Large rivers like the Yellow River in China carry sediment from different areas in their basin into the sea. By studying this, researchers found that sediment flux into the sea is influenced by water and sediment from different source areas. They created a model showing that fine sediment produces more sediment flux than coarse sediment. The Yellow River's sediment flux into the sea has decreased since the 1970s, mainly due to soil control measures in the fine sediment area. By using their model, researchers can predict how sediment flux might change in the future due to climate change and human activities.