Sediment Budget of the Yellow River over the Period 1855～1968

This study disclosed the variation of sediment fluxes through the worldwide second largest sediment routing system by constructing the sediment budget of the system over the period from 1855 to 1968. The results show that the overall incoming sediment over that period was 1878×10 8t,and 62% and 32% of the incoming sediment deposited in the lower Yellow River and in the delta respectively. It was also shown that the percentage of sediment deposited in the lower Yellow River changed with the construction of dykes,the promotion of flood prevention capacity of dykes, dam construction,and use of water and sediment in recent periods. Over the period from 1855 to 1968 the total mass of sediment deposited on the delta was 609×10 8t, accounting for 84% of the sediment carried down to the river mouth. The effect of time scale on the estimated proportion of sediment deposited on the delta was found to be noticeable.