Carbonate formation mechanism in paleosol sediments of the Bohai Sea coastal zone, China

Abstract

The Bohai Sea coastal zone of China consists of the Pacific Ocean to the east and Eurasia to the west; hence, this region is influenced by both the ocean and continental landmasses. The carbonate formation mechanism of eolian sediment within this area is poorly understood. The loess-paleosol sediments of the Miaodao stratigraphical section (MDS) contain a record of carbonate changes in this region during the last interglacial period. New insights into regional carbonate formation mechanisms since the last interglacial period were obtained by analyzing the ages of various sedimentary facies in combination with proxy paleoclimatic indices (including average grain size, standard deviation, CaCO3 content, and clay minerals), as well as via foraminiferal analysis. The results led to three principal findings: (1) The carbonate content change in the MDS was neither controlled by grain size nor affected by minerals. The carbonate change controlled by precipitate leaching in the Loess Plateau region cannot explain the eolian sediments within the Bohai Sea coastal zone. (2) Various subsections contain obvious carbonate content changes caused by foraminiferal deposits atop the eolian sediments, which were deposited by storm surges during a high sea-level period. This increased the carbonate content in the eolian sediments and restricted the carbonate content in the Bohai Sea coastal zone. (3) Newly detected foraminifera of the last interglacial period on the eolian sediment of the MDS were the main source of carbonate content, providing a new understanding of the carbonate formation mechanism in eolian sediments different from that of the Loess Plateau.