Adjustment in the main-channel geometry of the lower Yellow River before and after the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir from 1986 to 2015

doi:10.1007/s11442-020-1738-3

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on the measured discharge, sediment load, and cross-sectional data from 1986 to 2015 for the lower Yellow River, changes in the morphological parameters (width, depth, and cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient) of the main channel are analyzed in this paper. The results show that before the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir (XLDR) from 1986 to 1999, the main channel shrunk continually, with decreasing width and depth. The rate of reduction in its width decreased along the river whereas that of depth increased in the downstream direction. Because the rate of decrease in the width of the main channel was greater than that in channel depth, the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient decreased in the sub-reach above Gaocun. By contrast, for the sub-reach below Gaocun, the rate of decrease in channel width was smaller than that in channel depth, and the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient increased. Once the XLDR had begun operation, the main channel eroded continually, and both its width and depth increased from 2000 to 2015. The rate of increase in channel width decreased in the longitudinal direction, and the depth of the main channel in all sub-reaches increased by more than 2 m. Because the rate of increase in the depth of the main channel was clearly larger than that of its width, the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient decreased in all sub-reaches. The cross-sectional geometry of the main-channel of the lower Yellow River exhibited different adjustment patterns before and after the XLDR began operation. Before its operation, the main channel mainly narrowed in the transverse direction and silted in the vertical direction in the sub-reach above Aishan; in the sub-reach below Aishan, it primarily silted in the vertical direction. After the XLDR began operation, the main channel adjusted by widening in the transverse direction and deepening in the vertical direction in the sub-reach above Aishan; in the sub-reach below it, the main channel adjusted mainly by deepening in the vertical direction. Compared with the rates of decrease in the width and depth of the main channel during the siltation period, the rate of increase in channel width during the scouring period was clearly smaller while the rate of increase in channel depth was larger. After continual siltation and scouring from 1986 to 2015, the cross-sectional geometry of the main-channel changed from wide and shallow to relatively narrow and deep. The pattern of adjustment in the main channel was closely related to the water and sediment conditions. For the braided reach, the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient was negatively correlated with discharge and positively correlated with suspended sediment concentration (SSC) during the siltation period. By contrast, the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient was positively correlated with discharge and negatively correlated with SSC during the scouring period. For the transitional and meandering reaches, the cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient was negatively correlated with discharge and positively correlated with SSC.

Key words: lower Yellow River, changes in water and sediment conditions, Xiaolangdi Reservoir, geometry of main channel

WANG Yanjun, WU Baosheng, ZHONG Deyu. Adjustment in the main-channel geometry of the lower Yellow River before and after the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir from 1986 to 2015[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2020, 30(3): 468-486.

Figures/Tables 16

Figure 1

Table 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Appendix Table 1

Annual post-flood main-channel cross-sectional geometry parameters for different sub-reaches of the lower Yellow River from 1986-2015"

Year	Main-channel width (m)							Main-channel depth (m)							Main-channel cross-sectional geomorphic coef?cient (m^-0.5)
Year	Above H	H-J	J-G	G-S	S-A	A-L	L-li	Above H	H-J	J-G	G-S	S-A	A-L	L-li	Above H	H-J	J-G	G-S	S-A	A-L	L-li
1986	1575	2489	1905	862	624	493	462	1.72	1.78	1.95	2.82	3.64	4.52	3.93	23.06	27.98	22.34	10.39	6.86	4.91	5.47
1987	1621	2393	1907	871	629	490	463	1.62	1.70	1.84	2.79	3.44	4.38	3.80	24.91	28.83	23.71	10.56	7.30	5.06	5.66
1988	1184	1684	1126	675	611	469	441	1.85	2.08	2.35	3.09	3.60	4.81	4.11	18.63	19.75	14.28	8.42	6.87	4.50	5.11
1989	1362	1940	1067	685	614	464	437	1.77	1.69	2.33	2.81	3.39	4.41	3.70	20.90	26.13	14.04	9.32	7.32	4.88	5.64
1990	1165	1604	969	712	589	463	439	1.78	1.59	2.08	2.69	3.30	4.27	3.54	19.18	25.23	14.94	9.91	7.36	5.04	5.92
1991	1310	1432	900	678	583	465	438	1.57	1.54	2.05	2.72	3.12	4.05	3.30	23.11	24.62	14.60	9.59	7.73	5.32	6.34
1992	859	1226	707	556	437	413	386	2.33	1.67	2.32	3.23	3.33	4.21	3.67	12.60	20.91	11.47	7.31	6.28	4.83	5.36
1993	978	1479	781	535	450	396	378	2.17	1.53	2.00	2.91	3.40	4.12	3.26	14.40	25.17	14.01	7.96	6.25	4.83	5.96
1994	878	1245	775	558	455	402	378	2.19	1.47	1.92	2.87	3.22	3.86	2.94	13.51	24.02	14.47	8.24	6.63	5.19	6.61
1995	840	1020	800	546	457	400	375	1.95	1.65	1.87	2.47	2.96	3.69	2.87	14.85	19.33	15.14	9.46	7.22	5.42	6.75
1996	1020	978	747	568	460	407	378	2.16	1.90	2.40	2.58	3.16	4.10	3.39	14.78	16.44	11.38	9.23	6.80	4.92	5.73
1997	850	934	559	553	457	410	378	1.95	1.67	1.82	2.10	2.76	3.44	2.97	14.95	18.29	13.01	11.18	7.75	5.88	6.55
1998	797	906	604	491	410	378	358	2.14	1.84	1.94	2.26	2.96	3.83	3.15	13.19	16.38	12.68	9.81	6.85	5.08	6.00
1999	878	778	573	498	419	374	357	1.77	1.74	1.79	2.03	2.65	3.53	2.91	16.74	16.03	13.34	11.02	7.73	5.47	6.49
2000	905	845	605	471	428	362	352	2.46	1.92	1.65	1.92	2.56	3.36	2.87	12.23	15.16	14.93	11.31	8.07	5.67	6.54
2001	981	828	636	468	422	365	347	2.67	2.06	1.76	1.82	2.64	3.36	2.82	11.74	13.96	14.32	11.86	7.79	5.69	6.59
2002	853	955	649	455	421	356	333	3.21	2.25	1.88	2.16	2.74	3.56	3.31	9.10	13.73	13.57	9.87	7.49	5.30	5.51
2003	854	841	636	467	416	358	328	3.83	2.96	2.53	2.69	3.18	4.19	3.90	7.63	9.79	9.98	8.04	6.41	4.51	4.65
2004	910	909	666	443	432	362	343	3.75	2.93	3.09	2.91	3.32	4.48	4.01	8.04	10.30	8.34	7.22	6.27	4.25	4.62
2005	951	1095	706	453	441	361	345	3.64	3.11	3.21	3.11	3.54	4.89	4.45	8.48	10.63	8.27	6.85	5.93	3.88	4.17
2006	957	1273	722	457	450	364	353	4.07	2.82	3.07	3.43	3.61	4.66	4.30	7.59	12.64	8.76	6.24	5.88	4.09	4.36
2007	1100	1137	733	472	462	366	357	4.18	3.68	3.24	3.60	3.68	4.85	4.48	7.94	9.16	8.35	6.03	5.85	3.95	4.22
2008	1201	1166	727	491	464	367	358	3.95	3.36	3.38	3.79	3.89	4.82	4.53	8.77	10.15	7.98	5.84	5.54	3.97	4.18
2009	1225	1275	764	517	472	366	360	4.00	3.40	3.43	4.02	3.94	4.91	4.62	8.75	10.52	8.07	5.66	5.52	3.90	4.11
2010	1258	1358	763	521	468	371	363	4.12	3.39	3.53	4.09	4.09	5.09	4.76	8.61	10.87	7.82	5.58	5.29	3.78	4.00
2011	1299	1443	773	523	467	374	365	4.22	3.49	3.79	4.27	4.30	5.25	4.88	8.54	10.89	7.34	5.36	5.03	3.68	3.91
2012	1224	1466	845	525	468	377	368	4.34	3.51	3.64	4.35	4.57	5.41	4.94	8.06	10.90	7.99	5.26	4.74	3.59	3.88
2013	1261	1488	870	534	462	384	372	4.36	3.53	3.56	4.46	4.62	5.57	4.93	8.14	10.93	8.29	5.18	4.66	3.52	3.92
2014	1259	1480	873	547	471	384	372	4.36	3.91	3.77	4.52	4.61	5.52	5.11	8.14	9.84	7.83	5.17	4.71	3.55	3.78
2015	1280	1522	879	569	472	387	377	4.55	4.08	3.85	4.46	4.69	5.63	4.97	7.86	9.57	7.69	5.36	4.63	3.50	3.90

Appendix Table 1

Table 2

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

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Reach	Above HYK	HYK-JHT	JHT-GC	GC-SK	SK-TCP	TCP-AS	SK-AS	AS-LK	LK-LJ
River length (km)	103.17	100.80	72.63	118.20	35.63	28.24	63.87	101.84	167.80
Number of cross-sections	11	10	7	13	9	7	16	13	22

Periods	Variables	Above HYK	HYK-JHT	JHT-GC	GC-SK	SK-AS	AS-LK	LK-LJ
1986-1999	${{y}_{{{B}^{0.5}}}}$	0.75	0.56	0.55	0.76	0.82	0.87	0.88
	${{y}_{H}}$	1.03	0.98	0.92	0.72	0.73	0.78	0.74
	${{y}_{\xi }}$	0.73	0.57	0.60	1.06	1.13	1.12	1.19
	${{y}_{{{B}^{0.5}}}}\text{-}1$	-0.25*	-0.44*	-0.45*	-0.24	-0.18	-0.13	-0.12
	${{y}_{H}}\text{-}1$	0.03	-0.02	-0.08	-0.28*	-0.27*	-0.22*	-0.26*
2000-2015	${{y}_{{{B}^{0.5}}}}$	1.21	1.40	1.24	1.07	1.06	1.02	1.03
	${{y}_{H}}$	2.57	2.34	2.15	2.20	1.77	1.59	1.71
	${{y}_{\xi }}$	0.47	0.60	0.58	0.49	0.60	0.64	0.60
	${{y}_{{{B}^{0.5}}}}\text{-}1$	0.21	0.40	0.24	0.07	0.06	0.02	0.03
	${{y}_{H}}\text{-}1$	1.57*	1.34*	1.15*	1.20*	0.77*	0.59*	0.71*