Sediment provenance and distribution in Caofeidian, Bohai Bay, revealed by offshore detrital mineral analysis

A comparative study on detrital minerals from 161 surface sediments in Caofeidian, Bohai Bay, was conducted to understand the sediment provenance and distribution. Eleven types of light minerals and 27 types of heavy minerals were identified in the study area. The light minerals were mainly feldspar, quartz, and flake minerals, with an average mass percentage of 82.2%. The heavy minerals consisted of predominantly hornblende, epidote, and authigenic pyrite. Based on the distribution characteristics and cluster analysis of detrital minerals, the study area could be divided into three sedimentary regions: the Luanhe River mineral region, the mixed source region, and the Yellow River mineral region. We concluded that provenance is the main factor controlling the assemblage and distribution of detrital minerals in the study area, and the land reclamation activities have changed the hydrodynamic and sedimentary environment in Caofeidian, and further affected the distribution characteristics of detrital minerals.