Abstract:
Based on the high spatiotemporal resolution GOCI remote sensing data, this study systematically investigated the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of surface suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Yellow River Delta and its adjacent waters. The coupling mechanisms between SSC evolution and hydrodynamic parameters (wave height, current velocity fields) are quantitatively explored. Key findings include: SSC exhibits marked seasonal variation with higher values in winter-spring and lower values in summer-autumn; Spatially, a distinct nearshore-high and offshore-low pattern emerges, with maximum concentrations observed in estuarine zones, western Laizhou Bay, and Gudong coastal waters. The waves significantly modulate SSC, showing an exponential positive correlation between wave height and SSC, with an
R2 of 0.7. Tidal phase modulates high-SSC transport: southeastward dispersion during flood tide and northwestward retreat during ebb tide; Tidal cyclicity affects SSC magnitude, with greater variability during spring tides where high-current zones coincide with SSC fluctuation hotspots. This demonstrates that synergistic tide-wave interactions enhance bed shear stress, triggering sediment resuspension as the primary mechanism governing SSC dynamics during spring tides.