INFLUENCE OF WATER SALINITY ON CRITICAL SHEAR STRESS OF FINE-GRAINED SEDIMENTS

Climate and ocean dynamic conditions always affect water salinity in the Yellow River Estuary, and the dynamic behavior of estuarine sediments is closely related to the salinity fields. In order to study the impact of different environment onto the erosion-resistance pattern of estuarine sediments, in-situ measurement of the erosion and resistance of fine-grained sediment have been conducted using CSM (Cohesive Strength Meter) on the tidal flat of the modern Yellow River delta, simulating different salinity fields. The results show that the critical erosion shear stress of fine-grained sediments varies between 0.728~1.581 Pa. The critical shear stress of fine sediments linearly increases with the increase in salinity. When the salinity increases by 1, corresponding critical shear stress increases about 0.02 Pa.