A REVIEW OF STUDIES ON SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENT AND EVOLUTION OF THE CHANGJIANG SUBAQUEOUS DELTA

A huge deltaic sedimentary system is formed out of the Changjiang River, the largest river in China with a large amount of sediment discharge. The previous studies have revealed the sedimentary process and mechanism of sediment transport in the present subaqueous delta, based on mineralogy and geochemistry. The source of Changjiang River delta and the sedimentary processes in different time and space scale since Late Quaternary are studied. Though the evolution of the Changjiang subaqueous delta is basically disclosed, there are still some critical problems to be solved. The existence of Paleo-Changjiang River delta in the Last Glacial Maximum remains in controversy. From the Changjiang River basin to the East China Sea, the subaqueous delta is the key link between the source and sink. In order to reveal the sedimentary geology within the whole area, including the Changjiang River basin, the subaqueous delta and the ECS, further studies must be carried out, and more attention should be paid to this question. In addition, human activities, of which the influence on the sedimentary process is getting stronger, must be carefully studied. It is recommended that more work be placed on the subaqueous delta with advanced marine survey techniques