Impacts of human activities on morphological evolution in the Modaomen Estuary, China
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Abstract: The morphology of the Modaomen Estuary (ME) has undergone drastic changes in recent decades, and quantifying the contribution of human activities and natural processes is crucial for estuary management. Using Landsat images, chart data, and hydrological and meteorological data, this study analyzed the evolution of the shoreline and subaqueous topography of the ME and attempted to quantify the extent of the contributions of human activities. The results show that local human activities dominated morphological evolution in some periods. From 1973 to 2003, the shoreline advanced rapidly seaward, resulting in approximately half of the water area being converted into land. Human activity is critical to this process, with the direct contribution of local land reclamation projects reaching more than 85%. After 2003, the shoreline remained relatively stable, probably due to a decrease in land reclamation projects. Regarding the evolution of subaqueous topography, the shoals in the estuary were heavily silted and gradually disappeared during 1983–2003, and the waterways narrowed and deepened. The average siltation rate decreased from 15.43 mm/a to −1.02 mm/a, indicating that the ME changed from sedimentation to slight erosion. By detecting variations of sediment load, we found that upstream human activities reduced river sediment, while downstream human activities significantly increased sediment input to the ME, leaving little change in the actual sediment input to the ME for a relatively long period. In addition, based on the empirical relationship between the sediment input and siltation rate, local human activities influenced the shift in the siltation state more than upstream and downstream human activities did. These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to local human activities to improve the estuarine management in the ME.
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Key words:
- Modaomen Estuary /
- morphological evolution /
- human activity /
- quantitative analysis
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Figure 1. Geographical location of the study area. The Zhujiang River Delta (ZRD) comprises the marked study area and the study region with detailed geographic information. The three major tributaries of the Zhujiang River (Dongjiang River, Beijiang River, and Xijiang River) and eight main outlets (Humen, Jiaomen, Hongqimen, Hengmen, Modaomen, Jitimen, Hutiaomen, and Yamen) are shown. The major cities in the ZRD are marked. Blue triangles represent the Makou, Gaoyao, Tianhe, Left Denglongshan, and Right Denglongshan hydrological stations. The bottom right panel exhibits the geographic information of Modaomen Estuary where this study is focused. N.: North; S.: South; I.: Island.
Figure 2. Parameter definition of the point-based algorithm for calculating shoreline change rate.
$ {d}_{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}} $ indicates the minimum distance between the point on the new shoreline and the old shoreline.
Figure 3. Historical shoreline position (a), water area with study region in each year (b), mean shoreline change rate (SCR) in five intervals (c), and surface mean water area change rates in five intervals (d). WACR: water area change rate.
Figure 4. Spatial distribution of shoreline change rate (SCR) in the Modaomen Estuary during the five divided periods. From a to e, the panels denote 1973–1987, 1987–1991, 1991–1999, 1999–2003, and 2003–2017, respectively.
Figure 6. Water area change rate (WACR) at different depths for three periods: 1964–1983, 1983–2003, 1964–2003.
Figure 7. Spatial distribution and corresponding frequency distribution of siltation rates in the Modaomen Estuary for 1964−1983 (a, c) and 1983−2003 (b, d). Dotted lines in a are the shorelines in 2003.
Figure 8. Double mass curve in cumulative values of annual runoff and annual precipitation from 1960 to 2010 (a); double mass curve in cumulative values of annual runoff and annual sediment load for 1960–2010 (b); annual precipitation from 1959 to 2011 (c); area of soil eroded land and total storage capacity of reservoirs (d).
Figure 9. Correlational relationship between logarithmic monthly runoff and logarithmic monthly sediment load.
Figure 11. Siltation state shift under the human impact. Siltation state transition line 1 passes points (0, 0) and (26.08, 15.43); siltation state transition line 2 goes through (17.14, 0) and (26.08, 15.43). States B1 and B2 denote siltation states with no human impact. States C1 and C2 represent siltation states only with upstream human activities. States D1 and D2 mean siltation states affected by upstream and downstream human activities. State E represents the siltation state under the influence of upstream, downstream, and local human activities.
Table 1. Basic information of used Landsat images
Acquisition
timeSatellite Sensor Pixel
resolution/mDatum/
EllipsoidUTM
zone1973/12/25 Landsat 1 MSS 60 WGS84 49 1987/2/7 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1989/7/6 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1991/11/17 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1993/12/24 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1995/12/30 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1997/11/1 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 1999/11/15 Landsat 7 ETM+ 30 WGS84 49 2001/11/20 Landsat 7 ETM+ 30 WGS84 49 2003/10/17 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 2005/11/23 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 2007/9/18 Landsat 7 ETM+ 30 WGS84 49 2009/1/2 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 2011/6/1 Landsat 5 TM 30 WGS84 49 2013/11/29 Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS 30 WGS84 49 2015/1/3 Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS 30 WGS84 49 2017/1/8 Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS 30 WGS84 49 
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Table 2. Topographic data
Map title Projection coordinate Depth datum Scale Measurement
timeSanzao Island and Related Sites Beijing 54 Coordinate System Theoretical Lowest Tide Surface 1:50 000 1964 Modaomen Channel Series Beijing 54 Coordinate System Theoretical Lowest Tide Surface 1:10 000 1983 Topographic Maps of Flood Control and Regulating
Engineering in Zhujiang River EstuaryBeijing 54 Coordinate System Theoretical Lowest Tide Surface 1:5 000 2003
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Table 3. Basic statistics of digital elevation model
Survey time 1964 1983 2003 Area of water/km2 348.58 332.50 185.00 Volume of water/(106 m3) 931.98 782.67 620.25 Mean depth/m 2.67 2.35 3.35 Mean depth* /m 3.62 3.33 3.35 Note: *Mean depths were calculated within the water area in 2003.
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Table 4. Statistics of siltation characteristics in each period
Period 1964–1983 1964–1983* 1983–2003 Siltation amount (SA)/(106 m3) 194.49 111.31 109.19 Erosion amount (EA)/(106 m3) 73.99 57.09 112.97 Net siltation amount (NSA=SA−EA)/(106 m3) 120.50 54.22 −3.78 Siltation area (SiA)/km2 235.75 121.77 89.01 Erosion area (ErA)/km2 96.75 63.23 95.99 Total research area (TRA=SiA+ErA)/km2 332.50 185.00 185.00 Percentage of siltation area (SiA/TRA)/% 70.90 65.82 48.11 Percentage of erosion area (ErA/TRA)/% 29.10 34.18 51.89 Mean siltation rate (NSA/TRA/length of the period)/(mm·a−1) 19.07 15.43 −1.02 Note: *Parameters for this period were calculated within the water area in 2003.
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Table 5. Sediment fluxes at the main cross-sections of the Xijiang River during the survey in wet season
Station Makou Tianhe Right Denglongshan Left Denglongshan SedME/SedMakou Net sediment output/t 5 118 768 2 269 100 1 149 800 1 161 500 45.15% Mean sediment concentration/(kg·m−3) 0.304 0.295 0.378 0.392 − Note: − means no data. ME: Modaomen Estuary.
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Table 6. Sediment fluxes at the main cross-sections of the Xijiang River during the survey in dry season
Station Makou Tianhe Right Denglongshan Left Denglongshan SedME/SedMakou Net sediment output/t 21 838 12 197 11 152 6 689.1 81.70% Mean sediment concentration/(kg·m−3) 0.015 0.018 0.042 0.025 − Note: − means no data. ME: Modaomen Estuary.
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Table 7. Sediment input, sedimentation, and escape of the Modaomen Estuary in different periods
Period 1964–1983 1983–2003 Averaged annual sediment input/(Mt·a−1) 26.08 25.94 Total sediment input (Stotal)/Mt 495.52 518.80 Net siltation amount within water area (Vw)/(106 m3) 120.50 −3.78 Net sediment increases within water area (Sw=Vw× $\rho _{\rm{b}}$)/Mt* 132.55 −4.16 Sediment volume of newly formed land areas (Vr)/(106 m3) 32.17 215.36 Sediment mass of newly formed land areas (Sr=Vr× $\rho _{\rm{b}}$)/Mt* 35.39 236.90 Total escaped sediment mass (Se=Stotal−Sw−Sr)/Mt 327.58 286.06 Capture ratio of sediment ((Sw+Sr)/Stotal×100%) 33.89 44.86 Note: *The dry bulk density ${\rho} _{\rm{b} }$ used in the calculation is equal to 1.1 t/m3.
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Table 8. Statistics of land area increase and reclamation in each period
Period 1973–1987 1987–1991 1991–1999 1999–2003 2003–2017 Land increase (LI)/km2 83.12 21.32 44.74 31.36 0.71 Reclaimed area (RA)/km2 79.39 18.14 38.99 30.78 0.26 Percentage of reclaimed area (RA/LI)/% 95.51 85.08 87.15 98.15 36.50 Mean reclamation rate (RA/length of the period)/(km2·a−1) 5.67 4.53 4.87 7.69 0.02
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