Clay minerals in core sediments of the northern South China Sea slope since 50 ka and their indication to sources and transport
南海北部陆坡50 ka 以来黏土矿物来源与输运机制分析

Precise dating by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry 14C, grain sizes and clay minerals of the sediments of Core KNG5 and KNG7 from the northern slope of the South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed. Clay minerals of Core KNG5 mainly consisted of illite, chlorite and kaolinite, with minor smectite, whereas clay minerals of Core KNG7 mainly consisted of illite, chlorite and smectite, with minor kaolinite. Sediment source investigations indicated thatkaolinite mainly from the Zhujiang River, smectite mainly from the Luzon River, and illite and chlorite were mainly derived from the Zhujiang River and Taiwan, respectively. Sediment of KNG7 was less affected by the Zhujiang River, but mainly affected by Taiwan compared with KNG5. We speculated from sediment source researches that there was a significant border of the Zhujiang River source supply, and this border may be located between KNG5 and KNG7, and across this line, with the offshore distance increasing, terrigenous sediments in the northern slope of the South China Sea was mainly from Taiwan, while the sediment from the Zhujiang River was severely decreased.