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Thesisfinalnov27d.Pdf (7.2 Sediment Supply to the South China Sea as Recorded by Sand Composition at IODP Expedition 367/368 Sites U1499 and U1500 Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Caroline Mae Robinson, B.S. Graduate Program in Earth Sciences The Ohio State University 2018 Thesis Committee Dr. Lawrence Krissek, Advisor Dr. Derek Sawyer Dr. William Ausich 1 Copyrighted by Caroline Mae Robinson 2018 2 Abstract IODP Expeditions 367/368 drilled the northern rifted margin of the South China Sea (SCS) basin to investigate the timing and mechanisms of its rifting history and to explore its sediment source-to-sink processes. This study examines the mineral composition of sand intervals recovered from two adjacent sites drilled during these expeditions, in order to contribute to understanding these aspects of the evolution of the SCS basin. The sand mineral assemblages at these two sites were interpreted in the context of sand mineral assemblages derived from major sources surrounding the SCS to evaluate the history of sediment supply and the patterns of sand transport throughout the mid-late Cenozoic. Mineral distributions in sand intervals throughout Sites U1499 and U1500 also help to distinguish between rifting models hypothesized for this basin. Sixty-nine samples of medium- to coarse-grained sand and sandstone intervals from Sites U1499 and U1500 were analyzed petrographically. The two sites contain similar lithostratigraphic successions, although unit boundaries occur at different depths. Moving downcore, these units include clay; silty sand with clay and siltstone interbeds; claystone; calcareous-rich claystone; and sandstone. The base of Site U1499 contained sandstone with polymict clasts and matrix-supported breccia, overlying sandstone cobbles. ii At Site U1499, thin sections from the cobble lithologic unit contain an average framework composition of Q18F74L8; shallower samples are more quartz-rich (average framework composition of Q54F38L8), and some intervals are enriched in mica. Most rock fragments in the cobble interval at Site U1499 are volcanic in origin, whereas the majority of rock fragments in the shallower sediments are plutonic. At Site U1500, thin sections contain an average framework grain composition of Q53F42L5, with limited variability. The majority of rock fragments shifts slightly at Site U1500 from more metamorphic rock fragments to more sedimentary rock fragments up section. The framework grain composition of the upper sediments recovered at Site U1499 is similar to that of the sands at Site U1500, suggesting similar sediment sources for those lithologic units. The upcore shift from plagioclase-rich gravels to quartz-rich sands suggests a change from more proximal to more distal sediment sources. The plagioclase-rich gravels at Site U1499 may record input from granitoid basement rock in southern mainland China, from continental crust exposed during rifting, or from a local basement high formed as a result of rifting. The cobble unit also may have been deposited by a locally sourced gravity flow, based on its limited geographic distribution. The younger sediments may have been supplied by more quartz-rich sediments from the Pearl River or from mica-rich metamorphic basement rocks in Taiwan, which was uplifted during the late Miocene/early Pliocene by collision of the Luzon Arc with the Eurasian Plate. iii Dedication This project would not have been possible without the endless support from family and friends. I would like to dedicate my thesis to my late mother, Carol Robinson. Although she was not physically here to watch it all happen, I could not have completed this work without the values of hard work, dedication, persistence, and passion she instilled in me during her time on Earth. I will continue to work hard every day to honor her legacy and make her proud. iv Acknowledgments I would first like to thank my Dad for his unending encouragement and support and a huge thanks to my entire family for driving up to Ohio to visit numerous times. I would like to thank my boyfriend, Chris Gates, for visiting me in Columbus often and for always being there for me. I would also like to thank everyone at the School of Earth Sciences for making my experience at OSU so enjoyable. I would like to thank USSSP for the post expedition award that was used to fund this research as well as Friends of Orton Hall that allowed me to present my masters research at both GSA and AGU. I would especially like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Larry Krissek, for giving me the opportunity to obtain my master’s degree and study sedimentology under his guidance at Ohio State University. Thank you for helping me apply and encouraging me to sail on IODP Expedition 367, which will always be one of the most amazing and rewarding adventures of my life. It has been a great privilege to work with Larry and I will miss our conversations about all things sports. I would also like to thank Dr. Mike Barton for all of his help and guidance identifying minerals in thin section and for serving on my committee for most of my time at OSU. A huge thanks to Dr. Bill Ausich for not only giving me a spot to work in his air-conditioned lab but also for stepping up to be on my committee. I would also like to thank Dr. Derek Sawyer for being on my committee and for his guidance. v Vita 2012……………………………………Ocean Lakes High School 2016……………………………………B.S. Geology, James Madison University 2017……………………………………Sedimentologist on IODP Expedition 367/368 2016 to present…………………………Graduate Teaching Associate, School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University Publications Larsen, H.C., Mohn, G., Nirrengarten, M., Sun, Z., Stock, J., Jian, Z., Klaus, A., et al. (2018). Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea. Nature Geoscience, 11(10), 782-789. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41561-018-0198-1 Sun, Z., Jian, Z., Stock, J.M., Larsen, H.C., Klaus, A., Alvarez Zarikian, C.A., and the Expedition 367/368 Scientists. (2018). South China Sea Rifted Margin. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program, 367/368: College Station, TX (International Ocean Discovery Program). https://doi.org/10.14379/ iodp.proc.367368.2018 Sun, Z., Stock, J., Klaus, A., and the Expedition 367 Scientists. (2018). Expedition 367 Preliminary Report: South China Sea Rifted Margin. International Ocean Discovery Program. https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.pr.367.2018 Fields of Study Major Field: Earth Sciences vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Geologic Setting ................................................................................................ 6 Geologic Summary of the South China Sea Basin ......................................................... 6 Tectonic Overview of the South China Sea ................................................................ 6 Rifting Models for the South China Sea ................................................................... 10 Sources of Sediment ..................................................................................................... 15 The Pearl River and Southern Mainland China ........................................................ 16 Taiwan....................................................................................................................... 28 The Philippines ......................................................................................................... 31 The Red River and Vietnam ..................................................................................... 35 The Mekong River and the Indochina Peninsula ...................................................... 37 Borneo ....................................................................................................................... 39 Oceanography and Paleoceanography .......................................................................... 41 Chapter 3. Study Region and Site Descriptions ................................................................ 44 Study Region ................................................................................................................. 44 Operations and Lithostratigraphy at Sites U1499 and U1500 ...................................... 47 Downhole Logging Measurements at Sites U1499 and U1500 .................................... 53 Chapter 4. Materials & Methods ....................................................................................... 57 Materials ......................................................................................................................
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