A preliminary reassessment of δEuN-ΣREEs plot for distinguishing sediment provenances

Several REE data sets were collected in Core DD2 and EC2005 in the inner shelf of East China Sea, Core Y127 in the northern Okinawa Trough, Core NT1, C9247 and C92169 in the south Yellow Sea to check the applicability of the δEuN-ΣREEs model for quantitatively distinguishing sediments from the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. By comparison, several sediments in cores DD2, EC2005, Y127 are generally in accordance with this model. The cores NT1, C9247 and C92169, which have been influenced by the Yangtze River and the Yellow River together, however, were inconsistent with the δEuN-ΣREEs model. The δEuN-ΣREEs plot and its corresponding regression equation, which could be used to distinguish sediments “intuitively and quantitatively” from the Yangtze River, and the Yellow River should be reconsidered or reassessed.