Characteristic Elemental Compositions of the Yangtze River and Yellow River Surface Sediments and Their Geological Background

Significant differences are noticed in major and trace element compositions between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River surface sediments. The former sediments are rich in some major elements such as K, Fe, Mg, Al, and most of the trace elements which show wide variations in element concentrations, whereas the Yellow River sediments only have higher Ca, Na, Sr, Ba, Th, Ga, Zr, Hf contents and show slight variations in element contents. In the Yangtze River Basin are widely distributed intermediate\|acid igneous rocks and complicated source rocks together with strong chemical weathering which determine the elemental compositions of the Yangtze River sediments, while the elemental compositions of the Yellow River sediments are decided by the chemical composition of loess from the Loess Plateau and intense physical weathering. Cu, Zn, Sc, Ti, Fe, V, Ni, Cr, Co, Li and Be can be used to distinguish the Yangtze River sediments from the Yellow River sediments and be treated as tracers for both the sediments to study the processes of their mixing and diffusion in the coastal zones of China.

Rare-earth element geochemistry reveals the provenance of sediments on the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep

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.

Assessment of the Tessier and BCR sequential extraction procedures for elemental partitioning of Ca, Fe, Mn, Al,and Ti and their application to surface sediments from Chinese continental shelf

Surface sediments can integrate a wide variety of information of seawater in marginal seas, e.g., the Quaternary sedimentary shelf such as the East China Sea（ECS） and Yellow Sea（YS）. The Tessier and BCR sequential extraction procedures（SEPs） have been widely applied for extraction of various geochemical phases from sediments. To choose a suitable SEP for phase extraction of sediments from the above Quaternary sedimentary shelf, efficiency and selectivity experiments were conducted on typical individual minerals and the applicability of each SEP was assessed for natural sediments（the natural sediment standard GSD-9 and three surface sediment samples）. The geochemical represented elements（Ca, Fe, Mn, Al, and Ti） were measured using both SEPs. Both SEPs have good dissolution efficiency and selectivity for the targeted geochemical phases; the optimized extractant volume for each fraction was determined. The Tessier SEP is particularly recommended for the study of adsorption-desorption process. The application of the Tessier SEP to surface sediments can furnish valuable information, including the productivity conditions（via the reducible fraction Mn） and sedimentary environments（via the carbonate fraction Ca）. These results confirm that the Tessier SEP is suitable for elemental fractionation in sediments from the Chinese continental shelf.

Rare earth elements distribution in marine sediments of Malaysia coasts

In the east coast Peninsular Malaysia region,sediments are transported by several rivers from the east Malaysia into the South China Sea estuary.In the vicinity of the five river estuaries core sediments were collected in order to investigate rare earth elements(REEs) profile.Core sediments were divided into strata of between 2 to 4 cm intervals and prepared for analyzing by ICP-AES.REE concentrations of 54.3 μg/gr at 24–26 cm in EC4 increased to 114.1 μg/gr at 20–22 cm in EC5.The measured concentration of ...

Geochemistry of the Rare Earth Elements (REE) Distribution in Terengganu Coastal Waters: A Study Case from Redang Island Marine Sediment

A study on the rare earth elements (REEs) of Redang Island marine sediments was conducted in August 2011 during the premonsoon season. Bottom sediments were collected from 27 sampling stations on board UMT Discovery II vessel using a Smith McIntyre grab and analyzed for rare earth elements (REEs) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results showed that the REEs patterns in sediments reflected the source rock patterns with an overall order of abundance such as: light rare earth elements (LREE) > middle rare earth element (MREE) > high rare earth elements (HREE). The chondrite normalized patterns of REEs showed enrichment of LREEs over HREEs with La/Yb of 13.6 while the chondrite normalized value showed low (Gd/Yb)N ratios (2.12) which was illustrated in the flat HREE pattern. The chondrite normalized REE patterns of sediments showed the enrichment of LREE and depletion of HREE. From our findings, REEs concentrations in the study area were found to be of geogenic origins and the distributions were not influenced by anthropogenic sources.

Rare earth elements-rich phase and enriching mechanism in sediments from CC area, the Pacific Ocean

Compared to North American shale composition (NASC), REE contents of sediments from the CC area in the Pacific Ocean are obviously high except that cerium has equal content to that of NASC. Three-valence rare earth elements were completely enriched in phosphate-phase and cerium in iron-phase. Rare earth elements in the sediments were originally derived from seawater. During lithi- genic and minerogenic processes of metalliferous nodules, three-valence rare earth elements in sediments mobilized and incorporated into sediments as authigenous biogenic-apatite, while cerium had change from Ce3+ to Ce4+ and directly precipitated from seawater and entered metalliferous nodules and caused Ce anomalies in REE pattern in sediments.

Distribution of major and trace elements in surface sediments of Hangzhou Bay in China

The Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer was used to analyze sediment samples collected from the Hangzhou Bay to determine major and trace elemental concentrations. Based on these concentrations, the study area can be classified into three geochemical provinces. Province I covers the northern Hangzhou Bay area and contains high concentrations of A120~, Fe203, MgO, Na20, K20, MnO, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Co and Zn. Province III is located in the western Hangzhou Bay, near the Qiantang River mouth, and contains high concentrations of SiO~, Na20, P205~ TiO2, Cr, Sr, Zr. Province II is located in the middle and eastern Hangzhou Bay, with the medium concentrations of major and trace elements. The results also demonstrate that the grain size is the dominating factor controlling the spatial variations of elemental concentrations, and the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） and Qiantang River sediments play an important role in the distribution of these elements. Anthropogenic impact on heavy metal concentrations （especially Cr, Sr and Zr） can be detected in the surface sediments near the Qiantang River mouth.

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) and geochemical studies of 38 elements in surface sediments from lower reach and estuary of Huanghe (Yellow) River

Using a neutron activation analysis technique, which involves gamma-spectrometry with a Ge(Li) detector coupled to a S40 multichannel analyzer and interfaced to a PDP-11 computer, we determined thirty-eight elements in sediments from the lower reach (downstream from Jinan) and estuary of Huanghe. The results are discussed in this paper.From inter-elemental correlations, it ts found that a large number of metals (Mn.As, Co, Cr.Cs, Rb, Sc, Ti, Ta, V and Zn) correlate positively with Fe. Ba and Ca correlate positively with Al. Whereas some elements (e. g. , Ti and lanthanides) show no correlation with either Fe or Al. On the other hand, Hf and Zr show a negative correlation with Fe. Elements which tend to be scavenged by Fe and Al colloids or suspended particles are enriched in sediments at the Huanghe Estuary relative to its lower reach. On the other hand, the contents of some elements (e. g. , Zr,Hf,U, Ba, etc. )are higher in sediments from the lower reach of Huanghe than in the estuarine sediments,which may be related to the sorting during deposition of source materials. On the basis of their chemical property and geochemical behavior, the 38 elements we studied are classified into seven groups. (1) weathering-prone elements,group A:K,Rb, Cs and Na; (2) weathering-prone elements, group B:Mg, Ca, Ba and Al; (3) transition elements:Fe, Co.Ni, Zn, As, Sb, Mn, Cr, W,Mo,V, Ta and Sc; (4) rare elements:group A (Zr and Hf) and group B (Ti); (5) rare earth elements:the lanthanides; (6) halogens: Cl and Br; amd (7) natural radioactive elements:U and Th. The basis for this classification is discussed and we emphasize that geochemical associations of elements in the natural environment are not necessarily in accord with their chemical properties as dictated by position at the periodic table.

Using Geochemistry of Rare Earth Elements to Indicate Sediment Provenance of Sand Ridges in Southwestern Yellow Sea

The Jianggang Harbour-centered radial sand ridge(RSR) is the largest sand body in the Yellow Sea. Its formation and evolution are of interest for scientists of various fields; however, the sediment provenance is uncertain. In this study, rare earth element(REE) geochemical compositions of the RSR sediments together with their potential sources are investigated to identify the provenance of the RSR sediments. The typical parameters((La/Yb)_N,(La/Sm)_N and(Gd/Yb)_N) as well as the upper continental crust-normalized patterns of REEs can only be associated with source rocks, and thus can be used as effective tracers for the origin and sources of sediments. However, the REE contents of sediments are affected by many factors, such as particle sorting and chemical weathering. Onshore RSR sediments are different in REE geochemical composition from offshore RSR sediments to some extent, suggesting that not all of the offshore RSR sediments have the same sources as the onshore RSR sediments. Meanwhile, the sediments adjacent to the northeast of Cheju Island and at Lian Island near the Lianyun Harbour were not the source of the RSR sediments due to their distinctive REE patterns, dEu,(La/Yb)_N,(Gd/Yb)_N and(La/Sm)_N. The Korean river sediments could be dispersed to the Jiangsu Coast slightly impacting the fine fractions of the RSR sediments, particularly the offshore RSR sediments. Additionally, geochemical comparisons show that the modern Yellow River was responsible for the onshore RSR sediments, whereas the sediment loads from the Yangtze River could serve as a major contributor to the RSR, particularly the offshore RSR. In addition, the offshore RSR could also be partly fed by an unknown source due to some high values of(La/Yb)_N,(La/Sm)_N and La contents differing from those of the Chinese and Korean river sediments.

Normalized Rare Earth Elements in Water, Sediments, and Wine: Identifying Sources and Environmental Redox Conditions

The concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE) in surface waters and sediments, when normalized on an element-by-element basis to one of several rock standards and plotted versus atomic number, yield curves that reveal their partitioning between different sediment fractions and the sources of those fractions, for example, between terrestrial-derived lithogenous debris and seawater-derived biogenous detritus and hydrogenous metal oxides. The REE of ancient sediments support their partitioning into these same fractions and further contribute to the identification of the redox geochemistry of the sea water in which the sediments accumulated. The normalized curves of the REE that have been examined in several South American wine varietals can be interpreted to reflect the lithology of the bedrock on which the vines may have been grown, suggesting limited fractionation during soil development.

Rare earth elements in tropical surface water,soil and sediments of the Terengganu River Basin,Malaysia

The 14 stable rare earth element(REE) concentrations and distribution patterns were investigated for surface waters(n=51),soils(n=52) and sediments(n=42) from the tropical Terengganu River basin,Malaysia.The chondrite normalized REE patterns of soils developed on four geological units showed enrichment of LREE,a pronounced negative Eu,and depletion of HREE with an enrichment order granite>>metasedimentary>alluvium>volcanic.The REE patterns in sediments reflected the soil REE patterns with an ove...

Spatial and Temporal Stability of Major and Trace Element Leaching in Urban Stormwater Sediments

Urban sediment generated by stormwater management techniques are highly contaminated with various trace elements. The characterization of trace element speciation and mobility are critical information to improve environmental risk assessment. This study investigates the spatial and temporal variability of major and trace element release from a sedimentary layer in Django Reinhart stormwater infiltration basin (Chassieu, eastern suburbs of Lyon, France). Sampling was conducted for 3 zones and two dates. Chemical characterization was performed (X-Ray diffraction, ICP-AES). The samples were submitted to Acid Neutralization Capacity & Base Neutralization Capacity ANC-BNC tests, according to European standard 14429 (AFNOR, 2015). Solid matrices were mixed with acid or basic solutions and physicochemical parameters and major and trace element release (i.e. Al, Ca, Fe, P, S, Si, Cu, Zn and total carbon) were followed as a function of pH. The results show that the urban sediment has no significant spatial and temporal variability with regards to element release. This observation is all the more surprising that the samples were collected in three contrasting zones regarding stormwater supply and hydric conditions. Element release follows the same trends as a function of pH with a bell-shaped solubilization curve exhibiting with the highest solubility at extreme pH values. However, the samples showed slight differences concerning the release of major elements. Such differences are related to slight differences in total mineral contents (organic matter, carbonates…) and chemical composition of the sediments. The results show that despite the varying environmental conditions, the sediment chemical properties can be considered as very stable and uniform over space, depending mainly on the local geochemical context and watershed characteristics. This study highlights the strength and affluence of the information obtained by ANC-BNC tests on the release of major and traces metal elements by urban sediments and brings relevant information regarding the management of these sediments.

The spatial distribution of major and trace elements of surface sediments in the northeastern Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea

A multi-index analysis including grain size, major and trace elements is performed on the surface sediments from the northeastern Beibu Gulf to trace the sources of the sediments and to understand the controlling factors for elements distribution. The mean grain size exhibits a wide variation ranging from 0.09Φ to 8.05Φ with an average value of 5.33Φ. The average contents of major elements descend in an order of c(SiO_2)>c(Al_2O_3)>c(Fe_2O_3)>c(CaO)>c(MgO)>c(K_2O)>c(Na_2O)>c(TiO_2)>c(P_2O_5)>c(MnO), while those of trace elements exhibit a descending order of c(Sr)>c(Rb)>c(V)>c(Zn)>c(Cr)>c(Pb)>c(Ni)>c(Cu)>c(As). On the basis of elementary distribution characteristics and statistical analyses, the study area is divided into the four zones: Zone I is located in the northeastern coastal area of the gulf, which receives large amount of fluvial materials from local rivers in Guangxi and Guangdong, China, and the Qiongzhou Strait; Zone Ⅱ is located in the center of the study area, where surface sediments exhibits a multiple source; Zone Ⅲ is located in the Qiongzhou Strait, where surface sediments are dominated by materials from the Zhujiang River and Hainan; Zone IV is located in the southwest of the study area, where surface sediments are mainly originated from the Red River and Hainan. The statistical analyses of sediment geochemical characteristics reveal that the grain size, which is mainly influenced by hydrodynamics and mineral composition of terrigenous materials, is the leading factor controlling the elementary distribution.Meanwhile, impacts from anthropogenic activities and marine biogenic process will also be taken into consideration.

The Functions of China Marginal Sea Sediments in the Cycle of Biogenic Elements

The contents of biogenic elements in China marginal sea sediments are related to their grain sizes, river transport, et al. In general, the finer the grain size is, the higher the contents of organic matter and OC, N, P are, the lower the contents of S and Si are. The biogeochemical environments of sediments are related to Eh, pH, temperature content of OC, Fe3+/Fe2+ radio, water dynamics condition, grain size of sediment, S system in sediment interstitial waters, et al., and they influence the early diageneses and cycle of biogenic elements in sediments. In most regions of China marginal sea, the flux directions of S2-, HS-, H4SiO4, PO43-, NH4+ across the sediment-water interface are from sediment to the overlying seawater, the flux directions of SO42-, HCO3-, NO3-, NO2- across the sediment-water interface are from the overlying seawater to sediment. The irrigation of living things is important in the cycle of the biogenic elements across sediment-water interfaces.

Study on Sediment Transport in the Qianjiang Bay of Guang' ao, Shantou City by Using the Element Geochemistry Method

Nine samples of suspended matter at the surface or bottom and 34 elements in 20 samples of substrate sediment have been used in the neutron activation analyses. Authors study sediment and suspended matter movement by using the method of element geochemistry, and conclude through synthetic analysis and processing that the movement direction of suspended matter and substrate sediment tends to converge on the central area.

The identification and comparison of the bio-elements of the penguin ornithogenic sediments sample from Davis Station and Great Wall Station

During CHINARE-22 in austral summer of 2005-2006, a lake sediment core named DG4, which is impacted by penguin droppings, was retrieved from a lake catchment in Gardner Island of Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. In this study, the concentrations of characteristic elements in the core, local bedrocks and fresh penguin guanos were determined. P, Se, F, S, As, Sr and Cu in DG4 were identified as the bio-element assemblage by R-clustering analysis and compared with those in the local bedrocks and fresh guanos, the results are similar to Y2 in Ardley Island, Antarctic Peninsula. On this basis, P and Se were identified as the optimum bio-elements in DG4 and F, P and S were identified in Y2, respectively. This work will provides the foundation for reconstructing the past penguin populations in Gardner Island of Vest- fold Hills, East Antarctica and comparing the penguin population dynamics between East Antarctica and Antarctic Peninsula.

Geochemical Characteristics of the Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Reef Carbonates from the Xisha Islands(South China Sea): Implications for Sediment Provenance and Paleoenvironment

Based on the concentrations of the trace elements,rare earth elements(REE),and Sr isotopic compositions in reef carbonates from the well‘Xike-1’reef core of the Xisha Islands,the constraints on sediment provenance and paleoenvironment were defined.Variations of the terrigenous input into the paleoseawater were traced in detail and the paleoenvironment and sediment provenance were further investigated.The results show that the HREE/LREE values in the reef carbonates are negatively associated with their Th and Al concentrations;however,their Al and Th concentrations show positive correlation.The lowest 87 Sr/86 Sr values in the reef carbonates generally coincide with the lowest values of Al,Th concentrations and the highest values of HREE/LREE.These data indicate that the HREE/LREE,Al concentrations,and Th concentrations of the reef carbonates are useful indexes for evaluating the influence of the terrigenous inputs on the seawater composition in the study area.From top to bottom,the changing process of the HREE/LREE values and Al,Th concentrations can be divided into 6 intervals;they are H1(0–89.30 m,about 0–0.11 Myr),L1(89.30–198.30 m,about 0.11–2.2 Myr),H2(198.30–374.95 m,about 2.2–5.3 Myr),D(374.95–758.40 m,about 5.3–13.6 Myr),L2(758.40–976.86 m,about 13.6–15.5 Myr),and H3(976.86–1200.00 m,about 15.5–21.5 Myr).Moreover,the changing trend of the HREE/LREE values coincides with that of the seawater δ^13C values recorded by benthonic foraminiferal skeletons from the drill core of ODP site 1148 in the South China Sea(SCS),but not with that of the seawaterδ18O values.The high uplifting rates of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau coincide with the high Th and Al concentrations and the low HREE/LREE values in the reef carbonates.These data indicate that the main factors controlling the changes of terrigenous flux in the SCS are the tectonic activities associated with Qinghai-Tibet Plateau uplifting and the variations of uplifting rates rather than paleoclimatic changes.

Distribution of Rare-earth Elements in the Shenzhen Bay and Dapeng Bay Modern Sediments

The aim of this paper is to study the REE geochemistry of the Shenzhen Bay (SZB) and Dapeng Bay(DPB) modern sediments, discuss their REE distribution patterns, reveal the REE geochemical difference between the two bays which share the same material source but are deposited in different sedimentary environments, and expound their dynamic changes.It can be concluded that the SZB and DPB sediments are essentially of continental source.Their REE distribution patterns are quite different from those of Pacific pelagic sediments, but are very similar to those of South Chi-na granites.Because of different sedimentary environments prevailing in the SZB and DPB, some REE fractionation would have taken place in the sediments of the two bays.

Geochemistry of Rare Earth Elements in Sediment of Central India

The rare earth elements (REE) are of great interests due to wide industrial applications. In the present work, geochemistry of REE in the contaminated pond sediment of Ambagarh Chowki, cen-tral India is described. The concentration (n = 24) of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th and U was ranged from 16 - 119, 41 - 163, 4.1 - 28, 16 - 99, 0.7 - 2.7, 3.2 - 18, 2.7 - 16, 0.4 - 2.3, 2.2 - 13, 0.4 - 2.4, 1.1 - 6.1, 0.2 - 0.8, 0.9 - 4.8, 0.13 - 0.70, 6 - 25 and 0.46 - 1.86 mg/kg with mean value of 42 ± 9, 89 ± 13, 9.4 ± 1.9, 34 ± 7, 1.2 ± 0.2, 6.3 ± 1.2, 5.4 ± 1.0, 0.8 ± 0.1, 4.2 ± 0.8, 0.8 ± 0.2, 2.0 ± 0.4, 0.3 ± 0.1, 1.6 ± 0.3, 0.24 ± 0.04, 11 ± 2 and 1.14 ± 0.13 mg/kg, respectively. The concen-tration ratio of ∑LREE/∑HREE, La/Y and Th/U are discussed. The spatial distribution and sources of the REE are described.