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.     

Pollution characteristics and risk assessment of organophosphate esters in aquaculture farms and natural water bodies adjacent to the Huanghe River delta

To date, little attention has been paid to the effects of organophosphate esters (OPEs) pollution on aquacultural environment and aquatic product safety. Huanghe (Yellow) River delta area is one of the largest aquaculture centers in China, where ecological security protection is crucial in the national strategy of China. To explore the pollution characteristics, bioaccumulation, and health risks of OPEs in aquaculture farms in the Huanghe River delta and natural water bodies in the adjacent seas, five species of organisms from different farm types nearby the Huanghe River delta, and the corresponding culture water and sediments were sampled in this study. The total concentrations of ∑₁₃OPEs in water, sediments, and organisms were 51.53–272.18 ng/L, 52.63–63.17 ng/g dry weight (dw), and 46.82–108.90 ng/g dw, respectively. Among the five types of culture ponds, the water samples from the swimming crab and hairy crab culture ponds exhibited higher OPEs, the concentration of OPEs in the sediments from the few ponds was relatively balanced, and the OPEs in the organism from the holothurian ponds was higher. Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-isopropyl phosphate) (TDCP) was the main contaminant in water samples and tripropyl phosphate (TPrP) in sediments and organisms. However, trisphenyl phosphate (TPhP) showed the strongest bioaccumulation ability, followed by 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) and TPrP. The bioaccumulation capacities of the five species were as follows: prawn > holothurian > hairy crab > swimming crab > carp. These five types of organisms, as main seafood in human consumption, were at low risk of negative impacts of pollution. However, the risk from the mixture of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) still requires more attention due to the increasing consumption and production in the world.

     

MONITORING THE DIFFUSION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AND STABILITY OF TIDAL RADIAL SAND RIDGES AREA USING MULTI-SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING DATA

Nine Landsat TM tapes and images and MSS images, 10 NOAA tapes and images and 1 SAR image from 1973 to 1997 were used to analyse the diffusion of suspended sediments and the change of tidal radial sand ridges in the northern part of the Changjiang River delta, the South Yellow Sea. The results showed that the diffusion of suspended sediments was controlled by the tide, net current, and submarine topography in this area. The distribution of suspended sediments had close relationship with thesubmarine topography. The old Huanghe River delta and the Changjiang River comprise the main sediment supply for the formation of radial sand ridges, whose evolution can be divided into three stages since the Huangbe River changed its course and flowed northward into the Bohai Sea.     

Relocation of the Yellow River estuary in 1855 AD recorded in the sediment core from the northern Yellow Sea

Relocation of the Yellow River estuary has significant impacts on not only terrestrial environment and human activities, but also sedimentary and ecological environments in coastal seas. The responses of regional geochemical characteristics to the relocation event, however, have not been well studied. In the present study, we performed detailed geochemical elemental analyses of a sediment core from the northern Yellow Sea and studied their geochemical responses to the 1855 AD relocation of the Yellow River estuary. The results show that TOC/TN, Co/Al₂O₃, Cr/Al₂O₃, Ni/Al₂O₃ and Se/Al₂O₃ ratios all decreased abruptly after 1855 AD, and similar decreases are observed in the sediments of the mud area southwest off the Cheju Island. These abrupt changes are very likely caused by the changes in source materials due to the relocation of the Yellow River estuary from the southern Yellow Sea to the Bohai Sea, which the corresponding decreasing trends caused by the changes in main source materials from those transported by the Liaohe River, the Haihe River and the Luanhe River to those by the Yellow River. Because the events have precise ages recorded in historical archives, these obvious changes in elemental geochemistry of sediments can be used to calibrate age models of related coastal sea sediments.     

Geochemical Characteristics and Sources of Some Chemical Components in Sediments of Zhuiiang（Pearl） River Estuary

Sediment cores with length of 25 - 45cm at 12 stations in Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary were sampled in summer of 1999. Chemical components (Al2O3 , Fe2O3, CaO, TiO2, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Co, Ni, V, Ba, Sr and Y) and grain sizes were analyzed. Sediments in Zhujiang River Estuary are characterized by relatively coarse grain size. The grain sizes of the sediments in the area outside the estuary are relatively finer than those in the north part of the estuary but coarser than those in the middle of Lingdingyang and have a trend similar to the spatial distribution trend of some chemical components such as Fe2O3, Al2O3, TiO2, V, Cu, Ni, Zn and Y. This showed that grain size is an important factor that controls the spatial distribution and depth profile of chemical elements in the Zhujiang River Estuary. Frequent re-suspension, re-transportation and redistribution of settled sediment on estuary floor could be deduced from the spatial distributions and depth profiles of chemical components. Except for CaO and Sr, the chemical components always enrich at the west side of, in the middle of, and at the north side of, the estuary. Fe2O3, Al2O3, Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu and Y in Zhujiang River Estuary sediments mainly result from rock and soil weathering except that parts of Cr, Ni, Zn Cu and Y are anthropogenic. CaO and Sr in sediments originate from marine source. Although Co as well as Pb derives from anthropogenic sources, human activities related to Co might differ from the activities related to Pb.     

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     

High resolution records of flood deposition in the mud area off the Changjiang River mouth during the past century

This paper presents a paleoflood study to determine the flood frequency of the Changjiang River, based on core cj0702, taken from the Changjiang River subaqueous delta. We identified flood deposits by means of high-resolution grain-size variation, sensitive population, geochemical indexes and magnetic susceptibility. The core covers a time span of 120 years by 210 Pb dating and was sampled at 1–2 cm intervals. Grain size, geochemical elements, and physical parameters were analyzed. The results indicate that the sediment of the core is mainly composed of silt and clay, as well as groups of interbedded silt, clay silt, and clay. Vertically, the grain size pattern was controlled by seasonal variations in water discharge and by the sediment input in winter from the abandoned Huanghe River delta. River flooding caused extreme values in all our measured parameters. We identified more than 20 flood events that occurred since 1887 using the physical parameter analysis method. The environmentally sensitive component of sediment grain size(14.32–96.39 μm) contribution30%, Zr/Rb ratio1.5, and magnetic susceptibility16 were selected as the criteria for flood identification generally. We also found that floods that had taken place in the upstream, midstream, or downstream parts of the river were clearly identified by these indexes while the large-scale floods that covered the whole drainage area did not leave clear indications in the sediment record. This study for identification of flood events is of great significance for understanding hyperpycnal current sedimentation as well as for forecasting of floods.     

Distribution and source of main contaminants in surface sediments of tidal flats in the Northern Shandong Province

Twenty-nine samples of surface sediments from tidal flats in the Northern Shandong Province were collected for grain size, heavy metal(Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr), and oil pollution analyses. The geoaccumulation index(Igeo) and factor analysis were introduced to evaluate sediment quality and source of contaminants. The mean concentrations of Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, and oil in the surface sediments in the study area are 0.033, 17.756, 19.121, 55.700, 0.291, 59.563, and 14.213 μg g-1, respectively. The heavy metal contamination in the old delta lobe is slightly higher than that in the abandoned delta lobe; however, the opposite was observed for oil pollution. The Igeo results revealed that the overall quality of the surface sediments in the study area is in good condition. The heavy metal pollution levels show a descending order: Cd Hg Cr Cu Zn Pb, Cd being the main pollutant. The contamination level for in the study area is relatively lower than those for China's other tidal flats. Heavy metals are mainly derived from natural sources of rock weathering and erosion, partly influenced by industrial and agricultural discharge. However, oil pollution is mainly from runoff input, motorized fishing boat sewage, and oil exploitation.     

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.     

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.     

GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOSPHORUS NEAR THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY

INTRODUCTIONPhosphorus (P)isanimportantlimitingelementinglobaloceanicproductivity (Holland ,1 978) ,soknowledgeofPisakeytobetterunderstandingofthecyclingofcarbon ,nitrogen,sulfur,andothernu trientelements.Inasimplemassbalancemodel,thelevelofdissolvedPintheoceanisafunctionoftherateofinputviarivers,andtherateofoutputviadepositioninsediments.Inthepresentstudy,thefocusisontheriverinePinputbytheHuangheRiver (YellowRiver)totheBohaiSea,andespeciallyontheamountofPsolubilizedfromsolidphasesupo…     

Change in Sediment Provenance Near the Current Estuary of Yellow River Since the Holocene Transgression

Sedimentary sequence and sediment provenance are important factors when it comes to the studies on marine sedimentation. This paper studies grain size distribution, lithological characteristics, major and rare earth elemental compositions, micropaleontological features and ~(14)C ages in order to examine sedimentary sequence and sediment provenance of the core BH6 drilled at the mouth of the Yellow River in Bohai Sea. According to the grain size and the micropaleontological compositions, 4 sedimentary units have been identified. Unit 1(0–8.08 mbsf) is of the delta sedimentary facies, Unit 2(8.08–12.08 mbsf) is of the neritic shelf facies, Unit 3(12.08–23.85 mbsf) is of near-estuary beach-tidal facies, and Unit 4(23.85 mbsf–) is of the continental lake facies. The deposits from Unit 1 to Unit 3 have been found to be marine strata formed after the Holocene transgression at about 10 ka BP, while Unit 4 is continental lacustrine deposit formed before 10 ka BP. The provenances of core BH6 sediments show properties of the continental crust and vary in different sedimentary periods. For Unit 4 sediments, the source regions are dispersed while the main provenance is not clear, although the parent rock characteristics of a few samples are similar to the Luanhe River sediments. For Unit 3, sediments at 21.1–23.85 mbsf have been mainly transported from the Liaohe River, while sediments above 21.1 mbsf are mainly from the Yellow River and partially from the Liaohe River. For Unit 2, the sediments have been mainly transported from the Yellow River, with a small amount from other rivers. For Unit 1, the provenance is mainly the Yellow River catchment. These results help in better understanding the evolution of the Yellow River Delta.     

Application of swat model in the upstream watershed of the Luohe River

1INTRODUCTIONIntheHuanghe(Yellow) Riverbasin, soilerosionisaseriousproblem,whilerunoffandsedimentyieldsim-ulation hasnotbeenextensivelystudiedonthebasisofGIS(GeographicInformationSystem) and dis-tributedhydrologicalmodel.Inthisstudy,theLushiwatershed,whichislocatedattheupstreamoftheLushiHydrologicalStationintheLuoheRiver—thebiggesttributary oftheHuanghe Riveranddown-streamofXiaolangdiDam,isselectedasthestudyarea.ThelevelofsoilerosioninLushiwatershedismoderatein theHuangheRiverbas…     

DISTRIBUTIONS OF TOTAL, INORGANIC AND ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS IN THE SEDIMENTS NEAR THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY

For some hundred surface sediment samples from five cores taken in two cruises near the Huanghe River Estuary, total phosphorus (TP (.inorganic phosphorus (IP (and organic phosphorus (OP)were determined.On the average, 527×10-6, 455×10~6 and 72×10-6 were found for TP,IP and OP for the surface sediments taken in the two cruises. The distribution of OP and IP was controlled by the sample particle size: OP content increased with the decreasing of the sample particle size, while the maximal value of IP was found in the silt fraction due to the existence of apatite in our samples. Vertical distributions reflected well the channel change of the Huanghe River. Results from the multiple regressions between the three forms of phosphorus and the percentages of different particle size agreed well with the analytical data.     

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…     

Temporal variations of water discharge and sediment load of Huanghe River, China

Based on the data from gauging stations,the changes in water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe (Yellow)River were analyzed by using the empirical mode decomposition(EMD)method.The results show that the periodic oscillation of water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River occurs at the interannual,decadal,and multi-decadal scales,caused by the periodic oscillations of precipitation,and El Nio/Southern Oscillation(ENSO)affects water discharge by influencing precipitation distribution and contributes to periodic varations in precipitation and water discharge at interannual timescale.The water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River have decreased since the 1960s under the influence of precipitation and huamn activities,and human activities attribute more than precipitation to the reduction in the water discharge and sediment load,furthermore,water abstraction and water-soil conservation practices are the main causes of the decrease in water discharge and sediment load,respectively.The reduction in sediment load has directly impacted on the lower reaches of the Huanghe River and the river delta, causing considerable erosion of the river channel in the lower reaches since the 1970s along with River Delta changing siltation into erosion around 2000.     

Geochemical studies of U,Th, Ra,40K in seciments of the China Sea and adjacent sea area,and lower reaches of several Chinese Rivers

Geochemical studies of the U, Th, Ra, and⁴⁰K in surface sediments of the China Sea and adjacent sea areas, the lower reaches of the Huanghe and Changjiang Rivers and the estuaries of the Zhujiang and Rongjiang Rivers were carried out with a model 8180-4K multichannel Ge(Li)γ spectrometer in 1981–1985. The mean values of U, Ra, Th,⁴⁰K are about 2.11 ppm, 7.67×10⁻¹³g/g, 11.00 ppm, and 2.33 ppm respectively, in the China Sea, the Okinawa Trough, and the Changjiang and Huanghe River estuaries. The distribution of the four isotopes is uniform in the above zone. The contents of U and Th in the sediments of the Zhujiang and Rongjiang Rivers and the Fujian coast are 1–4 times higher than those of the above zone and are related to the granite and radioactive ore present in the upper reaches of these rivers or the adjacent mountains. The distributions of U, Th, Ra, and⁴⁰K are related to the physico-chemical property, redox state, geological type and grain size of the sediment, and biotic activity. Contribution No. 1408, Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica, Qingdao.     

APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING AND FUZZY MATH TO STUDY OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS DIFFUSION NEAR THE HUANGHE RIVER DELTA

Sediment grain size parameters and the percent of sand and clay near the Huanghe River Delta are used to estimate the Huanghe Riser load diffusion with fuzzy analysis. The results are confirmed by field investigation and the landform changes of the river estuary and sediment diffusive pattern indicated by Landsat MSS, TM images.     

Morphodynamic evolution of the Xiaoqing River mouth: a Huanghe River-derived mixed energy estuary

In an estuary,tidal,wave and other marine powers interact with the coast in different ways and affect estuary morphology as well as its evolution.In the Huanghe(Yellow) River estuaries and nearby delta,there are many small sediment-affected estuaries with a unique morphology,such as the Xiaoqing River estuary.In this study,we investigated the special evolution and genetic mechanism of the Xiaoqing River estuary by analyzing graphic and image data with a numerical simulation method.The results show that NE and NE-E tide waves are the main driving force for sandbar formation.Sediment shoals have originated from huge amounts of sediment from the Huanghe River,with consequent deposition at the Xiaoqing River mouth.The lateral suspended sediments beyond the river mouth move landward.Siltation takes place on the northern shoreline near the river mouth whereas erosion occurs in the south.The deposits come mainly from scouring of the shallow seabed on the northern side of the estuary.Storm surges speed up deposition in the estuary.Development of the sediment shoals has occurred in two steps involving the processes of growth and further southward extension.Although the southward shift increases the river curvature and length,the general eastward orientation of the estuary is unlikely to change.Processes on the adjacent shorelines do not affect the development of the sediment shoals.The study presents a morphodynamic evolutionary model for the Xiaoqing River estuary,with a long-term series cycle,within which a relatively short cycle occurs.     

Estimation of ecological water requirements based on habitat response to water level in Huanghe River Delta, China

In recent years,wetland ecological water requirements (EWRs) have been estimated by using hydrological and functional approaches,but those approaches have not yet been integrated for a whole ecosystem.This paper presents a new method for calculating wetland EWRs,which is based on the response of habitats to water level,and determines water level threshold through the functional integrity of habitats.Results show that in the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta water levels between 5.0 m and 5.5 m are required to maintain the functional integrity of the wetland at a value higher than 0.7.One of the dominant plants in the delta,Phragmites australis,tolerates water level fluctuation of about ± 0.25 m without the change in wetland functional integrity.The minimum,optimum and maximum EWRs for the Huanghe River Delta are 9.42×106 m3,15.56×106 m3 and 24.12×106 m3 with water levels of 5.0 m,5.2 m and 5.5 m,corresponding to functional integrity indices of 0.70,0.84 and 0.72,respectively.A wetland restoration program has been performed,which aims to meet these EWRs in attempt to recover from losses of up to 98% in the delta's former wetland area.