Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2019, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 32-42.doi: 10.11978/2018101CSTR: 32234.14.2018101

• Marine Hydrography • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Quantile trend analysis for suspended sediment concentration in the Pearl River Estuary based on remote sensing

Weikang ZHAN1,2,Jie WU1,2,Xing WEI1,Shilin TANG1,Haigang ZHAN1()   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2018-10-09 Revised:2018-11-06 Online:2019-05-20 Published:2019-06-17
  • Contact: Haigang ZHAN E-mail:hgzhan@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China(201607020042);Self-research Program of the State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography(LTOZZ1503)

Abstract:

Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) during 2003-2015 was studied based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level-1B product and in-situ measurements. The data were further used to analyze quantile trends and corresponding influence factors. The results showed that the SSC in the PRE displayed a decreasing trend, with an averaged SSC reduction rate of about1.03 mg·L -1·yr -1. The SSC in the regions near the river outlets and northeast part of the estuary suffered from much stronger decreases, which could be up to 4.0 mg·L -1·yr -1 during 2003-2015. Decreasing rate in high SSC were generally larger than those in low SSC, with a marked spatial difference. Low percentile of the SSC suffered from a stronger decline in the regions north of Qiao Island, with an increase in the variance of the distribution, while remarkable trends of high percentile of SSC occurred in the Humen outlet, northeastern coast of Longxue Island and regions near the East Channel, with corresponding decreases in the variance of the distribution. The quantile trends in the PRE were influenced by many factors. The seasonal variation of dam-induced reduction of the sediment load into the PRE contributed to most of the low-percentile SSC decreases north of Qiao Island. The subaqueous topographic change in the PRE induced by human activities dominated the high-percentile SSC trends in the Humen outlet, northeastern coast of Longxue Island, southern West Shoal, and regions near the East Channel. The decrease of the wind speed over the PRE also affected the high-percentile SSC trend in the southern West Shoal by weakening wind mixing in the boundary layer.

Key words: Suspended sediment concentration, MODIS, Pearl River Estuary, quantile trend

CLC Number: 

  • P333.4