Editing Yellow River (section)

==Geography==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2009}}
[[File:九曲黄河第一湾1.JPG|thumb|[[Zoigê County]], [[Sichuan]].]]
[[File:YellowRiver.jpg|thumb|[[Guide County]], [[Qinghai]] in the [[Tibetan Plateau]], upstream from the [[Loess Plateau]].]]
The Yellow River basin has an east–west extent of about {{convert|1900|km|-1|sp=us}} and a north–south extent of about {{convert|1100|km|-1|sp=us|abbr=on}}. Its total [[drainage area]] is about {{convert|795000|km2|sp=us}}.

According to the China Exploration and Research Society,<ref>{{Cite web|title=China Exploration & Research Society|url=http://www.cers.org.hk/index.php/en/|access-date=2021-01-06|website=cers.org.hk|archive-date=28 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328175811/http://www.cers.org.hk/index.php/en/|url-status=dead}}</ref> the source of the Yellow River is at {{coord|34|29|31|N|96|20|25|E|region:CN-63}} in the [[Bayan Har Mountains]] near the eastern edge of the [[Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture]]. The source tributaries drain into [[Gyaring Lake]] and [[Ngoring Lake]] on the western edge of [[Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture|Golog Prefecture]] high in the Bayan Har Mountains of [[Qinghai]]. In the Zoige Basin along the boundary with [[Gansu]], the Yellow River loops northwest and then northeast before turning south, creating the "[[Ordos Loop]]", and then flows generally eastward across the [[North China Plain]] to the [[Bohai Sea|Gulf of Bohai]], draining a [[drainage basin|basin]] of {{convert|752443|km2|sp=us|0}} which nourishes 140 million people with drinking water and irrigation.<ref name="video.nytimes.com"/>

The Yellow River passes through seven present-day [[Province (China)|provinces]] and two [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous regions]], namely (from west to east) [[Qinghai]], [[Sichuan]], [[Gansu]], [[Ningxia]], [[Inner Mongolia]], [[Shaanxi]], [[Shanxi]], [[Henan]], and [[Shandong]]. Major cities along the present course of the Yellow River include (from west to east) [[Lanzhou]], [[Yinchuan]], [[Wuhai]], [[Baotou]], [[Luoyang]], [[Zhengzhou]], [[Kaifeng]], and [[Jinan]]. The current mouth of the Yellow River is located at [[Kenli County]], Shandong.

The river is commonly divided into three stages. These are roughly the northeast of the mountainous [[Tibetan Plateau]], the [[Ordos Loop]] and [[Loess Plateau]], and the [[North China Plain]].<ref name="Fishes_YR2015"/> However, different scholars have different opinions on how the three stages are divided.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} This article mainly adopts the division used by the [[Yellow River Conservancy Commission]].<ref>[http://www.yellowriver.gov.cn/ Yellow River Conservancy Commission]. Yellowriver.gov.cn. Retrieved on 2013-02-04.</ref>

The Yellow River derived sediments have been transported out of the Bohai Sea, all way to the North Yellow Sea and South Yellow Sea, and formed a Distal Depocenter around the Shandong Peninsula.<ref>{{cite journal|author=J Paul Liu, John D Milliman, Shu Gao, Peng Cheng |title=Holocene development of the Yellow River's subaqueous delta, North Yellow Sea|journal=[[Marine Geology]]|date=2004|volume=209|issue=1–4|pages=45–67|doi=10.1016/j.margeo.2004.06.009|bibcode=2004MGeol.209...45L}}</ref>

===Upper reaches===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2015}}
[[File:Yellow river - A. Holdrinet.jpg|thumb|upright|Near [[Xunhua]], Qinghai]]
[[File:VM 6056 Liujiaxia Town.jpg|thumb|[[Liujiaxia]], Gansu]]

The upper reaches of the Yellow River constitute a segment starting from its source in the Bayan Har Mountains and ending at Hekou Town ([[Togtoh County]]), [[Inner Mongolia]] just before it turns sharply to the south. This segment has a total length of {{convert|3472|km|0|sp=us}} and total basin area of {{convert|386000|km2|sp=us|sigfig=3}}, 51.4% of the total basin area. Along this length, the elevation of the Yellow River drops {{convert|3496|m|0|sp=us}}, with an average [[Grade (slope)|grade]] of 0.10%.

The source section flows mainly through pastures, swamps, and knolls between the [[Bayan Har Mountains]], and the Anemaqen ([[Amne Machin]]) Mountains in Qinghai. The river water is clear and flows steadily. Crystal clear lakes are characteristic of this section. The two main lakes along this section are Lake Gyaring (Zhaling) and Lake Ngoring (Eling), with capacities of 4.7&nbsp;billion and 10.8&nbsp;billion m<sup>3</sup> (166 and 381 billion ft<sup>3</sup>), respectively. At elevations over {{convert|4290|m|sigfig=4|sp=us|abbr=on}} above sea level they are the two largest plateau freshwater lakes nationwide. A significant amount of land in the Yellow River's source area has been designated as the [[Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve|Sanjiangyuan ("'Three Rivers' Sources") National Nature Reserve]], to protect the source region of the Yellow River, the [[Yangtze]], and the [[Mekong]].

Flowing east at the eastern edge of the Amne Machin Mountains, the Yellow River enters [[Maqu County]] in [[Gansu]]. Here, the river skirts through the high-altitude peat bog known as the [[Zoigê Marsh|Zoigê Wetlands]] and makes a sharp turn towards the northwest forming the border between Maqu and [[Zoigê County]] in [[Sichuan]]. Flowing now along the northern edge of Amne Machin, the river reenters Qinghai and gradually curves north towards the Longyang Gorge at [[Xinghai County|Xinghai]].

The valley section stretches from Longyang Gorge in Qinghai to Qingtong Gorge in Gansu. Steep cliffs line both sides of the river. The water bed is narrow and the average drop is large, so the flow in this section is extremely turbulent and fast. There are 20 gorges in this section, the most famous of these being the [[Longyang]], Jishi, [[Liujiaxia Dam|Liujia]], Bapan, and [[Qingtong]] gorges. The flow conditions in this section makes it the best location for [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] plants. The Yellow River exits Qinghai for the second and final time in these gorges and enters Gansu for the second time just before Liujia Gorge. Downstream from the Yanguo Gorge, the provincial capital of [[Lanzhou]] is built upon the Yellow River's banks. The Yellow River flows northeasterly out of Gansu and into [[Ningxia]] before the Qingtong Gorge.

After emerging from the Qingtong Gorge, the river comes into a section of vast [[alluvial plain]]s, the [[Yinchuan Plain]] and [[Hetao Plain]]. In this section, the regions along the river are mostly deserts and grasslands, with very few tributaries. The flow is slow. The Hetao Plain has a length of {{convert|900|km|-1|sp=us|abbr=on}} and width of {{convert|30|to|50|km|mi|0|sp=us|abbr=on}}. It is historically the most important irrigation plain along the Yellow River.

===Middle reaches===
{{main|Ordos Loop|Hetao}}
[[File:Landzhou 07-2005.jpg|right|thumb|At [[Lanzhou]], Gansu]]
[[File:Shapotou.jpg|thumb|At [[Shapotou]], Ningxia]]
[[File:Qiankun Bend.jpg|thumb|Qiankun bend in [[Yonghe County]]]]
[[File:Luoyang-most.przez.rzeke.LuoHe.przed.ujsciem.do.HuangHe.jpg|thumb|At [[Luoyang]], Henan]]
The [[Ordos Loop]] formed by an enormous twist of the Yellow River, beginning at [[Zhongning County]] in [[Ningxia]] and ending with a drastic eastward turn at its confluence with the [[Wei River|Wei]] at [[Tongguan County|Tongguan]] in [[Shaanxi]]. However, the official division for the middle reaches of the river run from [[Hekou, Togtoh County|Hekou]] in [[Togtoh County]], [[Inner Mongolia]], to [[Zhengzhou]], [[Henan]]. The middle reaches are {{convert|1206|km|0|sp=us|abbr=on}} long, with a basin area of {{convert|344000|km2|sp=us|sigfig=3}}, 45.7% of the total, with a total elevation drop of {{convert|890|m|sigfig=3|sp=us|abbr=on}}, an average drop of 0.074%. There are 30 large tributaries along the middle reaches, and the water flow is increased by 43.5% on this stage. The middle reaches contribute 92% of the river's silts.

The middle stream of the Yellow River passes through the [[Loess Plateau]], where substantial erosion takes place. The large amount of mud and sand discharged into the river makes the Yellow River the most [[sediment]]-laden river in the world. The highest recorded annual level of silts discharged into the Yellow River is 3.91&nbsp;billion tons in 1933. The highest silt concentration level was recorded in 1977 at 920&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup> (57.4&nbsp;lb/ft<sup>3</sup>). These sediments later deposit in the slower lower reaches of the river, elevating the [[river bed]] and creating the famous "river above ground". From Hekou to Yumenkou, the river passes through the longest series of continuous valleys on its main course, collectively called the Jinshan Valley. The abundant hydrodynamic resources stored in this section make it the second most suitable area to build hydroelectric power plants. The famous [[Hukou Waterfall]] is in the lower part of this valley on the border of [[Shanxi]] and [[Shaanxi]].

===Lower reaches===
In the lower reaches, from [[Zhengzhou]] to its mouth, a distance of {{convert|786|km|sp=us|abbr=on}}, the river is confined to a [[levee]]-lined course as it flows to the northeast across the [[North China Plain]] before emptying into the [[Bohai Sea]]. The basin area in this stage is only {{convert|23000|km2|sp=us}}, a mere 3% of the total, because few tributaries add to the flow in this stage; nearly all rivers to the south drain into the [[Huai River]], whereas those to the north drain into the [[Hai River]]. The Huai River Basin, for example, is separated from the Yellow River Basin by the south dike of the Yellow River.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yang |first1=Gonghuan |last2=Zhuang |first2=Dafang |title=Atlas of the Huai River Basin Water Environment: Digestive Cancer Mortality |date=2014 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9789401786195 |page=143}}</ref> The total drop in elevation of the lower reaches is {{convert|93.6|m|0|sp=us|abbr=on}}, with an average grade of 0.012%.

The silts received from the middle reaches form sediments here, elevating the river bed. Excessive sediment deposits have raised the riverbed several meters above the surrounding ground. That is why this part of the river is called [[The Earth Suspended River|the 'Earth Suspended River']]. At [[Kaifeng]], Henan, the Yellow River is {{convert|10|m|sp=us|0}} above the ground level.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://emw21.com/CTS/GeorgeLeung/YRiver/geofo/geogren.html |author=Leung, George |title=Reclamation and Sediment Control in the Middle Yellow River Valley |journal=Water International |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=12–19 |year=1996 |doi=10.1080/02508069608686482|bibcode=1996WatIn..21...12L |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214151633/http://emw21.com/CTS/GeorgeLeung/YRiver/geofo/geogren.html |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref>

===Tributaries===
[[File:5922-Daxia-River-fall-into-Liujiaxia-Reservoir.jpg|thumb|The mouth of the [[Daxia River]] (coming from bottom right), flowing into the Yellow River's [[Liujiaxia Reservoir]] in [[Linxia Prefecture]], Gansu]]
Tributaries of the Yellow River listed from its source to its mouth include:
*[[White River (China)|White River]]
*[[Daxia River]] 
*[[Tao River]] 
*[[Huangshui River|Huang Shui]] 
**[[Datong River]] 
*[[Zhuanglang River]]
*[[Zuli River]]
*[[Qingshuihe River|Qingshui River]]
*[[Dahei River]]
*[[Kuye River]]
*[[Wuding River]] 
*[[Fen River]] 
*[[Wei River]] (the Wei River is the largest of these tributaries)
*[[Luo River (Henan)|Luo River]] 
*[[Qin River (Shanxi)|Qin River]] 
*[[Dawen River]]
The lower reaches of the Yellow River have no tributaries.<ref name=":12" />{{Rp|page=168}}