Response of Yellow River subaerial delta erosion and accretion to climate change and human activities in the past 30 years

In the past 30 years, affected by global climate change and intensified human activities in the basin, the response of the Yellow River Delta land erosion-accretion process to the water circulation system of the Yellow River Basin has become more significant. Based on Google Earth Engine and long-term series of Landsat images, combined with long-term meteorological and hydrological measurement data in the basin, this research quantitatively studies the response of the Yellow River subaerial delta erosion and accretion to climate change and human activities in the past 30 years. The research found that in the 30 years from 1993 to 2022, the land area of the Yellow River Delta experienced a stage of first increasing, then decreasing and then fluctuating increase. The current river mouth bank section is the main accretion area, and the land area increases by about 1.67 km² per year. The Diaokou river bank section is the main erosion area. area, the land area decreases by about 2.15 km² per year; there is a negative phase relationship with a period of 4～5 years between the changes in sediment loads and river mouth area during the natural water and sediment transport period (1993-2001); multiple regression analysis shows that the natural water and sediment during the period (1993-2001), climate change dominated the erosion and accretion of the river mouth. During the artificial Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme period (2002-2022), the impact of human activities was far greater than climate change.