REMOTE SENSING MONITORING OF SURFACE SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AT YANGTZE ESTUARY IN THE PAST TWO DECADES

The map Series of surface suspended sediment distribution of Yangtze Estuary by remote sensing interpretation has been worked out based on the US Landsat TM and ETM images of the past two decades. In the map series, we revealed the spatial distribution pattern of surface suspended sediment at Yangtze Estuary, described the impact of the variation of tide, the construction of Three Gorges Dam and the variations of water and sediment discharges on sediment distribution, discussed the diffusion mechanism of surface suspended sediment at Yangtze Estuary during flood and dry seasons, the variation trend of high turbidity zone, the morphological change caused by sediment transportation from the river to the sea, and the variation of surface suspended sediment concentration.