Analysis of river morphology change in Zhengzhou reach of the Yellow River based on long time series remote sensing images

The Zhengzhou reach of the Yellow River is a typical meandering section with frequent changes in river morphology. In this paper, using satellite remote sensing technology and Landsat 8 satellite imagery data, the morphological changes of the Yellow River in Zhengzhou (Taohuayu - Huayuankou) in the lower reaches from 2013 to 2022 were quantitatively studied and analyzed. The overall water surface area of the study segment changes significantly (61.8 square kilometers), while the length remains stable. The variations in the area and length of the river segment exhibit a pattern of phased changes. Regarding the main meanders, the first and third meanders showed a trend of initial strengthening followed by weakening, while the second meander showed an upward trend. The intensity of the river's morphological changes followed a pattern of stability, followed by a period of drastic alteration, and then a return to stability. Overall, the tendency for the river segment in the study area to meander has diminished over the study period.