Heavy Minerals in Shelf Sediments off Fujian-Zhejiang Coast of the East China Sea: Their Provenance and Geological Application

To examine the composition and source variations of heavy minerals in the Fujian-Zhejiang mud belt(FZMB) over the past few hundred years, heavy minerals in 150 surficial sediment samples and two sediments cores collected from the southern FZMB were identified and analyzed. The results show that the mineral assemblage of hornblende-magnetite-epidote-chlorite is dominant in the study area. Based on the heavy mineral contents, the study area is divided into two mineral zones, namely a near-shore muddy sediment zone(zone Ⅰ) and an offshore mixed sediment zone(zone Ⅱ). The sediments from zone Ⅰ contains relatively abundant metallic minerals with proximal sediments from the Oujiang River and the Minjiang River as the primary component. The sediment from zone Ⅱ has relatively low content for minerals from the near-shore materials and is significantly affected by the Oujiang River sediments, and by the flaky minerals from the Yangtze River to a certain extent. The characteristics of heavy minerals in the cores may be affected by a variety of factors. Before the 20th century, under the influence of strong East Asian winter monsoon(EAWM), the sandy sediment in FZMB is significantly affected by the Oujiang River and the Yangtze River sediments, and relatively unaffected by near-shore terrigenous matter. In the 20th century, as the intensity of the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Current(ZFCC) decreased, the influence of the Minjiang coastal sand enhanced. Since the 1980s, as the collective effect of relatively weak EAWM and frequent storm surges and typhoons, the impact of the Minjiang River sediments on the FZMB sediments has increased considerably.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Sediment Characteristics,Sources, and Transport Patterns in Kompong Som Bay,Cambodia: Indications from Grain Size and Heavy Minerals

In this paper, we analyzed the grain size and heavy mineral compositions of 52 surface sediment samples collected from the Kompong Som Bay of Cambodia and the adjacent rivers to depict the marine sedimentary environments and transport processes. Heavy minerals in sediments are dominated by authigenic pyrite, siderite, and tourmaline, with average percentages of 36.52%, 29.02%, and 10.94%, respectively. Two provinces can be divided according to the spatial similarity of minerals. The sediments from Province I, covered by silt grains in the northern bay, are characterized by autogenic pyrite, indicating a weakly reducing environment;whereas in Province II, covered by sand grains in the southern bay, the siderite-tourmaline-authigenic pyrite-zircon-hornblende assemblage occurs, indicating a mild reducing environment and locally oxidizing environment. Most of the sediments in the Kompong Som Bay are introduced from the Preak Piphot River and Srae Ambel River, except that some of them in the south areas come from coastal erosion. Generally, the sediments are difficult to be transported because of the low sediment loads entering the sea and weak hydrodynamic conditions. However, they are transported from the north to the south during the tide ebbing when the hydrodynamic force is much stronger. The sediment distribution and transport patterns are controlled by many factors, including submarine topography, hydrodynamic conditions, the southwest monsoon, land contours, and sediment supply.     

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.     

The Sources and Transport Patterns of Modern Sediments in Hangzhou Bay: Evidence from Clay Minerals

Clay mineral compositions of 199 offshore surface sediment samples collected from the Hangzhou Bay have been analyzed. The clay minerals in the sediments from the Hangzhou Bay are dominated by illite(58.7%, on average), followed by chlorite(20.3%), kaolinite(16.9%) and smectite(4.1%). Two provinces were classified by Q-mode cluster analysis. Class Ⅰ with relatively low amounts of illite and smectite is widely distributed in the Hangzhou Bay, especially concentrated in the top and mouth of the bay, and the northern and southern nearshore areas. Class Ⅱ with comparatively high amounts of illite and smectite is mainly concentrated in the central part of the bay with the water depth of 8–10 m. By comparing clay mineral compositions with the neighbouring regions, we can find that the sediments in the Hangzhou Bay are mainly influenced by the resuspension and repeated deposition of particles from the Yangtze River due to the strong dynamic environment. In particular, the clay fraction of Class Ⅰ is mainly supplied by the Yangtze River, while the sediments of Class Ⅱ are mixture of the clay minerals carried by the Yangtze River and Qiantang River. In general, the distributions of clay minerals in the northern bay are affected by Yangtze River runoff, coastal current and flood tide together, and in the southern they are mainly affected by the Qiantang River runoff and ebb tide.     

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).     

东营近海海域地质环境质量评价

该文在东营市海洋地质调查获得大量数据的基础上,开展近海海域地质环境质量综合评价,反映近海海域地质环境质量现状和变化趋势,为海洋经济的可持续发展和海洋生态环境保护提供依据。选取海岸侵蚀与淤积、活动断裂与地震、灾害地貌与滑坡、浅层气、底辟、埋藏古河道(古湖泊)、表层沉积物质量、海水质量、软土、砂土液化10项指标,采用层次分析法和综合指数法,对东营市近海海域地质环境质量进行了评价。结果表明:研究区大部分区域地质环境质量为优等和良好级别,面积8875km~2,占总面积的86.58%;中等区主要分布在研究区的北部、东南部和东营港近岸区,面积1200km~2,占总面积的11.71%;较差区主要分布在研究区的北部及黄河口外围海域,面积175km~2,占总面积的1.71%。     

Coastal Erosion Along the West Coast of the Taiwan Strait and It’s Influencing Factors

Based on the field surveys and repeated cross-profile observations combined with the comparison of many years’ topog-raphic maps,this study shows the spatial variability and varying patterns of coastal erosion along the west coast of the Taiwan Strait.Regional differentiation in the Meso-Cenozoic coastal tectonics determined the irregular coastline and geological background for large-scale coastal erosion distribution.The intensity of coastal erosion on the west side of the Taiwan Strait is mild in the nort...     

A contrast analysis on the load character of the Changjiang River and the Huanghe River

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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.     

Sedimentary architecture of the Holocene mud deposit off the southern Shandong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea

Newly acquired high-resolution seismic profiles reveal a nearshore and an of fshore mud depocenter of f the southern Shandong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea.The nearshore depocenter is distributed in bands along the south coast of Shandong Peninsula.The of fshore depocenter is part of the distal subaqueous deltaic lobe,which deposited around the southeastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula.Between the two depocenters is a linear depression.The mud deposits directly overlie the postglacial transgressive surface and can be divided into lower and upper units by the Holocene maximum flooding surface.The nearshore and off shore units display different seismic structures.The lower unit of the nearshore deposit exhibits basal onlap,whereas the upper unit is characterized by progradation.The lower and upper units of the off shore deposit display distinct acoustic features.The lower unit has low-angle aggradation with internal reflectors generally dipping seaward and truncated by the Holocene maximum flooding surface,whereas the upper unit is characterized by aggradation and progradation landward rather than seaward.Results of geochemistry analysis of QDZ03 sediments and mineral analysis of WHZK01 sediments suggest that the nearshore deposit and the lower unit of the of fshore deposit are derived from the proximal coastal sediments of the Shandong Peninsula and the Huanghe(Yellow) River sediments.The upper unit of the of fshore deposit is mainly Huanghe River-derived.The lower unit of the mud deposit represents a post-glacial transgressive system tract according to dates of core QDZ03,and the upper unit represents a highstand system tract from middle Holocene to the present.These results will be of great significance to further understanding of the transportation of the Huanghe River sediments into the Yellow Sea and the spatial distribution of the subaqueous delta.     

A contrast analysis on the load character of the Changjiang River and the Huanghe River

According to the analysis of grain size, mineral composition and inclusion in quartz grain of the suspended and bed load sampled from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and the Huanghe (Yellow) River, the authors reveal the differentiation of loads between the two rivers. In the Huanghe River the size of suspended load is coarser than that in the Changjiang River, while the bed load is on the contrary. Through heavy mineral analysis, the biotite content of the Huanghe River loads is much higher than that of the Changjiang River, and the monomorillonite content of the former is about two times higher than the latter. All those may be attributed to the effects of different material sources and hydraulic conditions on load. The analysis of inclusion in quartz grain definitely illustrates the environmental difference of material sources between the two rivers. In the meantime, it provides a new method in seeking source of river load. Subsidized by the National Natural Science Foundation. This paper is attributed to careful guidance from Prof. Wang Ying & Prof. Shi Yunliang.     

Types and distribution patterns of modern tidal channels along the Huanghe River Delta coast

INTRODUCTIONTidalchannelsareimportantgeomorphologicunitsalongsiltcoasts.Theyhaveanevidentfunc tionfortidalflatbecausetheyareassociatedwithitsrapidbayheadwarderosionandlateralswing ing.Thetidalchannelsdevelopalongthecoastandplayanimportantroleinseaandlandinterac tion .Manyscientistsresearchedthetidalchannels (Bayliss Smith ,1 978;Shao ,1 988;Zhang ,1 995) .TheScientificandTechnicalCommitteeofShandongProvince (1 991 )investigatedthecoastoftheHuanghe (Yellow)RiverDeltaandresearchedtheti…     

Factorial analysis of annual erosion-accretion cycles of tidal flats in the front area of the southern Changjiang river delta

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Response of the distributary channel of the Huanghe River estuary to water and sediment discharge regulation in 2007

The water and sediment discharge regulation (WSDR) project, which has been performed since 2002 before flood season every year, is of great significance to the river management in China. Until 2007, six experiments have been fulfilled to evaluate the effect of the project on the natural environment. To fill the gap of investigations, a study on flood and suspended sediment transportation and channel changing along the distributary channel of the Huanghe (Yellow) River was conducted during the WSDR project period in 2007. The lower channel was scoured rapidly and the channel became unobstructed gradually several days after the flood peak water was discharged from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. Within four days after the flood peak at 3 000 m³/s entered the distributary, the channel in the river mouth area was eroded quickly. Both the mean values of area and depth of the main channel were tripled, and the maximum flood carrying capacity increased to 5 500 m³/s or more. Then, the river channel was silted anew in a very short time after completion of the WSDR. Favored by the WSDR project, the river status in April 2008 became better than that of the year before. The adjustment ranges of main channel parameters were about 30%, 10%, and 10% at sections C2, Q4, and Q7, respectively. The process of rapid erosion-deposition was more active 15 km away in the channel from the river mouth due to the marine influence. It is reasonable for discharging sediment at concentration peak from Xiaolangdi Reservoir at the end of the flood peak. As a result, the sediment peak reached the river mouth about two days later than that of the water current. In addition, the WSDR project has improved the development of the estuarine wetland. Wetland vegetation planted along the river banks restrained the water flow as a strainer and improved the main channel stability. It is suggested to draw water at mean rate of 150 m³/s from the Huanghe River during flood periods, because at the rate the water in the wetland would be stored and replenished in balance. Moreover, we believe that cropland on the river shoal of the lower Huanghe River should be replaced by wetland. These activities should achieve the Huanghe River management strategy of “To concentrate flow to scour sediment, stabilize the main channel, and regulate water and sediment”.     

Foraminiferal Changes and Response to the Channel Diversion and Discharge Fluctuation of the Yellow River in the North Yellow Sea During the Past Century

Diversion of the Yellow River is a unique geological event in offshore China, causing changes of the sedimentary environment in eastern China Seas. The last diversion took place in AD 1855, with the estuary diverted from the Yellow Sea into the Bohai Sea. The identification of the river diversion events in the shelf sediments would not only provide the definite ages for the sediments, but also give a clue for better understanding of the sedimentation in that area. In this study, 210 Pb, grain size, geochemical element, and foraminiferal data in core H205 from the north Yellow Sea were systematically investigated. A high-resolution sedimentary record was established, which was coupled with the Yellow River diversion and runoff changes. The results show that the foraminiferal composition and foraminiferal abundance of the sediments from the north Yellow Sea had good response to the Yellow River diversion in 1855. Before the change, shallow water assemblages dominated the foraminifera, and the abundance of each foraminiferal species was very low. After the diversion event, the abundance of most foraminifera increased sharply, with a maximum increase of 16 times, and the assemblage was still dominated by shallow water species. Furthermore, the changes in foraminiferal abundance in the core sediments corresponded well with the discharge fluctuation of the Yellow River since 1855. When the Yellow River began entering the Bohai Sea, the Yellow River water, which is rich in nutrients, along with the coastal currents affected the north Yellow Sea, increased the primary productivity in the north Yellow Sea, which is the main reason for the abrupt increase and fluctuation of foraminiferal abundance in this area. At the meantime, the East Asian winter monsoon could also promote the development of nearshore foraminiferal species by enhancing the coastal currents.     

Factorial analysis of annual erosion-accretion cycles of tidal flats in the front area of the southern Changjiang river delta

Based on surveyed data from seven coastal sections and the collected data of wind, sea level, tide, nearshore suspended sediment concentration and river flux from adjacent stations, this paper deals with regressive correlation between monthly average flat elevation and monthly average figures of the influential factors. All sections except one which is located within the river mouth showed negative correlation between flat elevation and sea level and between flat elevation and tidal range, with correlation coefficients being −0.53 – −0.91 (−0.77 on the average) in the former condition and −0.56 – −0.97 (−0.80 on the average) under the latter. Each of the sections with available suspended sediment concentration (SSC) data shows a positive correlation between flat elevation and SSC, with correlative coefficients being 0.35 – 0.97 (0.66 on the average). Only two sections (one in the Changjiang River Estuary and the other in the Hangzhou Bay) which are similar to beaches in sediment grain-size and slope gradient showed a negative correlation between flat elevation and onshore wind frequency and between flat elevation and average wind velocity, with correlative coefficients being respectively −0.57 and −0.69 (−0.63 on the average) in the former situation and −0.61 and −0.75 (−0.68 on the average) in the latter. Other sections did not show uniform relationship between flat elevation and wind conditions. Due to local marine factors the nearshore SSC in the studied area is negatively correlated with the Changjiang River sediment flux (r=−0.78), which results in false negative correlation between flat elevation and river sediment flux. The paper also gives sediment dynamic and morphodynamic explanation for the above correlations. Sea level rise results in the spread of breaker zone from subtidal area to intertidal area and then increases the intertidal water energy. The larger the tidal range, the stronger the tide currents and the easier for the flat to be eroded. The higher the SSC of flood water, the easier for the sediment to deposit down. Because of correlations among the influential factors, it is difficult to give the prime one which dominates the erosion and accretion processes in tidal flats.     

Heavy mineral stratigraphy of sediments from the southern outer shelf of the East China Sea since the last glaciation using fuzzy C-means cluster method

Correspondence analysis and fuzzy C-means cluster methods were used to divide the stratigraphy of heavy mineral assemblages, and the sediment sources and depositional dynamics of the environment reconstructed. The assemblages were taken from marine sediments from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene in Core Q43 situated on the outer shelf of the East China Sea. Based on the variable boundaries of the mineral assemblage at 63 and 228 cmbsf (cm below sea floor), the core might have previously been divided into three sediment strata marked with units I, II and III, which would be consistent with the divided sediment stratum of the core using minor element geochemistry. The downcore distribution of heavy minerals divided the sedimentary sequence into three major units, which were further subdivided into four subunits. The interval between 0 and 63 cmbsf of the core (unit I), which spans the Holocene and the uppermost late Pleistocene, is characterized by a hornblende-epidote-pyroxene assemblage, and contains relatively a smaller amount of schistic mineral and authigenic pyrite. In comparison, the interval between 63 and 228 cmbsf (unit II), is representative of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and features a hornblende-epidote-magnetite-ilmenite assemblage containing the highest concentrations of heavy minerals and opaque minerals. However, the interval between 228 and 309 cmbsf (unit III), which spans the subinterglacial period, is characterized by a hornblende-authigenic-pyrite-mica assemblage. Relative ratios of some heavy minerals can be used as tracers of clastic sediment sources. The lower part of the sediment core shows the highest magnetite/ilmenite ratio and relatively high hornblende/augite and hornblende/epidote ratios. The middle core shows the highest hornblende/augite and hornblende/epidote ratios, and the lowest magnetite/ilmenite ratio. The upper part exhibits a slightly higher magnetite/ilmenite ratio, and also the lowest hornblende/augite and hornblende/epidote ratios. The distribution of the mineral ratio is consistent with stratigraphic division in heavy mineral data using correspondence analysis and fuzzy C-means clustering. Variations in heavy mineral association and mineral ratio in core Q43 revealed changes in provenance and depositional environment of the southern outer shelf of the East China Sea since the late Pleistocene, well corresponding to interglacial and glacial cycles.