Detrital Mineral Indexes of the Bottom Sediments of Guangdong Coastal Water: Distribution and Implications

Along the path of sediment transportation from "source" to "sink", coast is the area relatively close to the source. Sediments there usually have similar composition but complex depositional dynamics. It is difficult to use the methods of element chemistry and mineralogy to define the distribution pattern of sediments. In this paper, mineral indexes are adopted to study the distribution pattern and influence factors based upon 312 bottom samples collected from the near-shore area of Guangdong Coast. The study reveals that the composition maturity index and the provenance index of light minerals are mainly depending upon the composition of source sediments, while the ZTR index is more closely related to hydrodynamic changes. The differentiation index of heavy mineral is the most sensitive indicator to water dynamics. The results further suggest that in the near-shore area for the sediments with similar mineral composition, detrital mineral indexes could be used as a key to reveal the distribution pattern and its influential factors for marine sediments.