Sedimentary Processes of the Qingdao Nearshore Traced Using a Multi-radionuclide Approach

Abstract

Sediment cores were collected from two sites (A2 and ZQ) in the Qingdao sea area of the Yellow Sea. Radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁸Th, ²³⁴Th, and ²³⁸U in the cores were measured using HPGe γ spectrometry. The sedimentation rate of the A2 Core using ²¹⁰Pb_ex and ¹³⁷Cs was 0.665 cm yr⁻¹, therefore this 32 cm long core represents a 48 year timespan leading to the sampling date in 2001. The mixing layer was restricted to the upper 5 cm as determined from the profile of ²³⁴Th. The uniformity of the activity distributions of ⁴⁰K and ²³⁸U throughout the A2 Core and the activity distributions of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁸Th below the mixing layer suggested that no significant oceanographic event or change in sediment material source had occurred during this timespan. The ²¹⁰ Pb was in excess relative to ²²⁶Ra, but ²²⁶Ra was deficient with respect to ²³⁸U in the entire A2 Core, while excess ²³⁴Th and ²²⁸Th were apparent only in the surface 5 cm. Total organic matter (TOM) in Core A2 decreases with depth. The second core, taken to a depth of 14 cm, was from Site ZQ, which is located near Zhanqiao, Qingdao. The variations of the nuclide activity ratios in this core were similar to those in the A2 Core, i.e., the excess ²¹⁰ Pb and ²²⁶Ra deficiency were consistent throughout the core but excess ²²⁸Th was only in the surface to a depth of 2 cm. The ⁴⁰K activity in the ZQ Core fluctuated and showed no real trend with depth. The activities of ¹³⁷Cs, ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U in the entire length of Core ZQ, and ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁸Th from 2 cm to the bottom, were comparable within the uncertainty of measured activity.