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During the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331, five sites were drilled into the Iheya North Knoll hydrothermal system in the Okinawa Trough (OT) — a back-arc basin characterized by thick terrigenous sediment. Following up on the previous study by Shao et al. (2015), we present new mineralogical, geochemical, and Sr-Nd isotope data to investigate the origin of the hydrothermal sediments and characterize the hydrothermal system. The substrate at the Iheya North Knoll is dominated by pumiceous sediment and other volcanoclastic materials interbedded with hemipelagic (terrigenous and biogenous) sediments. Impermeable layers separate the hydrothermal sediments into distinct units with depth that are characterized by various assemblages of alteration materials, including polymetallic sulfides, sulfates, chlorite- and kaolinite-rich sediments. The rare earth elements (REEs) and Nd isotope data suggest that the chlorite-rich and kaolinite-rich layers primarily resulted from the alteration of pumiceous materials in different chemical and physical conditions. Kaolinite-rich sediment likely reflects low pH and low Mg concentration fluids, while chlorite-rich sediment formed from fluids with high pH and increased Mg contents, likely at higher temperatures. The Sr isotopic compositions of subsurface anhydrite reflect high seawater/hydrothermal fluid ratios in the mid-OT hydrothermal area. Compared with chlorite-rich sediments from other sediment-covered or felsic-hosted hydrothermal systems, the chlorite-rich sediments in the mid-OT are characterized by lower concentrations of Al and Fe but much higher Y, Zr, Hf, Th and REEs, indicative of the distinct nature of the precursor rocks in this region.

The sediments from a piston core ECS12A recovered from the middle Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea were measured for total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and other biogenic elements to provide constraints on the sources and burial rates of depositional organic matter (OM) and on the changes in primary productivity since 19 ka. The last glacial sediments (ca. 17–19 ka) are characterized by low contents of biogenic elements and well-developed turbidite layers, suggesting low primary productivity but a high component of terrigenous sediment. With rising sea level and enhanced monsoons during the deglacial period, the proportion of marine OM gradually increased. The least negative δ 13 C org values and the smallest grain size of sediments deposited ca. 10–14.5 ka indicate high primary productivity and a sedimentary environment dominated by the marine component. The source and burial rates of OM in the Holocene sediments (ca. 5.4–10 ka) were largely controlled by the intensification of the Kuroshio Current, which caused a slight decrease in primary productivity, but strengthened the oceanic circulation in the East China Sea. Overall, the source-to-sink process of OM in the Okinawa Trough is governed by complex interactions between sea level, climate and ocean circulation.

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) has strongly developed at Core A, Site 79 of the middle Okinawa Trough, East China Sea, and a large amount of authigenic pyrite is preserved in the surface sediment. In this study, we analyze the characteristics of the authigenic pyrite and its sulfur isotopic values. The authigenic pyrite is stripy and tubular, and there were foraminifera compartments filled with pyrite. The pyrite is extracted using chromium reduction, and the values of δ 34S are found to lie between -41.20‰ and 8.92‰ V-CDT. The bulk pyrite tends to be more enriched in 34S with increasing depth. Particularly, the δ 34S value of the pyrite lies between -32.73‰ and -41.20‰ V-CDT above 278 cmbsf, but it quickly increases below this depth (-21.49‰–8.92‰ V-CDT). At the same time, the total sulfur content of the pyrite shows an abrupt increase above 100 cmbsf but is otherwise stable between 1.04% and 0.55% below 100 cmbsf. The stable and negative values of δ 34S and the decreasing values of total sulfur above 278 cmbsf indicate reduced AOM activities in 17.18–5.3 ka. In addition, the increasing δ 34S and pyrite content indicate strong AOM development and methane seep below 278 cmbsf in 18.8–17.18 ka. In particular, the highest positive value of δ 34S occurring in 18.78 ka indicates the most intense AOM activity. The shallow sulfate-methane interface (SMI) and high methane flux below marine sediments also strongly support this activity.

The Okinawa Trough (OT) in the East Asian continental margin is characterized by thick terrigenous sediment and ubiquitous volcanic–hydrothermal activities. In this study, the clays collected during IODP Expedition 331 to the middle OT (Iheya North Knoll) were analyzed for mineralogical and geochemical compositions. By comparing with the clays from the East China Sea shelf and surrounding rivers, we examine different clay origins. The hydrothermal field in the mid-OT is dominated by Mg-rich chlorite, while the recharge zone has clay mineral assemblages similar to the shelf and rivers, showing high content of illite, subordinate chlorite and kaolinite and scarce smectite. Compared to the terrigenous clays, the hydrothermal clays in the OT have high concentrations of Mg, Mn and Zr but low Fe, Na, K, Ca, Ba, Sr, P, Sc and Ti, while the hydrothermal clays in the mid-ocean ridge are relatively enriched in Fe and V and depleted in Al, Mg, Zr, Sc and Ti. Different fractionation patterns of rare earth elements also register in the terrigenous and hydrothermal clays, diagnostic of variable clay origins. We infer that the OT hydrothermal clay was primarily formed by the chemical alteration of detrital sediments subject to the hydrothermal fluids. The remarkably different compositions of hydrothermal clays between the sediment-rich back arc basin like OT and the sediment-starved ocean ridge suggest different physical and chemical processes of hydrothermal fluids and fluid–rock/sediment reactions under various geologic settings.

Anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction was studied in the pore waters of four cores at two stations of the middle Okinawa Trough. Pore water vertical distributions of sulfate, methane, sulfide, total alkalinity, ammonium, and phosphate were determined in this study. Our results show strong linear sulfate concentration gradients of 6.83 mmol m−1 in Core A and 5.96 mmol m−1 in Core C, which were collected from two stations. Concurrent variations of methane, total alkalinity and hydrogen sulfide all exhibit steep increases with depth at both cores, which indicate active methane seep activities around two stations. Pore water ammonium and phosphate concentrations reveal minor influences of organic matter degradation on sulfate reduction at two stations. Sulfate methane interface (SMI) was extrapolated from linear sulfate profiles in methane seep cores. Shallower SMI depths (A: 4.9 mbsf; C: 5.4 mbsf) indicate strong methane fluxes and active anaerobic oxidation of methane in the underlying sediments.

During the NSFC cruise in October 2010,several water samples were recovered along a typical section at the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent area for study of suspended matters.After filtration,the materials remained were examined under Electronic Microscope and by Energy Spectrometer.Grain size analysis was carried out for the samples.In this typical section,there are four types of particles,mineral debris,bioclasts,organic particles and floc-particles.The contents of mineral debris and organic particles are higher inshore and lower offshore,whereas the bio-particles are distributed in an opposite pattern.However,floc-particles have no obvious change from DH1 to DH6.There is a good linear relationship between floc-particles and organic particles,but a negative relationship between mineral debris and bioclasts.In the suspended matters,the particles smaller than 10 microns in size account for 70%,and those smaller than 20 microns account for 90%,while the average particle size is decreasing offshore.It is believed that the types of particles are mainly controlled by the factors of continental input,biological process,flocculation and resuspension,depending upon the movement of water masses.