China Completes Comprehensive Geochemical Survey of Eastern Coastal Sediments, Releases "Seabed Element Map"

Recently, the systematic geochemical survey of sediments in China’s eastern coastal waters, undertaken by the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, has been fully completed. A detailed "seabed chemical element map" — the Atlas of Sediment Geochemistry in China’s Eastern Coastal Waters — has been compiled, providing crucial scientific basis for the research on material cycling, land-sea interaction and resource-environment effects in global marginal seas.

According to People’s Network, the survey integrated data from special projects such as marine regional geological survey, coastal zone comprehensive geological survey and multi-target geochemical survey, forming the most extensive, comprehensive and high-quality geochemical dataset of China’s eastern coastal waters to date. It has for the first time fully depicted the distribution rules of sediment elements in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and other eastern coastal areas in three dimensions: coverage, data accuracy and scientific understanding, equivalent to a comprehensive "element physical examination" for the seabed.

Researchers have mapped the location, content and distribution rules of dozens of chemical elements such as iron, manganese, copper and rare earths, thus forming the Atlas, which serves as the "general navigation map" for the development and protection of China’s eastern coastal waters. The research team also systematically identified the sources and migration rules of sediments in the eastern coastal waters.

By comparing the characteristics of sediments from the Yellow River, Yangtze River and rivers entering the sea in Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan regions, the team found that the degree of chemical weathering in the river basins shows a gradual increasing gradient from north to south. In the marine area, it is revealed that the distribution of sediment elements is controlled by the "grain size control law", with significant differences in element enrichment between fine-grained muddy areas and coarse-grained sandy areas.

Three spatial distribution patterns jointly controlled by hydrodynamic sorting, climatic latitude differences and local hydrothermal activities have also been identified. Dou Yanguang, researcher at the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, noted that element distribution can help quickly identify polluted areas and ecologically sensitive zones, delineate marine ecological protection red lines and accurately locate seabed mineral resources.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the completion of this work marks an important breakthrough in China’s marine sediment geochemical research field. It will provide accurate basic data support for marine geological survey, resource exploration, ecological environment protection and coastal zone spatial planning, and play a significant role in enhancing China’s academic discourse power in the global marginal sea research field and serving the construction of a maritime power.