A7 to station A9 with a thermocline located at depths of
15e25 m below the water surface. Salinity and temperature above
the thermocline were the same as those in the transect from station
A1 to station A5. The water temperature was homogeneous below
the thermocline with a temperature of 11  C. When the thermocline intersected with the sea bottom, a front formed between
station A6 and station A7 (Fig. 4). Previous studies in the YS show
that this is a tidal front that tends to occur in the period from later
spring to autumn (Zhao, 1987; Xu et al., 2000; Huang et al., 2010). It
is well known that front inhibits the mass exchanges between its
two sides. High SSC can often be found in many estuary plume front
zone (Kineke and Sternberg, 1995; Li et al., 2001; Geyer et al.,
2004a). As shown in Fig. 4, this front is where the shallow coastal
water met the Yellow Sea Cold Water in the Yellow Sea Trough.
There is a strong coastal current on the shallow side of the front
(Yuan et al., 1982; Su, 1998), it passes through the high SSC Subei
coast and carries a huge amount of suspended sediments to the
north of ECS. The suspended sediments are trapped in the bottom
of the front and a high SSC layer is formed.
4.2. Sediment dynamics in the central YS
There are isolated muddy patches in the central part of the YS,
located in the area between 33.5 and 36.5 N (Hu, 1984; Park and
Khim, 1992; Yang et al., 2003). The leading mechanism of the
muddy patches is particularly interesting in the study of sediment
dynamics in the YS. Some studies suggest that the weak tidal
currents are mainly responsible for the ne-grained sediment
deposition and formation of the muddy patches (Dong et al., 1989;
Gao et al., 1996). Other studies argue that the major dynamic factor
should be the eddies and associated upwelling (Hu, 1984; Pang and
Hu, 2002; Shi et al., 2003).
In the September 2002 cruise, hydrological data and SSC measured
at Station E2 located in the central YS for two tidal cycles near spring
tide showed that tidal currents there were weak (Fig. 2b). The

255

maximum measured current speed was less than 45 cm/s in the upper
layer and about 10 cm/s (Fig. 5) at the bottom layer. Although the
observation was near spring tide, the mean current speed was only
19 cm/s in the water column from 21 m below the water surface to the
bottom. The observed SSC data showed that the mean SSC was 4.4 mg/
l. The SSC isolines run horizontally with little variations near the
bottom. It was evident that tidal currents were too weak to erode the
bottom sediment. Similar ndings were reported by previous analyses (Dong et al., 1989; Gao et al., 1996).
The CTD data showed salinity was almost vertically homogeneous ranging from 30.7 to 32.8 psu. But there was a thermocline
found at the middle depth of the water column. Temperatures were
homogeneous above and below the thermocline. The upper layer
was 26e28 m thick with a temperature of 23.5  C; while the lower
layer was 33 m thick with a temperature of 9.8  C (Fig. 5). Strong
water column stratication can inhibit turbulence development
and suppress resuspension of the bottom sediment.
The sediments deposited in the muddy patches likely come from
its surrounding waters. The Yellow Sea Warm Current ows
northwards intermittently along the Yellow Sea Trough in winter
(Yuan et al., 1982; Su, 1998; Xu et al., 2009b). It is believed that
suspended sediments are transported northwards by the Yellow
Sea Warm Current from the entrance (where the SSC is high) into
the central YS where the muddy patches are formed at the sea bed.
SSC contours from observation in spring show that suspended
sediments can spread from the Subei coast to the central YS (Fig. 3).
Sediments from both the Yellow River and the Korean peninsula
can be also transported to the central YS (Qin and Li, 1983; Martin
et al., 1993; Park et al., 2000). These sediments are probably
transported over a long distance before its arrival at central YS.
Some of the coarse-grained sediments will deposit before they can
reach the central YS because of weak tidal currents; only the negrained sediments can be transported by the currents to reach
the muddy patches. Turbulence is not well developed due to weak
tidal currents and water column stratication. This is favorable for
the ne-grained sediments to be trapped and deposited in the sea
bed in the presence of eddies.

Fig. 6. Depth-mean SSC (mg/l) in Changjiang estuary and adjacent shelf of the ECS for (a) June 2008 and (b) November 2006.

256

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Fig. 7. Temperature ( C), salinity (psu), density (kg/m3) and SSC (mg/l) distributions along Transect 5 for Cruise no.6 (13e14 May 2007, left panel) and along Transect 4 for Cruise
no.4 (10e11 December 2006, right panel).

4.3. Spreading of sediments in the ECS

The majority of sediments in the ECS are likely from the
discharge of the Changjiang River. The annual loading of sediments
is about 0.48
109 tons, half of which deposit and accumulate in
the Changjiang estuary (Shen and Pan, 2001; Liu et al., 2007). A
large part of the remaining half is likely transported southwards
along the Zhejiang coast and accumulated in the coast and its
adjacent inner shelf (Xie et al., 1983; Milliman et al., 1984; Shen
et al., 1993; Liu et al., 2007). It is suggested that coastal currents,
winter storms, waves, downwelling, tides and the northwardowing Taiwan Warm Current and its associated upwelling areimportant in trapping the sediments on the inner shelf and
transporting it to the south (Yang et al., 1992; Guo et al., 2002, 2003;
Liu et al., 2006, 2007).
Seasonal variation of SSC in the Changjiang estuary and the ECS
were clearly evident from this survey study (Table 2). During the
summer cruise (no. 8, conducted in June 2008), the mean SSC was
10 mg/l in the Changjiang estuary and Zhejiang coast (Fig. 6a; see
Fig. 2d for survey stations). The high SSC waters were observed near
the Changjiang estuary. During the winter cruise (no.4) from
November to December 2006 (survey station Fig. 2c), the mean SSC
was 34 mg/l in the same area (Fig. 6b), more than three times of
that observed during the summer. The high value area was in the
Zhejiang coastal area (near 28 N) and the highest depth-mean SSC
was more than 200 mg/l.
There is a signicant seasonal variability in the sediment uxes
from the Changjiang River: as much as 87% of the annual loading

occurs during the period from June to September. The peak loading
rate, roughly 22% of the annual rate occurs in the month of July. The
remaining 13% of the sediment loading occurs during the period
from November to the following April. The lowest loading rate,
about 0.2% of the annual rate occurs in February. Evidently, the
higher SSC observed in winter may not be caused by the latest
discharged sediments from the Changjiang River. It is more likely
the mixture of the recent discharged sediments from the Changjiang River and sediments resuspended from the sea bed which has
already accumulated in the estuarine delta (Xie et al., 1983;
Milliman et al., 1984; DeMaster et al., 1985; Shen and Pan, 2001).
The East Asian monsoon is another factor in the observed seasonality. The monsoon causes northerly winds during winter and
southerly winds during summer. Correspondingly, the Changjiang
plume turns to right and travels along the Zhejiang coast in winter,
whereas it turns to the left and spreads northeastwards in summer
(Mao et al., 1963). Observations show that a front exists along the
Zhejiang coast between the low salinity coastal water and the high
salinity shelf sea water. In spring and summer, water column
stratication is caused by temperature in the continental shelf and
by salinity in the Zhejiang coastal area. The low salinity water
spreads further offshore in the surface than near the bottom
probably because of the southerly winds (Geyer et al., 2004b). The
measured residual currents during cruise no.7 (May 2008) and no.8
(June 2008) indicated that suspended sediment was trapped on the
shallower side of the front. The SSC was reduced to 5 mg/l on the
offshore side of the front even in the bottom water (Fig. 7). An
upwelling resulted from the southerly monsoon winds and the

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Taiwan Warm Current (Pan et al., 1985; Liang and Su, 1994) may
develop in the front zone in summer. The upwelling prevents
suspended sediments from spreading across the front (Liu et al.,
2006, 2007).
In the winter, the coastal front still exists. The water column in
the front zone and its inshore side is well mixed due to strong
winds and associated waves. Suspended sediments are more or less
homogeneous across the front from the shallow side of the front to
the deep waters in the continental shelf. The turbid water with SSC
higher than 10 mg/l can reach 100 km off the shoreline or even
further to the outer shelf of the ECS. Downwelling caused by
northerly winds along the Zhejiang coast combined with lateral
Ekman transport is probably responsible for sediment spreading
across the front and transport to the continental shelf (Liu et al.,
2006, 2007). The Taiwan Warm Current owing northwards on
the deeper side of the front along the 50e100 m isobaths even
under the strong northerly winds (Su, 1998) may transport the
sediments northward to the continental shelf.
5. Conclusion and summary
The eld investigations conducted in 8 cruises in different
seasons during 2000e2008 showed that the total suspended
sediment masses were about 0.18
109 tons in the southern YS and
ECS in both spring and autumn seasons, which was roughly onethird of the annual sediment loading of the Changjiang River.
There were high SSC areas located at the Subei coast and the
Changjiang estuary year around. Another high SSC area was located
at the Zhejiang coast, near 28 N during winter.
The muddy patches were present on the sea bed of the central
YS where the water depth is more than 70 m. The observed SSC
distribution suggested that suspended sediments spread from the
Subei coast and the southern entrance of the Yellow Sea Trough to
the continental shelf. Concurrently measured currents and SSC
indicated that the tidal currents were so weak that only negrained sediments could reach the central YS and deposit at the
bottom where weak currents helped by water column stratication
that inhibited turbulence development and prevented sediments
from being easily resuspended. Beside tidal currents, residual
circulation (Yellow Sea Warm Current and Eddies in the YS) was
found to be an important dynamic factor for sediment transport to
the central YS.
This study conrmed previous reports that a front is present
near the slope between the coast and the continental shelf in the
southern YS and the ECS. Mechanism for sediment transport across
the front was found to vary from season to season. The front in the
southern YS likely trapped high SSC at the bottom area of the front
in the autumn when the Yellow Sea Cold Water was present. Along
the Zhejiang coast, sediments were retained on the shallow side of
the front helped by the circulations in frontal zone in summer. In
winter, observations showed that sediments were continuously
distributed from the shallow side of the front to the central continental shelf. It is suggested that sediments were transported across
the front by the combination of downwelling and Ekman lateral
transport driven by the strong northerly winds.
Acknowledgments
This study was carried out within the framework of the National
Basic Research Program of China (grants 2010CB428704 and
2006CB400602). It was also jointly supported by the 908 Program
of China (grant 02-01-04), the Marine Science Foundation for
Young Scientists, SOA (grant 2009226) and the scientic research
fund of the Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA (grants JT1007
and JT701). We thank Dr. Detong Sun from South Florida Water

257

Management District for suggestions and language improvements

on this manuscript. Special thanks to all the crew of Beidou and
Dongfanghong 2 and all other people who made this study
possible. Finally, we thank the anonymous reviewers for their
valuable comments.
References
Beardsley, R.C., Limeburner, R., Yu, H., Cannon, G.A., 1985. Discharge of the
Changjiang into the East China Sea. Continental Shelf Research 4, 57e76.
Chao, S.Y., Boicourt, W.C., 1986. Onset of estuary plume. Journal of Physical
Oceanography 16, 2137e2149.
DeMaster, D.J., McKee, B.A., Nittrouer, C.A., Qian, J., Cheng, G., 1985. Rates of sediment accumulation and particle reworking based on radiochemical measurements from continental shelf deposits in the East China Sea. Continental Shelf
Research 4 (1e2), 143e158.
Deng, J.Y., Yang, C.H., 1993. Marine shery. In: Tseng, C.K., Zhou, H.O., Li, B.C. (Eds.),
Marine Science Study and Its Prospect in China. Qingdao Publishing House,
Qingdao, China, pp. 681e688 (in Chinese).
Dong, L.X., Su, J.L., Wang, K.S., 1989. Tide current in the Yellow Sea and its relationship with sediment transport. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 11, 102e114.
Feng, S.Z., Li, F.Q., Li, S.Q., 1999. Ocean Science Introduction. Higher Education Press,
Beijing. 503 p. (in Chinese).
Gao, S., Park, Y.A., Zhao, Y.Y., Qin, Y.S., Lee, C.B., Zhao, Y.Y., 1996. Transport and
resuspension of ne-grained sediments over the southeastern Yellow Sea. In:
Proceedings of the Korean e China international seminar on Holocene and late
Pleistocene environments in the Yellow Sea Basin. Seoul National University,
Seoul, Korea, pp. 83e98.
Geyer, W.R., Hill, P.S., Kineke, G.C., 2004a. The transport, transformation and
dispersal of sediment by buoyant coastal ows. Continental Shelf Research 24
(7e8), 927e949.
Geyer, W.R., Signell, R.P., Fong, D.A., Wang, J., Anderson, D., Keafer, B., 2004b. The
freshwater transport and dynamics of the western Maine coastal current.
Continental Shelf Research 24 (12), 1339e1357.
Guo, Z.G., Yang, Z.S., Fan, D.J., Pan, Y.J., 2003. Seasonal sedimentary effect on the
Changjiang Estuary mud area. Acta Geographica Sinica 58 (4), 591e597 (in
Chinese, with English Summary).
Guo, Z.G., Yang, Z.S., Lei, K., Qu, Y.H., Fan, D.J., 1999. Seasonal variation of the
sedimentary dynamic processes for the mud area in the northern East China
Sea. Journal of Ocean University of Qingdao 29 (3), 507e513 (in Chinese).
Guo, Z.G., Yang, Z.S., Zhang, D.Q., Fan, D.J., Lei, K., 2002. Seasonal distribution of
suspended matter in the northern East China Sea and barrier effect of current
circulation on its transport. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 24 (5), 71e80 (in Chinese,
with English Summary).
Hong, G.H., Kim, S.H., Chung, C.S., 1997. Contamination in the Yellow Sea proper:
a review. Oceanography Resource 19, 55e62 (in Korean).
Hoshika, A., Tanimoto, T., Mishima, Y., Iseki, K., Okamura, K., 2003. Variation of
turbidity and particle transport in the bottom layer of the East China Sea. DeepSea Research II 50, 443e455.
Hu, D.X., 1984. Upwelling and sedimentation dynamics I. The role of upwelling in
sedimentation in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Chinese Journal of
Oceanology and Limnology 2 (1), 12e19.
Huang, D., Zhang, T., Zhou, F., 2010. Sea-surface temperature fronts in the Yellow
and East China Seas from TRMM microwave imager data. Deep Sea Research
Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 57 (11e12), 1017e1024.
Huang, S.S., 1994. Pricipal characteristics of the waves in the Nanji island. Marine
Science Bulletin 13 (4), 10e19 (in Chinese).
Iseki, K., Okamura, K., Kiyomoto, Y., 2003. Seasonality and composition of downward particulate uxes at the continental shelf and Okinawa Trough in the East
China Sea. Deep Sea Research II 50, 457e473.
Jin, X.L., 1992. Marine Geology of the East China Sea. China Ocean Press, Beijing.
pp. 1e57, 185e219 (in Chinese).
Kineke, G.C., Sternberg, R.W., 1995. Distribution of uid muds on the Amazon
continental shelf. Marine Geology 125, 193e233.
Lee, H.J., Jung, K.T., Foreman, M.G.G., Chung, J.Y., 2000. A three-dimensional mixed
nite-difference Galerkin function model for the oceanic circulation in the
Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Continental Shelf Research 20, 863e895.
Li, J., He, Q., Xiang, W., Wan, X., Shen, H., 2001. Fluid mud transportation at water
wedge in the Changjiang estuary. Science in China, Series B: Chemistry 44, 54e56.
Li, J.B., 2008. Regional Geology in East China Sea. Ocean Press, Beijing. pp.631 (in
Chinese).
Liang, X.S., Su, J.L., 1994. A two layer numerical circulation in the East China Sea.
Donghai Haiyang 12 (1), 1e20 (in Chinese).
Lim, D.I., Jung, H.S., Choi, J.Y., Yang, S., Ahn, K.S., 2006. Geochemical compositions of
river and shelf sediments in the Yellow Sea: grain-size normalization and
sediment provenance. Continental Shelf Research 26, 15e24.
Liu, J.P., Li, A.C., Xu, K.H., Velozzi, D.M., Yang, Z.S., Milliman, J.D., DeMaster, D.J., 2006.
Sedimentary features of the Yangtze River-derived along-shelf clinoform
deposit in the East China Sea. Continental Shelf Research 26, 2141e2156.
Liu, J.P., Xu, K.H., Li, A.C., Milliman, J.D., Velozzi, D.M., Xiao, S.B., Yang, Z.S., 2007. Flux
and fate of Yangtze river sediment delivered to the East China Sea. Geomorphology 85, 208e224.

258

L.X. Dong et al. / Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93 (2011) 248e258

Lu, Y., Wang, S.M., Guo, H., 2007. Relationship between Huang-Huai Rivers landmaking and ood in Subei in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Journal of Nanjing
Agricultural University (Social Sciences Edition) 7 (2), 78e81 (in Chinese).
Ma, M., Feng, Z., Guan, C., Ma, Y., Xu, H., Li, H., 2001. DDT, PAH and PCB in sediments
from the intertidal zone of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Marine Pollution
Bulletin 42, 132e136.
Mao, H.L., Gan, Z.J., Lan, S.F., 1963. Preliminary study on the mixing and diffusion of
the Changjiang deluted water. Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 5, 183e206 (in
Chinese).
Martin, J.M., Zhang, J., Shi, M.C., Zhou, Q., 1993. Actual ux of the Huanghe (Yellow
River) sediment to the western Pacic Ocean. Netherlands Journal of Sea
Research 31, 243e254.
Milliman, J.D., Meade, R.H., 1983. World-wide delivery of river sediment to the
oceans. The Journal of Geology 91 (1), 1e21.
Milliman, J.D., Hsueh, Y., Hu, D.X., Pashinski, D.J., Shen, H., Yang, Z., Hackern, P., 1984.
Tidal phase control of sediment discharge from the Yangtze. Estuary and
Coastal Shelf Science 19, 119e128.
Milliman, J.D., Li, F., Zhao, Y.Y., Zheng, T.M., 1986. Suspended matter regime in the
Yellow Sea. Progress in Oceanography 17, 215e227.
Niino, H., Emery, K.O., 1961. The sediments of shallow position of South and East
China Sea. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 72, 731e762.
Pan, Y.Q., Xu, D.Y., Xu, J.P., 1985. The structure, variation and dynamics of the front in
the Zhejiang costal upwelling zone. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 7 (4), 401e411 (in
Chinese).
Pang, C.G., Hu, D.X., 2002. Upwelling and sedimentation dynamics III: coincidence
of upwelling and areas with muddy patches in north hemisphere shelf seas.
Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology 20 (2), l01e106.
Park, S.C., Lee, H.H., Han, H.S., Lee, G.H., Kim, D.C., Yoo, D.G., 2000. Evolution of late
Quaternary mud deposits and recent sediment budget in the southeastern
Yellow Sea. Marine Geology 170, 271e288.
Park, Y.A., Khim, B.K., 1992. Origin and dispersal of recent clay minerals in the
Yellow Sea. Marine Geology 104, 205e213.
Qin, Y.S., Zhao, S.L., 1986. A sedimentary model of China shelf sea and the problem
of shelf transgressions since late Pleistocene. In: Chinas Sea Level Change
(International Geological Correlation Programme Project No. 200 China
Working Group. China Ocean Press, Beijing, pp. 1e32. 65e99 (in Chinese).
Qin, Y.S., Li, F., 1983. Study of inuence of sediment loads discharged from Huanhe
river on sedimentation in Bohai Sea and Huanghai Sea. In: Proceedings of
International Symposium on Sedimentation on the Continental Shelf, with
special reference to the East China Sea, 1. China Ocean Press, pp. 91e101.
Saito, Y., Yang, Z., Tsunogai, S., 1995. Historical change of the Huanghe (Yellow
River) and its impact on the sediment budget of the East China Sea. In:
Proceedings of the 1994 Sapporo IGBP Symposium. Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, pp. 7e12.
Shen, H., Li, J., Zhu, H., Han, M., Zhou, F., 1993. Transport of the suspended sediment
in the Changjiang Estuary. International Journal of Sediment Research 7, 45e63.
Shen, H.T., Pan, D., 2001. Turbidity maximum in the Changjiang estuary. China
Ocean Press, Beijing (in Chinese)28e29.
Shepard, F.P., 1932. Sediment of continental shelves. Bulletin of the Geological
Society of America 43, 1017e1040.

Shi, X.F., Shen, S.X., Yi, H.I., Chen, Z.H., Meng, Y., 2003. Modern sedimentary environments and dynamic depositional systems in the southern Yellow Sea.
Chinese Science Bulletin 48 (Supp. 17).
Shi, W., Wang, M., 2010. Satellite observations of the seasonal sediment plume in
central East China Sea. Journal of Marine Systems 82 (4), 280e285.
Sternberg, R.W., Larsen, L.H., Miao, Y.T., 1985. Tidally driven sediment transport on
the East China Sea continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 4, 105e120.
Su, J.L., 1998. Circulation Dynamics of the China Seas North of 18 N. In:
Robinson, A.R., Brink, K. (Eds.), The Sea. The Global Coastal Ocean: Regional
Studies and Syntheses, vol. 11. John Wiley & Sons. Inc., pp. 483e506.
Sun, X.G., Fang, M., Huang, W., 2000. Spatial and temporal variations in suspended
particulate matter transport on the Yellow and East China Sea shelf. Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 31 (6), 581e587.
Wu, Y., Zhang, J., Mi, T.Z., Li, B., 2001. Occurrence of n-alkanes and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons in the core sediments of the Yellow Sea. Marine
Chemistry 76, 1e15.
Xie, Q.C., Zhang, L.R., Zhou, F.G., 1983. Features and transportation of suspended
matter over the continental shelf off the Changjiang Estuary. In: Proceedings of
International Symposium on Sedimentation on the Continental Shelf, With
special Reference to the East China Sea, 1. China Ocean Press, pp. 400e412.
Xu, D.F., Yuan, Y.C., Yoshioka, N., Yoshikawa, Y., 2000. Seasonal changes of circulation in the North Pacic by a MOM2 simulation. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 22,
52e63 (in Chinese).
Xu, K.H., Milliman, J.D., Li, A.C., Liu, J.P., Kao, S.J., Wan, S.M., 2009a. Yangtze- and
Taiwan-derived sediments on the inner shelf of East China Sea. Continental
Shelf Research 29 (18), 2240e2256.
Xu, L.L., Wu, D.X., Lin, X.P., Ma, C., 2009b. The study of the Yellow Sea Warm Current
and its seasonal variability. Journal of the Hydrodynamics 21 (2), 159e165.
Yanagi, T., Shimizu, T., Matsuno, T., 1996. Baroclinic eddies south of Cheju Island in
the East China Sea. Journal of Oceanography 52, 763e769.
Yang, Z.S., Guo, Z.G., Wang, Z.X., 1992. Basic pattern of transport of suspended
matter from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea to the eastern deep seas. Acta
Oceanologica Sinica 14 (2), 81e90 (in Chinese, with English summary).
Yang, Z.S., Guo, Z.G., Wang, Z.X., Xu, J.P., Gao, W.B., 1991. Suspended matter in the
Huanghai Sea and East China Sea: its contents, distribution, relation to the
water masses and factors of inuence. Journal of Ocean University of Qingdao
21 (3), 55e569 (in Chinese).
Yang, S.Y., Jung, H.S., Lim, D.I., Li, C.X., 2003. A review on the provenance discrimination of the Yellow Sea sediments. Earth Science Reviews 63 (1e2), 93e120.
Yuan, Y.C., Su, J.L., Zhao, J.S., 1982. A single layer model of the continental shelf
circulation on the northwest shelf of the East China Sea. La Mer 20, 131e135.
Zhang, D.S., Zhang, J.L., Zhang, C.K., 2001. Dynamic Environment in Radiate Sand
Wave of the Yellow Sea. In: Ying, Wang (Ed.), Radiate Sand Waves in the
Yellow Sea Shelf. China Environmental Science Press, Beijing, pp. 29e118
(in Chinese).
Zhang, J., 1995. Geochemisrty of trace metals from Chinese river/estuary systems:
an overview. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 41, 631e658.
Zhao, B.R., 1987. Primary study on the circulation in the shelf front zone and cool
mass front zone in the western Yellow Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 18 (3),
217e226 (in Chinese).