Study on the disintegration of marine stratum in the northern shelf region of nearshore seas of China

There were at least three transgressions and three corresponding marine strata were left during Late Pleistocene in the shelf region of nearshore seas of China. In the regression during the last ice-age, the main feature of sedimentary environment in continental shelf region of nearshore seas of China were cold and dry. Wind-action was a major exogenetic force not only on land but also on the shelf region. The shelf area is partly desertized and desert deposits and their derivative sediments(loess deposits) were held. Based on the records of shallow layer profiler with total length of several thousand kilometres, it is found out that marine strata since Late Pleistocene were not preserved without disturbation. Under the intensive wind effect, the original sediment structure on the exposed shelf changed partly and formed new sedimentary type. So the disintegration of integrated marine stratum occurred in the shelf region of nearshore seas of China.