GEOCHMICAL RECORDS OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS IN THE WESTERN BOHAI SEA

Based on the concentrations of chemical components SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TFe₂O₃, CaO, MgO, Na₂O, K₂O, TiO₂, P₂O₅, MnO, Li, V, Sb, Nb, Ta、Zr, Corg, LOI, TN and TC in surface sediment samples taken from 44 stations in the west part of the Bohai Sea, the distribution pattern and material sources of the chemical components are studied. The chemical components of Al₂O₃, MgO, TFe₂O₃, K₂O, Corg, TN, Li, V and Sb are positively correlated with the fine-grained sediments, while SiO₂ is positively correlated with coarse-grained sediments; there are no significant positive or negative correlations between Na₂O, CaO and Ta and grain sizes of sediments. R-mode cluster analysis indicates three types of combinations that are represented by Li, CaO and TC, respectively, reflecting the input of terrigenous fine-grained material, the impact of the Yellow River, and the substances from both Yellow and Haihe Rivers, respectively. Combined with scatter diagrams of CaO/Al₂O₃ vs.K₂O/Al₂O₃, Zr/Al₂O₃vs. CaO /Al₂O₃ , the Q-mode cluster analysis is drawn to reveal the source of sediments in the west part of the Bohai Sea. The results suggest that the sediments of the study area mainly come from the Yellow River and Haihe River, and the sediments in the northeast part of the study area are apparently influenced by the materials from the Luanhe River.