Dynamics and drivers of tidal flat morphology in China

Recent remote sensing analysis has revealed extensive loss of tidal flats, yet the mechanisms driving these large-scale changes remain unclear. Here we show the spatiotemporal variations of 2,538 tidal flat transects across China to elucidate how their morphological features vary with external factors, including suspended sediment concentration (SSC), tidal range, and wave height. We observe a correlation between flat width and SSC distribution, and between flat slope and tidal range. A nation-wide decline in flat width is observed together with SSC reduction between 2002 and 2016. Intriguingly, sediment-rich flats exhibit more rapid width losses if SSC reduces, but slower width gain if SSC increase compared to sediment-starved flats. These dynamics resemble stretched (sediment-rich) or compressed (sediment-starved) springs that tend to return to equilibrium, which can be explained by synthetic morphodynamic modeling. Similar patterns can be observed from Indonesia, the United States, and Australia, implying that the impact of sediment supply change is wide-spread and large-scale sediment allocation plan based on equilibrium concept can help preserving intertidal ecosystems.