Abstract
The Jinsha River Basin is an important basin for hydropower in China and it is also the main runoff and sediment source area for the Yangtze River, which greatly influence the runoff and sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir. This study aims to characterize the spatial distribution, inter-annual variation of runoff and sediment load in the Jinsha River Basin, and to analyze the contribution of rainfall and human activities to the runoff and sediment load changes. The monitoring data on runoff, sediment load and precipitation were collected from 11 hydrological stations in the Jinsha River Basin from 1966 to 2016. The data observed at the outlet of the basin showed that 71.4% of the runoff is from the upper reaches of the Jinsha River Basin and the Yalong River, while 63.3% of the sediment is from the lower reaches (excluding the Yalong River). There is no significant increase in runoff on temporal scale in the Jinsha River Basin, while it has an abrupt change in runoff in both upstream and midstream in 1985, and an abrupt change in downstream in 1980 and 2013. The sediment load demonstrated a significant increasing trend in the upstream, no significant reducing trend in the midstream, but significant reducing trend in the downstream. The sediment load in upstream showed abrupt change in 1987, in midstream in 1978 and 2014, in downstream in 2012. Rainfall dominated runoff variation, contributing more than 59.0% of the total variation, while human activity, including reservoirs construction, the implementation of soil and water conservation projects, is the major factor to sediment load variation, contributing more than 87.0% of the total variation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benn PC, Erskine WD (1994) Complex channel response to flow regulation: Cudgegong River below Windamere Dam, Australia. Applied Geography 14(2): 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/0143-6228(94)90058-2
Burn DH, Hag Elnur MA (2002) Detection of hydrologic trends and variability. Journal of Hydrology 255(1):107–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(01)00514-5
Carriquiry JD, Sanchez A (1999) Sedimentation in the Colorado River delta and upper gulf of California after nearly a century of discharge loss. Marine Geology 158(4): 125–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-3227(98)00189-3
Chai YF, Li YT, Li SX, et al. (2017) Analysis of recent variation trend and cause of runoff and sediment load variations in the Yangtze River Basin. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage 36(3): 94–101. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2017.03.017
Chalov S, Golosov V, Tsyplenkov A, et al. (2017) A toolbox for sediment budget research in small catchments. Geography environment sustainability 10(4): 43–68. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2017-10-4-43-68
Chalov SR, Liu SG, Chalov RS, et al. (2018) Environmental and human impacts on sediment transport of the largest Asian rivers of Russia and China. Environmental Earth Sciences 77: 274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7448-9
Charles JV, Meybeck M, Balazs F, et al (2003) Anthropogenic sediment retention: major global impact from registered river impoundments. Global and Planetary Change 39: 169–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8181(03)00023-7
Duan YC, Li DX, Wang XK (2015) Analysis of the sediment trapping by reservoirs in the Upper Yangtze River. Journal of Sichuan University (Engineering science edition) 47(6): 15–23. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.15961/j.jsuese.2015.06.003
Fanos AM (1995) The impact of human activities on the erosion and accretion of the Nile Delta coast. Journal of Coastal Research 11(3): 821–833.
Feng XF, Yang QY, Zhang OY, et al. (2008) Sediment trap of Ertan reservoir and its effect on sediment budget of Jinsha River. Journal of Sichuan University (Engineering Science Edition) 40(6): 37–42. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.15961/j.jsuese.2008.06.018
Fu CB, Wang Q (1992) The definition and detection of the abrupt climatic change. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 16(4): 482–493. (In Chinese)
Fu BJ, Wang S, Liu Y, et al. (2017) Hydrogeomorphic Ecosystem Responses to Natural and Anthropogenic Changes in the Loess Plateau of China. In: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences Vol 45 (eds. Jeanloz R & Freeman KH), pp 223–243. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-063016-020552
Guo H, Hu Q, Zhang Q, et al (2012) Effects of the Three Gorges Dam on Yangtze River flow and river interaction with Poyang Lake, China: 2003–2008. Journal of Hydrology 416:19–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.11.027
He Y, Wang F, Tian P, et al. (2016) Impact Assessment of Human Activities on Runoff and Sediment of Beiluo River in the Yellow River, Based on Paired Years of Similar Climate. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 25: 121–135. https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/60492
Hu CH, Wang YG, Zhang YJ, et al. (2010) Variation tendency of runoff and sediment load in China major rivers and its causes. Advances in water science 21(4): 524–532. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.14042/j.cnki.32.1309.2010.04.009
Kong D, Miao C, Wu J, et al. (2015) The hydro-environmental response on the lower Yellow River to the water-sediment regulation scheme. Ecological Engineering 79: 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.03.009
Kwak YH, Walewski J, Sleeper D, et al. (2014) What can we learn from the Hoover Dam project that influenced modern project management? International Journal of Project Management 32(2): 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.04.002
Li YL, Chang JX (2012) Detection of the abrupt changes in runoff based on the Morlet Wavelet. Journal of Xi’an University of Technology 28(3): 322–325. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.19322/j.cnki.issn.1006-4710.2012.03.014
Liu X, Wang YG (2015) Comparison of analytical methods of runoff and sediment load mutation and periodical variation. Advances in Science and Technology of Water Resources 35(2): 17–23. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.3880/j.issn.1006-7647.2015.02.004
Lu L, Wang Q, Wang GQ, et al. (2016) Trend of climate change over the recent 60 years and its hydrological responses for Jinsha River basin. Journal of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (Natural Science Edition) 37(5): 16–21. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-5634.2016.05.003
McCarney-Castle K, Voulgaris G, Kettner AJ (2010) Analysis of Fluvial Suspended Sediment Load Contribution through Anthropocene History to the South Atlantic Bight Coastal Zone, U.S.A. Journal of Geology 118: 399–416. https://doi.org/10.1086/652658
Mikhailov VN, Mikhailova MV (2017) Natural and Anthropogenic Long-Term Variations of Water Runoff and Suspended Sediment Load in the Huanghe River. Water Resources 44: 793–807. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0097807817060057
Ran LS, Wang SJ, Fan XL (2010) Channel change at Toudaoguai station and its responses to the operation of upstream reservoirs in the upper Yellow River. Journal of Geographical Sciences 20(2): 231–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-010-0231-9
Sharda VN, Ojasvi PR (2016) A revised soil erosion budget for India: role of reservoir sedimentation and land-use protection measures. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 41: 2007–2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3965
Shi HL, Hu CH, Wang YG, et al. (2017) Analyses of trends and causes for variations in runoff and sediment load of the Yellow River. International Journal of Sediment Research 32: 171–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsrc.2016.09.002
Shi WY, Zhang ZY, Li ZY (2016) Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of precipitation in Jinsha River Basin in recent 55 years and changing trend Yangtze River. Yangtze River 47(18): 39–43. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.16232/j.cnki.1001-4179.2016.18.009
Strzepek, KM, Yohe GW, Tol Richard SJ, et al. (2008) The value of the high Aswan Dam to the Egyptian economy. Ecological Economics 66(1): 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.08.019
Walling DE, Fang D (2003). Recent trends in the suspended sediment loads of the world’s rivers. Global and Planetary Change 39: 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8181(03)00020-1
Wang G, Han L, Tang XY, et al. (2012) Temporal and spatial variation of vegetation in the Jinsha River basin. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin 21(10): 1191–1196. (In Chinese)
Wang HW, Yang ZS, Yan W, et al. (2008) Reconstruction of sediment flux from the Changjiang (Yangtze River) to the sea since the 1860s. Journal of Hydrology 349: 318–332 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.11.005
Wang YG, Hu CH, Liu X, et al. (2016) Study on variations of runoff and sediment load in the Upper Yangtze River and main Influence factors. Journal of Sediment Research 1: 1–8. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.16239/j.cnki.0468-155x.2016.01.001
Xi YY, Huang XR, Li JJ (2017) Analysis on variation features of precipitation in Jinsha River basin. Yangtze River 48(23): 50-55+65. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.16232/j.cnki.1001-4179.2017.23.011
Xu JX (2009) Recent Variations in Water and Sediment in Relation with Reservoir Construction in the Upper Changjiang River Basin. Journal of Mountain Science 27(4): 385–393. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.16089/j.cnki.1008-2786.2009.04.006
Xu JX, Yan YX (2010) Effect of reservoir construction on suspended sediment load in a large river system: thresholds and complex response. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 35: 1666–1673. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2006
Xu QX, Shi GY, Chen ZF (2004) Analysis of recent changing characteristics and tendency runoff and sediment transport in the upper reach of Yangtze River. Advances in water science 15(4): 420–426. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.14042/j.cnki.32.1309.2004.04.002
Yue S, Pilon P, Cavadias G, 2002. Power of the M-K and Spearman’s rho testes for detecting monotonic trends in hydrological series. Journal of Hydrology 259: 254–271.
Zhang J, Sun M, Deng Z, et al. (2017) Runoff and Sediment Response to Cascade Hydropower Exploitation in the Middle and Lower Han River, China. Mathematical Problems in Engineering 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8785236
Zhang JY, Zhang SL Wang JX, et al. (2007) Study on runoff trends of the six larger basins in China over the past 50 years. Advances in water science 18(2): 230–234. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.14042/j.cnki.32.1309.2007.02.013
Zhang Q, Singh IVP, Chen X (2012) Influence of Three Gorges Dam on streamflow and sediment load of the middle Yangtze River, China. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 26(4): 569–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-011-0466-8
Zhao GJ, Mu XM, Strehmel A, et al. (2014) Temporal Variation of Streamflow, Sediment Load and Their Relationship in the Yellow River Basin, China. Plos one 9(3): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091048
Zhu LL, Chen CH, Zhang JS (2016) Study on variations of runoff and sediment and effect to the lower Jinsha River. Journal of Sediment Research 5: 20–27. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.16239/j.cnki.0468-155x.2016.05.004
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the “National Key R & D Plan Project of China (2018YFD0200502), and the 135 Strategic Program of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS (SDS- 135-1702).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lu, Ch., Dong, Xy., Tang, Jl. et al. Spatio-temporal trends and causes of variations in runoff and sediment load of the Jinsha River in China. J. Mt. Sci. 16, 2361–2378 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5330-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5330-6