Surface Sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (South China Sea) – Spatial Distribution of Sedimentological / Geochemical Properties and Environmental Interpretation

Abstract

Heise, B.; Bobertz, B.; Tang, C.; Harff, J., and Zhou, D., 2013. Surface sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (South China Sea) – spatial distribution of sedimentological / geochemical properties and environmental interpretation. In: Harff, J., Leipe, T., Waniek, J.J., and Zhou, D. (eds.), Depositional Environments and Multiple Forcing Factors at the South China Sea's Northern Shelf, Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 66, pp. 34–48. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The Pearl River Delta (South China) is one of the densest populated regions of the world. This study aims at the investigation and interpretation of the spatial distribution of grain size parameters and geochemical parameters obtained from surface sediment samples. These samples have been taken during cruises in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Investigations of the spatial correlations of the parameters obtained reveal an approximately north-south directed trend for the majority of the parameters. The trend was removed before applying Ordinary Kriging for interpolation. The maps obtained show non-uniform distribution patterns of the sedimentological and geochemical parameters. Here e.g. the concentrations of the As, Co, Cu, Hg and Ni decrease to the more marine influenced southeastern parts and show a higher concentration in the central part and at the western shoals of the estuary.