Sedimentary Processes on the Open-Coast Tidal Flats along the Chinese Yangtze Delta

Funded by: The National Natural Science Foundation of China

in Collaboration with Tongji University, China

Estuarine tidal flats have been well documented in Europe and North America. Due to the sheltering of the embayment, waves are typically regarded as of secondary importance as compared to tidal currents. The development of the broadly distributed open-coast tidal flats along the Yangtze delta is attributed to the tremendous supply of fine-grained sediment. In addition to tidal forcing, waves, especially storm waves from the open East China Sea play a significant, possibly dominating, role in the sedimentary processes. The study aims at understanding the sedimentary processes shaping the open-coast tidal flat, particular the importance of typhoon-related storm waves.

Related Publications:

(Sedimentology paper) Open-coast intertidal deposits and the preservation potential of individual laminae: a case study from east-central China http://crl.usf.edu/images/images/sed_tidal_flat.pdf

(CSR paper) Cross-shore variations in morphodynamic processes of an open-coast mudflat in the Changjiang Delta, China: With an emphasis on storm impacts http://crl.usf.edu/images/images/csr.pdf

(JSR paper) INFLUENCES OF STORM EROSION AND DEPOSITION ON RHYTHMITES OF THE UPPER WENCHANG FORMATION (UPPER ORDOVICIAN) AROUND TONGLU, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA http://crl.usf.edu/images/images/jsr_tidal_flat.pdf