DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF POC OF THE SPRING SUSPENDED MATTER IN THE YELLOW SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA

A survey of the suspended matter in the South Yellow Sea and the north part of the East China Sea was conducted in April to May 2006. Based on the data from the samples collected at 45 stations, the horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of the particulate organic carbon (POC) of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea were presented in this paper. And the sources of the POC and the influencing factors were further discussed according to the particulate nitrogen (PN) and C/N. The results show that the highest concentration of surface suspended POC appear at the area around 123° E, 31° N in the East China Sea, while the value was lower in the south Yellow Sea and the area to the east of 124° E in the East China Sea. The concentration of surface POC in the vicinity of the Changjiang Estuary is obviously higher than that in other areas,indicating the primary influence by the Changjiang diluted water. However, the highest concentration of bottom suspended POC occurs at the area adjacent of 121.5° E, 33.5° N in the south Yellow Sea. And also there was a second highest concentration around 124.5° E, 31.5° N in the East China Sea. The value was relative lower in areas to the south of 31° N in the East China Sea. It could be inferred that the high concentration of bottom POC was mainly controlled by the resuspension of sediments. The C/N suggests that the POC of the study area was mainly from the ocean. It is concluded that currents play a critical role in the distribution of POC of suspended matters.Therefore, different areas under the contral of the Yellow Sea Warm Current, the Subei Coastal Current and the Yangtze Diluted Water could be distinguished. The distribution pattern of the POC in the study area was controlled by both the sources of the organic matter and the ocean currents.