Cite this paper:
LU Jian, LI Anchun, HUANG Peng, LI Yan. Mineral distributions in surface sediments of the western South Yellow Sea: implications for sediment provenance and transportation[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2015, 33(2): 510-524

Mineral distributions in surface sediments of the western South Yellow Sea: implications for sediment provenance and transportation
LU Jian1,2, LI Anchun1, HUANG Peng1, LI Yan3
1 Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China;
2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
3 Yantai Ocean Environmental Monitoring Central Station of State Oceanic Administration, Yantai 264006, China
Abstract:
The South Yellow Sea (SYS) is strongly influenced by the substantial sediment loads of the Huanghe (Yellow) (including the modern Huanghe and abandoned old Huanghe subaqueous delta) and Changjiang (Yangtze) Rivers. However, the dispersal patterns of these sediments, especially in the western SYS, have not been clearly illustrated. In this study, we have analyzed clay minerals, detrital minerals, and grain sizes for 245 surface sediment samples (0-5 cm) collected from the western SYS. The clay minerals, on average, consist of 67% illite, 14% smectite, 11% chlorite, and 8% kaolinite. Clay minerals, detrital minerals, and grain size analyses of surface sediments, combined with water mass hydrology analysis, reveal that sediments in the western SYS are mainly derived from the modern Huanghe River, the abandoned subaqueous delta of the old Huanghe River, some material from the Changjiang, and coastal erosion. The clay minerals (especially illite and smectite) and quartz/feldspar ratio distribution patterns, reveal that the influence of modern Huanghe sediments can reach 35°N in the northwestern part of the study area, an influence that can be enhanced especially in winter owing to northerly winds. Conversely, sediments along the Jiangsu coast are mixed, in summer, with material from the Changjiang arriving via northward flow of Changjiang Diluted Water. The Subei Coastal Current carries the refreshed sediments northward into the western SYS. Sediment distribution and transport in the western SYS are mainly controlled by the oceanic circulation system that is primarily related to the monsoon.
Key words:    South Yellow Sea|clay mineral|Subei Coastal Current|provenance   
Received: 2014-05-04   Revised: 2014-07-07
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Articles by LI Anchun
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