Large-river delta-front estuaries as natural "recorders" of global environmental change.

摘要: Large-river delta-front estuaries (LDE) are important interfaces between continents and the oceans for material fluxes that have a global impact on marine biogeochemistry. In this article, we propose more emphasis should be placed LDE in future climate change research. We will use some of most anthropogenically altered systems world, Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Chinese rivers enter Yellow Sea (e.g., Huanghe Changjiang) as case-studies, to posit these both “drivers” “recorders” natural anthropogenic environmental change. Specifically, processes can influence (“drive”) flux particulate dissolved materials from ocean profound issues such coastal eutrophication development hypoxic zones. also record their rapidly accumulating subaerial subaqueous deltaic sediment deposits changes continental-scale trends land-use watersheds, frequency magnitude cyclonic storms, sea-level The control transport transformation carbon active deposit essential our understanding sequestration exchange with world ocean—an objective U.S. efforts science including vital role emphasized North American Carbon Plan (www.carboncyclescience.gov).