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To examine the applicability of C/N and organic carbon stable isotope (δ13C) in studies of the Holocene sea level and freshwater discharge in the large river mouth of Yangtze, we observed the distribution of carbon, nitrogen and δ13C in a late-Quaternary core (ZK9) collected from the present subaqueous delta. We also collected published data of the two proxies for the suspended particulate matter (SPM) and surficial sediments from the lower Yangtze River to the adjacent East China Sea. The results show that the estuarine front is an important boundary for terrestrial and marine contribution of the organic component in the modern sedimentary environment. In the core ZK9, sediments deposited during c. 13–9 cal. ka BP are characterized by high values of TOC (0.54–1.16%), CaCO3 (0.35% on average), and C/N (>12), which reflect an inner tidal estuarine environment dominated by C3 terrestrial organic carbon input. During c. 9–0.7 cal. ka BP, both TOC content (0.57% on average) and C/N ratio (<10) decrease remarkably while TN increases, indicating a lower estuarine or shallow marine environment. An abrupt sea level rise from c. 9 cal. ka BP resulted in a deeper water environment and reduced terrestrial input at the core location. The low δ13C values (−24.23‰ on average) before c. 6 cal. ka BP reflect a dominantly terrestrial source of organic matter associated with increased freshwater discharge into the estuary during that time. The sediments since c. 6 cal. ka BP are characterized by increasing δ13C up to −24.1 to −23.39‰, reflecting more contribution from marine algae as freshwater discharge fell. We suggest that in the Yangtze River mouth the C/N ratio indicates an abrupt sea level rise at c. 9 cal. ka BP, while δ13C is more useful in reflecting freshwater discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water mass variations in the early Yangtze estuary during the postglacial transgression have not been thoroughly studied. This research gap has hampered the understanding of riverine sediment ‘source to sink’ processes in this region. This study presents the results of integrated analyses of grain size, pollen-spore-dinocyst assemblages, benthic foraminifera and ostracods from a borehole, H5, located at the northern Yangtze mouth, to investigate the complete sedimentary history and associated variations in coastal currents since 19 ka. At the core site, a fluvial floodplain developed from ca. 19–11.3 ka, whereas an estuary to shelf to subaqueous delta prevailed during most of the Holocene. Based on changes in the dominant microfauna species, which mainly consist of Chinese coastal water species, two main current patterns were distinguished: one dominated by the Yellow Sea coastal current (YSCC) before ca. 7.9 ka and one dominated by the Yangtze dilute water (YDW). Marked increases in open-sea saline species, including Bolivina robusta , and stratified water dinocyst species Spiniferites ramous and Spiniferites spp. were interpreted as the encroachment of the Taiwan warm current (TWWC) and the intensification of the YDW, respectively. The YDW and TWWC penetrated the area dominated by the YSCC before 7.9 ka, which was likely related to intensity variations in the Kuroshio Current (KC) and Asian summer monsoon (ASM). Under maximal ASM and KC conditions, upwelling resulted from the intensified intrusion of the TWWC, as indicated by the blooming of Bolivina robusta from 7.9–6.3 ka. After ca. 6 ka, the YDW clearly weakened due to the decline of the ASM, yet the Yangtze plume prevailed due to the rapid seaward migration of the Yangtze mouth. Considering the dominance of the YSCC in the early Holocene, Yellow River-derived sediment likely represented a large proportion of the material delivered to the early Yangtze estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]