Pb and O isotopic characteristics of single minerals in the Jianggang radial sand ridges of the southwestern Yellow Sea: Implications for provenance and pathways of silt-size sediments

Tianning Li; Wenbo Rao; Shuai Wang; Changping Mao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164729

Pb and O isotopic characteristics of single minerals in the Jianggang radial sand ridges of the southwestern Yellow Sea: Implications for provenance and pathways of silt-size sediments

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Sep 15:891:164729. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164729. Epub 2023 Jun 8.

Authors

Tianning Li¹, Wenbo Rao², Shuai Wang³, Changping Mao⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China.
² College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China. Electronic address: raowenbo@163.com.
³ Yellow River Institute of Eco-Environment Research, YRBEEA, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
⁴ College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China. Electronic address: maochangping@hhu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37301388
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164729

Abstract

Understanding the sediment provenance of the Jianggang radial sand ridges (RSRs) along the Jiangsu coast in the southwestern Yellow Sea is crucial for sustainable coastal development and land resource management. In this study, the provenance and transport patterns of silt-size sediments in the Jianggang RSRs were explored using Quartz oxygen (O) and K-feldspar lead (Pb) isotopic compositions and their large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) concentrations. The Pb-O isotopic compositions and concentrations of most LILEs in RSRs sediments were between those of the Yangtze River Mouth (YTZ), Old Yellow River Delta (OYR), and Modern Yellow River Mouth (MYR). The Pb-O isotopic compositions and typical elemental ratios were similar between the onshore and northwest offshore RSRs sediments, implying shoreward transport of offshore silt-size sediments. Through multidimensional scaling and graphic methods, it was found that the sediments of onshore and offshore RSRs originate mainly from the YTZ and OYR. Furthermore, the MixSIAR model showed that the contributions of the YTZ to onshore and offshore RSRs reached 33 ± 4 % and 36 ± 3 %, respectively. Followed by the OYR with contributions of 36 ± 3 % and 25 ± 8 %, respectively, and the contributions of the MYR and Korean Peninsula were <21 % and 8 %, respectively. Meanwhile, contributions from the Northern Chinese Deserts (approximately 10 %) deserved attention. Through the distribution of indicators, the transport patterns of silt-size sediments were proposed and compared with those of other fractions for the first time. According to the correlation analysis, the change in the area of central Jiangsu coast was mostly affected by terrestrial river supply and coastal mariculture. Therefore, it was necessary to control the scale of river reservoir construction and strengthen mariculture for sustainable land development and management. In future, comprehensive interdisciplinary and large temporal-spatial scales are suggested to further understand the coastal development.

Keywords: Jianggang radial sand ridges; Pb–O isotopes; Quartz and K-feldspar; Silt-size sediment provenance; Southwestern Yellow Sea.