Resuspended sediment exchange between the north and south Yellow Sea in the north of Chengshantou

The variations in regional flow and the impact of the winter monsoon can cause fluctuations in the coastal current and the Yellow Sea Warm Current. These relative changes may result in front instability, subsequently initiating lateral sediment transport.. Therefore, investigating sediment exchange between the northern and southern regions of the Yellow Sea has become essential for comprehending the environmental dynamics of the Yellow Sea.. This study involved the observation of current conditions and sediment concentrations in the northern waters off Chengshantou, which serves as a representative region of the Yellow Sea during the winter season. The aim was to examine the sediment exchange processes between the northern and southern Yellow Sea during this season. The results show that in the winter period, when the water depth in the northern waters off Chengshantou exceeds 20 meters, the current velocity remains consistent across different water depths, with variations not exceeding 5 cm/s, and it presents a semi-diurnal tidal pattern. The re-suspension of sediments within the water column is not influenced by current velocity, but sediment transport per unit width is primarily affected by current velocity. Due to the impact of the offshore current in the Shandong Peninsula, suspended sediments are primarily conveyed from the northern Yellow Sea to the southern Yellow Sea. Over a period of approximately one month, the total sediment difference between the southward and northward currents amounts to 442,500 NTU×m², with the maximum transport volume over two days representing 41.2% of the total flux.