Clay mineral compositions in the surface sediment of the Chanthaburi coast(northeastern Gulf of Thailand)and their implications on sediment provenance

Clay mineral composition represents an important tracer of sediment source area,migration processes,and paleoclimatic conditions.Clay mineral analysis was performed on 15 surface sediment samples collected from the coast of Chanthaburi,Thailand.Results show that the composition of clay minerals in the study area differs substantially from that in surrounding regions of the Gulf of Thailand.The clay minerals of the Chanthaburi coast are dominated by kaolinite(~56%),followed by smectite(~21%),illite(~14%),and low concentrations of chlorite(~8%).The average illite chemistry index and crystallinity are 0.93 and 0.32,respectively.Comparative analysis of the clay mineral composition of surface sediments in several typical areas around the Gulf of Thailand indicated that the clays of the Chanthaburi coast are mainly derived from parent rock weathering in the small watersheds of the Chanthaburi and Welu rivers and the surrounding islands.Terrestrial input from the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand(excluding the Mekong River)was previously considered negligible;however,the present results indicate that such input has impact on the eastern Gulf of Thailand.The warm humid climatic conditions in Southeast Asia are the primary factors that affect the strong chemical weathering in the study area,followed by the nature of the parent rock.

Distribution of Biogenic Silica Content in Surface Sediments from the Southern South China Sea and Its Environmental Dignificance

Biogenic silica content was determined in 25 surface sediment samples from the southern South China Sea to study its distribution and its modern oceanic environmental significance, which may provide further scientific evidence for paleoceanography explaination. This study showed that biogenic silica content in surface sediments and its water depth have evidently positive correlation, and the correlation coefficient was up to 0.782. Biogenic silica content was very low in continental shelf shallows and could not reflect the productivity of siliceous micropaleontology in surface waters, which may be affected by sedimentary types and terrigenous matter dilution. Distribution of biogenic silica content in surface sediments from deep water areas showed that it could not only reflect the paleoproductivity of siliceous micropaleontology in surface waters, but also indicate the strong or feeble upwelling. Thus, it was further confirmed that using biogenic silica content in sediments to trace upwelling and its change was effective and reliable. The analyzed result showed that radiolariia and poriferous specula have more contribution for biogenic opal, comparing with diatom in surface sediments from the northern studied area, probably owing to the diatom dissolved easily away and eaten by other organisms with little effort. In the upwelling areas, radiolarian, diatom and poriferous specula all approximately showed high abundance, which was consistent with high biogenic silica content.

Grain size distribution characteristics in surface sediments near the Dalian Bay and their hydrodynamic environmental implications

Based on grain size analysis for the offshore surface sediments of the Dalian Bay, the assemblages and distribution characteristics of grain size were acquired, and their sources and sedimentary environments as well as the dominant factors were also discussed preliminarily. The results indicate that the silt has the highest content of 52% in average, followed by sand of 34%. Clay is enriched in the central plateau subregion with the average content of 14%. They are distributed with the strap-shape from east to west, which is consistent with the distribution pattern of minerals there. The coastal shallow-water slope in the north of the study area is characterized by the enrichment of coarser deposition, indicating strong hydrodynamic conditions and nearby source. With water depth increasing southward, silt and clay fraction, mainly enriched on a subaquatic platform with better sorting, are considered to be transported far away. To the further south of the study area with the deepest water off another subaquatic slop, coarse fraction is the highest, implying strong hydrodynamic conditions induced by tide currents which pass in and out the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea Warm Current that enters the Bohai Sea.

Clay mineral distribution in surface sediments of the South China Sea and its significance for in sediment sources and transport

Clay minerals of surface sediments in the South China Sea （SCS） are analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and their transport is explored with a grain size trend analysis （GSTA） model. Results show that clay mineral types in various sedimentary environments have different sediment sources and transport routes. Sediments in the northern SCS （north of 20°N） between the southwest of Taiwan Island and the outer mouth of the Pearl River have high contents of illite and chlorite, which are derived mainly from sediments on Taiwan Island and/or the Yangtze River. Sediments from the Pearl River are characterized by high kaolinite and low smectite content, and most are distributed in the area between the mouth of the Pearl River and northeast of Hainan Island and transported vertically from the continental shelf to the slope. Characterized by high illite content, sediments from Kalimantan Island are transported toward the Nansha Trough. Sediments from Luzon Island are related with volcanic materials, and are transported westwards according to smectite distribution. On the Sunda Shelf, sediments from the Mekong River are transported southeast in the north while sediments from the Indonesian islands are transported northward in the south. Ascertaining surface sediment sources and their transport routes will not only improve understanding of modem transportation and depositional processes, but also aid paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic analysis of the SCS.

Characteristics of nitrogen forms in the surface sediments of southwestern Nansha Trough,South China Sea

The area of the southwestern Nansha Trough is one of the most productive areas of the southern South China Sea.It is a typical semi-deep sea area of transition from shoal to abyssal zone.To understand distributions and roles of nitrogen forms involved in biogeochemical cycling in this area,contents of nitrogen in four extractable forms:nitrogen in ion exchangeable form(IEF-N),nitrogen in weak acid extractable form(WAEF-N),nitrogen in strong alkali extractable form(SAEF-N) and nitrogen in strong oxidation extractable form(SOEF-N),as well as in total nitrogen content(TN) in surface sediments were determined from samples collected from the cruise in April-May 1999.The study area was divided into three regions(A,B and C) in terms of clay sediment(<4 μm) content at <40%,40%-60% and >60%,respectively.Generally,region C was the richest in the nitrogen of all forms and region A the poorest,indicating that the finer the grain size is,the richer the contents of various nitrogen are.The burial efficiency of total nitrogen in surface sediments was 28.79%,indicating that more than 70% of nitrogen had been released and participated in biogeochemical recycling through sediment-water interface.

Grain-Size Distribution of Surface Sediments in the Bohai Sea and the Northern Yellow Sea: Sediment Supply and Hydrodynamics

The grain-size distribution of surface sediments in the Bohai Sea(BS) and the northern Yellow Sea(NYS), and its relationship with sediment supply and hydrodynamic environment were investigated based on grain-size compositions of surface sediments and modern sedimentation rates. The results showed that the surface sediments in the BS and the NYS were primarily composed of silty sand and clayey silt with a dominant size of silt. In addition, the Yellow River delivered high amount of water and sediments to the BS, and they are dominated in surface sediments(mainly silt) in the Bohai Bay, the Yellow River mouth, the center of the BS, and the north coast of Shandong Peninsula. The coarse-grained sediments were mainly deposited at the river mouth due to the estuarine filtration and physical sorting. Meanwhile, there was a significant relationship among the modern sedimentation rate, the surface sediment grain size distribution and sediment transport pattern. The areas with coarser surface sediments generally corresponded low sedimentation rates because of strong erosion;whereas the sedimentation rate was relatively high at the place that the surface sediments were fine-grained. Furthermore, the grain-size trend analysis showed that the areas with fine-grained surface sediments such as the mud area in the central BS and the upper Liaodong Bay were the convergent centers of surface sediments, except for the Bohai Bay and the subaqueous Yellow River Delta where offshore sediment transport was evident.

Speciation of heavy metals in surface sediments from Suzhou Creek

Nine elements （As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn） in sediment samples at 7 sites （Site 1-7） from Suzhou Creek in Shanghai were analyzed with the Community Bareau of Reference （BCR） （sequential extraction （SE）） protocol and simultaneously extracted metals （SEM）/acid volatile sulfide （AVS） procedure to assess the metal bioavailability and toxicology in this area. The results showed that the BCR extraction can be utilized as an additional tool with the AVS method for assessing the potential bioavailability and toxicity of metals in sediments. Pollution from S5 （Site 5） was more severe than from other sites, especially Pb, Cu and Zn. Among all the sites, more than 80% of the total concentration of Fe existed in the residual fraction, As, Cr, Mn also dominated in the residual fraction （more than 50%）. While Cd, Ni and Zn （more than 35%） were mainly in the non-stable phase. Cu had a strong affinity with oxidizable phase and Pb varied from site to site. The SEM/AVS ratio was less than one in these sediments and results implied that the majority of Zn and Ni （〉 40%） were bound to AVS. In contrast, Pb, Cu and Cd were little bound to AVS due to their low ration of SEM-Pb, Cu, Cd to corresponding total concentration and relatively high Dorewater concentration.

Variations in organic carbon loading of surface sediments from the shelf to the slope of the Chukchi Sea,Arctic Ocean

The content of organic carbon （OC） normalized to the specific surface area （SSA） of sediment is widely used to trace variations in OC loading （OC/SSA）. This study presents observations of OC/SSA of surface sediments collected in the Chukchi Sea, a typical Arctic marginal sea. Shelf sediments exhibit much higher OC/SSA values than slope sediments in the study area. Compared with OC/SSA values reported from the East Siberian Shelf and Mackenzie River, the slope sediments possess lower OC loading. This abrupt decrease in OC/SSA is mostly related to the lower primary production on slope as well as possible oxidization processes. The results of linear regression analysis between OC and SSA indicate a sedimentary source rock for the OC in the Chukchi Sea sediments. Moreover, shelf sediments with low SSA possess a larger rock OC fraction than slope sediments do. The dataset of the present study enables a more thorough understanding of regional OC cycling in the Chukchi Sea.

Characteristics of nitrogen forms in the southern Huanghai Sea surface sediments

The distributions of different forms of nitrogen in the surface sediments of the southern Huanghai Sea are different and affected by various factors. The contents of IEF-N, SOEF-N and TN gradually decrease eastward, and those of SAEF-N northward, while those of WAEF-N westward. Around the seaport of the old Huanghe (Yellow) River, the contents of both SOEF-N and TN are the highest. Among all the factors, the content of fine sediment is the predominant factor to affect the distributions of different forms of nitrogen. The contents of IEF-N, SOEF-N, and TN have visibly positive correlation with the content of fine sediments, and the correlative coefficient is 0.68, 0.58 and 0.71 respectively, showing that the contents of the three forms of nitrogen increase with those of fine sediments. The content of WAEF-N is related to that of fine sediments to a certain extent, with a correlative coefficient of 0.35; while the content of SAEF-N is not related to that of fine sediments, showing that the content of SAEF-N is not controlled by fine grain-size fractions of sediments. In addition, the distributions of different forms of nitrogen are also interacted one another, and the contents of IEF-N and SOEF-N are obviously affected by TN, while those of inorganic nitrogen (WAEF-N, SAEF-N and IEF-N) are not affected by SOEF-N and TN obviously, although they are interacted each other.

Distribution of ammonia-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria community in surface sediment off the Changjiang River Estuary in summer

The spatial distribution of ammonia-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria （βAOB） was investigated by FISH （fluorescence in situ hybridization） and DGGE （denaturing gradient get electrophoresis） techniques in the sediment off the Changjiang River Estuary. Sediment samples were collected from eight stations in June before the formation of hypoxia zone in 2006. The abundance of βAOB ranged from 1.87× 10^5 to 3.53×10^5 cells/g of sediment. βAOB abundance did not present a negative correlation with salinity, whereas salinity was implicated as the primary factor affecting nitrification rates. The DGGE profiles of PCR-amplified amoA gene fragments revealed that the βAOB community structure of sample S2 separated from other samples at the level of 40% similarity. The variations in composition ofβAOB were significantly correlated with the salinity, temperature, absorption ability of sediments and TOC. The statistical analysis indicates that theβAOB abundance was a main factor to influence nitrification rates with an influence ratio of 87.7% at the level of 40% biodiversity similarity. Considering the good correlation between βAOB abundance and nitrification estimates, the abundance and diversity of βAOB community could be expected as an indirect index of nitrification activity at the study sea area in summer.

Forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain size surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea

The forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain sizes surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea were studied. In sediments, the organic matter bound form of phosphorus was the main form of transferable phosphorus and ranged from 0.37 μmol/g to 1.57 μmol/g, accounting for 10.7% of the total phosphorus, others were the carbonate bound form, iron manganese oxide bound form and ion exchange able form; the transferable form of phosphorus accounted for 19.2% of the total phosphorus. Silicon’s carbonate bound form was predominant over others among its transferable forms, and content ranged from 1.55 μmol/g to 8.94 μmol/g, accounting for 0.05% of the total silicon; the total amount of transferable silicon forms accounted for only 0.12% of the total silicon. Therefore, 19.2% of the total phosphorus and 0.12% of the total silicon contained in the surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea could participate in the biogeochemical cycling.

Microfossils, carbonate lysocline and compensation depth in surface sediments of the northeastern South China Sea

Based on the quantitative analyses of abundance of planktonic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils, the ratios of calcareous to siliceous microfossils, and the determination of carbonate contents in the surface sediments of the northeastern South China Sea, it has been found that the carbonate contents, the abundance of planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton, and the ratio of calcareous microfossils decrease rapidly while the ratio of the benthic foraminifera to the total foraminiferal fauna, specific value of siliceous microfossils, and the percentage of the agglutinated tests in the benthic foraminiferal fauna increase with the water depth. The results indicate that the microfossils abundance and ratio, and the carbonate content are closely related to the carbonate lysocline and carbonate compensation depth (CCD) in the study area. In addition, the carbonate lysocline and the CCD are different between the southern and northern parts of the South China Sea. Both the lysocline and the CCD are deeper in the south with 2 600 and 3 600 m than in the north with 2 200 and 3 400 m, respectively.

Distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments and core sediments of the Shenzhen Bay in Guangdong Province,China

The concentration of zinc, chromium, cadmium, nickel, lead and copper was measured on both surface sediments and core sediments in the Shenzhen Bay. The average contents of all metals have exceeded the background values in the coastal zone of Guangdong Province. Cadmium is a heavy pollution matter which indicates a strong pollution level according to the ecological risk coefficient method. The ecological risk index of the whole area is 299 which belongs to middle and strong level. The area with strong pollution level is the near shore area closing to the inside of Shenzhen Bay, Shakou area is in the middle level while the weak pollution level occurs in Shenzhenhe Estuary according to ecological risk index. The four sediment cores can be divided into two parts based on lead-210 dating, sediments size analysis and economic development period in surrounding areas since 1950 with strong human intervention. The sediment size, deposition rate and human activities have positive relationship with the contents of heavy metals which directly impact the pollution level of heavy metals in sediments in Shenzhen Bay.

Organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes in surface sediments from the western Arctic Ocean and their implications for sedimentary environments

Surface sediments from the Chukchi Sea and adjacent arctic deep sea were investigated for organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes （in δ13Corg and δ15Norg） as well as biogeni＇c silica （BSiO2）. δ13Corg and δ15Norg values of surface sediments in the study area fall between the end-member values of marine and terrestrial organic matter from the surrounding lands and seas, their variations reflect the changes of marine productivity and terrestrial supply in the study area. BSiO2 shows a similar distribution pattern with δ13Corg and δ15Norg, and can be used as an indicator of marine productivity. In the central-west Chukchi Sea and the Chukchi Rise, sediments have higher δ13Corg, δ15Norg and BSiO2 values, indicating the region has high marine productivity influenced by the nutrient-rich branches of the Pacific waters. In the coastal zone off northwestern Alaska, δ13Corg and δ15Norg values become lighter, indicating a weakening marine productivity and an increasing terrigenous supply due to the effects of the least nutrient-rich branch of the Pacific waters. In the north and the northeast of the study area （including the Chukchi Plateau, the Canada Basin and the Beaufort shelf）, δ13Corg, δ15Norg and BSiO2 have the lowest values, and the terrigenous organic matter becomes dominant in surface sediments because this region has the longest ice-covered duration, the least nutrient-rich seawater and the increasing supply of terrestrial materials from the Mackenzie River and the northern Alaska under the action of the clockwise Beaufort gyre. Because the subarctic Pacific waters are continuously discharged into the central basin of the Arctic Ocean through the study area, the nutrient pool in the Chukchi Sea can be considered as a typical open system, the ratio of δ15Norg to BSiO2 content show some tracers that the level of nutrient utilization is contrary to nutrient supply and marine productivity formed in seawater.

Distribution Pattern of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay

Grain size analysis and chemical analysis of heavy metals are made for 312 surface samples of the Jiaozhou Bay. Nineteen samples of the waste water taken from the sewage discharge outlets along the eastern coast of the bay are also analyzed for heavy metals. Results show that heavy metals are richer in the east and poorer in the west of the bay. Sedimentary dynamic studies reveal that the distribution of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay is under the control of hydrodynamics.

Diatom distribution as an environmental indicator in surface sediments of the West Philippine Basin

The distribution of diatoms from surface sediments of the West Philippine Basin was analyzed, with 68 species and varieties of diatoms from 26 genera identified. Diatom abundance varied spatially, with the absolute abundance of diatoms ranging from 0 to 3.4× 104 frustules/g. The seven tropical pelagic diatoms were Alveus marinus, Azpeitia africana, Azpeitia nodulifera, Hemidiscus cuneiformis, Hernidiscus cuneiformis var. ventricosus, Roperia tesselata and Rhizosolenia bergonii. The relative abundance of these species was greater than 20%, and their distribution pattern in the sediments was overlaid by the flow of the Kuroshio Current. Ethmodiscus rex was present at 159 stations, formed the most abundant and dominant species in the diatomaceous ooze, and thus referred to as Ethmodiscus ooze. Ethmodiscus rex was also a major contributor to primary production in the region. A principal component analysis was employed to explain the relationship between samples and variations in diatom species from the WPB. Four diatom assemblages were distinguished, representing different oceanographic conditions; their spatial distributions were closely related with the North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio Current patterns in the region. These diatom assemblages can therefore be useful in deciphering late Quaternary palaeoceanographic reconstructions of the West Philippine Basin.

Variations in rare earth elements with environmental factors in lake surface sediments from 17 lakes in western China

Numerous lakes in western China are excellent sites for understanding environmental change.However,what dominates rare earth element(REE) variations are still under debate in the lake environmental research.In this study,we selected 28 surface sediment samples from 17 lakes(i.e.largescale lakes,small water bodies,etc.) in the QinghaiTibet Plateau and Xinjiang area.These samples were analyzed to reveal the behavior of the REEs and major elements.These REE patterns are characterized by light rare earth element(LREE) enrichment,weak Ce anomaly(0.84-0.98,0.94 on average) and negative Eu anomaly(0.53-1.00,0.67 on average).The homogeneous REE patterns may reflect similar REE of the source lithologys.However,the REE abundances showed some significant differences.In this study,water chemistry data analyses inferred that the highly REE values appear possibly in the saltwater lake,and also related to carbonate mineral,whereas p H played a minor role in REE concentrations.In large-scale lakes(e.g.Lake Bosten and Lake Ulungur),the results showed that the relatively larger REE values are in the margins of lakes.Moreover,lower REE contents are towards the central region.Comprehensive study suggested that five major factors control the REE contents:(1) The REE tends to increase with the increase of the weathering intensity.(2) Likewise,heavy mineral(i.e.rutile,anatase,zircon,etc.) are probably primary in these sediments because they are highly enriched in the REE.(3) The contribution of Fe-Mn oxides is significant in sediments because their concentrations highly correlate with the REE.(4) The carbonate mineral(mainly calcite) played a significant role on the REE values in the lakes because the REEs are incorporated into the carbonate minerals generating the low REE concentrations.(5) Major element analysis,mineral analysis,and grain-size data analysis showed that the REE distribution is chiefly influenced by finer grain-size component of lake sediments due to the decreasing proportion of quartz and feldspar than coarser one.Moreover,the clay minerals in finer grain-size sediments can highly absorb the REE.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the Zhelin Bay in the South China Sea

This study examined the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in surface sediments collected in July 2004 from eight stations in the Zhelin Bay, one of the most important bays for large-scale mariculture in Guangdong Province. Thirteen individual parent PAH compounds were identified using high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The overall average concentration of total PAHs was 477.0 ng/g, ranging from 146.1 to 928.8 ng/g. Low molecular mass PAHs with two to three rings （e.g., acenaphthene） were dominant in each sample. The PAH concentration varied among sampling stations, with the highest concentration observed at bay outlets and the lowest found at stations outside the bay. Ratios of low to high molecular mass PAHs and fluoranthene to pyrene were used to determine the origin of PAHs, and results indicated mainly petroleum-derived contamination. Compared with other bays and harbors around the world, the total concentrations of PAHs in surface sediments at the Zhelin Bay are moderate, but this does not exclude the possibility of potential impact on human consumers because some strong carcinogenic PAHs with high molecular mass were found at the station with a nearby caged-fish and oyster farm. Long-term monitoring of PAH contamination in the Zhelin Bay is recommended to reduce the potential toxicological effects on aquatic： organisms and humans.

Grain-size related nitrogen distribution in southern Yellow Sea surface sediments

Forty-eight surface sediments of the southern Yellow Sea are separated into three grain-size frac- tions. Four forms of extractable nitrogen (nitrogen in ion-exchangeable form (Nie), nitrogen in weak-acid ex- tractable form (Nwa), nitrogen in strong-alkali extractable form (Nsa) and nitrogen in strong-oxidant form (Nso)) are obtained by the sequential extraction. The results show that the contents and the distributions of the extract- able nitrogen in the southern Yellow Sea surface sediments are closely related to sediment grain size. The distri- butions of Nie, Nso and total nitrogen (TN) present positive correlations with fine particles content, while Nwa and Nsa does not have such correlation. The net contents of all the forms of nitrogen increase with sediment grain size finer.

Relationships between the sound speed ratio and physical properties of surface sediments in the South Yellow Sea

Building empirical equations is an effective way to link the acoustic and physical properties of sediments.These equations play an important role in the prediction of sediments sound speeds required in underwater acoustics.Although many empirical equations coupling acoustic and physical properties have been developed over the past few decades,further confirmation of their applicability by obtaining large amounts of data,especially for equations based on in situ acoustic measurement techniques,is required.A sediment acoustic survey in the South Yellow Sea from 2009 to 2010 revealed statistical relationships between the in situ sound speed and sediment physical properties.To improve the comparability of these relationships with existing empirical equations,the present study calculated the ratio of the in situ sediment sound speed to the bottom seawater sound speed,and established the relationships between the sound speed ratio and the mean grain size,density and porosity of the sediment.The sound speed of seawater at in situ measurement stations was calculated using a perennially averaged seawater sound speed map by an interpolation method.Moreover,empirical relations between the index of impedance and the sound speed and the physical properties were established.The results confirmed that the existing empirical equations between the in situ sound speed ratio and the density and porosity have general suitability for application.This study also considered that a multiple-parameter equation coupling the sound speed ratio to both the porosity and the mean grain size may be more useful for predicting the sound speed than an equation coupling the sound speed ratio to the mean grain size.