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Fate of barrier lakes on the plain from sediment-laden river capture
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Fate of barrier lakes on the plain from sediment-laden river capture

Hongwu Tang, Saiyu Yuan, Ming Gao, Sheng Jiang, Huiming Zhang, Jiawei Lin, Yanqing Lian, George Constantinescu and Colin Rennie
Communications earth & environment
05/12/2026
DOI: 10.1038/s43247-026-03615-8
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03615-8View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Barrier lakes typically form in mountain valleys after landslides block rivers. They develop abruptly and are prone to structural failure, posing threats to nearby areas. Here we propose a plain-region barrier lake type, termed river-capturing barrier lakes. Lakes near the Yellow River, including Hongze and Nansi Lakes, whose beds are elevated above the surrounding landscape, provide representative examples. Historical records, sedimentary analyses and numerical modeling indicate that these lakes formed after Yellow River avulsion and capture, and that a substantial difference in sediment load between the two rivers promoted upstream barrier lake formation on centennial timescales. Human interventions expanded their extent and accelerated their evolution into suspended lakes. While these lakes pose flooding risks like most barrier lakes, they can enhance water storage and allocation capacity for plain regions when properly managed. This dual functionality highlights the need for effective management to balance risks with the socio-economic advantages they provide.

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