Abstract: Based on the data from field samples and remote sensing survey, combined with historical information, we summarized the types of surface sediments and sedimentary subenvironments of the modern Yellow River Delta in this paper. According to the history of the Yellow River channel changes and dam building,the delta was subdivided into seven subenvironments. The surface deposits were dated and the shoreline changes from 1976-2009 reestablished with the seven times of Landsat remote sensing data of the delta. Since the Yellow River channel shifted to the current Qingshuigou course in 1976, the coastal area above the low tidal level has decreased by 318.78 km².