ABSTRACT
The paper analyzes the form of the Yellow River Delta and its driving factor, based on coastlines in 1855, 1937, 1976 and 2013, and nearshore wave characteristics. The Yellow River Estuary was influenced by human beings in low degree from 1855 to 1976, therefore in the state of natural swing and nearly uniformly transporting huge sediment to nearshore of the Delta. The coastlines developed towards the Bohai Sea with relatively regular arc shape. Exterior normal of the coastline is in good accordance with strong wave from north east, which indicates that wave is the main factor controlling the Yellow River Delta coastline. The Yellow River has entered to the Sea by the Qingshuigou Course since 1976. And since then it has been strongly influenced by human intervene for nealy 40 years. The only one course to the Sea has brought about continuous extension by deposition in the current estuary, unceasing erosion of the other zone or beach degradation near coastal protection work, which lead to deformation form. It is suggested that regulation of the Yellow River Estuary should follow the principle of frequent shifting of a single course so that the coming sediment is able to be relatively well distributed along the shore.
