Fast Deposition of Small River Particles on the NE South China Sea Slope Basin Since the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract:

Huge quantities of small rivers derived suspended particles are exporting to the ocean from oceanic islands at the present time. Depending on location and proportion of shelf/slope area, a major fraction of small river particles may by-pass the shelf region, transport and deposit on the deep ocean basin. Major mechanisms driving those huge quantities of small river derived particles to the ocean are quantity of precipitation from monsoon and those from short period of tropical cyclone. Although data demonstrate that deeper part of the South China Sea, SCS, is the major final burial location of the river derived particles from the island of Taiwan, it is not sure if this was the same during the glaciation when monsoon and climatic conditions were drastic different from the present time. The purpose of this study is to understand history of small river derived sediment export and deposition during climatic change. A long piston core with length of ~35 meter was taken on r/v Marion DuFresne on a slope basin offshore SW Taiwan. We have measured density, magnetic susceptibility with multi-sensor core logger, MSCL, and organic, inorganic carbon, C/N ratio, biogenic silica as well as grain sizes. Foraminifera (Orbulina universa, Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globigerinoides conglobatus) were picked and measured carbon 14 for age determination.

Two different types of processes control sediment deposition in our study site, steady state and event driven sedimentation. Our results demonstrated that sedimentation rates were consistent during each major periods, the Holocene (present to 10k year) and the transition (10-20 k year) period, but, difference existed in between the two. Sedimentation rate was about twice faster during the transition period (20-10k year) than that at the Holocene (10-present time) at our study site. A number of spikes existed in our study site, probably a result of turbidite overflow from the adjacent canyon. Frequency and total thickness of event driven deposition indicated that climatic condition during the transition period may deliver more terrigenous materials to the ocean.