Monthly composites of remote sensing reflectance at 555 nm wavelength (R_rs555) from ocean color imagery of the MODIS sensor onboard the Aqua platform were used to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of coastal plume in the Sofala Bank and its relation to river discharge, local rainfall, and wind speed. To achieve the objective, maps of monthly composites of R_rs555 over the Sofala Bank were inspected and statistical analysis was performed, including correlation, analysis of variance, and wavelet coherence between environmental variables and both plume area and R_rs555. Climatology of R_rs555 revealed that both plume dispersion and R_rs555 values are higher during June to December and lower during January to May. A positive correlation (r = 0.77) between wind speed and monthly time series of R_rs555, and a negative correlation between the Zambezi river discharge (r = −0.21) and rainfall (r = −0.67) with R_rs555 were found. These results suggest that variation of suspended matter in the Sofala Bank is mainly controlled by erosion and re-suspension by winds rather than the input of terrigenous matter by the Zambezi River discharge and rainfall, assuming that R_rs555 can be a valid proxy for the inorganic suspended matter. The southern portion of the Sofala Bank (i.e., near the mouths of the Pungue and Buzi Rivers) presented higher values of R_rs555 if compared to the center region near Zambezi river mouth and the northern region near Licungo river mouth. The higher R_rs555 values in the southern region might be associated with higher re-suspension rates due to increased tide mixing, dredging activities, and the shallower nature of bathymetry in the southern region. The dominance of wind in controlling the variability of suspended sediments and the eventual relatively greater contribution of Pungue and Buzi River than the Zambezi in supplying sediments could represent an evidence of weakening of Zambezi River supply of sediments, a process that might have started after damming the Zambezi Catchment.

_{Aqua 平台上 MODIS 传感器的海洋彩色图像中 555 nm 波长 (R rs} 555)的遥感反射率的月度复合材料用于表征索法拉河岸沿岸羽流的时空变化及其与河流流量的关系，当地降雨量和风速。_{为了实现这一目标，检查了索法拉河岸上 R rs} 555的月合成图并进行了统计分析，包括环境变量与羽流面积和 R _rs 555之间的相关性、方差分析和小波相干性。 R的气候学_rs 555 揭示了羽流扩散和 R _rs555 值在 6 月至 12 月期间较高，而在 1 月至 5 月期间较低。正相关（r= 0.77) 风速与 R _rs 555 的月时间序列之间存在负相关，赞比西河流量 (r= -0.21) 和降雨量 (r= -0.67），发现 R _rs 555。这些结果表明，索法拉河岸悬浮物质的变化主要受风的侵蚀和再悬浮控制，而不是赞比西河流量和降雨对陆源物质的输入，假设 R _rs 555 可以作为有效的代表无机悬浮物。与靠近赞比西河河口的中部地区和靠近 Licungo 河口的北部地区相比，索法拉河岸的南部（即蓬格河和布齐河河口附近）呈现出更高的 R _{rs 555。}R _rs越高由于潮汐混合增加、疏浚活动和南部地区测深的较浅性质，南部地区的 555 值可能与较高的再悬浮率有关。风在控制悬浮沉积物变化方面的主导地位，以及最终蓬格河和布齐河在沉积物供应方面的贡献比赞比西河更大，这可能是赞比西河沉积物供应减弱的证据，这一过程可能在筑坝后开始。赞比西集水区。