TOPOGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTATION OF THE EAST CHINA SEA SHELFBREAK

The shelfbreak of the East China Sea lies in an area with a marked change in gradient between the continental shelf and the slope (west wall of Okinawa Trough), depth ranging from 132 to 162m with an average of about 147 m, and the width ranging from 4 to 18 km. The types of the shelfbreak differ markedly from the north to the south, having an abrupt break in the south and a gradual break in the middle and the north. Without permanent deposition of fine-grained material formed at the shelfbreak zone, it serves only as a temporary resting place for terrigenous sediments moving toward the Okinawa Trough through submarine canyons as important transport conduits.     

冲绳海槽中南部不同环境表层沉积物质来源

对冲绳海槽中南部3种不同沉积环境(东海外陆架、东海陆坡和冲绳海槽)表层沉积物进行了稀土等元素地球化学分析,结果显示,冲绳海槽和陆坡表层沉积物具有与台湾物质来源类似的稀土元素配分模式,La/Sm-Gd/Yb散点图也显示海槽和陆坡沉积物主要分布在台湾物源端元区,表明冲绳海槽中南部海槽和陆坡表层沉积物主要来源于台湾,而外陆架沉积物明显的重稀土亏损与大陆河流(特别是长江、黄河)沉积物来源较为一致。为进一步判断外陆架表层沉积物来源,对外陆架沉积物重矿物进行分析鉴定,结果显示,外陆架沉积物重矿物以普通角闪石-绿帘石-石榴石-赤褐铁矿为组合特征,与长江沉积物重矿物组成特征类似,其明显缺乏台湾河流来源的典型重矿物锆石、黄河来源典型重矿物云母、浙闽沿岸来源典型重矿物磁铁矿,说明台湾、黄河和浙闽沿岸并非研究区外陆架表层沉积物主要物源。根据以往测年等研究成果,研究区外陆架沉积物年代较老,应为古长江物质经东海现代环流体系不断改造而成。     

Lower Cd/P ratio in settling particles than in surface seawater in the Okinawa Trough

The characteristics of the ratios between cadmium (Cd) and phosphorus (P) in settling particles collected from the Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea were examined using a sediment trap, moored at a depth of 811 m for one year. The Cd/P ratios varied within a narrow range throughout the year, in spite of the large seasonal change in the total dry mass, Cd, and P fluxes. The average Cd/P ratio of settling particles was 0.062 (nmol/μmol), which was obviously lower than that of surface seawater around the study site (0.16). This lower ratio in the Okinawa Trough particles collected using the 811 m-moored trap certainly reflected the mixture of biologically produced organic matter around the study site and other components that were mainly transported as lateral flux from the shelf edge and slope area of the East China Sea.     

Morphology and architecture of the typical erosion-genesis submarine canyons on the East China Sea slope

The Yithi submarine canyons,composed of four canyons less than 60 km in length,are located on the narrowest part of the East China Sea(ECS) slope.They extend from the shelf break at 160 m down to water depth of 1 500 m with an average gradient(along the canyon axis) of 3°(<1 000 m) and 0.7°(>1000 m).The sinuosity of the canyons ranges form 1.02 to 1.14 and their pathways extend radially from the shelf break to the axis of the Okinawa Trough.Structural and evolution pattern of the Yithi canyons are mainly controlled by sediment mass-movements and turbidity current and similar with that of the canyons in Ebro continental slope.The whole canyon system consists of three parts:the canyon,the channel and the fan.Slumps and slides often develop in the upper part of canyon where the water depth is less than 1000 m,and the turbidities usually developed on the fan.The scale of turbidites becomes smaller and their inner structures become more regular towards the ends of the canyons.Canyon-fans are often associated with small angle progradational reflection.Most canyon-fans and levees were transversely cut by active normal faults with NEE-SWW trending that are coupled to the modern extension of the Okinawa Trough.According to the age of formation of canyon-fans and sediments incised by canyons,we can infer that the Yithi canyons were formed since the middle the Medio-Pleistocene.     

Upward transport of iron at the west shelf edge–slope of the Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea

We studied the behavior of chemical substances in the upper 300 m of the water column across the continental shelf–slope interface in the East China Sea off the Okinawa Trough. The behaviors of iron, inorganic nutrients, and humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter were strongly influenced by the extensive water exchange between the East China Sea and the Kuroshio Current across the shelf break and slope via upwelling and frontal processes. We attributed the high humic-like fluorescent intensity at the subsurface of the shelf break and slope regions to the lateral supply of humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter from the shelf sediments to the outer shelf region due to the intrusion of shelf water into Kuroshio subsurface water. We found that the behavior of iron at the continental shelf–slope was remarkably different from the conservative mixing of inorganic nutrients and humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter. In deep and bottom waters at the shelf–slope, high total iron concentrations, which were closely related to water transmittance, possibly resulted from the swept transport of iron-rich resuspended sediments over the shelf floor from the slope by the invading Kuroshio Intermediate Water close to the bottom.     

冲绳海槽中段表层沉积物物质来源的定量分离:Sr-Nd同位素方法

利用1994年85－904航次获取的冲绳海槽中段表层沉积物样品，测定其硅酸盐相的^87Sr/^86Cr和^143Nd/^144Nd比值，以定量研究冲绳海槽中段表层沉积物硅酸盐物质的来源，结果表明，冲绳海槽中段陆坡区表层沉积物硅酸盐相的^87Sr/^86Sr/^143Nd/^144Nd与东海陆架沉物硅酸盐相的^87Sr/^86Sr和^143Nd/^143Nd相当，槽底和东坡沉积物硅酸盐相的^87Sr/^86Cr和^143Nd/^144Nd值介于中国大陆硅酸盐物质和海槽水山碎屑的^87Sr/^86Sr,^143Nd/^144Nd比值之间，并大致具有两端员混合特征，利用以Sr同位素为参数的二端员混合方程进行物源定量分析的结果表明，冲绳海槽中段的西坡和槽底表层沉积物硅酸盐相以陆源物质为主，最大值为91．07％，由西向东，陆源物逐渐减少，在海槽东坡含量最小，最小值为9．93％，火山源物质在东坡含量最高，量大值为64．92％，由东向西，由北向东，火山源物质逐渐减少为零。     

The calculation of Kuroshio current structure in the East China Sea—early summer 1986

On the basis of hydrographic data and moored current meter records obtained during an early summer cruise (May 20–June 23) of 1986, a three dimensional diagnostic calculation of the circulation is performed in the survey area, which covers the East China Sea continental shelf, Okinawa Trough and an area east of the Ryukyu Island. The Kuroshio Current condition and structure in the East China Sea, its branches and their interrelationship as well as the eddies around the Kuroshio, are discussed. When the Kuroshio entered the area northeast of Taiwan, there were two branches. The main branch flowed northeastward along the continental slope and the other branch was at the eastern part of the Okinawa Trough. The main axis of the Kuroshio followed the continental slope above the 300 m level, but moved gradually eastward to the Okinawa Trough below the 300 m level.     

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.     

Abundance of chemical elements in continental shelf sediment of China

For the first time, an element abundance table of China Shelf Sea sediments is published based on 286 samples from the continental shelf of China analyzed for 62 chemical elements. The shelf sediments result from the redistribution of sediments from China over the continental shelf. On the basis of comparison of element abundances among the China shelf samples, hemipelagic Okinawa Trough samples, and pelagic brown clay from the West Pacific, it is clear that each has its own elemental characteristics. Hg anomaly enrichment in Okinawa Trough sediments may be used as an indicator of hydrothermal activity.     

Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the northern East China Sea shelf margin and the Okinawa Trough

Volcanic rocks both from the northern East China Sea (NECS) shelf margin and the northern Okinawa Trough are subalkaline less aluminous,and lower in High Field Strength Elements (HFSE).These rocks are higher in Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE),thorium and uranium contents,positive lead anomalies,negative Nb-Ta anomalies,and enrichment in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE).Basalts from the NECS shelf margin are akin to Indian Ocean Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB),and rhyolites from the northern Okinawa Trough have the highest 207 Pb/ 204 Pb and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios.The NECS shelf margin basalts have lower 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios,ε N d and σ 18 O than the northern Okinawa Trough silicic rocks.According to 40 K– 40 Ar isotopic ages of basalts from the NECS shelf margin,rifting of the Okinawa Trough may have been active since at least 3.65–3.86 Ma.The origin of the NECS shelf margin basalt can be explained by the interaction of melt derived from Indian Ocean MORB-like mantle with enriched subcontinental lithosphere.The basalts from both sides of the Okinawa Trough may have a similar origin during the initial rifting of the Okinawa Trough,and the formation of basaltic magmas closely relates to the thinning of continental crust.The source of the formation of the northern Okinawa Trough silicic rocks was different from that of the middle Okinawa Trough,which could have been generated by the interaction of basaltic melt with an enriched crustal component.From the Ryukyu island arc to East China,the Cenozoic basalts have apparently increasing trends of MgO contents and ratios of LREE to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE),suggesting that the trace element variabilities of basalts may have been influenced by the subduction of the Philippine Sea plate,and that the effects of subduction of the Philippine Sea plate on the chemical composition of basaltic melts have had a decreasing effect from the Ryukyu island arc to East China.     

东海陆架外缘区构造特征及其成因机制

东海陆架边缘的构造特征记录了有关冲绳海槽张裂过程的关键信息,对于进一步理解海槽的形成演化以及弧后张裂与弧-陆碰撞之间的相互作用至关重要。本文基于多道地震和重磁资料,分析了东海陆架边缘的地形和构造特征,并对冲绳海槽早期张裂过程、北西向断裂带的分隔控制作用、钓鱼岛隆起带南北构造差异和冲绳海槽的向西前展等问题进行了探讨。结果表明,冲绳海槽西侧陆坡存在的分段性,各分段在地形地貌、地层展布和构造特征等方面的不同,体现了其构造演化和现今构造活动性的差异。冲绳海槽中—北段的张裂始于陆架前缘坳陷,在晚中新世向东扩展至整个海槽,晚中新世至今以分散式张裂为主。北西向断裂带对东海陆架边缘不同分段的构造特征和构造活动起到了分隔控制和转换协调作用,控制了不同类型陆坡的形成和发育。受冲绳海槽在全宽度上向西前展的影响,钓鱼岛隆起带南段的基底隆起及其支撑的陆架边缘发生了破坏和沉降,形成基底起伏较大、地形崎岖不平的陆坡。     

东海莫霍面起伏与地壳减薄特征初步分析

收集、整理大量由地震剖面提供的沉积层厚度资料,得到东海沉积层等厚图。对完全布格重力异常进行沉积层重力效应改正后,得到剩余重力异常,利用地震资料揭示的莫霍面深度值来约束界面反演得到东海莫霍面埋深。结果表明,东海陆架盆地莫霍面深度在25～28 km之间平缓变化,地壳厚度为14～26 km,西厚东薄;冲绳海槽盆地莫霍面深度为16～26 km,地壳厚度为12～22 km,北厚南薄。东海陆架盆地东部与冲绳海槽盆地南部地壳减薄明显,拉张因子分别达到2.6和3。初步分析认为冲绳海槽地壳以过渡壳为主,并未形成洋壳。     

渤海、黄海、东海沉积物中矿物组合的研究

本文对黄海、渤海、东海以及长江、黄河、辽河表层沉积物中的轻、重矿物进行了研究。分析资料表明,调查区内共有三种类型的矿物:陆源矿物、自生矿物和海底火山喷发形成的火山型矿物。根据轻、重矿物组合的差异,可把调查区分成8个矿物区。其物质来源主要为黄河与长江。黄河物质主要沉积在黄海、渤海;长江物质沉积在东海陆架区,而冲绳海槽则发现有海底火山喷发物质与浊流沉积。     

冲绳海槽北端表层沉积物过渡元素地球化学特征

利用原子吸收和等离子发射光谱等方法,对冲绳海槽北端184个表层沉积物中的Al和过渡元素(Ti、Cr、Mn、Fe、Co、Ni、Cu、Zn和Zr)进行了化学分析。结果表明,由于受生源碎屑稀释作用的影响,过渡元素在陆架砂质区含量较低,其分布呈北西-南东向舌状延伸;由于细粒组分的增加,在陆架细粒沉积区和海槽区过渡元素含量较高。Mn主要在海槽区富集,在陆架和陆坡区变化不大。除了Mn之外,Al和其他过渡元素均呈明显正相关。Al/Ti比值与陆壳平均值接近,说明二者主要来源于陆源碎屑。Mn/Fe比值与邻近海区沉积物类似,但在陆架区CaO含量大于20%的沉积物和海槽区沉积物中相对较高,这分别是生物富集作用和自生沉积的结果。过渡元素富集因子分析结果表明,研究区过渡元素部分来自于黄河、部分来自于长江物质。     

The Current System in the Yellow and East China Seas

During the 1990s, our knowledge and understanding of the current system in the Yellow and East China Seas have grown significantly due primarily to new technologies for measuring surface currents and making high-resolution three-dimensional numerical model calculations. One of the most important new findings in this decade is direct evidence of the northward current west of Kyushu provided by satellite-tracked surface drifters. In the East China Sea shelf region, these recent studies indicate that in winter the Tsushima Warm Current has a single source, the Kuroshio Branch Current in the west of Kyushu, which transports a mixture of Kuroshio Water and Changjiang River Diluted Water northward. In summer the surface Tsushima Warm Current has multiple sources, i.e., the Taiwan Warm Current, the Kuroshio Branch Current to the north of Taiwan, and the Kuroshio Branch Current west of Kyushu. The summer surface circulation pattern in the East China Sea shelf region changes year-to-year corresponding to interannual variations in Changjiang River discharge. Questions concerning the Yellow Sea Warm Current, the Chinese Coastal Current in the Yellow Sea, the current field southwest of Kyushu, and the deep circulation in the Okinawa Trough remain to be addressed in the next decade. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

冲绳海槽中部表层沉积物中的放射虫

1992年7月“向阳红16号”海洋调查船利用大洋50型抓斗在冲绳海槽中部（25°30’－30°N,125°－129°E）区域内获取表层沉积物样品88个。表层沉积物中的放射虫定量分析结果表明;愈近海槽放射虫的数量及属、种丰度值愈高,西侧槽坡离开槽区越远,放射虫数量及属种越渐少。而东侧槽被放射虫数量则表现了高、低值成点状分布的格局。表层沉积物中两大类放射虫的百分含量分别为泡沫虫约占87％,罩笼虫约占13％。另外根据分析结果,把本区分为3个小的沉积区：陆坡上部沉积区;陆被下部沉积区;海槽底部沉积区。     

Formation and tectonic evolution of outer margin upfold zone of East China Sea Shelf

Ｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ　ａｎｄ　ｔｅｃｔｏｎｉｃ　ｅｖｏｌｕｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　ｏｕｔｅｒ　ｍａｒｇｉｎｕｐｆｏｌｄ　ｚｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　Ｅａｓｔ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　Ｓｅａ　ＳｈｅｌｆTXＦｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎａｎｄｔｅｃｔｏｎｉｃｅｖｏｌｕｔｉｏｎｏｆｏｕｔｅｒｍａｒｇｉ...     

东海及其邻域地球动力学研究进展

分别对东海陆架盆地和冲绳槽盆地的地质概况,地壳结构、地热场分布及热水活动状况,地震层析成像及其它地球动力学研究做了综合分析,研究结果偏重于大陆地壳下的物质向边缘海方向扩张,形成边缘海和边缘洋盆的模式,从而取代多年来关于西北太平洋边缘海盆是由于海沟向欧亚大陆的俯冲产生的观点。     

Double Kelvin waves along the Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea——Ⅰ. Analytic solutions and observations

ＤｏｕｂｌｅＫｅｌｖｉｎｗａｖｅｓａｌｏｎｇｔｈｅＯｋｉｎａｗａＴｒｏｕｇｈｉｎｔｈｅＥａｓｔＣｈｉｎａＳｅａ－ⅠＡｎａｌｙｔｉｃｓｏｌｕｔｉｏｎｓａｎｄｏｂｓｅｒｖａｔｉｏｎｓ￥ＷａｎｇＪｉａａｎｄＹｕａｎＹｅｌｉ（ＲｅｃｅｉｖｅｄＯｃｔｏｂｅｒ２...     

The Crustal Structure Character of East China Sea

This paper presents actuality of investigation and study of the crustal structure characters of East China Sea at home and abroad. Based on lots of investigation and study achievements and the difference of the crustal velocity structure from west to east, the East China Sea is divided into three parts - East China Sea shelf zone, Okinawa Trough zone and Ryukyu arc-trench zone. The East China Sea shelf zone mostly has three velocity layers, i.e., the sediment blanket layer （the velocity is 5.8-5.9 km/s）, the basement layer （the velocity is 6.0-6.3 km/s）, and the lower crustal layer （the velocity is 6.8-7.6 km/s）. So the East China Sea shelf zone belongs to the typical continental crust. The Okinawa Trough zone is located at the transitional belt between the continental crust and the oceanic crust. It still has the structural characters of the continental crust, and no formation of the oceanic crust, but the crust of the central trough has become to thinning down. The Ryukyu arc-trench zone belongs to the transitional type crust as a whole, but the ocean side of the trench already belongs to the oceanic crust. And the northwest Philippine Basin to the east of the Ryukyu Trench absolutely belongs to the typical oceanic crust.