Spatio-temporal characters and its influencing factors of surface suspended sediment concentration based on GOCI data in the Yellow River Delta

Based on the high spatiotemporal resolution GOCI remote sensing data, we systematically investigated the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of surface suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Yellow River Delta and its adjacent waters. The coupling mechanisms between SSC evolution and hydrodynamic parameters (wave height, current velocity fields) are quantitatively explored. Key findings include: SSC exhibits marked seasonal variation with higher values in winter-spring and lower values in summer-autumn. Spatially, a distinct nearshore-high and offshore-low pattern emerges, and the maximum concentrations observed in estuarine zones, western Laizhou Bay, and Gudong coastal waters. The waves significantly modulate SSC, showing an exponential positive correlation between wave height and SSC (R²= 0.7). Tidal phase modulates high-SSC transport: southeastward dispersion during flood tide and northwestward retreat during ebb tide; Tidal cyclicity affects SSC magnitude, with greater variability during spring tides where high-current zones coincide with SSC fluctuation hotspots. This study demonstrated that synergistic tide-wave interactions could enhance bed shear stress, thus triggering sediment resuspension, which is the primary mechanism governing SSC dynamics during spring tides in the Yellow River deltaic areas.