AN APPROACH TO THE DETRITAL ASSEMBLAGES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN THE SEDIMENTS OF THE CHINA SEA

We have made studies on the detrital mineral components and their distribution patterns in the sediments of the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea(Yellow Sea)，the East China Sea, the northern continental shelf of the South China Sea, and Gulf of Tonkin. The results show that the sediments are made up of 59 mineral components. The light minerals(less than 2.8 in specific gravity)are mainly quartz and feld- spar. The heavy minerals such as hornblende, epidote, schistose minerals,(muscovite +chlorite+biotite)and ilmenite preponderate in number. The garnet, zircon, dolo- mite, pyroaene and tourmaline come second. The contents of other minerals are very low. The distribution patterns of these minerals are described as follows.