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• Contour currents with different physical natures observed over a drift-moat system • High SSC on the drift due to long-range sediment transport by contour currents • High SSC in the moat due to moat wall erosion by tidal-induced secondary flows • Formation of drifts forced by upslope sediment transport of tidal currents Contourite drifts are ubiquitous sedimentary features in the world′s oceans, and their formation are usually ascribed to sedimentation from contour currents. However, in-situ observations of contour currents and their associated sedimentary processes were inadequate. Here, we present mooring observation results from a drift-moat contourite system in the South China Sea to gain insight into its sediment dynamics and formation mechanism. We found that quasi-persistent contour currents develop in the moat, on and below the drift, yet subject to diverse physical oceanographic processes. High suspended sediment concentrations observed on the drift mainly occur in winter, induced by high levels of sediments transported by contour currents from Taiwan. In the moat, however, high suspended sediment concentrations are mostly caused by erosion of the moat wall during periods of strong tidal currents and low shear variance. Such results underscore the complexity of current patterns and sedimentary processes across various topographic units in the drift-moat contourite system. A novel formation mechanism of the contourite drift is thereby proposed, wherein sediment transport by contour currents brings materials for constructing the drift, while its formation is driven by near-critical reflection and upslope transport of sediments by tidal currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have measured 238U–234U–230Th radioactive disequilibria in five size fractions of colloids and suspended sediments for four rivers from the Murray–Darling River basin (SE Australia). Continuous compositional trends of composition are observed for (234U/238U) and (230Th/238U) activity ratios over the range of size fractions studied. They are explained by the variable contribution of two components: detrital alumino-silicates and organic matter. Using relationships between activity ratios and the loss-on-ignition, it is possible to estimate the U-series isotopic composition of both detrital and organic end-members, which provide the best estimate for the composition of the true detrital phase (i.e. controlled only by the removal of elements through weathering) and the true dissolved phase (i.e. colloid-free), respectively. When performing a single filtration at 0.2 μm, it appears that size fractions > and <0.2 μm underestimate the disequilibrium in both the true detrital and dissolved phases, respectively. We show that erosion does not currently operate in steady state in the Murray–Darling basin and catchment soils are currently being degraded. This could be a consequence of the intensification of agriculture and deforestation over the past 100 yr. The residence time of sediments in the different sub-basins is calculated by computing the composition of the detrital phase with a continuous weathering model. It yields 11±2 kyr for the Darling River basin, only 2–3±1 kyr for the Murray River and 7±2 kyr for the Goulburn River. These values are correlated with the age of changes in river dynamics, in turn probably controlled by climate fluctuation, and indicate the age of the modern river system for each sub-basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]