Physical Feature of Yangtze River

Physical Feature of Yangtze River – Yangtze Cruise

The economic benefits of Yangtze River include navigation, fishery, and other aspects. Nowadays, 10-thousand freighters are allowed to pass through Yangtze River. Thus, Yangtze Cruise is also the important part of Yangtze River history.

Physical Feature of Yangtze River

Yangtze River originates the Geladandong Snow Mountain of Tanggula Mountain. Therefore, it is irrigated very well. The agriculture industry along Yangtze River is developed as soon as possible.

The average rainfall is about 1100 mm (= 43 inches) in Yangtze River Basin. The rain always comes with the monsoon and especially rains in summer. In the mountain area of Yangtze River Basin, the rain always comes with the snow.

In the middle reaches of Yangtze River Basin, the disaster of flood always happened from March or April and it will last 8 months.

In May, the water level will be descended. Later, it will be ascended very quickly to the August. At that time, the water level will be the highest level.

After that, the water level will be slowly descended in autumn or winter. The average water level will be 20 meters. In dry year, the water level will be 8-11 meters.

In the gorges of Yangtze River, when the flood comes, the water level could up t0 40-46 meters high.

In the lower reaches of Yangtze River, the water level will be changed based on the lakes and the sea tide. The sea tide affects the water level much than the lakes.

The Rate of Flow of Yangtze River

The analysis about the water amount of Yangtze River entrance showed that about 10 percents is from the plateau area, and the other is offered by the middle and downstream of the Yangtze River. Tongting Lake and Boyang Lake offered almost 40 percents of the water amount. The water amount in the Yangtze Rive is large. Even in the upstream area, the average flow rate is over 1,982 cubic meters per second. After the largest branch – Yalong River flow into the Yangtze River, the flow rate greatly enlarge, almost reached 5,493 cubic meters per second.

In the lower reaches of Yangtze River, other branches of Yangtze River will be combined. Thus, the rate of flow will be increased gradually. At the end of Three Gorges, in Yichang City, the rate of flow will increase to 14,980 cubic meters / second. In Hankou City, the rate of flow could up to 23,984 cubic kilometers / second. In Nanjing City, the rate of flow could up to 31,149 cubic kilometers / second.

Every year, about 1,072 cubic kilometers of Yangtze River will flow into the Eastern China Sea. Thus, Yangtze River becomes the 4th of the world.