Both evolution of the Asian monsoon system and the Cenozoic global cooling are thought to be closely linked to the Himalayan—Tibetan orogen. The South China Sea (SCS) with its high sedimentation rates of carbonate\|r...Both evolution of the Asian monsoon system and the Cenozoic global cooling are thought to be closely linked to the Himalayan—Tibetan orogen. The South China Sea (SCS) with its high sedimentation rates of carbonate\|rich hemipelagic sediments offers a unique opportunity to study the variability of the East Asian monsoon, the erosion and weathering of tectonic orogens as well as its possible impact on global and regional climate.Leg 184, the first deep\|sea drilling leg to the seas off China, cored 17 holes at 6 sites in the northern and southern parts of the SCS and recovered 5463m of sediment. The drilling of hemipelagic sediments was exceptionally successful, with core recovery averaging 83%～101%. The 32Ma sequence of deep\|sea sediments recovered during Leg 184 covers almost the entire environmental history of the SCS since its opening. The abnormally high sediment accumulation rates in the Oligocene section are correlative with the incipient sea floor spreading. The bathyal nature of the Oligocenefauna implies that rifting occurred in the Eocene or earlier. Faunal changesfrom the early to late Oligocene are indicative of basin deepening, a trend thatis even more evident in the Miocene section. Sediment deformation, abruptlithologic changes, and a hiatus occur near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary,representing one of the most significant events in the tectonic andenvironmental history of the SCS.展开更多
文摘Both evolution of the Asian monsoon system and the Cenozoic global cooling are thought to be closely linked to the Himalayan—Tibetan orogen. The South China Sea (SCS) with its high sedimentation rates of carbonate\|rich hemipelagic sediments offers a unique opportunity to study the variability of the East Asian monsoon, the erosion and weathering of tectonic orogens as well as its possible impact on global and regional climate.Leg 184, the first deep\|sea drilling leg to the seas off China, cored 17 holes at 6 sites in the northern and southern parts of the SCS and recovered 5463m of sediment. The drilling of hemipelagic sediments was exceptionally successful, with core recovery averaging 83%～101%. The 32Ma sequence of deep\|sea sediments recovered during Leg 184 covers almost the entire environmental history of the SCS since its opening. The abnormally high sediment accumulation rates in the Oligocene section are correlative with the incipient sea floor spreading. The bathyal nature of the Oligocenefauna implies that rifting occurred in the Eocene or earlier. Faunal changesfrom the early to late Oligocene are indicative of basin deepening, a trend thatis even more evident in the Miocene section. Sediment deformation, abruptlithologic changes, and a hiatus occur near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary,representing one of the most significant events in the tectonic andenvironmental history of the SCS.
