Characteristics of heavy minerals composition and distribution in surface sediment from the Xinghua Bay of Fujian, China

The composition, assemblage and distribution characteristics of heavy minerals from 63 to 125 μm grain sizes in surface sediment from the Xinghua Bay (17 stations) are studied. The matter source of silt and the relationship between heavy minerals and sedimentary environment are also discussed. The results show that there are 37 kinds of heavy minerals and the average content of them is 12.08%,which exceeds 6% compared with the Meizhou Bay (5.67%). The dominant minerals are magnetite, hornblende, epidote, ilmenite,hematite, limonite, zircon and so on. Mineral kinds reveal that the sources of silt in this bay are the fluvial input and eroded products of bedrock in circumjacent land and islands of the Xinghua Bay. However, the matter source from outside this bay is less. Four mineral assemblage zones can be divided based on heavy mineral contents and distribution characteristics in the Xinghua Bay, which are not only influenced by matter source, but also controlled by hydrodynamic condition and sedimentary environment in the Xinghua Bay.