对南海北部224个表层沉积物样品的粒度组成和碳酸盐含量进行了测试和分析, 探讨了沉积物的运移方式及其沉积环境。结果表明, 南海北部表层沉积物可划分为砾砂、粗砂、中砂、细砂、粉砂质砂、砂质粉砂、砂-粉砂-黏土、黏土质粉砂、粉砂质黏土、黏土等类型, 其中深海-半深海沉积物又可分为:硅质黏土、钙质黏土、含钙质和硅质黏土、有孔虫砂、钙质黏土质粉砂、钙质砂-粉砂-黏土、硅质黏土质粉砂。粉砂质黏土、黏土质粉砂、砂、砂质粉砂、黏土是分布最广泛的沉积物类, 约占该区面积的80%以上。同时对粒度相关参数和碳酸盐含量进行了因子统计分析并作沉积环境分区, 结果表明上述参数可分为3类因子, 将研究区分为4类区域。因子1作用于Ⅰ、Ⅱ两个区域。Ⅰ区为黏土级沉积区, 主要分布在研究区东南部水深较大的海域; Ⅱ区为中、细砂质沉积区, 主要分布在粤西外大陆架和华南大陆沿海。因子2作用于Ⅲ区, 为粗、中粉砂质沉积区, 主要分布在琼东南、珠江口外海大陆坡以及台西南外大陆架。因子3作用于Ⅳ区, 为粗砂质沉积区, 主要分布在台西南内大陆架海域。
A total of 224 surface sediment samples collected from the northern South China Sea were studied in terms of grain size and carbonate content, to understand the sediment transport patterns and the corresponding depositional environments in the region. Results revealed that sediments in the study area could be divided into the following types: gravelly sand, coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, silty sand, sandy silt, sand-silt-clay, clayey silt, silty clay, and clay. The abyssal-bathyal sediments could be divided into eight types, namely, siliceous clay, calcareous clay, calcareous and siliceous clay, foraminifer ooze, calcareous clayey silt, calcareous sand-silt-clay, and siliceous clayey silt. Among them, the silty clay, clayey silt, sand, sandy silt, and clay are the major types, accounting for more than 80% of the area total. Factor analysis of grain size parameters and carbonate content was used to discriminate different depositional environments. Results showed that the above parameters may be divided into three types and the study area could then be divided into four subareas. The factor 1 acts on subareasⅠand Ⅱ. Clayey sediments are distributed in subarea Ⅰ, which is mainly located in the deep waters in the southeast. The medium and fine sand zones are distributed in subarea Ⅱ, which normally occurs on the outer continental shelf off the west of Guangdong Province and the offshore area along the coast of South China. The factor 2 acts on subarea Ⅲ, where silt of coarse and medium sizes is mainly distributed on the slope in the southeast off Hainan island and off the Pearl River Estuary, and on the outer shelf southwest off Taiwan. The factor 3 acts on subarea Ⅳ, where coarse sand is mainly distributed on the inner continental shelf southwest of Taiwan.