Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary
The influence of large rivers on the Subei littoral plain area requires more research than the results that have been available up to now. Thus, specific diagnostic indices of detrital mica are successfully applied for the first time to identify the detritus of the Yangtze River and the ancient Yell...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12653 |
| _version_ | 1827641964031377408 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhicheng Dong Lina Zhang Bingfu Jin |
| author_facet | Zhicheng Dong Lina Zhang Bingfu Jin |
| author_sort | Zhicheng Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The influence of large rivers on the Subei littoral plain area requires more research than the results that have been available up to now. Thus, specific diagnostic indices of detrital mica are successfully applied for the first time to identify the detritus of the Yangtze River and the ancient Yellow River and to analyze their influence on the coast in the Subei littoral plain area. Based on field investigation and sample collection, detrital mica minerals within the 0.063–0.125 mm grain size fraction were selected and identified. Their content/ratio differentiations and possible origins were analyzed. Moreover, specific diagnostic indices were evaluated for detritus identification considering these two large rivers in addition to their provenance influences on the Subei littoral plain area. The results indicate that the detrital mica contents in the Yangtze River Estuary differed from those in the ancient Yellow River Estuary. The mass percentage in the former (average value of 32.2%) was much higher than that in the latter (average value of 13.1%). The former contained abundant weathered mica, with a particle percentage of approximately 50.6%, while the latter contained abundant biotite (with a particle percentage of approximately 40.9%). Differences, including but not limited to those above, could be attributed to basic geological, climatic and hydrodynamic conditions. In particular, the mica indices were clearly distinguished between these two river estuaries. These indices constitute specific diagnostic indices for differentiating river detritus and quantitative contribution analysis of detritus provenance in the Subei littoral plain area. Finally, the changes and quantitative contributions of four diagnostic indices demonstrated that in the Subei littoral plain area, northward from the Yangtze River Estuary to sample site SBY11 located in Yangkou town, Rudong County, detrital micas were mainly affected by the Yangtze River, and southward from the ancient Yellow River Estuary to sample site SBY12 located in Bengcha town, Rudong County, detrital micas were largely affected by the ancient Yellow River. The main mixing area should be located between these two towns. This study provides both a good example and an efficient approach to the application of detrital mica in detritus identification, mixed zone determination, sediment provenance analysis and transport tracing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:22:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-582231da8c494cd8bd557cdd0f386e0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:22:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-582231da8c494cd8bd557cdd0f386e0f2023-11-24T13:02:30ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-12-0112241265310.3390/app122412653Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze EstuaryZhicheng Dong0Lina Zhang1Bingfu Jin2School of Geographic Sciences and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, ChinaSchool of Geographic Sciences and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, ChinaThe influence of large rivers on the Subei littoral plain area requires more research than the results that have been available up to now. Thus, specific diagnostic indices of detrital mica are successfully applied for the first time to identify the detritus of the Yangtze River and the ancient Yellow River and to analyze their influence on the coast in the Subei littoral plain area. Based on field investigation and sample collection, detrital mica minerals within the 0.063–0.125 mm grain size fraction were selected and identified. Their content/ratio differentiations and possible origins were analyzed. Moreover, specific diagnostic indices were evaluated for detritus identification considering these two large rivers in addition to their provenance influences on the Subei littoral plain area. The results indicate that the detrital mica contents in the Yangtze River Estuary differed from those in the ancient Yellow River Estuary. The mass percentage in the former (average value of 32.2%) was much higher than that in the latter (average value of 13.1%). The former contained abundant weathered mica, with a particle percentage of approximately 50.6%, while the latter contained abundant biotite (with a particle percentage of approximately 40.9%). Differences, including but not limited to those above, could be attributed to basic geological, climatic and hydrodynamic conditions. In particular, the mica indices were clearly distinguished between these two river estuaries. These indices constitute specific diagnostic indices for differentiating river detritus and quantitative contribution analysis of detritus provenance in the Subei littoral plain area. Finally, the changes and quantitative contributions of four diagnostic indices demonstrated that in the Subei littoral plain area, northward from the Yangtze River Estuary to sample site SBY11 located in Yangkou town, Rudong County, detrital micas were mainly affected by the Yangtze River, and southward from the ancient Yellow River Estuary to sample site SBY12 located in Bengcha town, Rudong County, detrital micas were largely affected by the ancient Yellow River. The main mixing area should be located between these two towns. This study provides both a good example and an efficient approach to the application of detrital mica in detritus identification, mixed zone determination, sediment provenance analysis and transport tracing.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12653micamuscovitebiotitemuscoviteweathered micaprovenance analysis |
| spellingShingle | Zhicheng Dong Lina Zhang Bingfu Jin Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary Applied Sciences mica muscovite biotite muscovite weathered mica provenance analysis |
| title | Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary |
| title_full | Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary |
| title_fullStr | Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary |
| title_short | Detrital Mica Composition Quantitatively Indicates the Sediment Provenance along the Subei Coast to the Yangtze Estuary |
| title_sort | detrital mica composition quantitatively indicates the sediment provenance along the subei coast to the yangtze estuary |
| topic | mica muscovite biotite muscovite weathered mica provenance analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12653 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhichengdong detritalmicacompositionquantitativelyindicatesthesedimentprovenancealongthesubeicoasttotheyangtzeestuary AT linazhang detritalmicacompositionquantitativelyindicatesthesedimentprovenancealongthesubeicoasttotheyangtzeestuary AT bingfujin detritalmicacompositionquantitativelyindicatesthesedimentprovenancealongthesubeicoasttotheyangtzeestuary |