Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough

Understanding the sedimentary processes and provenance in the Okinawa Trough is critical for reconstructing regional tectonic evolution and sediment transport dynamics in this active back-arc basin. This study focuses on the geochemical characteristics of cored sediments from the southwestern Okinaw...

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Main Authors: Huang Kuo-Ming, Lee Yung-Tan, Chang I-An, Huang Ren-Yi, Lin Meng-Lung, Hu Yen-Tsui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2025-08-01
Series:Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.26881/oahs-2025.1.12
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author Huang Kuo-Ming
Lee Yung-Tan
Chang I-An
Huang Ren-Yi
Lin Meng-Lung
Hu Yen-Tsui
author_facet Huang Kuo-Ming
Lee Yung-Tan
Chang I-An
Huang Ren-Yi
Lin Meng-Lung
Hu Yen-Tsui
author_sort Huang Kuo-Ming
collection DOAJ
description Understanding the sedimentary processes and provenance in the Okinawa Trough is critical for reconstructing regional tectonic evolution and sediment transport dynamics in this active back-arc basin. This study focuses on the geochemical characteristics of cored sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough to investigate their depositional processes and sediment source contributions. Geochemical analysis, including major and trace element concentrations as well as rare earth element (REE) patterns, reveals that REEs are predominantly associated with clay minerals, indicating their key role in sediment transport and diagenesis. La–Th–Sc ternary plots suggest a mixed provenance, with sediment contributions from northeastern Taiwan, the East China Sea continental shelf, and volcanic material from the Okinawa Trough. A three-end-member mixing model was applied to estimate the relative contributions of these sources. Results indicate that sediments from the Lan-Yang area in northeastern Taiwan account for approximately 54.63% of the total input, followed by 24.12% from the East China Sea shelf and 21.25% from local volcanic sources. The spatial distribution of source contributions further reflects the influence of fluvial input and ocean currents on sediment dispersal. These findings offer new insights into sedimentary processes and tectonic activity in the region.
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spelling doaj-art-bf1dfe952d6943b98a1bdef80df9b2e32025-08-25T06:12:15ZengSciendoOceanological and Hydrobiological Studies1897-31912025-08-0154213815910.26881/oahs-2025.1.12Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa TroughHuang Kuo-Ming0Lee Yung-Tan1Chang I-An2Huang Ren-Yi3Lin Meng-Lung4Hu Yen-Tsui51Department of Applied Geomatics, Chien Hsin University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, ROC2Department of Tourism and Travel Management, Taipei University of Marine Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC3Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC4Department of Leisure Business Management, Hungkuo Delin University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC5Department of Tourism, Aletheia University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC2Department of Tourism and Travel Management, Taipei University of Marine Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROCUnderstanding the sedimentary processes and provenance in the Okinawa Trough is critical for reconstructing regional tectonic evolution and sediment transport dynamics in this active back-arc basin. This study focuses on the geochemical characteristics of cored sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough to investigate their depositional processes and sediment source contributions. Geochemical analysis, including major and trace element concentrations as well as rare earth element (REE) patterns, reveals that REEs are predominantly associated with clay minerals, indicating their key role in sediment transport and diagenesis. La–Th–Sc ternary plots suggest a mixed provenance, with sediment contributions from northeastern Taiwan, the East China Sea continental shelf, and volcanic material from the Okinawa Trough. A three-end-member mixing model was applied to estimate the relative contributions of these sources. Results indicate that sediments from the Lan-Yang area in northeastern Taiwan account for approximately 54.63% of the total input, followed by 24.12% from the East China Sea shelf and 21.25% from local volcanic sources. The spatial distribution of source contributions further reflects the influence of fluvial input and ocean currents on sediment dispersal. These findings offer new insights into sedimentary processes and tectonic activity in the region.https://doi.org/10.26881/oahs-2025.1.12rare earth elementsclay mineral adsorptionback-arc basin sedimentationmixing model analysisterrigenous input
spellingShingle Huang Kuo-Ming
Lee Yung-Tan
Chang I-An
Huang Ren-Yi
Lin Meng-Lung
Hu Yen-Tsui
Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies
rare earth elements
clay mineral adsorption
back-arc basin sedimentation
mixing model analysis
terrigenous input
title Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
title_full Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
title_fullStr Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
title_full_unstemmed Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
title_short Geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern Okinawa Trough
title_sort geochemistry and provenance of core sediments from the southwestern okinawa trough
topic rare earth elements
clay mineral adsorption
back-arc basin sedimentation
mixing model analysis
terrigenous input
url https://doi.org/10.26881/oahs-2025.1.12
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