THE OPTIMAL GRAINSIZE COMPOSITION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT OF HYPERCONCENTRATED FLOW IN THE MIDDLE YELLOW RIVER

Hyperconcentrated flows play an important role in erosion and sediment yield processes in the Yellow River basin. Based on data from the tributaries of middle Yellow River, it has been found that there exists an optimal grainsize composition of suspended sediment, which leads to the highest values of suspended concentration of hyperconcentrated flow. The formation of this optimal grainsize composition is controlled by surface materials and the seasonally alternated wind and water processes in the drainage basin.