ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Coastal Ocean Processes
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1662069
Significant seasonal evolution of sediment transport with mild sea condition in the eastern Jiangsu coast of China
Provisionally accepted
- 1Key Laboratory of Coastal Disaster and Protection of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, nanjing, China
- 2College of Harbour, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- 3Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Management Technology Study, Xiamen, China
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The eastern coastal area of Jiangsu, China is characterized by its silty and muddy coast, exhibiting substantial seasonal variations in suspended sediment transport within the sea area. This study draws from the quasi-synchronous hydrological and sediment observation data from various stations in the eastern Jiangsu coast during the spring tide cycle in the summer of 2006 and winter of 2007. Then, the study analyzed the seasonal variation characteristics and mechanisms of plane and vertical distribution of sediment transport and further examined their correlations with tidal current, wave and seawater temperature. The findings reveal a "M-shape" distribution pattern in the plane of sediment concentration both in summer and winter, with two pronounced peaks in the Binhaigang and Jianggang sea areas in the coastal direction and a gradual decline in the offshore direction. Meanwhile, the vertical distribution of sediment concentration exhibited greater uniformity in profile during winter than during summer. Under mild sea condition in the Jiangsu coast, the action weights of the influencing factors affecting the plane distribution of sediment concentration are tidal current > wave > seawater temperature. From the Lianyungang to Sheyanggang, the action weights of the influencing factors affecting the seasonal variation of plane distribution of sediment concentration are tidal current > wave > seawater temperature; From Sheyanggang to Lvsigang, the action weights of the influencing factors affecting the seasonal variation of plane distribution of sediment concentration are wave > tidal current > seawater temperature. Meanwhile, the action weights of the influencing factors affecting the seasonal variation of sediment concentration profile are seawater temperature > wave > tidal current. These results differ from the previous understanding about seasonal variation of sediment transport in silty and muddy coast, which deems that the wave plays a dominant role in influencing seasonal change of sediment transport in coastal waters.
Keywords: Silty and muddy coast, Suspended sediment concentration, Plane distribution, Verticaldistribution, Seasonal change, Tidal current, wave, water temperature
Received: 08 Jul 2025; Accepted: 22 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Wang, Lan and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sheng Wang, College of Harbour, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
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