Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications

Episodic sedimentary processes with significant changes in sedimentation rate have occurred on the East Hainan Coast, the inner shelf of the South China Sea, since the Last Glacial Maximum. In particular, the early-Holocene (~11.5–8.7 ka) rapid sedimentation at a mean rate of ~4.90 m/ka is crucial t...

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Main Authors: Mianjin Chen, Xiao Sun, Yang Li, Yulong Xue, Wenzhe Lyu, Xuemu Wang, Yan Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/527
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author Mianjin Chen
Xiao Sun
Yang Li
Yulong Xue
Wenzhe Lyu
Xuemu Wang
Yan Li
author_facet Mianjin Chen
Xiao Sun
Yang Li
Yulong Xue
Wenzhe Lyu
Xuemu Wang
Yan Li
author_sort Mianjin Chen
collection DOAJ
description Episodic sedimentary processes with significant changes in sedimentation rate have occurred on the East Hainan Coast, the inner shelf of the South China Sea, since the Last Glacial Maximum. In particular, the early-Holocene (~11.5–8.7 ka) rapid sedimentation at a mean rate of ~4.90 m/ka is crucial to understand the processes of terrigenous input to the ocean, carbon cycling and climate control in coastal-neritic sedimentary evolution. However, the chronological framework and the detailed environmental evolution remain uncertain. In this study, core sediments collected from the East Hainan Coast (code: NH01) were used to revisit the characteristics of luminescence signals by comparing the dating results using the blue-light stimulated luminescence (blue-OSL) ages and previously published post-infrared blue-light stimulated luminescence (pIR-blue OSL) ages. The results showed that both the ages agreed with each other for the fine-grained quartz fraction. The refined chronology of the early-Holocene deposits on the East Hainan Coast with higher resolution suggested that the sedimentation rate was ~0.60 m/ka before 10.97 ka, while it increased abruptly to ~5.89 m/ka during the period of 10.97–9.27 ka. According to the refined OSL chronology and the high-resolution (~2.5 cm) titanium intensity using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning, the rapid sedimentation during the early Holocene was likely controlled by increased terrigenous input. The variation in Ti flux reflected the differential response between two meltwater pulse (MWP) events under the combined effects of enhanced early-Holocene monsoons and localized freshwater input. These findings highlight the compound controls of global ice-volume change, monsoon dynamics and coastal geomorphic evolution on sedimentary processes.
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spelling doaj-art-ca38673df3dc4ce4844e19f7cbd7de4e2025-08-20T03:43:12ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-03-0113352710.3390/jmse13030527Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux ImplicationsMianjin Chen0Xiao Sun1Yang Li2Yulong Xue3Wenzhe Lyu4Xuemu Wang5Yan Li6Key Laboratory of Polar Geology and Marine Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Polar Geology and Marine Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Polar Geology and Marine Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaHainan Key Laboratory of Marine Geological Resources and Environment, Haikou 570206, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, ChinaHainan Key Laboratory of Marine Geological Resources and Environment, Haikou 570206, ChinaKey Laboratory of Polar Geology and Marine Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaEpisodic sedimentary processes with significant changes in sedimentation rate have occurred on the East Hainan Coast, the inner shelf of the South China Sea, since the Last Glacial Maximum. In particular, the early-Holocene (~11.5–8.7 ka) rapid sedimentation at a mean rate of ~4.90 m/ka is crucial to understand the processes of terrigenous input to the ocean, carbon cycling and climate control in coastal-neritic sedimentary evolution. However, the chronological framework and the detailed environmental evolution remain uncertain. In this study, core sediments collected from the East Hainan Coast (code: NH01) were used to revisit the characteristics of luminescence signals by comparing the dating results using the blue-light stimulated luminescence (blue-OSL) ages and previously published post-infrared blue-light stimulated luminescence (pIR-blue OSL) ages. The results showed that both the ages agreed with each other for the fine-grained quartz fraction. The refined chronology of the early-Holocene deposits on the East Hainan Coast with higher resolution suggested that the sedimentation rate was ~0.60 m/ka before 10.97 ka, while it increased abruptly to ~5.89 m/ka during the period of 10.97–9.27 ka. According to the refined OSL chronology and the high-resolution (~2.5 cm) titanium intensity using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning, the rapid sedimentation during the early Holocene was likely controlled by increased terrigenous input. The variation in Ti flux reflected the differential response between two meltwater pulse (MWP) events under the combined effects of enhanced early-Holocene monsoons and localized freshwater input. These findings highlight the compound controls of global ice-volume change, monsoon dynamics and coastal geomorphic evolution on sedimentary processes.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/527optically stimulated luminescencetitanium intensity and fluxearly HoloceneXRF scanningEast Hainan Coast
spellingShingle Mianjin Chen
Xiao Sun
Yang Li
Yulong Xue
Wenzhe Lyu
Xuemu Wang
Yan Li
Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
optically stimulated luminescence
titanium intensity and flux
early Holocene
XRF scanning
East Hainan Coast
title Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
title_full Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
title_fullStr Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
title_full_unstemmed Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
title_short Early-Holocene Episodic Sedimentary Process on the East Hainan Coast: High-Resolution Chronological Refinement, Titanium Intensity and Flux Implications
title_sort early holocene episodic sedimentary process on the east hainan coast high resolution chronological refinement titanium intensity and flux implications
topic optically stimulated luminescence
titanium intensity and flux
early Holocene
XRF scanning
East Hainan Coast
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/527
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AT yulongxue earlyholoceneepisodicsedimentaryprocessontheeasthainancoasthighresolutionchronologicalrefinementtitaniumintensityandfluximplications
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