Search

The main-channel of the lower Yellow River is the main path of water and sediment transportation. In this paper, we put forth a suggestion that the bank-full discharge of the main-channel in the lower Yellow River should be no less than 4000 m³/s, which is based on the demand from effective sediment transportation (or riverbed scouring), the demand of flood control on morphology of the cross section of the main-channel, and the possible riverbed-forming force of future flood. The forming of the main-channel is the process for the flood force to overcome the resistance from the riverbed. The forming of the main-channel configuration comes from the competition between riverbed-forming force of flood and resistance from the riverbed. Regarding the flood with medium or less sediment content and without floodplain inundated, the main-channel forming mechanism can be simplified as the relationship between the change of cross section area and WαQβ. For forming same main-channel, the needed flood force W0.32Q0.37 is definite, i.e., when the discharge is large, the flood volume can be smaller; if some flood is able to scour the main-channel, its force W0.32Q0.37 should be larger than 41. Not all floods that inundate floodplain have the function of silting in floodplain and scouring main-channel. Regarding flood with medium or less sediment content, only when the flood discharge is over 1.5 times of the relevant bankfull discharge, obvious scouring effect can occur in the main-channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through intensive studies, we have established an index system for evaluating the loss and impact caused by large-scale flood disasters, and constructed a methodological system for pre-assessing the loss and impact caused by large-scale flood disasters. Through numerical simulation, submerged characteristics of large-scale flood can be determined. According to the characteristics of spatial corresponding distribution between land-use types and types of disaster-affecting subjects, we have realized spatialization for social and economic statistic data, and have completed spatialization evaluation on the loss and social impact caused by large-scale flood disasters using the spatial analytical function of GIS software. It is possible that large-scale flood can occur in the lower Yellow River. Flood management requires pre-assessment on the loss and impact caused by flood disasters. Nevertheless, there is no appropriate pre-assessment method for the lower Yellow River at present. By imitating the flood happened in Yuanyang, the north bank of the lower reach of Yellow River in 1958, we did pre-assessment on the loss and social impact caused by the overflow flood. We found that this method can be used to predict the types, quantity and spatial distribution of economic loss caused by large-scale flood disasters. This method can determine population affected by disasters and degree and spatial distribution of disasters. Indirect loss can be predicted as well using this method. In general, this method can meet the needs of regions affected by flood for planning and making decisions in fighting floods and reducing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]