A dynamic sediment model based on satellite‐measured concentration of the surface suspended matter in the East China Sea

The concentration of total suspended matter (TSM) at the sea surface is derived from satellite data using a complex proxy TSM model in East China Sea from 1997 to 2008. The structure of the mean TSM image is similar to that of the topography, indicating that the distribution of the surface concentra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Oceans 2016-04, Vol.121 (4), p.2755-2768
Main Authors: Mao, Zhihua, Pan, Delu, Tang, Charles L., Tao, Bangyi, Chen, Jianyu, Bai, Yan, Chen, Peng, He, Xianqiang, Hao, Zengzhou, Huang, Haiqing, Zhu, Qiankun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benthic boundary layer
Boundary layer
Boundary layers
Columns (structural)
Distribution
Dynamics
East China Sea
Estuaries
Estuarine dynamics
Frameworks
Geophysics
Iterative methods
Plumes
Rivers
Rouse number
Satellite data
satellite remote sensing
Satellites
Sea surface
Sediment
Sediment concentration
Sediments
Slope
Spatial distribution
Suspended matter
suspended sediment concentration
Suspended sediments
Temperature (air-sea)
Temporal variations
Topography
Topography (geology)
total suspended matter
Water column
Water depth
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Summary:The concentration of total suspended matter (TSM) at the sea surface is derived from satellite data using a complex proxy TSM model in East China Sea from 1997 to 2008. The structure of the mean TSM image is similar to that of the topography, indicating that the distribution of the surface concentration is strongly related to the water depth. A dynamic sediment model (DSM) is constructed to relate the TSM concentration at the sea surface with suspended sediment at the benthic boundary layer, the Rouse number, and the water depth. The DSM model is improved through iteration with a convergence identified by the mean relative difference between two adjacent bottom TSM images which becomes smaller with the more iterations and the value is less than 1% after 50 iterations. The performance of the DSM model is validated by satellite‐measured concentration with a mean relative error of 5.2% for the monthly mean images. The DSM model is used to deduce the bottom TSM concentration at the benthic boundary layer and the distribution of the Rouse number. The spatial distribution of the sea surface TSM concentration is determined predominately by both the bottom suspended sediment concentration and water depth. The temporal variation of the sea surface concentration mainly depends upon the Rouse number in the water column. Our result shows that the discharge of the Changjiang River can change the distribution of the Rouse number to form a band‐shaped region in the Changjiang Estuary. The DSM model provides a framework for understanding some of the mechanisms of the formation and variation of the primary TSM plume and the secondary plume in the ECS. The primary TSM plume corresponds approximately to the region with depth shallower than 20 m and the secondary plume corresponds to the region with depths between 20 and 50 m. Key Points: A dynamic sediment model is developed to deduce the bottom TSM concentration and the distribution of the Rouse number The surface TSM is determined by both the bottom TSM and water depth with its temporal variation depends upon the Rouse number The primary TSM plume corresponds to the region within 20 m and the secondary plume corresponds to the region between 20 and 50 m
ISSN:2169-9275
2169-9291
DOI:10.1002/2015JC011466