| Abstract: | The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science, and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question. Here, we examine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of a sediment core(core CD-1) that was recovered from the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench. Major element abundances and rare-earth element patterns from these sediments require inputs from both terrigenous dust and locally sourced volcanic debris. We exploit a two-endmember mixing model to demonstrate that locally sourced volcanic material dominates the sediment supply to the Challenger Deep(averaging ～72%). The remainder, however, is supplied by aeolian dust(averaging ～28%), which is consistent with adjacent studies that utilized Sr-Nd isotopic data. Building on a growing database, we strengthen our understanding of Asian aeolian dust input into the northwestern Pacific, which ultimately improves our appreciation of sedimentation in, and around, the hadal zone. |
