Sedimentary evolution of the Holocene subaqueous clinoform off the southern Shandong Peninsula in the Western South Yellow Sea

Based on the stratigraphic sequence formed since the last glaciation and revealed by 3000 km long high-resolution shallow seismic profiles and the core QDZ03 acquired recently off the southern Shandong Peninsula, we addressed the sedimentary characteristics of a Holocene subaqueous clinoform in this paper. Integrated analyses were made on the core QDZ03, including sedimentary facies, sediment grain sizes, clay minerals, geochemistry, micro paleontology, and AMS 14 C dating. The result indicates that there exists a Holocene subaqueous clinoform, whose bottom boundary generally lies at 15–40 m below the present sea level with its depth contours roughly parallel to the coast and getting deeper seawards. The maximum thickness of the clinoform is up to 22.5 m on the coast side, and the thickness contours generally spread in a banded way along the coastline and becomes thinner towards the sea. At the mouths of some bays along the coast, the clinoform stretches in the shape of a fan and its thickness is evidently larger than that of the surrounding sediments. This clinoform came into being in the early Holocene(about 11.2 cal kyr BP) and can be divided into the lower and upper depositional units(DU 2 and DU 1, respectively). The unit DU 2, being usually less than 3 m in thickness and formed under a low sedimentation rate, is located between the bottom boundary and the Holocene maximum flooding surface(MFS), and represents the sediment of a post-glacial transgressive systems tract; whereas the unit DU 1, the main body of the clinoform, sits on the MFS, belonging to the sediment of a highstand systems tract from middle Holocene(about 7–6 cal kyr BP) to the present. The provenance of the clinoform differs from that of the typical sediments of the Yellow River and can be considered as the results of the joint contribution from both the Yellow River and the proximal coastal sediments of the Shandong Peninsula, as evidenced by the sediment geochemistry of the core. As is controlled mainly by coactions of multiple factors such as the Holocene sea-level changes, sediment supplies and coastal dynamic conditions, the development of the clinoform is genetically related with the synchronous clinoform or subaqueous deltas around the northeastern Shandong Peninsula and in the northern South Yellow Sea in the spatial distribution and sediment provenance, as previously reported, with all of them being formed from the initial stage of the Holocene up to the present.     

Sedimentary evolution since the late Last Deglaciation in the western North Yellow Sea

To decipher the sedimentary evolution and environmental changes since the late Last Deglaciation, two gravity cores were analyzed from the western North Yellow Sea (NYS). The two cores (B-L44 and B-U35) were sampled for grain size, clay minerals, detrital minerals, and 14C dating. They are comparable in lithofaies, and the observed succession was divided into four depositional units based on lithology and mineral assemblages, which recorded the postglacial transgression. Depositional unit 4 (DU 4) (before 11.5 ka) was characterized with enrichment in sand, and was interpreted as nearshore deposits in shallow water during the Younger Dryas Event. DU 3 (11.5-9.6 ka) displayed a fining-upward succession composed of sediments from local rivers, such as the Huanghe (Yellow) River, and from coastal erosion, which clearly were related to the Early Holocene transgression. Stable muddy deposition (DU 2) in NYS began to form at about 9.6 ka, which received direct supply of fine materials from the Shandong subaqueous clinoform. It is believed that the Yellow Sea circulation system played a major role in controlling the formation of fine sediment deposition in DU 1 (after 6.4 ka) after the sea level maximum.     

Onshore warm tongue and offshore cold tongue in the western Yellow Sea in winter: the evidence

A winter onshore warm tongue extending from the Yellow Sea Warm Current to the southern Jiangsu coast, and an of fshore cold tongue extending from the southern Jiangsu coast to the southwest of Jeju Island(South Korea), are newly identified based on the sea-surface temperature from satellite remote sensing, and further confirmed by the distribution of suspended sediments. In addition, there are two obvious thermal fronts associated with the onshore warm tongue and off shore cold tongue. The narrow gap between the two thermal fronts is supposed to be the pathway for the off shore transport of cold coastal water and suspended sediments. The concurrence of onshore warm and of fshore cold tongues suggests the concurrence of onshore and off shore currents in the western Yellow Sea in winter, which seems to be inconsistent with the previously accepted view that, in winter, the Yellow Sea Coastal Current flows from the Old Huanghe Delta to the southwest of Jeju Island. This distinctive phenomenon helps establish an updated view of the circulation in the western Yellow Sea in winter.     

A Holocene Yalu River-derived fine-grained deposit in the southeast coastal area of the Liaodong Peninsula

High-resolution seismic profiles and surface samples were studied in detail in order to determine the structures, provenance, and dynamic mechanisms of a fine-grained deposit in the southeast coastal area of the Liaodong Peninsula, China. Results indicate that there is a prominent fine-grained deposit distributed alongshore up to 14 m thick, which thins out to less than 2 m in both seaward and landward directions, forming an Ω-shaped pattern of cross-section. The deposit is 180–300 km away from the Yalu River mouth and extends along the southeast coast of the Liaodong Peninsula between the northeast of Dalian Bay and southwest of the Changshan Islands, in water depths of 20–40 m. The deposit, which is mainly derived from the Yalu River, represents a Holocene Highstand System Tract sequence formed since the highest sea level around 7.0 ka. The Yalu River-derived sediments were redeposited in the area off the southeast coast of the Liaodong Peninsula after resuspension and transportation by the Liaonan Coastal Current.     

鲁西南平原区第四纪全新世地层划分

鲁西南平原区第四纪全新世地层自下而上划分为5个组：下部为黑土湖组,中部为同期异相的巨野组、单县组、鱼台组,上部为黄河组。熏土湖组为全新世早-中期湖沼相沉积的灰-灰黑色粘土类粉砂质粘土,含大量淡水螺蚌介壳;巨野组为全新世黄河早期沉积,由褐黄色粉砂夹棕红色粘土组成;单县组为黄河古决口扇、古河道沉积,岩性主要为细砂、粉砂;鱼台组为黄河古决口扇前缘洼地沉积,岩性为-套棕红色粘土,局部夹粉砂土。黄河组为黄河现代河床及河漫滩沉积,由灰黄色粉砂土、粘质砂土夹粘土层及砂土组成。     

Clay minerals and geochemistry of the bottom sediments in the northwestern East China Sea

Clay minerals of 34 sediments collected from the northwestern continental shelf of the East China Sea have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The clay mineral distribution is mainly controlled by the sediment source and the dominant circulation pattern. The predominant clay mineral in our study area is illite comprising more than 67% of the whole clay fraction. The highest concentration of illite (>68%) is found in the southeastern offshore parts beyond the reach of terrigenous input from the Jeju Island. It means that these illites are largely transported by the Kuroshio Current from the South China Sea (SCS). Smectite is highly concentrated in the northwest middle part and in the outer-shelf mud patch. It seems to be due to the high supply of smectite transported from China where fine-grained sediments are discharged from modern and ancient Huanghe (Yellow) River. The relatively high abundant kaolinite is likely derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River via the Taiwan Warm Current. In contrast, large amounts of chlorite and high chlorite/kaolinite ratios occur in the northwestern area, reflecting the transportation by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current from the southern Yellow Sea. The discrimination diagrams clearly show that the sediments in the northwestern East China Sea are ultimately sourced from Chinese rivers, especially from the Huanghe River, whereas the sediment in the northeast part might come from the Jeju Island. The muddy sediments of the Changjiang River’s submerged delta have much lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.716 2–0.718 0) than those of the Shandong Peninsular mud wedge (0.721 6–0.724 9), which are supposed to be originated from the Huanghe River, suggesting the distribution pattern of 87Sr/86Sr ratios as a new tracer to discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the study area. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the outer-shelf muddy sediments ranged from 0.7169 to 0.7216 in a wide range and was between those of the Huanghe River and Changjiang River sediments, suggesting multiple sources of the sediment in the area.     

Sediment consolidation settlement of Chengbei Sea area in the northern Huanghe River subaqueous delta,China

One of the most important factors controlling the morphology of the modern Huanghe(Yellow) River delta is consolidation settlement, which is impacted by fast deposition, high water content, and low density of seafloor sediment. Consolidation settlement of the Huanghe River subaqueous delta was studied based on field data, laboratory experiments on 12 drill holes, and the one-dimensional consolidation theory. Results show that vertical sediment characteristics varied greatly in the rapidly forming sedimentary bodies of the modern Huanghe River subaqueous delta. Sediments in the upper parts of drill holes were coarser than those in the deeper parts, and other physical and mechanical properties changed accordingly. On the basis of the one-dimensional consolidation theory and drilling depth, the final consolidation settlement of drill holes was between 0.6 m and 2.8 m, and the mean settlement of unit depth was at 1.5–3.5 cm/m. It takes about 15–20 years for the consolidation degree to reach 90% and the average sedimentation rate within the overlying 50 m strata was at 5 cm/a to 12 cm/a. This study helps to forecast the final consolidation settlement and settlement rate of the modern Huanghe River subaqueous delta, which provides key geotechnical information for marine engineers.     

辽西地区花岗岩的形成时代

位于华北板块北缘构造－岩浆带内的辽西地区，广泛发育不同类型的花岗岩。作者将其划分为：①黑云母二长花岗岩系列；②含石榴石二长花岗岩系列；③花岗闪长岩－二长花岗岩系列。研究结果表明，这３个系列的花岗岩均形成于中生代，是深部物质（下地壳或上地幔）分层熔融的产物。这一认识与花岗岩主体形成于古生代的观点是截然不同的。     

SEDIMENTARY EVOLUTION OF MODERN HUANGHE RIVER DELTA LOBE

The sedimentary history of a Huanghe(Yellow)River delta lobe can be divided into four stages.In the first stage,the crevasse splays and short-lived distributary channel deposits in the subaerial deltaand sheet silt in the subaqueous delta were well developed.In the second stage,further differentiationof sedimentary environments occurred in the subaerial delta lobe(distributary channel,natural levee,flood plain,central lower delta plain and lateral lower delta plain)and the subaqueous delta lobe(prodelta,delta front and delta lateral).In the third stage,crevasse splay and short-lived distributarychannel deposits mostly occurred in the lower or lower-middle part of the subaerial delta lobe,andsheet silt accumulated off the river mouth.In the fourth stage,the abandoned lobe was reworked.The common vertical sequence of the modern Huanghe River delta showed alternating clayey silt andsilt layers.A complete sequence from prodelta to upper delta plain was commonly composed of twoor more delta lobes.     

Inversion and Prediction of Consolidation Settlement Characteristics of the Fluvial Sediments Based on Void Ratio Variation in the Northern Modern Yellow River Subaqueous Delta,China

The modern Yellow River delta is formed near the estuary of the Yellow River with the characteristics of short formation time, efficient sedimentation rate and loose structure which make sediments prone to be compacted and consolidate under the geostatic stress and overburden stress. It is one of the key areas with land subsidence disasters in China, bringing a series of safety hazards to production and living. Based on the data of massive surface cores and ten drill holes ranging from 12 to 40 m obtained from the northern modern Yellow River subaqueous delta, the inversion method suitable for the calculation of consolidation settlement characteristics of the modern Yellow River subaqueous delta is discussed, and the consolidation settlement characteristics of the delta sediments are inversed and predicted in this paper. The actual void ratio of the delta sediments at the depth from 3 to 15 m shows a significant power function relationship with the depth, while the void ratio of the sediments below 15 m changes little with depth. The pre-consolidation settlement(from deposition to sampling) of the delta sediments is between 0.91 and 1.96 m, while the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 9.6 and 14.0 cm m~(-1). The post-consolidation settlement(from sampling to stable) of the subaqueous delta sediments is between 0.65 and 1.56 m in the later stage, and the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 7.6 and 13.1 cm m~(-1) under the overburden stress. The delta sediments with a buried depth of 3 to 7 m contribute the most to the possible consolidation settlement in the later stage.     

Evolution of Palaeoenvironment of the South Yellow Sea Since the Last Deglaciation

The sediments in core YS01 recovered from the South Yellow Sea mud deposit zone contain abundant benthic foraminifera, particularly shallow continental shelf species, but rare of planktonic foraminifera. The benthic foraminifera are dominated by stenohaline cold shallow-water species and euryhaline brackish-water species. In this paper, the palaeoenvironmental changes were discussed based on the grain-size compositions and benthic foraminiferal assemblages. Six different benthic foraminiferal assemblages were discriminated by species analysis from the foraminiferal fauna. According to AMS~(14)C dating data in core YS01, we identified four main stages of marine environmental changes since the last deglaciation: a near-shore depositional stage(13.1 – 9.5 kyr B.P.), a transitional stage from near-shore deposition to shallow-sea deposition(9.5 – 5.6 kyr B.P.), a high sea level stage with shallow-sea deposition(5.6–2.9 kyr B.P.), and a stable shallow-sea depositional stage(2.9 kyr B.P. to the present).     

Distribution and provenance of detrital minerals in southern coast of Shandong Peninsula

Detrital minerals of 137 offshore and 22 river sediment samples collected from Qingdao coastal areas have been analyzed. Four mineral assemblage provinces can be classified by Q-mode cluster analysis. Factor analysis identifies two major factors that account for the total variability in most common minerals: 1) based on the relationship of quartz, hornblende, actinolite, micas, and authigenic pyrite, 41.55% of the variability is related to sediment sources; 2) based on the relationship of epidote, garnet, sphere, and ilmenite, 23.21% can be related to strong hydrodynamic conditions that control transport and sedimentation. By comparing mineral compositions of river waters in the study area, the following four mineral provenances can be identified. The Qingdao-Laoshan nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-epidote-hornblende-limenite-limonite-sphene assemblage, which is largely attributed to relict sediment and coastal erosion. The Jimo-Haiyang nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-hornblende-epidote-limonite-mica-actinolite assemblage, derived largely from the Wulong River and Rushan River, and is also affected by the Huanghe River, while the Qianliyan Island area in the deeper offshore area separated by a mud belt has a similar assemblage. The Haiyang-Rushan nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-hornblende-epidote-micas-limonite assemblage, indicating multiple sources from the Rushan River, the Wulong River, the Huanghe River, and coastal erosion. The central area, located in an eddy center, has a mica-authigenic pyrite-hornblende-quartzfeldspar assemblage, indicating multiple sources dominated by Huanghe River distal sediments.     

从苏北海岸的进退谈黄河泥沙利用问题

自１８５５ 年黄河改道北行至今,山东省的渤海湾海岸线向海方面推移了１９ｋｍ ,黄河泥沙的造陆面积达２８２７ｋｍ２ ,而在江苏省北部从双洋口至小丁港１５０ｋｍ 的海岸线上共失去土地１３２０ｋｍ２ 以上。作者认为,可以疏通明清黄河故道作为引黄工程,利用黄河携带的大量泥沙淤积于黄海沿岸,以减缓黄海岸线的侵蚀,还可抑制黄河泥沙沉积而造成的渤海的淤积。     

SEDIMENT DISCHARGE OF THE HUANGHE RIVER AND ITS EFFECT ON SEDIMENTATION OF THE BOHAI SEA AND THE YELLOW SEA

The Huanghe (Yellow) River, with annual sediment discharge about 11 ×108tons, contributes about 17% of the fluvial sediment discharge of world's 21 major rivers to the ocean because its middle reaches flow across the great Loess Plateau of China. Sediment discharge of the Huanghe River has a widespread and profound effect on sedimentation of the sea. The remarkable shift of its outlet in 1128-1855 A.D. to the South Yellow Sea formed a large subaqueous delta and provided the substrate for an extensive submarine ridge field.The shift of its outlet in the modern delta every 10 years is the main reason why with an extremely heavy sediment input and a micro- tidal environment, the Huanghe River has not succeeded in building a birdfoot delta like the Mississippi. The Huanghe River has consistently brought heavy sediment input to sea at least since 0.7 myr.B.P. Paleochannels, paleosols, cheniers and fossils on the sea bottom indicate that the Yellow Sea was exposed during the late Quaternary glacial low-sea l     

Spatial distribution and controlling factors of sedimentary bodies in Jiaozhou Bay and Adjacent Sea Areas, Qingdao

The distributions of thickness of unconsolidated Quaternary sedimentary layers in Jiaozhou Bay and Qingdao offshore area were studied by using 1079-km high-resolution shallow seismic profiles and drilling core data, and the factors controlling the Quaternary evolution were discussed. The results show that such thickness distributions resulted from the coactions of geologic structures and marine hydrodynamic conditions since the Holocene. The geologic structures controlled the slope deposit, proluvial and fluvial fillings since the late Pleistocene. Holocene marine hydrodynamics eroded away sediments at the bay mouth, and tides carried these eroded materials to the sides of the bay mouth and released them there, forming channel-ridge-alternating geomorphic features. During transgressive processes, the sea level rose rapidly, and insufficient sediment supply and tidal actions yielded the relict sediments in the east of Qingdao offshore area.     

Sediment flux and source in northern Yellow Sea by^210 Pb technique

1 INTRODUCTION The Yellow Sea is a shallow epicontinental sea surrounded by Chinese mainland and Korean Peninsula. It is connected with the East China Sea to the south, and with the Bohai Sea to the north- west. Water depth is generally less than 80 m with average of 44 m (Qin et al., 1989). The major sediment sources are the Huanghe and Changjiang (Yangtze) Rivers, providing annual sediment load of about 1.1×109 and 4.9×108 tons, respectively. A maximum of 1.6×108 tons of sedime…     

The distribution and variation of elements in sediments off the Huanghe (Yellow) River mouth

Surface sediment samples collected off the Huanghe (Yellow) River mouth during the period 2007–2009 were analyzed for major and trace element concentrations. Concentrations of 16 elements were measured using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Results demonstrate that sediment grain size is the dominant factor controlling the spatial variations of elemental concentrations. Correlation and cluster analyses allowed classification of the study area into four geochemical regions: Regions I and III are characterized by high concentrations of Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, Na₂O, K₂O, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn, and contain fine-grained sediments with mean grain size (M _z)<22 μm; and; Regions II and IV contain mostly coarse-grained sediments, and are characterized by high concentrations of SiO₂, Na₂O, and Zr. The sediment entering the sea from the Huanghe River and its tributaries is enriched in Ca. Thus, the Ca/Al ratio was used as an indicator of the proportion of sediments in the study area that originated from the Huanghe River. Ca/Al ratios decrease from Regions I and II (located in the nearshore zone of the Huanghe River delta) to Regions III and IV (distributed in the offshore zone of the northern Huanghe River delta, southern and southeastern Laizhou Bay area).     

Changes in Huanghe （Yellow） River estuary since artificial re-routing in 1996

With the combination of historical data, field observations and satellite remotely sensed images(Landsat TM/ETM and CBERS), changes in Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary since 1996 when artificial Chahe distributary was built up were studied, mainly including water and sediment discharge from the river, tides, tidal currents, suspended sediment diffusion, coastline changes and seabed development. During following six and half years (up to the end of 2002), runoff and sediment loads into the river mouth declined dramatically. At the beginning of the re-routing, abundant sediment loads from the river filled up nearshore shallow water areas so that the newborn delta prograded quickly. With rapid decrease of sediment loads transported to the estuary, the delta retrograded. In 1997, subaerial tip of the abandoned delta receded 1.5km; its annual mean recession rate was about 150 m in following years. In addition, marine dynamic condition near the artificial outlet had also changed. Under the interaction of ocean and river flow, most of incoming sediment loads deposited in the vicinity of the outlet. Seabed erosion occurred at the subaqueous delta front. Between 1999 and 2002, erosion thickness averaged at 0.3 m in the subaqueous delta of 585.5 km2.     

Model of modern dynamic deposition in the east China Sea

Since the last rising of sea level, two branches of the Kuroshio, the Huanghai (Yellow Sea) coastal current (HCC; mainly cold water mass) and the Changjiang River outflow have controlled the modern dynamic deposition in the East China Sea. There are three depositing areas on the sea-bed under the above currents: a relict sand area un der the Taiwan Warm Current and the Huanghai Warm Current at the south-eastern area, the about 60 km² round mud bank under the Huanghai Coastal Current at the northern area and the large subaqueous delta of mainly fine sand and silt under the Changjiang discharge flow in its estuary and the large narrow mud bank under the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Current, another round mud bank under the Changjiang discharge flow off Hangzhou Bay. The relict sand area has a coarsesand block under the Taiwan Warm Current bypassing Taiwan at the northern part of the island. The two round mud banks were formed in relatively static states by an anticlockwise converging cyclonic eddy. The coarsesand block was formed by a clockwise diverging cyclonic eddy. This new dynamic deposition theory can be used to explain not only the dynamic deposition process of clay, but also the patchy distribution of sediments on the shelves of the world ocean s.