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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Soil Sci.
Sec. Pedometrics
Volume 5 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fsoil.2025.1540941
This article is part of the Research Topic Advanced Geochemical Mapping and Geochemical Background/Baseline: An Environmental Perspective View all 5 articles
Comprehensive Analysis of Sediment Grain Features and Their Engineering Implications in the Yangtze River Source Area
Provisionally accepted
Zhijing Li 1
Xiaoxue Wang 1*
Yujiao Liu 1*
Wenqi Li 1 Xian Zhou 1 Chaonan Lv 2 Guiqiao Wang 3 Junxiao Ma 1- 1 Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI), Wuhan, China
- 2 China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei Province, China
- 3 College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, Liaoning Province, China
The particle size characteristics of irregular sediments in the Yangtze River Source Area (YRSA) are pivotal for understanding the mechanical properties of the sedimentary medium. This study utilizes field sediment sampling, laser scanning, laboratory testing, and mathematical statistics to analyze the morphological, geometric, mineralogical, and accumulation characteristics of sediment particles in the region. Our findings indicate that sediments in the YRSA have angular edges and deviate from spherical shapes, exhibiting elongated and flatter three-dimensional morphologies. In the experiment, the sliding plate method was used to measure the angle of repose of the sediments, which was found to be 36.7° above water and 35.9° below water. Both values are higher than the typical range for nonplateau regions, indicating reduced sediment mobility. The sediments are composed of fine-grained and coarse-grained soils. The particle size distribution is primarily coarse sand (0.5-2.0 mm), fine gravel (2.0-5.0 mm), and medium gravel (5.0-20.0 mm), with a significant coarsening trend observed over the past six years. The mineral composition, dominated by quartz, feldspar, and heavy minerals, is stable, with approximately 70% of the minerals having a hardness of ≥ 7 on the Mohs scale. The most abundant trace elements are Ti, Mn, Ba, P, Sr, Zr, and Cl. This research reveals that the sediment characteristics in the YRSA are markedly different from those of natural sands in non-plateau regions, necessitating a reevaluation of conventional theories and engineering practices for engineering constructions in this area. The insights from this study are profound and practically relevant, illuminating the sediment transport dynamics in alpine river systems and supporting sustainable regional development.
Keywords: Yangtze River source area, Sediment characteristics, Geometric characteristics, Particle size distribution, Accumulation state, Mineral composition
Received: 18 Dec 2024; Accepted: 03 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Wang, Liu, Li, Zhou, Lv, Wang and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaoxue Wang, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI), Wuhan, China
Yujiao Liu, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI), Wuhan, China
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