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Geochemical characteristics and provenance of metals in surface sediments of hydrate area, northern South China Sea has not been reported yet, therefore this paper aimed to reveal metals' distribution, assess the pollution of potentially hazradous metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, As, Hg), and inferred provenance of metals using principal component analysis. Twenty-five surface sediments were collected by box sampler from 2014 to 2015 in the national special project on gas hydrate. The concentration of MnO and Hg varied greatly. Most of metals were higher in the north of study area. The sediment was mainly polluted by Hg either pollution status or ecological risk, while it's also moderately polluted by Cr and moderately ecological polluted by Cd. The metals were mainly related to terrigenous detrital, biological source, some volcanic activities, and also little atmospheric deposition. Our findings would further improve the understanding of metals and their related biogeochemical process. • The sediment was moderate weathering intensity in this area. • The sediment was mainly polluted by Hg, and moderately polluted by Cr. • The sediment was considerable ecologic risk by Hg and moderated risk by Cd. • Terrigenous detrital, biological and volcanic activities were main sources of metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-front transport is a vital process in the offshore transport of terrestrial materials. The factors influencing cross-front transport are multifaceted and exhibit regional variability. As important factors regulating material transport patterns in the shelf seas of eastern China, the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) and Kuroshio current (including its branches) vary on multiple time scales, yet their role in controlling offshore transport is not fully understood. In this paper, cross-front offshore transport in the North Yellow Sea is chosen to investigate the aforementioned issue using numerical simulation. By excluding other potential processes for offshore transport, frontal instability is identified as the primary mechanism for offshore transport, which is triggered by winter storms (bursts of the EAWM); hence, the intensity of offshore transport is highly associated with the strength of winter storms on synoptic scales. However, on the inter-annual scale, the intensity of offshore transport is more likely regulated by the strength of the Kuroshio current, and a warming Kuroshio facilitates offshore transport. Although the role of each factor in controlling the intensity of offshore transport is delineated, the interactive effects of the EAWM and Kuroshio current on offshore transport are quite intricate, and how to quantitatively estimate their roles on multiple time scales remains a challenge using modelling. The results obtained from this study can be applied to analyse cross-front transport throughout the eastern China seas and bear significant implications for future studies on pollutant diffusion, nutrient distribution, and sediment transport in the coastal area. • Cross-front transport around the Shandong Peninsula was revealed using a numerical model. • EAWM and Kuroshio affect the strength of cross-front transport on different time scales. • With global warming, the temperature of Kuroshio might gradually become the primary control of cross-front transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]