HOLOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES OF THE INNER-SHELF MUD AREA OF THE EAST CHINA SEA: EVIDENCE FROM FORAMINIFERAL FAUNAS

Core MD06-3040 was taken from the inner-shelf mud area off the Zhe-Min coast of the East China Sea (27°43.3663'N, 121°46.8822'E, water depth 47 m,core length 19.36 m).Holocene paleoenvironmental changes since 10.6 cal.kaBP have been discussed by applying the benthic foraminiferal assemblages and abundances of different ecological groups (infaunal, epifaunal, inner-shelf, middle-outer shelf, Globigerina bulloides, Globigerinoides ruber) as well as foraminiferal isotopic records.Results show paleoenvironmental changes with a rapid sea-level rise during the early Holocene from the inner inner-shelf (10.6~9.9 cal.kaBP), outer inner-shelf (9.9~8.1 cal.kaBP) to the middle-shelf (7.7~7.2 cal.kaBP) with the highest sea-level.The Taiwan Warm Current is suggested to be developed since 8.0 cal.kaBP and its derived upwelling appeared during the periods of 6.0~2.8 and 0.7~0 cal.kaBP respectively, resulting in the rapid mud deposition.The marked increase in abundance of G.bulloides is referred to the enhancement of the Zhe-Min coast current since 5.1 cal.kaBP with its strongest period between 5.1 and 2.8 cal.kaBP.