Tidal and Fluvial Influence on Shallow Groundwater Fluctuation in Coastal Wetlands in Yellow River Delta, China

Abstract In coastal wetland, groundwater is influenced by both tidal processes and land hydrological processes. To study the influences of tidal processes and river runoff on the shallow groundwater dynamic in coastal wetland of the Yellow River Delta, surface and shallow groundwater depth were monitored. It was found that in the east part of the study area where close to the shoreline, surface is characteristic of obvious periodicity, the fluctuation of surface water was mainly controlled by tidal processes. As to the shallow groundwater, fluctuation of water depth is also influenced by the tidal process and has obvious periodicity similar to the surface water. In the north part of the study area, the shallow groundwater is mainly influenced by the Yellow River runoff. The influence distance of tidal processes and river runoff on shallow groundwater system is 14 700 and 11 600 m, respectively.