Geomorphology, grain-size charicteristics, matter source and forming mechanism of sediment waves on the ocean bottom of the northeast South China Sea

DING Wei-wei; LI Jia-biao; HAN Xi-qiu; LI Ming-bi; ERWIN Suess

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Article Navigation > Haiyang Xuebao > 2010 > 32(2): 96-105

DING Wei-wei, LI Jia-biao, HAN Xi-qiu, LI Ming-bi, ERWIN Suess. Geomorphology, grain-size charicteristics, matter source and forming mechanism of sediment waves on the ocean bottom of the northeast South China Sea[J]. Haiyang Xuebao, 2010, 32(2): 96-105.

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Geomorphology, grain-size charicteristics, matter source and forming mechanism of sediment waves on the ocean bottom of the northeast South China Sea

1.
Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China;Key Laboratory of State Oceanic Administration for Submarine Geoscience, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China
2.
Leibniz-Institute for Marine Sciences, 24148 Kiel, Germany

Received Date: 2009-07-29
Rev Recd Date: 2010-03-18

Abstract

Abstract

Deep-sea sediment waves are regular bed undulations on a relatively large scale on the ocean bottom of the northeast South China Sea. With high-resolution multi-beam data, seismic profiles and gravity piston columns, the geomorphology, the matter source and the forming mechanism of these sediment waves are discussed. The southern Taiwan Bank canyon divides the study area into two parts in different crestline orientation; the plan view morphology of the north part indicates that the crestline orientation is roughly parallel to the regional bathymetric contours. The dominant orientation is NE. In the south part the crestline is nearly N-S oriented and is orthogonal to the channel trend. The close relation between the sediment waves and the channel-levee system shows that the former is turbidity origin, which is also identified by the material composition and internal characteristics established by the gravity piston column and seismic-stratigraphic analysis. The development of the sediment waves are controlled by the Neogene tectonic activities. The collision between the Luzon arc and the Eurasian Plate since 6.5 Ma BP had triggered the Taiwan orogeny. The uplift and erosion of Taiwan Island offered sufficient terrigenous sediments. Furthermore, the well-developed channel-canyon system on the continental slope favors the turbidity flow’s transportation to the deep sea, while the continuous uplift and erosion of the Dongsha uplift west of the study area also provides some materials. With the decrease of the gradient of the continental slope, these turbidity sediments begin to accumulate and form NE-oriented sediment waves at the end of the channel-levee system. The NS-oriented sediment waves in the south of the south Taiwan Bank canyon are mostly resulted from flow’s spillover caused by the sharply turn of canyon’s course.
- northeast South China Sea,
- sediment wave,
- geomorphology,
- matter source,
- forming mechanism

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