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The present study is based on the sedimentological data from a piston core KCES1 off the southern Ulleung Basin margin, the East Sea (Sea of Japan). The data include sediment color (L*), X-ray radiographs, grain size distribution and AMS14C date. Four kinds of sediments (homogeneous, laminated, crudely laminated and hybrid sediments) are identified according to the characters of the sedimentary structures that were considered to reflect changes in bottom-water oxygenation. Alternations of dark laminated/crudely laminated sediments and light homogeneous sediments represent millennial-scale variations that are possibly associated with the high-resolution changes in the East Asian monsoon (EAM). The relative contributions of the East China Sea Coastal Water (ECSCW) and the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) were likely the main reasons for the repetition of the anoxic and oxic depositional conditions in the East Sea since the last 48 ka BP. During the interstadial, the strengthen summer EAM was attributed to the expansion of the ECSCW because of more humid climate in central Asia, and then more strongly low-salinity, nutrient-enriched water was introduced into the East Sea. The ventilation of deep water was restricted and therefore the dark laminated layer deposited under the anoxic bottom water condition. During the lowest stand of sea level in the last glacial maximum (LGM), the isolated East Sea dominated by stratified water masses and the euxinic depositional environment formed. The homogenous sediments have been predominating since 17.5 ka BP indicating that the TWC has intruded into the East Sea gradually with the stepwise rise of sea level and the bottom water oxygen level was high. During the late Younger Dryas (YD) period, the last dark laminated layer deposited because the ventilation of bottom water was restricted by stronger summer EAM. The TWC strengthened and the bottom water became oxic again from 10.5 ka BP.

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.