In the presence of several large rivers (such as rivers of Changjiang, Huanghe and Zhujiang) that deliver a large amount of terrestrial sediment to the coastal oceans, China has one of the most turbid marine environments in the world along its muddy coasts and estuaries. These large estuaries and muddy coasts provide natural laboratories to study fine sediment dynamics. In addition, the nutrients and pollutants released from large Chinese river catchments are delivered to and dispersed in the coastal seas by suspended sediments, thus a good understanding of sediment movements are essential to control pollution and preserve marine ecosystem along the Chinese coasts. Over the past 50 years both the large river catchments and coasts have been greatly modified by extensive human activities including dams and irrigation, land reclamation and port construction. These rapid developments have altered both the flux of terrestrial materials to the sea and their transport processes in the coastal ocean, resulting in distinct physical, chemical and biological responses in the marine environment in the coastal oceans. Three major rivers across China, Huanghe (Yellow River), Changjiang (Yangtze River) and Zhujiang (Pearl River) have been illustrative examples of such modifications, and the environmental issues have presented challenges to the social and economical development of China. Therefore, research on sediment dynamics in muddy coasts and estuaries is in its urgent need.
In order to enhance the research on the sediment dynamics in the Chinese muddy coasts and estuaries, a 3-day workshop is proposed. The themes of the workshop will be:
- Observations and instrument development
- Modelling for sedimentary processes
- Fluid mud transport and behavior
- Sediment effect on biogeochemical processes
- Ecological and socio-economic impacts
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