Patterns of potential sediment erosion in the Pearl River Estuary

The interrelations between tidal currents and grain size of sediment of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China Sea, have been investigated. The current system has been described by numerical model data for wet and dry seasons. Measured data from samples have been used for the parameterisation of the facies of the uppermost sediments. These data were obtained by a sampling campaign carried out in the frame of the projects SEDPERL (Sedimentary facies and environment of the Pearl River Delta, Zhujiang-River, South China Sea) and PECAI (Pearl River Estuary related sediments as response to Holocene climate change and anthropogenic impact) as well as from local data basis. Based on a comparison of the critical shear velocity derived from sedimentary parameters and shear velocity obtained by modelled current data, erosion frequency, erosion direction, and erosion risk have been determined.