Abstract:
A 65.10-m-long core (SYS-0804) recovered at water depth of 38 m from the relict sediment area off the South Yellow Sea (SYS), together with high resolution shallow seismic profiles, is analyzed on sedimentary characteristics and foraminiferal assemblages. Dated by AMS
14C and upon the basis of latest research results both at home and abroad, the stratigraphic and environmental evolution and sea level changes during the MIS 6 period are documented in this paper. Results show that the core SYS-0804 can be divided into 6 depositional units, i.e. the DU 1 and the DU4 to DU 8, deposited in the periods of MIS 6, MIS 5, MIS 4, MIS 3 and the early epoch of MIS 1 respectively. The DU 2 and DU 3 formed in MIS 2 and MIS 3 are absent, and the deposits formed in the later period of MIS 1 are also missing. During the period of MIS 6 (128~128 cal.kaBP), fluvial environment (mainly flood plain) dominated the research area. In the early stage of MIS 5 (115~128 cal.kaBP), a nearshore shallow sea environment characterized by cold water mass deposition was prevailing. The depositional units from middle MIS 5 to MIS 4 (60~115 cal.kaBP) are interpreted as the sediments deposited in littoral to inner sublittoral and fluvial environments. The sediments deposited in early to middle MIS 3(40~60 cal.kaBP), show a succession from coastal and shallow sea environments in the early stage, to tidal channels in the later stage. From the later period of MIS 2 to middle MIS 1 (11.5~13.0~0.7 cal.kaBP), it changed into a coast-shallow environment with a transgressional boundary at 11.5~13.0 cal.kaBP. covered by a transgressional sequence formed in the period of sea level rising.