Response of Sediment Discharge Ratio to Water-Sediment and Riverbed Boundary Conditions During Flood Events in the Lower Yellow River Since 2000

Response of Sediment Discharge Ratio to Water-Sediment and Riverbed Boundary Conditions During Flood Events in the Lower Yellow River Since 2000 | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Response of Sediment Discharge Ratio to Water-Sediment and Riverbed Boundary Conditions During Flood Events in the Lower Yellow River Since 2000 Xueqin Zhang, Min Zhang, Chunjin Zhang, Zanying Sun This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The sediment discharge ratio is greatly affected by water-sediment and riverbed boundary, which indicate the river's ability to transport sediment under specific conditions. This study explores how the sediment discharge ratio responds to water-sediment and riverbed boundary conditions in the Lower Yellow River (LYR) since the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir began. It evaluates the spatial-temporal variations of water-sediment and riverbed boundary based on hydrologic data and topographic data from 2000 to 2023. Based on the sediment transport rate formula, a theoretical formula for the sediment discharge ratio during flood events is developed, which thoroughly accounts for the effects of riverbed boundary conditions, including median particle size of bed sediment, river gradient, and bankfull width-to-depth ratio. The results show that the sediment discharge ratio negatively correlates with the inflow sediment coefficient, median particle size of bed sediment, and bankfull width-to-depth ratio. In contrast, it positively correlates with the runoff variation coefficient and river gradient. Compared to only considering runoff and sediment conditions, including the riverbed boundary in the theoretical formula yields a better fit to the measured sediment discharge ratio data, demonstrating that the riverbed boundary is a significant factor affecting the sediment discharge ratio. Under the current boundary conditions, the Aishan to Lijin reach has the highest sediment transport capacity. To enhance the sediment transport capacity of the Tiexie to Lijin reach, it is recommended to narrow the river width above Gaocun and increase the bankfull width-to-depth ratio. The outcomes of this research offer crucial scientific insights into the sediment transport capacity of alluvial rivers subjected to variations in water-sediment and riverbed boundary conditions, thereby providing vital references for hydrological engineering and river management practices. Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology Sediment transport Sediment discharge ratio water-sediment conditions Riverbed boundary Flood events Lower Yellow River Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 05 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 14 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 12 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 15 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 10 Jul, 2025 Editor invited by journal 09 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 08 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7056646","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":485650098,"identity":"2faaf3df-3593-4f7d-8801-8b2c5d448fec","order_by":0,"name":"Xueqin Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xueqin","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":485650099,"identity":"7d376bca-e1a0-4305-b128-e1121906dfe1","order_by":1,"name":"Min Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCShpwMPA+ADIkmFgYCNeC7MBA4giUgtYLZsEUVrkZzc/e/g1xyLPnOeMWcXHtj88/OxtCQw/Krbh1MI455i5sew2iWLL3h6zmzPbDHgke44dYOw5cxunFmaJBDNpyW0SiRvO85jd5gVqMbiR3sDM2IZbC5tE+je4lmKitPBI5JhJfgRpOdtjxgzRknYArxYJiZwyaUaQljPHiiVnnDMG+SXhID6/yM9I3yb5c1sdUEvyxg8fyuTkgCFm+OBHBW4t4CDgAVMcBnCRA3jVAwHjDzDF/oCQwlEwCkbBKBihAACyD1JqigMSawAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, YRCC","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Min","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":485650103,"identity":"f31b5268-d75d-4997-9aaa-9ff26e95098b","order_by":2,"name":"Chunjin Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, YRCC","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chunjin","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":485650105,"identity":"fc554c8c-5ff5-42f5-b8b1-b983a734ef82","order_by":3,"name":"Zanying Sun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, YRCC","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zanying","middleName":"","lastName":"Sun","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-06 08:23:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42616-7","type":"published","date":"2026-03-07T15:57:49+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104251942,"identity":"54dd4826-1211-4c8b-baff-6b73185a3cb8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-09 16:16:13","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1792080,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript20250706.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7056646/v1_covered_16eb198a-18ae-4acb-9b2d-e4a1692b7a91.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Response of Sediment Discharge Ratio to Water-Sediment and Riverbed Boundary Conditions During Flood Events in the Lower Yellow River Since 2000","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Sediment transport, Sediment discharge ratio, water-sediment conditions, Riverbed boundary, Flood events, Lower Yellow River","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe sediment discharge ratio is greatly affected by water-sediment and riverbed boundary, which indicate the river's ability to transport sediment under specific conditions. This study explores how the sediment discharge ratio responds to water-sediment and riverbed boundary conditions in the Lower Yellow River (LYR) since the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir began. It evaluates the spatial-temporal variations of water-sediment and riverbed boundary based on hydrologic data and topographic data from 2000 to 2023. Based on the sediment transport rate formula, a theoretical formula for the sediment discharge ratio during flood events is developed, which thoroughly accounts for the effects of riverbed boundary conditions, including median particle size of bed sediment, river gradient, and bankfull width-to-depth ratio. The results show that the sediment discharge ratio negatively correlates with the inflow sediment coefficient, median particle size of bed sediment, and bankfull width-to-depth ratio. In contrast, it positively correlates with the runoff variation coefficient and river gradient. Compared to only considering runoff and sediment conditions, including the riverbed boundary in the theoretical formula yields a better fit to the measured sediment discharge ratio data, demonstrating that the riverbed boundary is a significant factor affecting the sediment discharge ratio. Under the current boundary conditions, the Aishan to Lijin reach has the highest sediment transport capacity. To enhance the sediment transport capacity of the Tiexie to Lijin reach, it is recommended to narrow the river width above Gaocun and increase the bankfull width-to-depth ratio. The outcomes of this research offer crucial scientific insights into the sediment transport capacity of alluvial rivers subjected to variations in water-sediment and riverbed boundary conditions, thereby providing vital references for hydrological engineering and river management practices.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Response of Sediment Discharge Ratio to Water-Sediment and Riverbed Boundary Conditions During Flood Events in the Lower Yellow River Since 2000","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-17 05:21:15","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7056646/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-09-05T05:52:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-08-14T11:54:47+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-08-13T01:01:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"313570685822963233759928828090038739947","date":"2025-07-31T09:16:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"334693459794217614978695219849260591283","date":"2025-07-31T01:27:47+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-15T09:08:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-07-10T08:31:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-09T18:34:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-07-08T08:57:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-07-08T08:51:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a402490a-c9e6-4f98-a4e6-f34e65737bca","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":51553211,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":51553212,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-09T16:11:55+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7056646","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42616-7","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-07 15:57:49","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 7th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-17 05:21:15","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-026-42616-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42616-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7056646","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7056646","identity":"rs-7056646","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}