Holocene delta evolution and sediment discharge of the Mekong River, southern Vietnam

Ta, Thi Kim Oanh; Nguyen, Van Lap; Tateishi, Masaaki; Kobayashi, Ichiro; Tanabe, Susumu; Saito, Yoshiki

doi:10.1016/s0277-3791(02)00007-0

Cited by 299 publications

(160 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

144

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…A comment is necessary since the average sediment load of the Mekong River was estimated to be around 145ˆ10 6 t yr´1 over the last 3 k yr [32,39]. In fact, using a detailed numerical model of sediment transport, erosion and deposition within the Mekong delta, Manh et al [23] reported that total sediment load to the coast was about 50%-60% of the sediment flux at the gauging station of Kratie in Cambodia during a year of low flow (like 2010) or normal condition (like 2009), and that this percentage was about 48% during a year with extreme flooding (like in 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, recent human activities have severely altered their sediment discharge, mainly as a consequence of artificial impoundments, and also by activities such as groundwater pumping, irrigation, dredging, and deforestation [2]. At a global scale, around 53% of river sediment 15,000 m 3¨s´1 [30] and as the 10th in terms of sediment load with an average value estimated to be 160ˆ10 6 t yr´1 [31], corrected to 144˘36ˆ10 6 t yr´1 over the last 3 k yr by Ta et al [32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…their Figure 4). During this recent progradation (~3 k yr BP), the southern coast of the MRD became more sensitive to waves from the East and North-East during the dry season, and the MRD turned from a "tide-dominated delta" into a "tide-and-wave dominated" delta [32]. The continental shelf is very shallow (most of the plume flows over depths <10-15 m), the river mouths being located in a sedimental plain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Numerical Simulations of Suspended Sediment Dynamics Due to Seasonal Forcing in the Mekong Coastal Area

Vinh¹,

Ouillon

Thao³

et al. 2016

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The Mekong River is ranked as the 8th in terms of water discharge and as the 10th in terms of sediment load in the world. During the last 4500 years, its delta prograded more than 250 km to the south due to a tremendous amount of sediments deposited, and turned from a "tide-dominated" delta into a "wave-and-tide dominated" delta. This study aims at completing our knowledge on the fate of sediments that may be stored in estuarine or coastal systems, or dispersed over the continental shelf and slope. Sediment transport in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) coastal area was studied by numerical simulations using the Delft3D model. The model configuration was calibrated and validated from data collected in situ during 4 periods from 2012 to 2014. Then, 50 scenarios corresponding to different wave conditions (derived from the wave climate) and river discharge values typical of low flow and flood seasons enabled us to quantify the dispersal patterns of fluvial sediments close to the mouths and along the coast. Sediments mostly settled in the estuary and close to the mouths under calm conditions, and suspended sediment with higher concentrations extend further offshore with higher waves. Waves from the Southeast enhanced the concentration all along the MRD coastal zone. Waves from the South and Southwest induced coastal erosion, higher suspended sediment concentrations in front of the southern delta, and a net transport towards the Northeast of the delta. Because of episodes of Southern and Southwestern waves during the low flow season, the net alongshore suspended sediment transport is oriented Northeastward and decreases from the Southwestern part of the coastal zone (~960ˆ10 3 t yr´1) to the Northeastern part (~650ˆ10 3 t yr´1).

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Numerical Simulations of Suspended Sediment Dynamics Due to Seasonal Forcing in the Mekong Coastal Area

Vinh¹,

Ouillon

Thao³

et al. 2016

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Compared with other rivers, the Mekong River has a smaller drainage area than the Yangtze, Mississippi, or Ganges-Brahmaputra, but its sediment yield is about twice that of the Mississippi and nearly equal to that of the Yangtze. Recently, the subaerial Mekong River delta has been intensively studied (Nguyen et al, 2000;Ta et al, 2002).…”

Section: The Mekong Rivermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of this total sediment flux, ~70% or ~13 x 10 9 tons is believed to discharge from the eastern and southern Asian Pacific and oceanic margins alone (Milliman and Meade, 1983;Milliman and Syvitski, 1992;Ludwig et al, 1996;Milliman, 1995). In eastern and southern Asia, about one-third to one-half of river-derived sediments are trapped in the river's low reaches and contribute to extensive floodplain and delta plain development, for example the Yellow (Saito et al, 2000), Yangtze (Hori et al, 2002), Pearl (Zong et al, 2009), Red (Tanabe et al, 2003); Mekong (Nguyen et al, 2000;Ta et al, 2002), Ganges-Brahmaputra (G-B) (Goodbred et al, 2003), and Indus (Giosan et al, 2006). Among the remaining sediments delivered to the ocean, how much is trapped near the river mouth, and how much is able to reach the deep ocean is still not completely clear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fate of sediments delivered to the sea by Asian large rivers: Long-distance transport and formation of remote alongshore clinothems

Liu¹,

Xue²,

Ross³

et al. 2009

TSR

153

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent studies show that the global flux of river-derived sediment reaching the coasts and oceans is about 15-19 x 10 9 tons per year. New sediment budgets for the major Asian river systems (e.g.,Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Ganges-Brahmaputra, etc.) suggest that 30-50% of their sediment load has been retained in the lower channel reaches to form an extensive subaerial delta plain, while the rest is discharged to the sea. Of the sediment load reaching the ocean, about half has been found to accumulate near the river mouth as a proximal subaqueous delta clinothem. However, the remaining sediment is found to be transported up to 600-800 km alongshore, ultimately being deposited as a shore-parallel middle-shelf clinothem.These clinoform deposits are generally <100 km in across-shelf width, 20-40 m thick nearshore, and pinch-out gradually seaward at 40-90 m water depth.A secondary nearshore depocenter can usually be found along the shelf away from the river mouth, with mud-lobe accumulation up to 40-50 m thick locally. Except for a few systems with shelf-indenting canyons (e.g., Ganges-Brahmaputra and Indus), most of Asian riverderived sediments are trapped on the inner and middle shelf, unable to reach the deep ocean (i.e., >150 m) despite having been transported hundreds of kilometers from their mouths.

show abstract

Managing flow, sediment, and hydropower regimes in the Sre Pok, Se San, and Se Kong Rivers of the Mekong basin

Wild

Loucks

2014

Water Resources Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Lancang/Mekong River Basin is presently undergoing a period of rapid hydropower development. In its natural undeveloped state, the river transports about 160 million metric tons of sediment per year, maintaining the geomorphologic features of the basin, sustaining habitats, and transporting the nutrients that support ecosystem productivity. Despite the importance of sediment in the river, currently little attention is being paid to reservoir sediment trapping. This study is devoted to assessing the potential for managing sediment and its impact on energy production in the Se San, Sre Pok, and Se Kong tributaries of the Mekong River. These tributaries drain a set of adjacent watersheds that are important with respect to biodiversity and ecological productivity, and serve as a significant source of flow and sediment to the mainstream Mekong River. A daily sediment transport model is used to assess tradeoffs among energy production and sediment and flow regime alteration in multiple reservoir systems. This study finds that eventually about 40%–80% of the annual suspended sediment load may be trapped in reservoirs. Clearly, these reservoirs will affect the rivers' sediment regimes. However, even after 100 years of simulated sedimentation, reservoir storage capacities and hydropower production at most reservoir sites are not significantly reduced. This suggests that the strongest motivation for implementing measures to reduce trapped sediment is their impact not on hydropower production but on fish migration and survival and on sediment‐dependent ecosystems such as the Vietnam Delta and Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake.

show abstract

Holocene delta evolution and sediment discharge of the Mekong River, southern Vietnam

Cited by 299 publications

References 27 publications

Numerical Simulations of Suspended Sediment Dynamics Due to Seasonal Forcing in the Mekong Coastal Area

Numerical Simulations of Suspended Sediment Dynamics Due to Seasonal Forcing in the Mekong Coastal Area

Fate of sediments delivered to the sea by Asian large rivers: Long-distance transport and formation of remote alongshore clinothems

Managing flow, sediment, and hydropower regimes in the Sre Pok, Se San, and Se Kong Rivers of the Mekong basin

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About