Geochemical compositions and provenance discrimination of the central south Yellow Sea sediments

Geochemical compositions and sedimentation rates of surface and core sediments in the central south Yellow Sea were analyzed for the identification of sediment origins. The sediment accumulation rates measured by 210Pb geochronology decrease significantly from the western part to the central area. Calcium carbonate, total organic carbon and most elements are more enriched in the western muddy sediments than in the sandy eastern part. Overall, geochemical compositions of the central south Yellow Sea sediments vary between those of Chinese and Korean river sediments supplied into the sea. Although CaCO3 content exhibits regional variations in the central south Yellow Sea, the discrimination diagram of Sc/Al vs Cr/Th distinctly suggests that the muddy Holocene sediments in the central–western part are derived ultimately from Chinese rivers, especially the Huanghe River, whereas the eastern sandy sediments primarily came from the Korean rivers during the postglacial transgression.