The Evolution of Fluvial Sediment Delivery from Asia's Rivers to the Oceans: Trends and Causes

该项目旨在量化和解释河流沉积物排入海洋的变化（1985-2020年），重点是亚洲大陆。河流沉积物有助于确定沿海环境的特征和演变。例如，河流沉积物向海岸的输送影响到世界三角洲的海岸后退和相对海平面调整[1]。遗憾的是，由于现有数据存在很大偏差，对沉积物通量变化方式的估计仍然很不确定。问题不在于个别测量不可靠，而是很少进行这种测量。此外，这种测量通常是点样本，而不是连续监测设置。世界上只有不到10%的河流受到监测，以了解它们向沿海地区输送的沉积物，这些问题在资源压力很大的发展中国家更为严重。与此同时，地球--特别是主导全球沉积物收支的亚洲--正在经历一个前所未有的人类影响时期，水坝建设、气候变化、森林砍伐和农业实践都被认为对近几十年来水和沉积物从陆地向海洋的移动产生了巨大影响。这些全球性的变化预计将继续下去，提供了一个明确的必要性，以确定这些主要的过渡河流沉积物通量的影响。

This project aims to quantify and explain variations (1985-2020) in the discharge of fluvial sediment to the oceans, with a focus on the continent of Asia. River-borne sediments help determine the character and evolution of coastal environments. For example, the delivery of fluvial sediment to the coast affects coastal retreat and relative sea-level adjustments of the world's deltas [1]. Unfortunately, estimates of the ways in which sediment flux varies remain highly uncertain because of large biases in data availability. The issue is not that individual measurements are unreliable, but rather that such measurements are rarely made. Further, such measurements are often point samples, rather than continuous monitoring setups. Less than 10% of the world's rivers are monitored for their sediment delivery to the coastal zone, and these issues are more acute in developing nations where resources are highly pressured. Meanwhile, the Earth - and Asia in particular, which dominates the global sediment budget - is undergoing a period of unprecedented anthropogenic influence, with dam building, climate change, deforestation and agricultural practices all thought to have had a dramatic impact on the movement of water and sediment from land to sea in recent decades. These global changes are anticipated to continue, affording a clear imperative to determine the effects of these major transitions on fluvial sediment flux.