Impact of the offshore wind farm off the Yellow River Delta on temporal and spatial distribution of sea surface suspended sediment and causative environmental effects

Extensive offshore wind farm construction has taken place off the Yellow River Delta, yet its influence on sediment dynamics and related environmental impacts remains poorly understood. Based on remote sensing data from multiple sources, we developed an algorithm for turbid wake identification to investigate how offshore wind farm affects the spatiotemporal distribution of sea surface suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and associated ecological parameters. Results reveal persistent high-SSC wakes downstream of wind turbines, and the annual mean concentrations reached 160 g/m³, which is 1-2 times higher than surrounding waters, and winter values exceeding summer by 100～400 g/m³. In winter, turbine-induced net sea-surface-integrated SSC was 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than in summer. Sediment resuspension is primarily driven by interactions between tidal current and piles, which align wakes with prevailing isobaths and tidal flows. Within these wakes, chlorophyll-a concentrations exhibit a strong negative correlation with SSC, while significant sea surface temperature reductions are observed during summer. This study provided theoretical basis for the quantification of offshore wind farm impacts on sediment transport and surface ecological conditions in this region, and the theoretical basis for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms.