Holocene Chinese Clay Dispersal to Korean Coast Linked to Kuroshio Currents

A 32-meter sediment core from a southern Korean bay provides high-resolution Holocene data on sediment provenance. Multiproxy records, including clay mineral, elemental, and Sr-Nd isotopic data, quantify Chinese river-derived clay contributions averaging ~70% during the middle Holocene (~6.3 to 2 ka). The study links stepwise changes in clay input around ~6.3 ka, ~5 ka, ~4.3–3 ka, and ~2 ka to variability in Kuroshio branch currents.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct Holocene sediment provenance using clay mineral and Sr-Nd isotopic data from the core.
• Model the contribution of Chinese river-derived clays using the clay mineral mixing and Al-Mg regression models described.
• Correlate stepwise changes in clay input at ~6.3 ka, ~5 ka, ~4.3–3 ka, and ~2 ka with variability in Kuroshio branch currents like the Tsushima Warm Current.
• Analyze the shift from marine- to freshwater-dominated conditions around ~2 ka using the referenced geochemical proxies and microfossil assemblages.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a high-resolution, ~32-meter-long sediment core.
• Multiproxy approach integrates clay mineral, elemental, and Sr-Nd isotopic data.
• Quantifies Chinese clay contributions averaging ~70% during a defined period (~6.3 to 2 ka).
• Links sediment dispersal to specific oceanic current variability events at four key time points.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 426.0 KB DOCX file, containing a research document rather than a structured, machine-readable data table.
• Sample data and column definitions are unavailable, limiting direct analytical use.
• Findings are specific to a single core from a semi-enclosed bay on the southern Korean coast, limiting geographic generalizability.

Provenance

Source

Author Jihun Kim, published on figshare.

Collection Method

Quantitative reconstruction from a sediment core using clay mineral, elemental, and Sr-Nd isotopic analysis.

Time Range

Holocene, with detailed focus on periods from ~6.3 to 2 ka.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Semi-enclosed bay on the southern Korean coast, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea.