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Downstream hydraulic geometry (DHG) for multiple discharge frequencies remains poorly investigated. This paper seeks to clarify the DHG relations of different discharge frequencies and proposes the definition, mathematical expression, and geomorphological interpretation of multifrequency DHG (MFDHG). It also verifies the existence of DHG and MFDHG in the six major exoreic rivers located in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. MFDHG can be depicted with (1) log-linear plots between DHG coefficients and exponents for multiple discharge frequencies and (2) independent DHG curves intersecting near congruent discharge, width, depth, or velocity. The results show that rivers in the study area exhibit strong DHG relations. The variations in the DHG coefficients and exponents usually exhibit opposite trends with increasing discharge frequency. The MFDHG of a river reach is generally stronger than that of a river basin. Congruent hydraulics, as indices of geometric variability and hydraulic self-similarity, reflect consistent changes in hydraulic variables downstream. MFDHG is a novel geomorphic phenomenon that bridges spatiotemporal dimensions in HG systems and provides a basis for establishing an overall HG relationship.

As the deepest vertebrate in the ocean, the hadal snailfish, which lives at a depth of about 7,000m, is a representative case for studying adaptation to extreme environments. Three years after the publication of its first genome, we re-investigated this species using more resequencing individuals and more refined comparative genomic analyses. We found that the hadal snailfish have the ability to migrate across different trenches in the Pacific Ocean after fully adapting to the hadal zone. The loss and retention of sensory genes suggests that the auditory and mechanosensory perception of the hadal snailfish may have undergone compensatory enhancement in complete darkness, while the visual system gradually disappeared. The special environment of the hadal zone has also affected this species in ways that are reflected in genetic changes related to circadian rhythms, behavior, bone mineralization, and high-hydrostatic pressure adaptation. We report here further advances in our understanding of the origin, specific characteristics and adaptive mechanisms of hadal snailfish.

Sediment deposition carried by flood flow is the main cause of reservoir sedimentation. This can be reduced by an appropriate operational strategy of flood flow and sediment in the reservoir. High-precision and large-scale hydrodynamic models to predict flood propagation and sediment transport in reservoirs are extremely important for an efficient flood forecasting and real-time joint regulation of water and sediment in reservoirs. In the present study, the three-dimensional (3D) numerical semi-implicit cross-scale hydroscience integrated system model (SCHISM) was adopted to model the flood propagation and sediment transport in the approximately 280-km-long reach in the Three Gorges Reservoir. This model is mainly focused on analysing the asynchronous movement characteristics of flood propagation and sediment transport and the operational strategy of sediment peak regulation. The flood event in July 2013 was reproduced by the numerical model, which was validated by a comparison with the measured data. The results indicated that the numerical model has the ability to accurately simulate the flood propagation and sediment transport processes. The time that the sediment peak lags behind the flow discharge peak increases as the flood waves propagate downstream, reaching 8.1 days at the dam site. During the rising period of the flood, the discharged flow is lowered to reduce the flood peak, and when the sediment peak reaches the dam, the discharged flow is increased to release high concentration sediment during the flood recession period so as to reduce sedimentation in the reservoir. The model results agreed well with the measured results. The 3D numerical model can be used for the real-time prediction of the arrival time of the flow discharge and sediment peaks for the joint regulation of water and sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Major historical events often trigger the rapid flourishing of a few lineages, which in turn shape established biodiversity patterns. How did this process occur and develop? This study provides a window into this issue. The endemic East Asian carps (EEAC) dominated the ichthyofauna of East Asia and exhibited a high degree of adaptation to monsoonal river-lake ecosystems. A series of evidence, including ecogeography, phylogenetics, and macroevolution, suggests that the EEAC is a lineage that arose with the East Asian monsoon and thrived intimately with subsequent monsoon activities. We further deduce the evolution of the EEAC and find that a range of historical events in the monsoon setting (e.g., marine transgression and regression and glacial-interglacial cycle) have further reshaped the distribution patterns of EEAC's members. Comparative genomics analyses reveal that introgressions during the initial period of EEAC radiation and innovations in the regulation of the brain and nervous system may have aided their adaptation to river-lake ecosystems in a monsoon setting, which boosted radiation. Overall, this study strengthens knowledge of the evolutionary patterns of freshwater fishes in East Asia and provides a model case for understanding the impact of major historical events on the evolution of biota.

The processes of sediment transport in high flow intensity are studied through numerical simulation using a coupled CFD (computational fluid dynamics)-DPM (discrete particle method) model with a fo...

The Yellow Riversource zone is located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The landform of this zone is diverse,leading to various river network patterns. To explore the planform geometries and controlling factors of the river networks in this zone, 83 representative sub-basins are selected for the study. Based on the definitions and descriptions of different river network types, these sub-basins can be divided into four types, namely, dendritic, pinnate, rectangular, and symmetrical pinnate patterns. Using river network parameters, the classification trees are established to automatically classify river networks. The results show that the aspect ratio, drainage density and maximum frequency of flow directions play important roles in classification. Aspect ratios of basins characterize basin shapes, andthe more elongated the basin is, the smaller the aspect ratio is. Thus, aspect ratios of pinnate and symmetrical pinnate patterns are lower than that of dendriticand rectangular patterns. The mean aspect ratios of dendritic, pinnate, rectangular and symmetrical pinnate patterns were 0.56, 0.29, 0.62, and 0.26, respectively. Drainage density reflects the relative spacing of drainage lines in a network. The tributaries of the pinnatepattern are long and concentrated, and the drainage density of this pattern is the largest, with an average of 1.92 km/km2. Though the tributaries of the symmetrical pinnate pattern arealso concentrated, most of the tributaries are short, and the drainage density is smaller than that of the pinnate pattern, with an average of 1.54 km/km2. Mean drainage densities of dendritic and rectangular patternsareabout 1.24 km/km2and 1.22 km/km2. The maximum frequency describes flow direction distributions of river networks. The greater the value is, the rivers within the basin tend to flow in the same direction.The flow directionsof tributaries inthe dendritic pattern are free, and the mean maximum frequency is small, which is 2.48. For the rectangular pattern with lots of right-angle bends, the mean maximum frequency is 2.40. There is a dominant direction in the pinnate pattern. The mean value of the maximum frequency of this pattern is the largest, which is 8.11. Tributaries of the symmetric pinnate pattern are distributed symmetrically along the main trunk, and the mean maximum frequency is 3.36. To explore the controlling factors, correlation analysis is made between these river network parameters and topography (i.e. basin slope and relief) and climate (i.e.precipitation, temperature, and aridity). Compared with topography, climate is more strongly correlated with these river network parameters. In the Yellow River source zone, the pinnate pattern is mainly distributed in arid areas with little precipitation. Dendritic and symmetric pinnate patterns, the basin slopes of which are relatively larger, are more likely to occur in humid areas with more precipitation. The rectangular pattern is concentrated in the Ruoergai basin, where the slope and relief are low and the climate is relatively humid.

Pelagic cephalopods have evolved a series of fascinating traits, such as excellent visual acuity, high-speed agility, and photophores for adaptation to open pelagic oceans. However, the genetic mechanisms underpinning these traits are not well understood. Thus, in this study, we obtained high-quality genomes of two purpleback flying squid species (Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis and Sthenoteuthis sp.), with sizes of 5450 and 5651 Mb. Comparative genomic analyses revealed a common expansion of the S-crystallin subfamily SL20-1 associated with visual acuity in the purpleback flying squid lineage and showed that evolution of high-speed agility for the species was accompanied by significant positive selection pressure on genes related to energy metabolism. These molecular signals might have contributed to the evolution of their adaptative predatory and anti-predatory traits. In addition, transcriptomic analysis provided clear indications of the evolution for the photophores of purpleback flying squids, inter alia that recruitment of new genes and energy metabolism genes may have played key functional roles in the process.

Sensitivity analysis is necessary in numerical models to establish the optimal model configuration and simulate turbidity currents accurately. The sensitivity of turbidity currents simulated by a three-dimensional numerical model named the semi-implicit cross-scale hydroscience integrated system model (SCHISM) was assessed using domain discretization, the turbulence closure model, and the transport scheme. The results show that a higher horizontal resolution with an appropriate aspect ratio, localized sigma coordinates with shaved cells (LSC2) grid with sufficient layers, a two-phase mixture turbulence closure model, and transport schemes with critical depth ratio lower than 1 could improve the model performance on the turbidity currents. The study can provide helpful guidance to establish accurate turbidity current simulations in complex water environments.

Based on the measured discharge, sediment load, and cross-sectional data from 1986 to 2015 for the lower Yellow River, changes in the morphological parameters (width, depth, and cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient) of the main channel are analyzed in this paper. The results show that before the operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir (XLDR) from 1986 to 1999, the main channel shrunk continually, with decreasing width and depth. The rate of reduction in its width decreased along the river whereas that of depth increased in the downstream direction. Because the rate of decrease in the width of the main channel was greater than that in channel depth, the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient decreased in the sub-reach above Gaocun. By contrast, for the sub-reach below Gaocun, the rate of decrease in channel width was smaller than that in channel depth, and the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient increased. Once the XLDR had begun operation, the main channel eroded continually, and both its width and depth increased from 2000 to 2015. The rate of increase in channel width decreased in the longitudinal direction, and the depth of the main channel in all sub-reaches increased by more than 2 m. Because the rate of increase in the depth of the main channel was clearly larger than that of its width, the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient decreased in all sub-reaches. The cross-sectional geometry of the main-channel of the lower Yellow River exhibited different adjustment patterns before and after the XLDR began operation. Before its operation, the main channel mainly narrowed in the transverse direction and silted in the vertical direction in the sub-reach above Aishan; in the sub-reach below Aishan, it primarily silted in the vertical direction. After the XLDR began operation, the main channel adjusted by widening in the transverse direction and deepening in the vertical direction in the sub-reach above Aishan; in the sub-reach below it, the main channel adjusted mainly by deepening in the vertical direction. Compared with the rates of decrease in the width and depth of the main channel during the siltation period, the rate of increase in channel width during the scouring period was clearly smaller while the rate of increase in channel depth was larger. After continual siltation and scouring from 1986 to 2015, the cross-sectional geometry of the main-channel changed from wide and shallow to relatively narrow and deep. The pattern of adjustment in the main channel was closely related to the water and sediment conditions. For the braided reach, the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient was negatively correlated with discharge and positively correlated with suspended sediment concentration (SSC) during the siltation period. By contrast, the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient was positively correlated with discharge and negatively correlated with SSC during the scouring period. For the transitional and meandering reaches, the cross-sectional geomorphic coefficient was negatively correlated with discharge and positively correlated with SSC.

Radial-additive friction stir repairing (R-AFSR) was proposed to repair exceeded tolerance holes. Here, AZ31 Mg alloys were selected as the primary research object. Good metallurgical bonding appeared in the repaired zones due to atom diffusion induced by thermo-mechanical behaviors. The diameter of the exceeded tolerance hole was reduced from 10 to 8 mm. The stir zone and partial thermo-mechanically affected zone were characterized by fine and equiaxed grains. The average grain size in the stir zone was less than 10 μm, attributing to high microhardness values. A high-quality repaired joint with the maximum tensile strength of 183 MPa was achieved, equivalent to 93.8% of the joint with the standard hole for AZ31 Mg alloys. Compressive shear strength and compression rate of the repaired joint reached 58.4 MPa and 26.1%, up to 75% and 74.6% of the joint with the standard hole. The fracture surface morphologies exhibited the typical ductile fracture. Therefore, R-AFSR has great prospects to repair the exceeded tolerance holes.

River discharge and width, as essential hydraulic variables and hydrological data, play a vital role in influencing the water cycle, driving the resulting river topography and supporting ecological functioning. Insights into bankfull river discharge and bankfull width at fine spatial resolutions are essential. In this study, 10-m Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) imagery and digital elevation model (DEM) data, as well as in situ discharge and sediment data, are fused to extract bankfull river widths on the upper Yellow River. Using in situ cross-section morphology data and flood frequency estimations to calculate the bankfull discharge of 22 hydrological stations, the one-to-one correspondence relationship between the bankfull discharge data and the image cover data was determined. The machine learning (ML) method is used to extract water bodies from the Sentinel-2 images in the Google Earth Engine (GEE). The mean overall accuracy was above 0.87, and the mean kappa value was above 0.75. The research results show that (1) for rivers with high suspended sediment concentrations, the water quality index (SRMIR-Red) constitutes a higher contribution; the infrared band performs better in areas with greater amounts of vegetation coverage; and for rivers in general, the water indices perform best. (2) The effective river width of the extracted connected rivers is 30 m, which is 3 times the image resolution. The R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and mean bias error (MBE) of the estimated river width values are 0.991, 7.455 m, and −0.232 m, respectively. (3) The average river widths of the single-thread sections show linear increases along the main stream, and the R2 value is 0.801. The river width has a power function relationship with bankfull discharge and the contributing area, i.e., the downstream hydraulic geometry, with R2 values of 0.782 and 0.630, respectively. More importantly, the extracted river widths provide basic data to analyze the spatial distribution of bankfull widths along river networks and other applications in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and stream ecology.

As rivers approach base level, their water and sediment dynamics are affected by a transitional reach known as the backwater zone. At low flows, backwater zones cause flow deceleration and in-channel sedimentation, but at high flows, they cause flow acceleration and erosion. Over many floods, the dynamics of deposition and erosion in the backwater zone are thought to control the locations of avulsions on some large deltaic channels. However, in various studies, the role of the backwater is often inferred or modeled, and directly observed evidence of how backwater affects channel dynamics at avulsion sites remains scarce. In this study, we show how the backwater zone impacts the evolution and avulsion of the Qingshuigou channel, a recent lobe on the Yellow River Delta, using four decades (1976–2015) of data from systematic surveys of water discharge, sediment load, cross-sectional profiles and water surface elevation. The results show that the channel was commonly eroded during flood seasons and aggraded during nonflood seasons. Erosion rates generally decreased in the downstream direction along the lower channel reach during flood seasons, primarily due to downstream channel widening and the subsequent decrease in sediment transport capacity. The erosion rate reached zero at the cross-sections farthest downstream, which is contrary to expectations under hydrodynamic backwater effects, where drawdown causes erosion to increase downstream during high flows. During nonflood seasons, maximum sedimentation occurred upstream of the backwater zone, possibly due to impacts of local topography of meandering bends or constriction from dikes. Morphodynamic backwater accompanied by the deposition and gradual progradation of a mouth bar resulted in downstream increasing sedimentation, superelevation, and lateral migration rates along the lower channel reach from 1985 to 1996. The predicted avulsion location was near cross-sections Q6 or Q7 with an avulsion length of ~20–30 km upstream of the shoreline, which was consistent with those for historical avulsions. We emphasize the close interplay between backwater effects and channel geometry and argue that morphodynamic backwater may play a more important role than hydrodynamic backwater in setting up and triggering avulsions on the Yellow River Delta.

In order to improve joint integrity and reduce the amount of intermetallic compounds (IMCs), 6061-T6 Al and AZ31B Mg alloys were successfully joined by stationary shoulder friction stir welding (SSFSW). The stationary shoulder effectively enhanced the joint surface integrity and reduced the thickness reduction of the Al/Mg joint. The elimination of pin adhesion was beneficial to increasing material transfer and then improving interfacial joining length of Al/Mg joint. Extremely thin IMCs layer could be achieved because of the heat sink induced by the stationary shoulder. The maximum tensile strength of the Al/ Mg joint reached 137 MPa at a welding speed of 60 mm/min, rotating velocity of 1000 rpm and offset to Mg sheet of 0.3 mm, which was 130% higher than that of conventional joint. SSFSW is feasible and has the potential to join dissimilar materials with the formation of IMCs, such as Al/Mg alloys, Al/copper alloys, Al/titanium alloys and so on.

Endothermy is a typical convergent phenomenon which has evolved independently at least eight times in vertebrates, and is of significant advantage to organisms in extending their niches. However, how vertebrates other than mammals or birds, especially teleosts, achieve endothermy has not previously been fully understood. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of two billfishes (swordfish and sailfish), members of a representative lineage of endothermic teleosts. Convergent amino acid replacements were observed in proteins related to heat production and the visual system in two endothermic teleost lineages, billfishes and tunas. The billfish-specific genetic innovations were found to be associated with heat exchange, thermoregulation, and the specialized morphology, including elongated bill, enlarged dorsal fin in sailfish and loss of the pelvic fin in swordfish.

Replacing steel with aluminum alloy is appealing to realize the lightweight of metal structures. Novelis AC 170 PX aluminum alloy and ST06 Z galvanized steel sheets were lap welded by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with ER4047 filler wire and the corrosion behavior of the joint was characterized. The results revealed that the zinc-rich zone had the highest corrosion susceptibility. The difference of localized corrosion between the adjacent area near the rod-shaped and the layered Fe4Al13 phases was explained by galvanic effect. When Zn in the zinc-rich zone was exhausted, the corrosion process of the joint was controlled by the second phases and corrosion products.

Water is essential for the survival of plants, animals, and human beings. It is imperative to effectively manage and protect aquatic resources to sustain life on Earth. Small tributaries are an important water resource originating in mountain areas, they play an important role in river network evolution and water transmission and distribution. Snow and cloud cover cast shadows leading to misclassification in optical remote sensing images, especially in high-mountain regions. In this study, we effectively extract small and open-surface river information in the Upper Yellow River by fusing Sentinel-2 with 10 m resolution optical imagery corresponding to average discharge of the summer flood season and the 90 m digital elevation model (DEM) data. To effectively minimize the impact of the underlying surface, the study area was divided into five sub-regions according to underlying surface, terrain, and altitude features. We minimize the effects of cloud, snow, and shadow cover on the extracted river surface via a modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI), revised normalized difference water index (RNDWI), automated water extraction index (AWEI), and Otsu threshold method. Water index calculations and water element extractions are operated on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The river network vectors derived from the DEM data are used as constraints to minimize background noise in the extraction results. The accuracy of extracted river widths is assessed using different statistical indicators such as the R-square (R2) value, root mean square error (RMSE), mean bias error (MBE). The results show the integrity of the extracted small river surface by the RNDWI index is optimal. Overall, the statistical evaluation indicates the accuracy of the extracted river widths is satisfactory. The effective river width that can be accurately extracted based on satellite images is three times the image resolution. Sentinel-2 MSI images with a spatial resolution of 10 m are used to find that the rivers over 30 m wide can be connectedly, accurately extracted with the proposed method. Results of this work can enrich the river width database in the northeast Tibetan Plateau and its boundary region. The river width information may provide a foundation for studying the spatiotemporal changes in channel geometry of river systems in high-mountain regions. They can also supplement the necessary characteristic river widths information for the river network in unmanned mountain areas, which is of great significance for the accurate simulation of the runoff process in the hydrological model.

The deep sea remains the largest unknown territory on Earth because it is so difficult to explore1–4. Owing to the extremely high pressure in the deep sea, rigid vessels5–7 and pressure-compensation systems8–10 are typically required to protect mechatronic systems. However, deep-sea creatures that lack bulky or heavy pressure-tolerant systems can thrive at extreme depths11–17. Here, inspired by the structure of a deep-sea snailfish15, we develop an untethered soft robot for deep-sea exploration, with onboard power, control and actuation protected from pressure by integrating electronics in a silicone matrix. This self-powered robot eliminates the requirement for any rigid vessel. To reduce shear stress at the interfaces between electronic components, we decentralize the electronics by increasing the distance between components or separating them from the printed circuit board. Careful design of the dielectric elastomer material used for the robot’s flapping fins allowed the robot to be actuated successfully in a field test in the Mariana Trench down to a depth of 10,900 metres and to swim freely in the South China Sea at a depth of 3,224 metres. We validate the pressure resilience of the electronic components and soft actuators through systematic experiments and theoretical analyses. Our work highlights the potential of designing soft, lightweight devices for use in extreme conditions. A free-swimming soft robot inspired by deep-sea creatures, with artificial muscle, power and control electronics spread across a polymer matrix, successfully adapts to high pressure and operates in the deep ocean.

Tibetan Plateau is the source of many major rivers in Asia. Drainage networks of these rivers vary in shapes and features due to complex climatic and geomorphic conditions. In this study, we extracted drainage networks in the source area of Yellow River, Yangtze River and Yarlung Zangbo River from 90-m-resolution SRTM DEM. We chose 62 sub-basins in the Yellow River, 96 sub-basins in the Yangtze River and 120 sub-basins in the Yarlung Zangbo River and tested self-similarity of drainage networks in two ways. First, we tested self-similarity for traditional Horton laws. Based on Horton-Strahler order, the results indicate that rivers with low levels generally obey Horton laws while rivers with high levels show deviation. Second, we tested statistical self-similarity in the topology of river networks. Random self-similar networks (RSN) model which combines self-similarity and randomness shows topological features of river networks statistically. Real networks were decomposed into generators that produce the network. The results demonstrate that the generators of RSN model obey a geometric distribution and the parameter p, which describes the distribution of generators, ranges from 0.401 to 0.587. Self-similarity holds in a statistical sense in the selected basins in the Tibetan Plateau. Motivated by the need to understand the controlling factors of drainage networks in Tibetan Plateau, these sub-basins were divided into groups according to possible controlling factors, such as climate, tectonic and geology. Analysis shows that Horton ratios and generators of low-level rivers are affected by precipitation, but the relationship between these parameters of high-level rivers and these factors is not obvious. In order to further explore the controlling factors, we analyzed three typical rivers (Tao River, Yalong River and Lasa River) in more details. For Yalong River, Tao River and Lasa River, bifurcation ratios are 4.46, 5.00 and 4.37 while the length ratios are 2.35, 2.71 and 2.30 respectively. The Normalized Concavity Index for Tao River, Lasa River and Yalong River are -0.129, -0.082 and 0.009 respectively, indicating that the profiles of the first two rivers are concave-up and that of Yalong River is convex-up. The influence of climate is well reflected in the structure and longitudinal profiles of the drainage network in the Tibetan Plateau. Strong tectonic activities in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau destroy the network of Yalong River, resulting in river capture to maintain equilibrium.

Density-driven gravity flows frequently occur in nature, due to density difference between inflowing and ambient water. When a sediment-laden flow reaches the backwater zone of a reservoir, with a greater density than the ambient waters, an underflow can occur along steep bottom slopes. The formation and evolution of an underflow depend on various natural conditions. It is necessary and crucial for reservoir management to understand the dynamics and prediction of the turbidity currents. In addition to field investigation and laboratory experiments, numerical models are gaining popularity for solving open-channel flows and sediment transport processes such as turbidity currents in reservoirs.SCHISM (Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model) is a 3D seamless cross-scale model grounded on unstructured grids for hydrodynamics and ecosystem dynamics. A general set of governing equations are used for the flow and tracer transport, and a new higher-order implicit advection scheme for transport (TVD2) is proposed. A mixed triangular-quadrangular horizontal grid and a highly flexible vertical grid system are developed in the model to faithfully represent complex geometry and topography of environmental flows in open channel cases. SCHISM has found a wide range of cross-scale applications worldwide including general circulation, storm surges, sediment transport and so on. However, the feasibility of simulating turbidity currents caused by sediment-laden flows in a reservoir is rarely validated. In this study, SCHISM is applied to a lab experiment to simulate the turbidity currents on a flume slope to examine how the model predicts the hydraulic characteristics of turbidity currents in a reservoir.Model results can describe the process of the turbidity current plunging beneath the free surface with the time step of 0.1s. It is relatively uncommon in previous studies to clearly show the evolution of the velocity and sediment concentration profiles in such a short time step. The simulated velocity and sediment concentration profiles of the turbidity currents match well with the measured profiles at the cross section downstream of the plunge point. The calculated depth-averaged velocity, thickness, and depth-averaged concentration of the turbidity current all agree well with the measured values. The correlation coefficient between the measured and calculated values is 0.92, 0.95, and 0.94, respectively. Also, the densimetric Froude number of the stable plunge point is found to be approximately 0.54 in this study, which is between 0.5 and 0.8 based on previous research. The plunge depth is smaller with higher sediment concentration and smaller discharge of the inflow. Besides, the ratio of plunge depth to inlet depth is proportional to the densimetric Froude number of inflow conditions. This finding can be used to predict the depth and location of the plunge point based on the inflow conditions in a reservoir, which has great practical implications in reservoir management. Our results demonstrated that SCHISM is generally applicable to simulate the turbidity currents in small-scale water environments, and has the potential to be adopted in large-scale open water environments.

Abstract: Water plays a vital role in plants, animals and human survival, as well as water resources planning and protection. The spatial and temporal changes of rivers have a profound impact on climate change and the scientific protection of the regional ecological environment in Qingzang-Tibet plateau. Due to the influence of snow and cloud cover, optical remote sensing images in this region have less effective coverage. Many researches in the past mainly faced the challenge of misclassification caused by shadows from cloud and mountain. In this study, we proposed a method to improve the extraction of rivers by reducing the effect of shadows by fusing Sentinel-1 radar data and Sentinel-2 optical imagery. For the optical imagery, water indices including MNDWI (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index) and RNDWI (Revised Normalized Difference Water Index) and morphological operations were used to extract the river coverage. In addition, radar data is used to extract water in areas where there is no optical image coverage or where optical images are misclassified by using a combination of both the histogram and Otsu threshold methods. The GEE (Google Earth Engine) platform is used to implement the analysis using two classification datasets at a regional level. Relevant results from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data showed that the RNDWI has a more accurate water extraction results in this region. We further compared the final river width results with the manually measured samples from Google Earth and situ data of hydrological stations for accuracy assessment. The R2 value is 0.90, and the standard deviation is 18.663m. The river width can be estimated well by this method, which can provide basic data for the study of water in depopulated zone.Keywords: Remote sensing, shadow removal, water extraction, water index, Otsu threshold, Google Earth Engine