Understanding the formation mechanism of highly active ridges on East China Sea Shelf during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand

Taoyu Xu; Jianxing Liu; Shengfa Liu; Xisheng Fang; Xiaohui Liu; Chenguang Liu; Chang Zhao; Yonghua Wu; Zhifang Xiong; Yanguang Liu; Xuefa Shi

doi:10.1007/s13131-024-2397-5

Volume 43 Issue 11

Nov. 2024

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2024 > 43(11): 34-44

Taoyu Xu, Jianxing Liu, Shengfa Liu, Xisheng Fang, Xiaohui Liu, Chenguang Liu, Chang Zhao, Yonghua Wu, Zhifang Xiong, Yanguang Liu, Xuefa Shi. Understanding the formation mechanism of highly active ridges on East China Sea Shelf during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2024, 43(11): 34-44. doi: 10.1007/s13131-024-2397-5

Citation:

Taoyu Xu, Jianxing Liu, Shengfa Liu, Xisheng Fang, Xiaohui Liu, Chenguang Liu, Chang Zhao, Yonghua Wu, Zhifang Xiong, Yanguang Liu, Xuefa Shi. Understanding the formation mechanism of highly active ridges on East China Sea Shelf during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2024, 43(11): 34-44. doi: 10.1007/s13131-024-2397-5

Citation:

Taoyu Xu, Jianxing Liu, Shengfa Liu, Xisheng Fang, Xiaohui Liu, Chenguang Liu, Chang Zhao, Yonghua Wu, Zhifang Xiong, Yanguang Liu, Xuefa Shi. Understanding the formation mechanism of highly active ridges on East China Sea Shelf during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2024, 43(11): 34-44. doi: 10.1007/s13131-024-2397-5

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Understanding the formation mechanism of highly active ridges on East China Sea Shelf during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand

doi: 10.1007/s13131-024-2397-5

Taoyu Xu^{1, 2
,
,},
Jianxing Liu^{1, 2},
Shengfa Liu^{1, 2},
Xisheng Fang^{1, 2},
Xiaohui Liu^{1, 2},
Chenguang Liu^{1, 2},
Chang Zhao^{1, 3},
Yonghua Wu^{1, 2},
Zhifang Xiong^{1, 2},
Yanguang Liu^{1, 2},
Xuefa Shi^{1, 2
,
,}

1.
First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
3.
Key Laboratory of Marine Science and Numerical Modelling, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. T2192951; the Basic Scientific Fund for National Public Research Institutes of China under contract Nos 2021Q09 and 2021S01.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: xuty@fio.org.cn; xfshi@fio.org.cn
Received Date: 2023-10-11
Accepted Date: 2024-03-15

Available Online: 2024-10-11

Publish Date: 2024-11-25

Abstract

Abstract

Ridges are common features found on continental shelves and understanding their formation processes is crucial for sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geological engineering. This study investigates the development of ridges on the broad shelf of the East China Sea using a core (DH03) and associated seismic profile. Lithology analysis of the core revealed a 50 m thick shallow sandy sequence which consisted mainly of silty fine sands with intercalations of mud beds composed of sand-mud couplets. Benthic foraminifera examination indicated the offshore species were dominant. The seismic profile indicated that the ridges were separated from the older delta layers due to a boundary formed by river erosion during the last glacial maximum. Radiocarbon dating of the sandy sequence revealed an irregular chronological sequence, with most age ranges falling within the past 3 ka. Based on the chronological data from DH03 and other cores, we propose that the ridges, which were formed during the early Holocene transgression, have been active on a shelf scale in the recent 3–2 ka. Synthetic analysis of the shelf-scale ridge formation processes indicates that the sea-level fluctuations during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand triggered the ridge activities. A center for ridge activity developed in the southern shelf, facilitated by thicker ridge deposits in the paleo-Changjiang River Estuary and stronger currents (tidal currents and possibly internal waves) induced by the remaining funnel-shaped estuary topography. Based on these findings, we propose a conceptual model for ridge development, which includes a ridge formation stage during the early Holocene transgression and a ridge activation stage during the mid-late Holocene sea-level highstand.
- seabed ridge,
- ridge activity,
- mid-late Holocene,
- outer shelf,
- East China Sea

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References(44)

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