East China Sea Sediments Research Articles

Spatial variation, fractionation and sedimentary records of mercury in the East China Sea

Surface and core sediments were collected to study distributions, phases and potential environmental risk of Hg and to reconstruct anthropogenic Hg change over the past one hundred years in the East China Sea (ECS). Hg contents in surface sediments displayed a decreasing gradient from the Changjiang Estuary to the outer sea. Sequential extraction analysis showed that Hg mainly existed as residual fraction (70.18% of total), and while organic matter fraction (22.96% of total) was the main component of labile fraction, indicating the strong adsorption of organic matters on Hg. Enrichment factor and sediment quality guidelines suggested that Hg in sediments of ECS were at minor enrichment and low adverse effect. Temporal distributions of total Hg content, labile fraction, burial flux and anthropogenic Hg flux showed that anthropogenic Hg input increased since the 1960s, which was related to riverine input and atmospheric transport.

Elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic compositional disparity of riverine sediments around the Yellow Sea: Constraints from grain-size and chemical partitioning

To obtain a better understanding of the source compositions of the river sediments around the Yellow Sea and their relationship with source rocks, elements and strontium-neodymium (Sr–Nd) isotopes of different grain-sizes (silt and clay populations) and chemical (labile and residual phases) fractionations in riverine sediments were studied extensively. These results clearly revealed a systematic compositional disparity between Korean river (KR) and Chinese river (CR) sediments, especially in the residual (detrital) fraction. The geochemical dissimilarity between these might reflect inherited signatures of their source rocks but with minor control from chemical weathering. In particular, the remarkable enrichment of some elements (iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg)) and the behavior of large ion lithophile elements (e.g., barium (Ba), potassium (K) and Sr) during weathering as well as less-radiogenic Sr isotopic compositions implies that CR sediments might be weathering products of relatively more mafic rocks, with abundant ferromagnesian and plagioclase feldspar minerals, compared with KR sediments derived from silicic granites with relatively higher quartz and potassium feldspar contents. This different petrological rationale is clearly evident in an A–CN–K diagram, which estimated the source rock of CR sediments as granodioritic, a composition that reflects accurately the average composition of weathered continental crust in China. The recognition of such geochemical systematics in two river sediments, especially in grain-size and chemically partitioned data, may contribute to the establishment of provenance tracers for the Yellow Sea and East China Sea sediments with multi-sources as well the dust deposition in the western Pacific.

Distribution and preservation of black carbon in the East China Sea sediments: Perspectives on carbon cycling at continental margins

We determined the concentrations and radiocarbon (14C) compositions of black carbon (BC) in the sediments of the East China Sea (ECS). The BC concentrations, which were in the range of 0.30–1.52mg/g, accounted for 12–65% of the total organic carbon (TOC). The distribution of BC in ECS sediments was controlled by factors such as grain size, distance from the coast, and deposition rate. Radiocarbon measurements of BC yielded ages of 6350–10,440 years before present (BP), suggesting that the percentage of BC derived from biomass combustion was in the range of 29–48%. The BC burial flux in sediments of the ECS was estimated to be ∼1.39×106t/yr, which was similar to burial fluxes reported for shelf sediments in other areas. However, the magnitude of the total BC sink was far greater than that of any other shelf regions studied to date, indicating the global importance of BC accumulation in the ECS, and the magnitude of BC input from large rivers (e.g., the Changjiang). The riverine delivery of BC to the ECS (73%) was far greater than that of atmospheric flux (27%). Further study of the BC cycle and the interactions of BC with other organic compounds in marginal seas was required to better understand the role of BC in the global carbon cycle.

Alkylphenols in surface sediments of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea inner shelf: Occurrence, distribution and fate

Alkylphenols (APs) have been found as ubiquitous environmental pollutants with reproductive and developmental toxicity. In this study, APs in surface sediments of the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS) inner shelf were analyzed to assess influences of riverine and atmospheric inputs of pollutants on the marine environment. NP concentrations ranged from 349.5 to 1642.8ng/g (average 890.1ng/g) in the YS sediments and from 31.3 to 1423.7ng/g (average 750.1ng/g) in the ECS inner shelf sediments. NP distribution pattern was mainly controlled by the sedimentary environment. OP concentration was 0.8–9.3ng/g (average 4.7ng/g) in the YS sediments and 0.7–11.1ng/g (average 5.1ng/g) in the ECS sediments. Assessment of the influence of distances from land on OP concentrations provided evidence for the predominance of coastal riverine and/or atmospheric inputs rather than long-range transport. And the biological pump may play an important role for sequestration of OP in the nearshore area.

Reductive reactivity of iron(III) oxides in the east china sea sediments: characterization by selective extraction and kinetic dissolution.

Reactive Fe(III) oxides in gravity-core sediments collected from the East China Sea inner shelf were quantified by using three selective extractions (acidic hydroxylamine, acidic oxalate, bicarbonate-citrate buffered sodium dithionite). Also the reactivity of Fe(III) oxides in the sediments was characterized by kinetic dissolution using ascorbic acid as reductant at pH 3.0 and 7.5 in combination with the reactive continuum model. Three parameters derived from the kinetic method: m 0 (theoretical initial amount of ascorbate-reducible Fe(III) oxides), k′ (rate constant) and γ (heterogeneity of reactivity), enable a quantitative characterization of Fe(III) oxide reactivity in a standardized way. Amorphous Fe(III) oxides quantified by acidic hydroxylamine extraction were quickly consumed in the uppermost layer during early diagenesis but were not depleted over the upper 100 cm depth. The total amounts of amorphous and poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxides are highly available for efficient buffering of dissolved sulfide. As indicated by the m 0, k′ and γ, the surface sediments always have the maximum content, reactivity and heterogeneity of reactive Fe(III) oxides, while the three parameters simultaneously downcore decrease, much more quickly in the upper layer than at depth. Albeit being within a small range (within one order of magnitude) of the initial rates among sediments at different depths, incongruent dissolution could result in huge discrepancies of the later dissolution rates due to differentiating heterogeneity, which cannot be revealed by selective extraction. A strong linear correlation of the m 0 at pH 3.0 with the dithionite-extractable Fe(III) suggests that the m 0 may represent Fe(III) oxide assemblages spanning amorphous and crystalline Fe(III) oxides. Maximum microbially available Fe(III) predicted by the m 0 at pH 7.5 may include both amorphous and a fraction of other less reactive Fe(III) phases.

Anammox, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in the East China Sea sediment

Abstract. Benthic nitrogen transformation pathways were investigated in the sediment of the East China Sea (ECS) in June of 2010 using the 15N isotope pairing technique. Slurry incubations indicated that denitrification, anammox and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) as well as intracellular nitrate release occurred in the ECS sediments. These four processes did not exist independently, nitrate release therefore diluted the 15N labeling fraction of NO3−, and a part of the 15NH4+ derived from DNRA also formed 30N2 via anammox. Therefore, current methods of rate calculations led to over and underestimations of anammox and denitrification respectively. Following the procedure outlined in Thamdrup and Dalsgaard (2002), denitrification rates were slightly underestimated by an average 6% without regard to the effect of nitrate release, while this underestimation could be counteracted by the presence of DNRA. On the contrary, anammox rates calculated from 15NO3− experiment were significantly overestimated by 42% without considering nitrate release. In our study, this overestimation could only be compensated 14% by taking DNRA into consideration. In a parallel experiment amended with 15NH4++14NO3−, anammox rates were not significantly influenced by DNRA due to the high background of 15NH4+ addition. The significant correlation between potential denitrification rate and sediment organic matter content (r = 0.68, p < 0.001, Pearson) indicated that denitrification was regulated by organic matter, while, no such correlations were found for anammox and DNRA. The relative contribution of anammox to the total N-loss increased from 13% at the shallowest site near the Changjiang estuary to 50% at the deepest site on the outer shelf, implying the significant role of anammox in benthic nitrogen cycling in the ECS sediments, especially on the outer shelf. N-loss as N2 was the main pathway, while DNRA was also an important pathway accounting for 20–31% of benthic nitrate reduction in the ECS. Our study demonstrates the complicated interactions among different benthic nitrogen transformations and the importance of considering denitrification, DNRA, anammox and nitrate release together when designing and interpreting future studies.

Distributions and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls in the coastal East China Sea sediments

The Yangtze River estuary (YRE) and the adjacent East China Sea (ECS) inner shelf is an important sink of pollutants originated from mainland China. In this work, we studied the spatial and temporal variations and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from the YRE and the ECS inner shelf. Total concentration of 23 PCBs (Σ23PCB) ranged between 24.3 and 343.3pg/g (with a mean value of 126.7pg/g), and higher values occurred in the estuarine region. The homolog profile was dominated by 3–5Cl CBs, accounting for 76.1% of Σ23PCB. The Cl proportion ranged from 45.1% to 58.8% (with a mean value of 49.9%); the lowest level appeared in the estuarine region, and it increased with distance from the YRE. Lower chlorinated congeners were carried mainly by the YR into the ocean, to be finally buried in sediments of the estuary region and vicinity. However, higher chlorinated ones were imported mainly via direct emission from local sources, to be finally buried in sediments farther away from the estuary. Of the PCBs in surface sediments, 40.1% came from the YR, 37.9% from the local sources and the rest 22.0% from atmospheric deposition. In a sediment core, we found that 81% of PCBs were technically produced and 19% unintentionally produced in the last century. Before the 1970s, PCB levels were influenced predominantly by the production and consumption of technical PCBs. While in recent decades, the effect of human activities on PCB levels has been increasing continuously.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments of the coastal East China Sea: Occurrence, distribution and mass inventory

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) of sixty-three sediment samples from the coastal East China Sea (ECS), extending ∼1000 km from the Yangtze River Estuary to the south, were measured. The levels of BDE-209 and ∑PBDE7 (sum of BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183) were 0.3–44.6 ng/g (dry weight) and nd-8.0 ng/g, respectively. BDE-209 was the predominant congener, followed by BDE-99/100. This was consistent with the historical and current usage of PBDE mixtures in China. The compositions and distribution of PBDEs suggest that the PBDEs in this area could be mainly from the coastal electronic waste dismantling/recycling and Yangtze River input. The poor correlations between TOC, grain size of sediments with PBDEs imply that the PBDE distribution is more related to their land-based inputs rather than the sediment characters in the area. The coastal ECS is an important sink of PBDEs (7.5 t/yr) in the world.

Distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides in sediments of the coastal East China Sea

Forty-two surface sediment samples collected from the southern coastal East China Sea (ECS) were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The results showed high concentrations of DDTs and parent DDT fractions in the nearshore area, suggesting that there is still a fresh input of these species from non-point sources, probably due to the recent usage of relevant products. However, for HCHs, the high concentrations with elevated β-HCH fraction were focused at the local major river estuaries, indicating that soils-released HCH input was mainly from the major river runoffs. The distribution and composition of OCPs in the coastal ECS could be more prominently controlled by the direct regional inputs rather than the general natural sorption process on particulate organic carbon. DDTs and chlordane are more important for their potential ecotoxicological risk on neighboring benthic community in the nearshore region and the local major river estuaries.

Sedimentation rate control on diagenesis, East China Sea sediments

Diagenesis of ferrimagnetic minerals can alter the magnetic properties, erasing partially or entirely the original paleomagnetic and paleoclimatic signals, especially on continental margins where sedimentation rates are usually high. Understanding the mechanisms by which magnetic particles are affected by diagenesis is therefore critical for retrieving paleomagnetic and paleoclimatic information from sediments. High-resolution magnetic analysis was carried out on rapidly deposited (0.4–20 mm/year) Holocene sediments from the East China Sea (ECS) inner continental shelf. The primary magnetic mineral assemblage in the sediment core contains ferrimagnetic minerals, such as magnetite, with minor contributions from hematite. The magnetic properties vary down-core in two steps, due to post-depositional reductive diagenesis. The first occurs at depths of 0.15–1.1 m and is characterized by reduction of both magnetite and hematite in suboxic sediments. The suboxic–sulfate boundary (SSB) is therefore located at 1.1 m. We demonstrate that the depth of the SSB has negative relation to the average sedimentation rate in Chinese marginal seas. The second step change in magnetic properties occurs at 3.2–5.8 m, and contains two intervals with extremely low magnetic mineral content, each corresponding to dissolution fronts associated with the former and present position of the sulfate–methanic transition (SMT). These two intervals correlate well with abrupt changes in sedimentation rate and separate the anoxic zone into two parts: the sulfidic zone and the methanic zone. Our study suggests that sedimentation rate provides a dominant control on magnetic mineral diagenesis, at least in the Chinese marginal seas, which controls not only the type of redox zonation, but also the thicknesses of diagenetic zones.

Historical trends of hypoxia in Changjiang River estuary: Applications of chemical biomarkers and microfossils

Over the past two decades China has become the largest global consumer of fertilizers, which has enhanced river nutrient fluxes and caused eutrophication and hypoxia in the Yangtze (Changjiang) large river delta-front estuary (LDE). In this study, we utilized plant pigments, lignin-phenols, stable isotopes (δ 13C and δ 15N) and foraminiferal microfossils in 210Pb dated cores to examine the history of hypoxia in the Changjiang LDE. Two sediment cores were collected onboard R/V Dong Fang Hong 2 using a stainless-steel box-corer; one at a water depth of 24.7 m on Jun. 15, 2006 and the other at 52 m on Nov. 20, 2007, both in the hypoxic region off the Changjiang LDE. There has been a significant increase in the abundance of plant pigments after 1979 that are indicators of enhanced diatom and cyanobacterial abundance, which agrees with post-1980 record of increasing nutrient loads in the Changjiang River. The increased inputs of terrestrially derived materials to the LDE are largely woody plant sources and most likely due to deforestation that began in the early 1950s. However, post-1960 lignin data did not reflect enhanced loading of woody materials despite continued deforestation possibly due to increased trapping from greater dam construction, a reduction of deforestation in the drainage basin since the last 1990s, and soil conservation practices. The lack of linkages between bulk indices (stable isotopes, % OC, molar C/N ratios) and microfossil/chemical biomarkers may reflect relative differences in the amount of carbon tracked by these different proxies. Although NO 3 − is likely responsible for most of the changes in phytoplankton production (post 1970s), historical changes in N loading from the watershed and hypoxia on the LDE shelf may not be as well linked in East China Sea (ECS) sediments due to possible denitrification/ammonification processes; finally, increases in low-oxygen tolerant foraminiferal microfossils indicate there has been an increase in the number of hypoxic bottom water events on the Changjiang LDE over the past 60 years.

Relocation of the Yellow River as revealed by sedimentary isotopic and elemental signals in the East China Sea

The Yellow River (YR) supplies a large amount of nutrients and fresh water to the northern Chinese marginal seas, and greatly influences the ecosystem and current patterns. The relocation of the YR outlet from the southern Yellow Sea (YS) to the Bohai Sea in 1855 was demonstrated using northern East China Sea (ECS) sediment characteristics. Both isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) signals and C/N ratios in the organic matter (OM) indicate that prior to 1750, the predominant source of OM to the sediments was terrestrial. The terrestrial influences continuously weakened until 1855, when the YR estuary moved; after 1855, the OM was characterized by oceanic sources. Major elements (Al, Ti, Fe, Mn) and trace elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb) had a much closer association with Malan loess prior to 1855, as >90% of the YR sediment was loess-derived. These results reveal that the relocation of the YR induced significant changes in the current patterns of the northern China Seas in the last 250years; however, more studies are needed to further examine these linkages.

Clay minerals and geochemistry of the bottom sediments in the northwestern East China Sea

Clay minerals of 34 sediments collected from the northwestern continental shelf of the East China Sea have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The clay mineral distribution is mainly controlled by the sediment source and the dominant circulation pattern. The predominant clay mineral in our study area is illite comprising more than 67% of the whole clay fraction. The highest concentration of illite (>68%) is found in the southeastern offshore parts beyond the reach of terrigenous input from the Jeju Island. It means that these illites are largely transported by the Kuroshio Current from the South China Sea (SCS). Smectite is highly concentrated in the northwest middle part and in the outer-shelf mud patch. It seems to be due to the high supply of smectite transported from China where fine-grained sediments are discharged from modern and ancient Huanghe (Yellow) River. The relatively high abundant kaolinite is likely derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River via the Taiwan Warm Current. In contrast, large amounts of chlorite and high chlorite/kaolinite ratios occur in the northwestern area, reflecting the transportation by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current from the southern Yellow Sea. The discrimination diagrams clearly show that the sediments in the northwestern East China Sea are ultimately sourced from Chinese rivers, especially from the Huanghe River, whereas the sediment in the northeast part might come from the Jeju Island. The muddy sediments of the Changjiang River’s submerged delta have much lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.716 2–0.718 0) than those of the Shandong Peninsular mud wedge (0.721 6–0.724 9), which are supposed to be originated from the Huanghe River, suggesting the distribution pattern of 87Sr/86Sr ratios as a new tracer to discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the study area. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the outer-shelf muddy sediments ranged from 0.7169 to 0.7216 in a wide range and was between those of the Huanghe River and Changjiang River sediments, suggesting multiple sources of the sediment in the area.

Precipitation of authigenic uranium in suboxic continental margin sediments from the Okinawa Trough

Concentrations of U and Th isotopes in Okinawa Trough and East China Sea sediment cores were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS) to investigate the behavior of redox sensitive uranium in suboxic hemipelagic sediments and determine their significance in oceanic uranium balance. 238U concentrations and 238U/ 232Th activity ratios in the East China Sea sediments showed no remarkable variation with depth. However, 238U and 238U/ 232Th ratios in the Okinawa Trough sediments were low in the surface oxidizing layer but increased where the suboxic condition was encountered. The distribution profiles of 230Th and 232Th concentrations were relatively constant with depth in both the Okinawa Trough and East China Sea sediment cores. These results suggested that there has been post-depositional precipitation of authigenic uranium within the suboxic Okinawa Trough sediment column. The post-depositional precipitation rates of authigenic uranium were estimated to be 47 ± 5 to >62 ± 8 ng cm −2 yr −1; these rates were comparable to those previously reported for several anoxic sediments. A mechanism controlling precipitation of uranium may be the downward diffusion of uranium U(VI), reduction to U(IV) and finally precipitation onto the solid phase. The accumulation rate of uranium for the Okinawa Trough sediments was approximately eight times higher than the world average rate reported for suboxic sediments. This removal of uranium in the oceanic budget increases the importance of the suboxic sediment sink.

Plutonium activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in sediment cores from the east China sea and Okinawa Trough: Sources and inventories

Plutonium concentrations and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediment cores were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after separation using ion-exchange chromatography. The results showed that 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, ranging from 0.21 to 0.33, were much higher than the reported value of global fallout (0.18). The highest 240Pu/ 239Pu ratios (0.32–0.33) were observed in the deepest Okinawa Trough sediment samples. These ratios suggested the US nuclear weapons tests in the early 1950s at the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands were a major source of plutonium in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, in addition to the global fallout source. It was proposed that close-in fallout plutonium was delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds test sites via early direct tropospheric fallout and transportation by the North Pacific Equatorial Circulation system and Kuroshio Current into the Okinawa Trough and East China Sea. The total 239 + 240 Pu inventories in the cores were about 150–200% of that expected from direct global fallout; about 46–67% of the total inventories were delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Much higher 239 + 240 Pu inventories were observed in the East China Sea sediments than in sediments of the Okinawa Trough, because in the open oceans, part of the 239 + 240 Pu was still retained in the water column, and continued Pu scavenging was higher over the margin than the trough. According to the vertical distributions of 239 + 240 Pu activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in these cores, it was concluded that sediment mixing was the dominant process in controlling profiles of plutonium in this area. Faster mixing in the coastal samples has homogenized the entire 240Pu/ 239Pu ratio record today; slightly slower mixing and less scavenging in the Okinawa Trough have left the surface sediment ratios closer to the modern North Pacific water end member and higher ratios (0.30–0.34) at the bottom of the cores.

Ecological significance of biogenic silica in the East China Sea

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 290:15-26 (2005) - doi:10.3354/meps290015 Ecological significance of biogenic silica in the East China Sea S. M. Liu1,*, J. Zhang1,2, R. X. Li3 1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, PR China2State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road North,Shanghai 200062, PR China3First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, PR China *Email: sumeiliu@mail.ouc.edu.cn ABSTRACT: Field observations were carried out in the East China Sea (ECS) in October 2000, May 2001 and April–May 2002. Biogenic silica (BSi) in core sediments, sediment traps, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) was measured; silicate profiles in pore waters were examined. The concentration of BSi in SPM was high in coastal areas. The content of BSi in ECS sediments is less than 1%, as the result of tremendous riverine input of terrigenous weathered materials. For the ECS Shelf, the dissolution of BSi in sediment cores is important to maintain high levels of silicate in the water column, supporting prolific primary production by diatoms. BSi burial efficiencies, that is, the silica accumulation rate divided by the sum of the silica accumulation rate and the benthic silicate flux, are estimated to be 36 to 97%, higher than in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and higher than the global ocean average. BSi regeneration efficiency, that is, the ratio of BSi vertical flux minus the BSi accumulation rate relative to BSi vertical flux, is ca. 80% for the ECS. A silica budget was established for the ECS shelf, and the model output shows that major silicate input comes from the Kuroshio, followed by silicate from the riverine inflow and the Taiwan Strait. About 75% of gross BSi production dissolves in the water column over the ECS Shelf. KEY WORDS: Biogenic silica · Burial · Regeneration · Budget · East China Sea Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 290. Online publication date: April 13, 2005 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2005 Inter-Research.

Radiolarian fauna in surface sediments of the northeastern East China Sea

Radiolarian abundance and species composition have been determined in 72 surface sediment samples from the northeastern East China Sea. The results are compared with chemical and physical properties of the overlying water masses, and with sediment conditions. In the study area, radiolarian abundance and species number increase markedly from northwest to southeast, and their distributions can be divided into three provinces: the low-density zone corresponding to the shelf, the middle-density zone corresponding to the western slope of the Okinawa Trough and the high-density zone corresponding to the central part of the Okinawa Trough. The distribution of radiolarians correlates well with modern sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity, but shows a negative relation with nutrients and primary productivity of the overlying water. This distribution pattern is also strongly affected by the sediment type and terrigenous material input. Also, the Kuroshio Current has an important effect on controlling the distribution and species composition of radiolarian fauna in this area. Based on three Q-mode factors (accounting for 90.2% of the variance), three radiolarian assemblages have been distinguished, and their distributions are clearly correlated with oceanographic current patterns in the region. The mixed water assemblage dominated by Tetrapyle circularis, Tetrapyle quadriloba and Ommatartus tetrathalamus tetrathalamus is restricted to the area of the Mixed Water, but mainly influenced by the Shelf Water. The Kuroshio Water assemblage, which is dominated by Lithelius minor, Dictyocoryne profunda, Stylodictya multispina, Acrosphaera spinosa, Dictyocoryne truncatum, Spongaster tetrars, Stylodictya arachnia and Ommatartus tetrathalamus tetrathalamus, is basically controlled by the Kuroshio Surface Water. And the transition assemblage dominated by Tetrapyle quadriloba and Monozonium pachystylum is associated with the Tsushima Warm Current Water. The boundaries among these assemblages approximately coincide with the oceanographic front. And the changes in the distribution of these assemblages could be regarded as not only modifications of the water masses, but also indicators of the possible movements of the oceanic front.

210Pb, 137Cs and 239,240Pu in East China Sea sediments: sources, pathways and budgets of sediments and radionuclides

Profiles of 210Pb, 137Cs and 239,240Pu measured in 83 sediment cores collected from various sedimentary regimes in the East China Sea were analyzed to elucidate the sources, routes and budgets of sediments as well as these radionuclides. Distributions of sedimentation rates and nuclide inventories reveal alongshore transport of sediments, 137Cs and 239,240Pu from the mouth of the Yangtze River toward the south, largely confined to the inner-shelf area (water depth <70 m). Mass balance calculations suggest that the East China Sea is a sink for the particle-reactive 210Pb and 239,240Pu, with about one-sixth of their sedimentary budgets supplied via boundary scavenging. In contrast, due to lower affinity of 137Cs for particles and rapid turnover of the shelf water, the East China Sea serves as a source for 137Cs. About two-thirds of the cumulative input of 137Cs have been transported out of the East China Sea, leaving the remaining one-third stored in the bottom sediments and the overlying water column. As for the sediment budget, mass balance cannot be established due to a shortfall in sediment supply of more than 30% based on a comparison between input terms documented thus far and the sedimentation flux derived from this study. It is very likely that we have overestimated the sediment burial flux or that long-distance transport from the Yellow River’s dispersal system to the East China Sea is underestimated. Alternatively, the imbalance could be explained by the discrepancy between sediment input and output on decadal to centennial timescales.

History of Lead Pollution Recorded in East China Sea Sediments

Box cores collected from the shelf and slope regions of the East China Sea during 1996–1997 were analyzed for 210Pb, 137Cs, 239,240Pu and Pb concentrations to establish sediment chronologies and unravel the history of lead pollution. The data show pronounced increases of anthropogenic lead during the past two decades that can be attributed to rapid economic growth and the lack of waste control practices in China. From the circulation pattern and spatial variations of sedimentation rates and fluxes of anthropogenic Pb, it is clear that the Yangtze River is the main source of sediments and pollutants in this marginal sea.

Vertical profiles of nitrous oxide and dissolved oxygen in marine sediments

Abstract The whole core squeezing method was used to simultaneously obtain profiles of nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogenous nutrients, and dissolved oxygen in sediments of Koaziro Bay, Japan (coastal water), the East China Sea (marginal sea), and the central Pacific Ocean (open ocean). In the spring of Koaziro Bay, subsurface peaks of interstitial N2O (0.5–3.5 cm depth) were observed, at which concentrations were higher than in the overlying water. This was also true for nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) profiles, suggesting that the transport of oxic overlying water to the depth through faunal burrows induced in situ N2O production depending on nitrification. In the summer of Koaziro Bay, sediment concentrations of N2O, NO3− and NO2− were lower than in the overlying water. In most East China Sea sediments, both N2O and NO3− decreased sharply in the top 0.5–2 cm oxic layer (oxygen: 15–130 μM), which may have indicated N2O and NO3− consumption by denitrification at anoxic microsites. N2O peaks at subsurface depth (0.5–6.5 cm) implied in situ production of N2O and/or its supply from the overlying water through faunal burrows. However, the occurrence of the latter process was not confirmed by the profiles of other constituents. In the central Pacific Ocean, the accumulation of N2O and NO3− in the sediments likely resulted from nitrification. Nitrous oxide fluxes from the sediments, calculated using its gradient at the sediment–water interface and the molecular diffusion coefficient, were −45 to 6.9 nmolN m−2 h−1 in Koaziro Bay in the spring, −29 to −21 nmolN m−2 h−1 in the summer, −46 to 37 nmolN m−2 h−1 in the East China Sea, 0.17 to 0.23 nmolN m−2 h−1 in the equatorial Pacific, and