Clay mineral distributions in surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea and surrounding river sediments: Sources and transport patterns

Author:Yanguang Dou, Jun Li, Jingtao Zhao, Helong Wei, Shouye Yang, Fenglong Bai, Daolai Zhang, Xue Ding, LiboWang Updated:2015-06-15
      Abstract:Clay mineralogy of surface sediments throughout the Liaodong Bay and surrounding fluvial samples hasbeen analyzed in order to reveal sources and spatial transport patterns of the detrital fine-grainedsediments. Four characteristic end-members in clay compositions were observed from four majorprovenances, respectively: high content of smectite and scarce chlorite from northern rivers, and LuanRiver, high illite and low smectite from southern rivers, highest content of illite from eastern rivers,mediate content from western rivers. The sources and distribution patterns of clay minerals are closelyrelated to river inputs, the regional currents, and tide systems. The clays covered in the southwest (SWzone) are primarily supplied by the Luan River and the Liugu River. While the clays in the northernLiaodong Bay (North Zone) derived from the northern rivers seem to be transported mainly via thesurface currents. The clay minerals in the southeast (SE zone) sourced from the Laotieshan passage areattributed to the northward residual currents. Furthermore, the materials resulted from bedrocks erosionmay bring a few clay minerals.