River-tide dynamics remain poorly understood, in part because conventional harmonic analysis (HA) does not cope effectively with nonstationary signals. To explore nonstationary behavior of river tides and the modulation effects of river discharge, this work analyzes tidal signals in the Yangtze River estuary using both HA in a nonstationary mode and continuous wavelet transforms (CWT). The Yangtze is an excellent natural laboratory to analyze river tides because of its high and variable flow, its length, and the fact that there are do dams or reflecting barriers within the tidal part of the system. Analysis of tidal frequencies by CWT and analysis of subtidal water level and tidal ranges reveal a broad range of subtidal variations over fortnightly, monthly, semiannual, and annual frequencies driven by subtidal variations in friction and by variable river discharges. We employ HA in a nonstationary mode (NSHA) by segregating data within defined flow ranges into separate analyses. NSHA quantifies the decay of the principal tides and the modulation of M 4 tide with increasing river discharges. M 4 amplitudes decrease far upriver (landward portion of the estuary) and conversely increase close to the ocean as river discharge increases. The fortnightly frequencies reach an amplitude maximum upriver of that for over tide frequencies, due to the longer wavelength of the fortnightly constituents. These methods and findings should be applicable to large tidal rivers globally and have broad implications regarding management of navigation channels and ecosystems in tidal rivers.

Numerous research efforts have been devoted to understanding estuarine morphodynamics under tidal forcing. However, the impact of river discharge on estuarine morphodynamics is insufficiently examined. Inspired by the Yangtze Estuary, this work explores the morphodynamic impact of river discharge in a 560 km long tidal basin based on a 1-D model (Delft3D). The model considers total load sediment transport and employs a morphodynamic updating scheme to achieve long-term morphodynamic evolution. We analyze the role of Stokes drift, tidal asymmetry, and river discharge in generating tidal residual sediment transport. Model results suggest that morphodynamic equilibrium is approached within millennia by vanishing spatial gradients of tidal residual sediment transport. We find that the interaction between ebb-directed Stokes return flow/river flow with tides is an important mechanism that flushes river-supplied sediment seaward. Increasing river discharge does not induce continuously eroded or accreted equilibrium bed profiles because of the balance between riverine sediment supply and sediment flushing to the sea. An intermediate threshold river discharge can be defined which leads to a deepest equilibrium bed profile. As a result, the shape (concavity or convexity) of the equilibrium bed profiles will adapt with the magnitude of river discharge. Overall, this study reveals the significant role of river discharge in controlling estuarine morphodynamics by supplying sediment and reinforcing ebb-directed residual sediment transport.

This study focuses on suspended sediments and in situ flocculation in the Yangtze River, with the goal of improving our understanding of the relationship between freshwater and estuarine flocculation. A field survey with state-of-the-art instruments was carried out in January 2008 in the reach from downstream of the Three Gorges Dam to the estuary. The data show that in situ floc mean diameters range from 22 to 182 μm in the river, whereas the median dispersed grain sizes are 4.4-11.4 μm. This demonstrates that flocculation is an important process during the transport of suspended sediments along the river. The flocculation characteristics, suspended sediment concentration and dispersed grain sizes all vary longitudinally in the main stream of the Yangtze River. Biochemical factors are likely be more significant in the freshwater flocculation than in the estuary, where hydrodynamics and biochemical factors are both important. Flocculation is found in the freshwater river, in the estuary and in coastal waters, which indicates that dynamic break-up/reflocculation processes take place during the suspended sediment transport. The freshwater flocs may behave as parent flocs to the estuarine flocculation. This study enhances our understanding of flocculation from estuarine and coastal areas to fresh river systems and provides insights into the effects of input of riverine flocs to the estuarine flocculation and into the sources and fate of flocs.

Streamflow and sediment loads undergo remarkable changes in worldwide rivers in response to climatic changes and human interferences. Understanding their variability and the causes is of vital importance regarding river management. With respect to the Changjiang River (CJR), one of the largest river systems on earth, we provide a comprehensive overview of its hydrological regime changes by analyzing long time series of river discharges and sediment loads data at multiple gauge stations in the basin downstream of Three Gorges Dam (TGD). We find profound river discharge reduction during flood peaks and in the wet-to-dry transition period, and slightly increased discharges in the dry season. Sediment loads have reduced progressively since 1980s owing to sediment yield reduction and dams in the upper basin, with notably accelerated reduction since the start of TGD operation in 2003. Channel degradation occurs in downstream river, leading to considerable river stage drop. Lowered river stages have caused a 'draining effect' on lakes by fostering lake outflows following TGD impoundments. The altered river-lake interplay hastens low water occurrence inside the lakes which can worsen the drought given shrinking lake sizes in long-term. Moreover, lake sedimentation has decreased since 2002 with less sediment trapped in and more sediment flushed out of the lakes. These hydrological changes have broad impacts on river flood and drought occurrences, water security, fluvial ecosystem, and delta safety.

Tidal asymmetry is an important mechanism generating tidal residual sediment transport (TRST) in tidal environments. So far, it is known that a number of tidal interactions (e.g., M2‐M4 and M2‐O1‐K1) can induce tidal asymmetry and associated TRST; however, their variability and morphodynamic impacts are insufficiently explored. Inspired by the river and tidal forcing conditions in the Yangtze River Estuary, we explore the morphodynamic development of a 560 km long estuary under the boundary forcing conditions of varyingly combined tidal constituents and river discharges using a schematized 1‐D morphodynamic model for long‐term (millennial) simulations. We then employ an analytical scheme which integrates sediment transport as a function of flow velocities to decompose the contribution of different tidal interactions on TRST and to explain how the river and tidal interactions control TRST and associated morphodynamics. Model results display varying equilibrium bed profiles. Analytical results suggest that (1) a series of tidal interactions creates multiple tidal asymmetries and associated TRST, (2) river flow modulates tidal asymmetry nonlinearly in space, and (3) more tidal constituents at the sea boundary persistently enhance the seaward TRST through river‐tide interactions. It is the combined effects of multiple tidal asymmetries and river‐tide interactions that determine the net TRST and consequent morphodynamic development. It thus suggests that tidal harmonics of significant amplitudes need to be considered properly as boundary conditions for long‐term, large‐scale morphodynamic modeling.

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Tidal wave deformation and tidal asymmetry widely occur in tidal estuaries and lagoons. Tidal asymmetry has been intensively studied because of its controlling role on residual sediment transport and large-scale morphological evolution. There are several methods available to characterize tidal asymmetry prompting the need for an overview of their applicability and shortcomings. In this work we provide a brief review and evaluation of two methods, namely, the harmonic method and the statistical method. The latter comprises several statistical measures that estimate the probability density function and various forms of skewness. We find that both the harmonic and statistical methods are effective and have complementary advantages. The harmonic method is applicable to predominantly semidiurnal or diurnal regimes, while the statistical methods can be used in mixed tidal regimes. Assisted by harmonic data, a modified skewness measure can isolate the contribution of different tidal interactions on net tidal asymmetry and also reveal its subtidal variations. The application of the skewness measure to nonstationary river tides reveals stronger tidal asymmetry during spring tides than neap tides, and the nonlinear effects of river discharges on tidal asymmetry in the upper and lower regions of long estuaries.Plain Language Summary Astronomical tide is the primary forcing that drives water motion and subsequent sediment transport and morphological changes in coastal and estuaries waters. Tidal waves propagating from open oceans into tidal estuaries and lagoons often experience changes in wave amplitude, speed, and shape, displaying tidal wave deformation and associated tidal asymmetry that is featured by unequal rising and falling tidal periods. This work first provides a brief review of the methods available for the quantification of tidal asymmetry in varying tidal environments, and discusses their applicability based on constructed data. The application of these two methods to measured nonstationary tides in a long estuary under significant time-varying river discharges reveal strongly nonlinear and nonuniform features of tidal asymmetry. The findings of this work have implications for the interpretation of high water levels in flood management and large-scale estuarine morphological evolution. Key Points:• Both harmonic and statistical methods are effective in indicating tidal asymmetry • Statistical methods are applicable in quantifying nonstationary variations • We find nonlinear effects of river discharge on tidal asymmetry in long estuariesSupporting Information:• Supporting Information S1

Highlights: 1. In-situ floc properties are examined in the turbidity maxima of the Yangtze Estuary. 2. Flocculation exhibits strong temporal and vertical variations over a tidal cycle. 3. Turbulence exerts major control on flocculation in this case. 4. Tidally varying flocculation has implication on siltation in the estuarine turbidity maxima.