Sedimentary facies of the central part of radial tidal sand ridge system of the eastern China coast

Abstract

A unique radial tidal sand ridge system (RTSRS) has developed under a complex tidal current field on the eastern China coast between the Yangtze River delta to the south and the abandoned Yellow River (Huanghe) delta to the north. The present study examines the sedimentary evolution of a ridge-channel pair in the central RTSRS. Three cores, with two on the ridges and one in the channel, were drilled to reveal the late Pleistocene-Holocene deposits of the system. Five sedimentary facies were distinguished, i.e. ridge-shallow subtidal facies, ridge-deep subtidal facies, near-surface channel bottom facies, middle tidal flat facies and low tidal flat facies. The ridge-shallow subtidal facies consists of sandy strata with ripple cross beddings, horizontal lamina, and massive beddings. Bioturbation seldom occurs. The ridge-deep subtidal facies is primarily characterized by sandy and muddy interlayers with common flaser and lenticular bedding structures. Bioturbation appears abundantly. Massive and graded sediment sequences of storm origin are present as characterized by rich shell fragments. The near-surface channel bottom facies consists of loose, soft, clayey silt deposits with deformed sedimentary layers. This facies occurs in the deeper part of the active channels. The middle tidal flat and lower tidal flat facies composed of silt-clay couplets prevailed primarily in the tidal flats. Incomplete sedimentary successions show that coastal plain deposits dominate in the study area during 12–13 ka B.P. The sandy ridge and channel facies became dominant during 4–6 ka B.P. when the sea level receded temporarily. Tidal ridge and channel in the study area became active during the last four decades. Sediment reworking due to typhoon and sandy ridge migration plays a key role in shaping the present radial ridge system.

References

1. Fu M Z, Zhu D K (1986). The sedimentsources of the offshore submarine sand ridge field of the coast ofJiangsu Province. Journal of Nanjing University(Natural Sciences Edition), 22(3): 536–544 (in Chinese)
2. He X M (1979). Coastal geomorphology of the Jiangsu Province and radialsand ridges in offshore zone. In: : JiangsuScience Committee (ed.), TechnicalReport of observation on coastal zone and tidal flat resources ofthe Jiangsu Province, No.1, 27–40 (in Chinese)
3. Huang H J, Li C Z (1998). A studyon the present evolution of submarine radial sand ridge in the southernYellow Sea using remote sensing images. Oceanologia Et Limnologia Sinica, 29(6): 640–645 (in Chinese)
4. Li C X, Wang L, Li P (1979). Preliminary study of the facies distributionin the Changjiang delta. J. Tongji Univ., 3: 1–14 (in Chinese). doi: 10.1007/s11741-999-0020-9
5. Li C X, Zhang J Q, Fan D D, et al. (2001). Holocene regression andthe tidal radial sand ridge system formation in the Jiangsu coastalzone, east China. Marine Geology, 173: 97–120. doi:10.1016/S0025-3227(00)00169-9
6. Li C X, Zhang J Q, Yang S Y, et al. (1999). Characteristics and paleo-environmentevolution of sub-aerial tidal sand body in Northern Jiangsu coastalplain. Sci. China (Series D), 42(1): 52–60. doi:10.1007/BF02878498
7. Liu Z X (1996). New proceedings on shelf tidal genetic deposition ofChina. Advance in Earth Sciences, 11(4): 414–416
8. Liu Z X (1997). Yangtze shoal–a modern tidal sand sheet in thenorthwestern part of the East China Sea. Marine Geology, (137): 321–330. doi:10.1016/S0025-3227(96)00026-6
9. Liu Z H, Xia D X (2004). Tidalsands in the China Sea. Beijing: China Ocean Press, 222 (in Chinese)
10. Liu Z X, Huang Y C, Zhang Q A (1989). Tidal current ridges in the southwesternYellow Sea. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 59(3): 432–439
11. Lu P D (2003). Study on stability of Xitaiyangsha artificial island,Rudong county, Jiangsu Province, ScienceReport, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, 43p (in Chinese)
12. Reineck H E (1963). Sedimentgefüge im Bereich der südlichen Nordsee. Abh Senckenbergische naturforsch Ges, 505: 138
13. Reineck H E, Singh I B (1980). Depositionalsedimentary environments. New York,Heidelberg, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp382–397
14. Ren M E (1986). Report on a comprehensive survey of coastal and tidalflat resources along Jiangsu coastal zone. Beijing: China Ocean Press, 517p (in Chinese)
15. Wang Y (2002). Radial Sandy Ridge on Yellow Sea Continental Shelf. Beijing: China Environmental Science Press, 433p (in Chinese)
16. Wang Y, Zhu D K, Cao G Y (2001). Environmental characteristics andrelated sedimentary facies of tidal flat, example from China. In: : Park Y A, Davis R A J, eds., proceedingsof TIDALITES 2000, special publication, 1225–1283
17. Wang Y, Zhu D K, You K Y, et al. (1999). Evolution of radiative sandridge of the South Yellow Sea and its sedimentary characteristics. Science in China (Series D), 42(1): 97–112. doi:10.1007/BF02878503
18. Yang Z G, Wang S J, Zhang G W, et al. (2001). Evolution model for SouthYellow Sea tidal sand ridges during transgressions in deglaciation. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology, 21(3): 1–10 (in Chinese)
19. Ye H S, Fang X Y, Wang W Q (1998). Tidal Current. In: : Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy ofSciences and Science and Technology Commission of Jiangsu Administration.Atlas of natural resources of Jiangsu coastal zone. Beijing: Science Press, pp21–28 (in Chinese)
20. You K Y, Wang Y, Zhu X D (1998). Foraminiferal distribution and itsindications of sedimentation environment in the bottom sediments ofsubmarine sand ridges along North Jiangsu. Journal of Nanjing University (Natural Sciences Edition), 34(6): 650–654 (in Chinese)
21. Zhang C K, Zhang D S, Zhang J L, et al. (1999). Tidal current-induced formation-storm-inducedchange-tidal current-induced recovery-Interpretation of depositionaldynamics of formation and evolution of radial sand ridges on the YellowSea seafloor. Science in China (SeriesD), 42(1): 1–12. doi:10.1007/BF02878492
22. Zhu D K (1994). Study of the stability of Dahong tidal channel in theNorth Jiangsu offshore submarine ridges. Coastal Engineering, 13(4): 1–12 (in Chinese)
23. Zhu D K, An Z S (1993). Studyon formation and evolution of Jiangsu offshore radial sandy ridge. In: : Bao H S, ed. Collected geographic work for professor Ren Mei'e 80-year anniversarycelebration. Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, pp142–147 (in Chinese)
24. Zhu D K, Fu M Z (1986). A preliminarystudy on Jiangsu offshore radial sandy ridge. In: : Ren M E, Zhu J W, Zhu D K, et al., eds. Report on a comprehensive survey of Dongsha Bank of Jiangsu coastalzone. Beijing: China Ocean Press, 28–32(in Chinese)
25. Zhu D K, Martini I P, Brookfield M E (1998). Morphology and land-use of the coastalzone of the North Jiangsu plain, Jiangsu province, Eastern China. Journal of Coastal Research, 14(2): 591–599
26. Zou X Q, Ma J S, Wang Y P, et al. (2004). Study on the stability ofLanshayang tidal channel, Rudong County, Jiangsu Province. ScienceReport. The Key Lab Of Coast and IslandDevelopment, Nanjing University, 61 (in Chinese)