Analyses of clay mineralogy about 30 surface sediments indicate widespread occurrence of illite, kaolinite, chlorite and montmorillonite throughout the Bohai Sea. Illite is the most abundant mineral, averaging 60%, kaolinite, next to illite, is the most abundant one,averaging 18%. Chlorite and montmorillonite come second, averaging 12% and 10% respectively. The distributive patterns of clay minerals in the surface sediments are closely related to the suspended materials carried into the Bohai Sea, especially to those did by the Huanghe River, and to water dynamics in the area. Based on the distribution, the assemblages and the others of clay minerals, the Bohai Sea can be divided into two clay mineral regions, the Liaodong Gulf region and the Bohai-Laizhou Bay region.
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