• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.93-102
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• 2017

Heavy mineral provide an important information for sediment provenance as well as a potential submarine mineral resources. We compared the heavy mineral characteristics between Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud (SEYSM) and Southwestern Cheju Island Mud (SWCIM) surface sediments. We separated heavy minerals from 28 surface sediments in each mudbelt, and then carried out stereo-microscopic, field-emission scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive spectroscopic and electron probe microanalysis to characterize the type, abundance, mineralogical properties and distribution pattern of heavy mineral. Amphibole and epidote, which are two major heavy minerals, account for more than 70% of total heavy minerals. Zircon and sphene contents are more abundant in SEYSM, whereas apatite and rutile contents are more abundant in SWCIM. Monazite only occurs in some area of SEYSM. Sphene and monazite content decrease to the south in SEYSM. Both garnet-zircon index (GZi) and rutile-zircon index (RuZi) are low in SEYSM but high in SWCIM. Amphiboles in SEYSM primarily correspond to hornblende, however those in SWCIM represent variable composition from pargasite, tshermakite, hornblende to tremolite. Garnets in SEYSM have high Mg and low Ca, but those in SWCIM have low Mg with variable Ca. Different heavy mineral characteristics between SEYSM and SWCIM suggests that sediments in each mudbelt have different provenances. Although this study implies that SEYSM sediment may mostly come from nearby Korean western rivers such as the Keum and Han rivers, this study does not suggest any idea of the source area of SWCIM sediment. Further study is needed to interpret the provenance and transportation mechanism of mudbelt sediments through the heavy mineral research for the river sediments flowing into the Yellow Sea and much more marine sediments.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.8-31
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• 2023

To understand the distribution and formation mechanism of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, grain size analysis, ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating, and benthic foraminifera analysis were conducted on thirty-two surface sediments collected from the continental shelf of the northern East China Sea, respectively. Surface sediment was composed of sandy mud~muddy sand facies with an average of 52.04% of sand, 13.72% of silt, and 34.20% of clay. These sedimentary facies are palimpsest sediment. Benthic foraminifera was classified into a total of 48 genera and 104 species, including agglutinated foraminifera, calcareous-hyaline, and calcareous-porcelaneous foraminifera. The production rate of agglutinated foraminifera increased toward the Yangtze River area while that of planktonic foraminifera increased toward Jeju Island. Dominant species are Ammonia ketienziensis, Bolivina robusta, Eggella advena, Eilohedra nipponica, Pseudorotalia gamardii, Pseudoparrella naraensis. ¹⁴C radiocarbon datings of Bolivina robusta and Pseudorotalia gamardii with the highest production rate were 2,360±40 yr B.P. and 2,450±40 yr B.P., respectively. In the result of cluster analysis, three assemblages composed of P. gaimardii, B. robusta, and A. ketienziensis-P. naraensis were classified broadly. P. gaimardii assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. at the sea area of the Yangtze River to 50 m in water depth affected by fresh water. B. robusta assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.4 yr B.P. at the sea area of Jeju Island to 50~100 m affected by offshore water. And then, A. ketienziensisP. naraensis assemblage was formed in the northwest sea area (Central Yellow Sea Mud). These distributions and composition of benthic foraminiferal assemblages formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. in the northern East China Sea are thought to be due to the change of benthic ecology environment that occurred by the sea level increase during the late Holocene.