The researchers studied how water and sediment flow from the Changjiang River to the estuary. They found that there are clear patterns of variation in these flows, with more sediment during certain seasons. Flood years are rare, and dry years often happen every two years. High sediment years occur more frequently than low sediment years. Interestingly, there is not much of a connection between the amount of water and sediment flowing. Fine grained sediment doesn't seem to be related to water flow at all.