Measurements of high concentration sediment plume in the estuary with strong tidal currents

With the facts of high erodibility (3-6 mm/yr) resulting from rapid plate convergence (80 mm/yr) accompanied by frequent large earthquakes and the intensified typhoon precipitation intensity and floods, the occurrence frequency of hyperpycnal events of Taiwanese rivers can reach to more than 1 event/yr, which is O(2) magnitude larger than the worldwide average. Taiwan is an ideal place for hyperpycnal flow study for the better chance to obtain the observational evidence. In present study, the typhoon Kalmaegi (2008) flood driven high sediment concentration fluvial discharge are focused, data obtained from field surveys at the estuary of Jhuoshui River, the second largest river in Taiwan, are investigated. The observational evidence of strong tidal current supported gravity flow was identified.