ABUNDANCE OF CHEMICAL-ELEMENTS IN CONTINENTAL-SHELF SEDIMENT OF CHINA

For the first time, an element abundance table of China Shelf Sea sedi ments is published based on 286 samples from the continental shelf of China analyzed for 62 chemical elements. The shelf sediments result fr om the redistribution of sediments from China over the continental she lf. On the basis of comparison of element abundances among the China s helf samples, hemipelagic Okinawa Trough samples, and pelagic brown cl ay from the West Pacific, it is clear that each has its own elemental characteristics. Hg anomaly enrichment in Okinawa Trough sediments may be used as an indicator of hydrothermal activity.