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To reveal the sediment transporting mechanism between the abandoned Huanghe River (Yellow River) Delta and radial sand ridges, "End Member" Model and grain size trend analysis have been employed to separate the "dynamic populations" in the surficial sediment particle spectra and to determine the possible sediment transporting pathway. The results reveal four "dynamic subpopulations" (EM1 to EM4) and two reverse sediment transporting directions: a northward transport tend from the radial sand ridges to mud patch, and a southward transport trend in deep water area outside the mud patch. Combined with the published hydrodynamic information, the transporting mechanism of dynamic populations has been discussed, and the main conclusion is that the transporting of finer subpopulations EM1 and EM2 is controlled by the "anticlockwise residual current circulation" forming during tidal cycle, which favor a northward transporting trend and the forming of mud patch on the north of radial sand ridges, while the transporting of coarser EM3 is mainly controlled by wind driven drift in winter, which favors a southward transporting direction.

The Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer was used to analyze sediment samples collected from the Hangzhou Bay to determine major and trace elemental concentrations. Based on these concentrations, the study area can be classified into three geochemical provinces. Province I covers the northern Hangzhou Bay area and contains high concentrations of Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, Na2O, K2O, MnO, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Co and Zn. Province III is located in the western Hangzhou Bay, near the Qiantang River mouth, and contains high concentrations of SiO2, Na2O, P2O5, TiO2, Cr, Sr, Zr. Province II is located in the middle and eastern Hangzhou Bay, with the medium concentrations of major and trace elements. The results also demonstrate that the grain size is the dominating factor controlling the spatial variations of elemental concentrations, and the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) and Qiantang River sediments play an important role in the distribution of these elements. Anthropogenic impact on heavy metal concentrations (especially Cr, Sr and Zr) can be detected in the surface sediments near the Qiantang River mouth.

Based on the grain-size analysis of surface sediments collected from the East China Sea inner shelf,Geo-Collins grain size trend analysis was carried out to delineate net sediment transport patterns of the study area.The results indicate that surface sediments from the study area can be divided into two categories: fine particles(5 Φ particle) and coarse particles(5 Φ particle).Grain size parameters have distinct patterns in spatial distributions in the East China Sea inner shelf.Sediments with fine grain size,well-sorted and low skewed,are distributed in most of the study area,whereas sediments with coarse grain size,poorly sorted and highly positively skewed,are distributed in some estuary and island areas,such as the Minjiang River mouth,the Oujiang River mouth and the Mazu Island.Surface sediments are mostly transported from northeast towards southwest,while the boundary of the area has given rise to offset to both left and right sides.Sediments near the Minjiang River mouth radiate towards the sea.The net transport patterns of surface sediments in the study area are controlled by many factors,especially the currents and morphology.

Based on the interpretation more than 4000 km sparker single channel seismic profiles and the comparison with Borehole DZQ4 on the outer shelf of the East China Sea (ECS), the seismic sequences, sedimentary facies and pa-leo-sedimentary environment are studied to establish the chronology framework and discuss the Quaternary transgressive and regressive sequences of the ECS shelf as well as their response to glacio-eustatic sea-level changes. The sea level of the ECS fluctuated with global climate changes in the Quaternary. During the sea level rise, the Pacific tidal wave impacted actively on the ECS continental shelf and the re-ciprocating tidal currents in NW-SE direction formed tidal sand ridges, which represent large transgressive deposits visible on the seismic profiles. In response to sea level fall, the Yangtze River deltas prograded seaward and built massive subaqueous deltas to form regressive sequences on the seismic profiles. Alternative transgression and regression sequences were vertically distributed on the ECS shelf with the frequent eustacy in the Quaternary. The gentle slope of the ECS shelf makes it possible for the coastline to migrate hundreds of kilometers forth and back on the shelf because of tens of meters sea level changes, in the meanwhile, the Yangtze River discharged large amounts of sediments into the ECS resulting in large-scale subaqueous deltas and tidal sand ridges. There have developed 3 stages of tidal sand ridges and 4 stages of deltas on the ECS shelf since oxygen isotope stage 8.