Modern sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone on the west coast of the Bohai Gulf

On the basis of the measurement of ²¹⁰Pb_ex and ¹³⁷Cs activities in the sediment cores taken from the intertidal zone on the west coast of the Bohai Gulf, the average sedimentation rates of modern sediments are calculated. The results indicate that in the sandy area of the intertidal zone (from Daogouzi to the Duliujian River), the sedimentation rate from 1955 to 1963 is 3.43-4.06 cm/a, and is within the range of 0.65~1.59 cm/a since 1963. The average sedimentation rate in the muddy area (around Qikou) is approximately 1.81 cm/a.The results above suggest that the sandy area of the intertidal zone has experienced rapid sedimentation from the 1950s to the 1960s,and the sedimentation slows down after the 1960s, and the sedimentation rates increase from north to south spatially. The rapid sedimentation from the 1950s to the 1960s in the sandy area is due to the fact that North China has plentiful precipitation during this period and the intertidal zone is supplied with abundant matter sources for sedimentation. After the 1960s, the weakened sedimentation may be a result of the reduction of sand transported to the intertidal zone, which is a consequence of diminished rainfall in North China and intensive human activities in the Haihe basin.