Wang / Li Geology of the China Seas

1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-0-444-59394-8
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band Volume 6, 702 Seiten

Reihe: Developments in Marine Geology

Geology of the China Seas represents the first English-language synthesis of the available research into the geology of the South and East China Seas. Among the marginal basins worldwide, these areas have been the focus of extensive research activities in the last three decades, and are now among the global hot spots in hydrocarbon explorations and scientific investigations. The region is experiencing rapid economic development with the offshore petroleum industry providing approximately one third of the domestic hydrocarbon production for mainland China. Gas hydrates have been successfully recovered from the China Seas for the first time. Over the years, many volumes on the geology of the China Seas have been published in Chinese. Although an increasing number of papers in English have appeared recently, the majority deal with local or regional paleo-environment and sedimentology, and are scattered in different journals. This book brings together this rich data in one resource, particularly that generated by Chinese marine geologists and petroleum geologists, and provides the very first synthesis of the geology off China. - The first systematic summary of the geology of the China Seas - Includes comprehensive coverage of the South China Sea and the East China Sea, including the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf - Reviews hundreds of Chinese publications on marine and petroleum geology not currently accessible to the international community

Pinxian Wang graduated from the Moscow State University in 1960, majoring in paleontology, and was Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in 1981-82 in Kiel, Germany. He is now Professor at the Tongji University, where he was Director of the Department and Laboratory of Marine Geology for years. His research fields are basically paleoceanography and micropaleontology in the Western Pacific and paleo-monsoon studies in East Asia, especially in the South China Sea. He was co-chief scientist of the Ocean Drilling Program Leg 184 in 1999 and the Marco Polo Cruise in 2005, both to the South China Sea. He initiated the series of 'Asian Marine Geology Conference in 1988, and led the international working groups on paleo-monsoons. Currently he is leading a major research program 'The South China Sea Deep" founded by the Chinese NSF. He was elected into the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991. He is Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society, London, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was awarded the Milutin Milankovitch Medal in 2007 by the European Geoscience Union."

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wang, Pinxian

Li, Qianyu

Li, Chun-Feng

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Geology of the China Seas;4
3;Copyright;5
4;Contents;6
5;Chapter 1: Introduction;10
5.1;Acknowledgments;16
5.2;References;17
6;Chapter 2: General Outline of the China Seas;20
6.1;2.1. Introduction: Marginal Seas Between Asia and Pacific;20
6.2;2.2. Bathymetry and Geomorphology;21
6.2.1;2.2.1. East China Sea;25
6.2.2;2.2.2. South China Sea;29
6.2.3;2.2.3. Sensitivity to Eustatic Changes;31
6.3;2.3. River Deltas and Catchments;32
6.3.1;2.3.1. Rivers Emptying into the China Seas;32
6.3.2;2.3.2. Yellow River (Huanghe);35
6.3.3;2.3.3. Yangtze River (Changjiang);38
6.3.4;2.3.4. Pearl River (Zhujiang);40
6.3.5;2.3.5. Red River (Sông H.ng);42
6.3.6;2.3.6. Mekong River;43
6.3.7;2.3.7. Small Mountainous Rivers;46
6.4;2.4. Oceanography and Climatology;46
6.4.1;2.4.1. Monsoon;46
6.4.2;2.4.2. Surface Circulation;51
6.4.2.1;2.4.2.1. East China Sea;51
6.4.2.2;2.4.2.2. South China Sea;54
6.4.3;2.4.3. Temperature and Salinity;58
6.4.3.1;2.4.3.1. East China Sea;58
6.4.3.2;2.4.3.2. South China Sea;58
6.4.4;2.4.4. Ocean Connection and Deepwater Circulation;66
6.4.4.1;2.4.4.1. Kuroshio Intrusion;66
6.4.4.2;2.4.4.2. Water Exchange with Oceans;66
6.4.5;2.4.5. Deepwater Circulation;71
6.5;2.5. Oceanographic Summary;73
6.5.1;2.5.1. Monsoon and seasonality;74
6.5.2;2.5.2. The role of ``mixing mill´´;75
6.5.3;2.5.3. Regional impact;76
6.6;References;76
7;Chapter 3: Tectonic Framework and Magmatism;82
7.1;3.1. Introduction;82
7.2;3.2. Outline of Present-Day Tectonic Framework;83
7.3;3.3. Mesozoic Tectonic Background;88
7.4;3.4. Cenozoic Continental Margin Rifting and Subsidence;98
7.4.1;3.4.1. Deep Crustal Structures;99
7.4.1.1;3.4.1.1. Bohai and Yellow Sea;99
7.4.1.2;3.4.1.2. East China Sea;102
7.4.1.3;3.4.1.3. South China Sea;105
7.4.2;3.4.2. Cenozoic Rifting and Subsidence Processes;111
7.4.2.1;3.4.2.1. Bohai and Yellow Sea Basins;112
7.4.2.2;3.4.2.2. East China Sea;113
7.4.2.3;3.4.2.3. South China Sea;116
7.4.2.3.1;Taixinan Basin;116
7.4.2.3.2;The Pearl River Mouth Basin;117
7.4.2.3.3;Beibuwan Basin;119
7.4.2.3.4;Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basin;120
7.4.2.3.5;Cuu Long Basin and Wanan (Nam Con Son) Basin;122
7.5;3.5. The SCS and Okinawa Trough;124
7.5.1;3.5.1. SCS basin;125
7.5.1.1;3.5.1.1. The COB and COT;126
7.5.1.2;3.5.1.2. Major Subbasins;129
7.5.1.3;3.5.1.3. Opening Sequences;132
7.5.1.4;3.5.1.4. A Discussion of the Opening Mechanism;133
7.5.1.5;3.5.1.5. Manila Subduction Zone;137
7.5.1.6;3.5.1.6. The Taiwan Orogen;142
7.5.2;3.5.2. Okinawa Trough;146
7.6;3.6. Magmatisms and Neotectonics;149
7.6.1;3.6.1. Regional Magmatisms Revealed by Magnetic Data;151
7.6.2;3.6.2. Magmatic Episodes;154
7.6.3;3.6.3. Regional Seismicity;162
7.6.4;3.6.4. Hydrothermal Activities;165
7.6.5;3.6.5. Post-Miocene Continental Margin Neotectonics;170
7.7;3.7. Tectonic Summary;173
7.8;References;174
8;Chapter 4: Sedimentology;192
8.1;4.1. Introduction;192
8.2;4.2. Modern Sediment Distribution;193
8.2.1;4.2.1. Sediment Distribution Patterns;193
8.2.1.1;4.2.1.1. Major Sedimentologic Features;193
8.2.1.2;4.2.1.2. Sediment Types and Distribution;193
8.2.1.3;4.2.1.3. Mineral Compositions;196
8.2.1.4;4.2.1.4. Chemical Compositions;196
8.2.2;4.2.2. East China Sea;202
8.2.2.1;4.2.2.1. General Characteristics;202
8.2.2.2;4.2.2.2. Continental Shelf;203
8.2.2.3;4.2.2.3. Okinawa Trough;208
8.2.3;4.2.3. South China Sea;210
8.2.3.1;4.2.3.1. General Characteristics;210
8.2.3.2;4.2.3.2. Continental Shelf;210
8.2.3.3;4.2.3.3. Continental Slope and Deep Basin;214
8.2.3.3.1;Sediment Distribution and Mineral Composition;214
8.2.3.3.2;Sand Dunes, Sediment Waves, and Drifts;217
8.3;4.3. Depositional History;219
8.3.1;4.3.1. East China Sea Shelf;219
8.3.2;4.3.2. South China Sea Shelf;224
8.3.2.1;4.3.2.1. Northern South China Sea shelf;224
8.3.2.2;4.3.2.2. Sunda Shelf;229
8.3.3;4.3.3. Deep Sea;235
8.3.3.1;4.3.3.1. South China Sea;235
8.3.3.1.1;ODP Leg 184 Records;235
8.3.3.1.2;Depositional Mass;238
8.3.3.2;4.3.3.2. Okinawa Trough;239
8.4;4.4. Terrigenous Sediments;242
8.4.1;4.4.1. Deltaic Sands and Offshore Muds;242
8.4.1.1;4.4.1.1. Yellow River Delta (Huanghe Delta);244
8.4.1.2;4.4.1.2. Yellow River Distal Subaqueous Delta;246
8.4.1.3;4.4.1.3. Yangtze River Delta (Changjiang Delta);246
8.4.1.4;4.4.1.4. Yangtze River Distal Subaqueous Delta;254
8.4.1.5;4.4.1.5. Offshore mud Fields in the Yellow and East China Seas;256
8.4.1.6;4.4.1.6. Pearl River Delta (Zhujiang Delta);260
8.4.1.7;4.4.1.7. Red River Delta;264
8.4.1.8;4.4.1.8. Mekong River Delta;265
8.4.1.9;4.4.1.9. Gulf of Thailand;267
8.4.1.10;4.4.1.10. Borneo Deltas;268
8.4.2;4.4.2. Relict Sands and Sand Ridges;268
8.4.2.1;4.4.2.1. East China Sea Sand Ridges;269
8.4.2.2;4.4.2.2. Jiangsu Offshore Sand Ridges;276
8.5;4.5. Biogenic Sediments;277
8.5.1;4.5.1. Carbonate Buildups and Coral Reefs;277
8.5.1.1;4.5.1.1. Modern and Quaternary Carbonates;277
8.5.1.1.1;Distribution of Detrital and Biogenic Carbonate;277
8.5.1.1.2;Quaternary Carbonate Cycles;280
8.5.1.1.3;Long-Term Trends in Carbonate Deposition;282
8.5.1.2;4.5.1.2. Coral Reefs;282
8.5.1.2.1;Modern Distribution;282
8.5.1.2.2;CaCO3 Production by Reefs;287
8.5.1.2.3;SCS Coral Reef History;289
8.5.2;4.5.2. Calcareous Components;289
8.5.2.1;4.5.2.1. Foraminifers;290
8.5.2.1.1;Modern Distribution;291
8.5.2.1.2;As Indicators of Depositional Environments;296
8.5.2.2;4.5.2.2. Calcareous Nannoplankton;298
8.5.2.3;4.5.2.3. Ostracods;301
8.5.3;4.5.3. Siliceous Components;302
8.5.3.1;4.5.3.1. Diatoms;304
8.5.3.2;4.5.3.2. Radiolarians;306
8.5.4;4.5.4. Organic Carbon;308
8.5.4.1;4.5.4.1. TOC in Surface Sediments;310
8.5.4.2;4.5.4.2. TOC in Glacial Cycles;315
8.6;4.6. Volcanic Sediments;319
8.6.1;4.6.1. Okinawa Trough Volcanic Deposition;319
8.6.2;4.6.2. South China Sea Volcanic Deposition;321
8.7;4.7. Sedimentologic Summary;325
8.7.1;4.7.1. Origin of Sediments;325
8.7.2;4.7.2. Sediment Transport Dynamics;328
8.8;References;333
9;Chapter 5: Basins and Stratigraphy;350
9.1;5.1. Introduction;350
9.2;5.2. An Overview of Lithostratigraphy;351
9.2.1;5.2.1. Basins and Pre-Cenozoic Basements;351
9.2.1.1;5.2.1.1. Basins of the China Seas;351
9.2.1.2;5.2.1.2. Pre-Cenozoic Basements;355
9.2.2;5.2.2. Cenozoic Stratigraphy;356
9.2.2.1;5.2.2.1. Shelf-Slope Basins;356
9.2.2.1.1;East China Sea Sector;358
9.2.2.1.2;South China Sea Sector;361
9.2.2.1.3;Carbonate Platforms;367
9.2.2.2;5.2.2.2. Deep-Water Stratigraphy;368
9.2.2.2.1;South China Sea;368
9.2.2.2.2;Okinawa Trough;373
9.2.3;5.2.3. Biostratigraphic Framework;377
9.2.3.1;5.2.3.1. Nannofossil and Planktonic Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy;378
9.2.3.2;5.2.3.2. Spores and Pollen Assemblages;378
9.2.3.3;5.2.3.3. Ostracod Assemblages;382
9.2.3.4;5.2.3.4. Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages;385
9.2.3.5;5.2.3.5. Other Fossil Groups;387
9.2.3.6;5.2.3.6. Quaternary Stratigraphic Events;389
9.3;5.3. Regional Stratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy;390
9.3.1;5.3.1. East China Sea Sector;390
9.3.1.1;5.3.1.1. Bohai Basin;390
9.3.1.2;5.3.1.2. Yellow Sea Basins;396
9.3.1.2.1;North Yellow Sea Basin;396
9.3.1.2.2;Northern and Southern South Yellow Sea Basins;401
9.3.1.3;5.3.1.3. East China Sea Shelf Basin;406
9.3.2;5.3.2. Northern South China Sea Sector;412
9.3.2.1;5.3.2.1. Taixinan Basin;412
9.3.2.2;5.3.2.2. Pearl River Mouth Basin;414
9.3.2.3;5.3.2.3. Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins;420
9.3.2.4;5.3.2.4. Beibuwan Basin;425
9.3.3;5.3.3. Southern South China Sea Sector;429
9.3.3.1;5.3.3.1. Cuu Long and Wan'an (Nam Con Son) Basins;429
9.3.3.2;5.3.3.2. Zengmu Basin;432
9.3.3.3;5.3.3.3. Malay and West Natuna Basins;438
9.3.3.3.1;Malay Basin;438
9.3.3.3.2;West Natuna Basin;442
9.3.3.4;5.3.3.4. Thai Basin Group;443
9.3.3.5;5.3.3.5. Other South China Sea Basins;444
9.4;5.4. Isotopic and Astronomical Stratigraphy;447
9.4.1;5.4.1. Pliocene-Pleistocene Isotopic Records;449
9.4.2;5.4.2. Neogene Isotopic Records;452
9.5;5.5. Stratigraphic Summary;456
9.5.1;5.5.1. Lithostratigraphy Patterns;456
9.5.2;5.5.2. Stratigraphy and Evolution of the China Seas;458
9.6;References;460
10;Chapter 6: Paleoceanography and Sea-Level Changes;478
10.1;6.1. Introduction;478
10.2;6.2. Paleoceanography: Long-Term Trends;479
10.2.1;6.2.1. East China Sea: Okinawa Trough;479
10.2.2;6.2.2. South China Sea: Ocean Connection and Basin Evolution;481
10.2.2.1;6.2.2.1. Environmental Response to Sea-Floor Spreading;481
10.2.2.2;6.2.2.2. The Deepwater Oligocene;484
10.2.2.3;6.2.2.3. Connection with Open Ocean;486
10.2.3;6.2.3. South China Sea: Upper Waters and Monsoon Climate;487
10.2.3.1;6.2.3.1. SST and Thermocline;488
10.2.3.2;6.2.3.2. Monsoon Climate and Weathering Rate;495
10.2.3.3;6.2.3.3. Carbon Cycling;497
10.2.3.4;6.2.3.4. Pleistocene Paleoceanography;499
10.2.3.4.1;1.6Ma Event;499
10.2.3.4.2;Mid-Pleistocene Transition;500
10.2.3.4.3;Mid-Brunhes Event;502
10.3;6.3. Late Quaternary Paleoceanography and Sea-Level Changes;503
10.3.1;6.3.1. East China Sea;503
10.3.1.1;6.3.1.1. Introduction;503
10.3.1.2;6.3.1.2. Late Quaternary Paleoceanography of the Okinawa Trough;504
10.3.1.2.1;Sea Surface Temperature Changes;504
10.3.1.2.2;Kuroshio Migration;505
10.3.1.2.3;River Runoff;509
10.3.1.3;6.3.1.3. Late Quaternary Environment Changes in the Shelf;509
10.3.1.3.1;Coastline Migration and Sea-Level Changes;510
10.3.1.3.2;Sand Ridges;513
10.3.1.3.3;Mud Areas;517
10.3.2;6.3.2. South China Sea;524
10.3.2.1;6.3.2.1. Introduction;524
10.3.2.2;6.3.2.2. Paleoceanography in Glacial Cycles;527
10.3.2.2.1;Sea Surface Temperature;527
10.3.2.2.2;Productivity;533
10.3.2.2.3;Upper Water Structure;540
10.3.2.2.4;Land Climate;543
10.3.2.3;6.3.2.3. Sea-Level Changes in Sunda Shelf;549
10.3.2.3.1;River System;549
10.3.2.3.2;Sea Level;554
10.3.2.3.3;Delta Growth;557
10.4;6.4. Summary;560
10.5;References;562
11;Chapter 7: Hydrocarbon and Mineral Resources;580
11.1;7.1. Introduction;580
11.2;7.2. Hydrocarbon Resources;581
11.2.1;7.2.1. Bohai Basin;581
11.2.2;7.2.2. North Yellow Sea Basin;590
11.2.3;7.2.3. South Yellow Sea Basin;592
11.2.4;7.2.4. ECS Basin;594
11.2.4.1;7.2.4.1. The Xihu Depression;594
11.2.4.2;7.2.4.2. The Lishui-Jiaojiang Depression;600
11.2.4.3;7.2.4.3. Late Quaternary Shallow Biogenic gas Reservoirs;603
11.2.5;7.2.5. Northern SCS;603
11.2.5.1;7.2.5.1. Pearl River Mouth Basin;603
11.2.5.1.1;Deepwater Plays;605
11.2.5.1.2;Carbonate Plays;607
11.2.5.2;7.2.5.2. Taixinan Basin;608
11.2.5.3;7.2.5.3. Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins;610
11.2.5.4;7.2.5.4. Beibuwan Basin;615
11.2.5.5;7.2.5.5. Mesozoic and Paleozoic hydrocarbon potential;615
11.2.6;7.2.6. Southern SCS;618
11.2.6.1;7.2.6.1. Palawan and Nansha (Dangerous Ground) area;618
11.2.6.2;7.2.6.2. The Cuu Long and Wan'an (Nam Con Son) basins;623
11.2.6.3;7.2.6.3. Zengmu-Sabah Basin;626
11.3;7.3. Mineral Resources;626
11.3.1;7.3.1. Coastal Placers;626
11.3.2;7.3.2. Phosphorite;628
11.3.3;7.3.3. Sulfide Deposits;629
11.3.4;7.3.4. Ferromanganese Nodules/Crusts;629
11.4;7.4. Other Resources;631
11.4.1;7.4.1. Gas Hydrate Potentials;631
11.4.1.1;7.4.1.1. Geophysical Exploration in the Northern SCS;631
11.4.1.2;7.4.1.2. Cold Seeps in the Northern SCS;634
11.4.1.3;7.4.1.3. Gas Hydrates in the Okinawa Trough;635
11.4.2;7.4.2. CO2 gas Fields;635
11.5;7.5. Summary;637
11.6;References;640
12;Chapter 8: History of the China Seas;652
12.1;8.1. Introduction;652
12.2;8.2. Occurrences of Pre-Oligocene Marine Deposits;653
12.2.1;8.2.1. Late Mesozoic Marine Deposits;653
12.2.1.1;8.2.1.1. East China Sea;653
12.2.1.2;8.2.1.2. South China Sea;655
12.2.2;8.2.2. Paleogene Marine Deposits;656
12.2.2.1;8.2.2.1. Marine Records;656
12.2.2.1.1;East China Sea;656
12.2.2.1.2;Taiwan;658
12.2.2.1.3;South China Sea;659
12.2.2.2;8.2.2.2. Stepwise Southwesterly Advance of the Paleocene-Eocene sea;659
12.3;8.3. Formation of Modern China Seas;661
12.3.1;8.3.1. Formation of the Marginal Basins;661
12.3.2;8.3.2. China Seas in Glacial Cycles;663
12.4;8.4. Debates on Cenozoic Marine Transgressions in China;666
12.5;References;672
13;Chapter 9: Concluding Remarks;676
13.1;9.1. Relatively Young Age of Formation;676
13.2;9.2. Effect of Topographic Reversal of East Asia;676
13.3;9.3. Restricted Connection with the Open Ocean;677
13.4;9.4. Extensive Continental Shelves;678
13.5;References;679
14;Index;682

Leseproben

Chapter 1 Introduction
Pinxian Wang; Qianyu Li; Chun-Feng Li Abstract
The last decades have witnessed rapid progress in geological investigations of the East and South China Seas, as shown by the increasing number of publications. Much of the progress was achieved by Chinese researchers through national and international collaborations especially since the 1980s. A general layout of the book chapters is also given. Keywords Research history Geological cruises Hydrocarbon exploration Scientific publications International collaboration The China Seas, that is, East and South China Seas (SCSs), have recently become a focus of attention for the global community because of many new and ongoing scientific endeavors and rapid development of economy in the surrounding countries. Not only has the fast growth of hydrocarbon production attracted exploration activities of oil companies worldwide, but also the successive discoveries of gas hydrates and hydrothermal vents have also stimulated geological investigations in the region. The China Seas play a substantial role in environmental change and conservation for sustainable development as they are surrounded by the most densely populated areas in the world but have been threatened by all kinds of marine hazards, ranging from harmful algal bloom, hypoxia, and submarine earthquakes to monsoon flooding. On the other hand, the well-preserved thick sediment piles in the China Seas offer a unique opportunity to study the long-term climate variability, particularly the East Asian monsoon, and to fill up the gap in the poorly preserved geological records of the western Pacific. The geological work on the China Seas can be traced back to the 1930s when Tingying Ma published his study on coral growth rate in the SCS (Ma, 1936; see Yang & Oldroyd, 2003, for comments). However, it was not until after World War II did Chinese scientists start to follow his step to explore the coral reefs in the late 1940s. China conducted the first survey of its entire coastal seas in the late 1950s (Zeng, 1994), resulting in some pioneering works in the early 1960s, such as the work on shelf sediment distribution by Qin (1963). In 1960, the first marine geology team was established in Tianjin for oil exploration in the Bohai Gulf and later in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea (ECS). Even during the decade-long turmoil of the so-called Cultural Revolution, Chinese geologists and geophysicists continued their offshore exploration efforts and subsequently discovered oil and gas in the China Seas. The first oil-producing well was drilled in the Bohai Gulf, northern SCS, and the ECS, respectively in 1967, 1977, and 1982 (Xiao, 2000). In 2011, the offshore hydrocarbon output reached one-fifth of the total domestic production in China. The Chinese economic reform since 1978 has drastically increased the industrial and academic investments in marine science and technology. Therefore, the China Seas have seen a boom in geological investigations over the last decades. The unprecedented development in marine geology of the China Seas can be demonstrated simply by the number of publications. Since 1980, at least 121 monographs and atlases on geology of the China Sea have been published in China (Table 1.1), written mostly in Chinese and only 9 of them in English. Table 1.1 Monographs and Atlases on Geology of the China Seas Published in China from 1990 to 2012, Based on Incomplete Statistics 1980–1989 9 4 7 11 31 1990–1999 14 6 8 22 50 2000–2012 17 4 10 9 40 Total 40 14 25 42 121 Along with Chinese scientists across the Taiwan Strait, international scientists, especially those from the countries surrounding the China Seas, have contributed greatly as well. Japanese scientists, for example, have been studying the Okinawa Trough for about 30 years, and their discoveries from deep-water investigations are the most remarkable. Over 200 dives of the human-operated vehicles (HOV) and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) between 1984 and 2001 (Glasby & Notsu, 2003) had led to the discoveries of active hydrothermal fields with sulfide deposits in the mid-Okinawa Trough (Halbach et al., 1989) and sediment-hosted CO2 lakes in the southern Okinawa Trough (Inagaki et al., 2006). Since the 1980s, Korean geologists studied many parts of the Yellow Sea and the adjacent ECS (Chough, 1983; Chough, Lee, & Yoon, 2000). For decades, many SE Asian countries have participated in offshore hydrocarbon exploration and marine geological researches in the SCS, as summarized by Wang and Li (2009). The scientific attraction of the China Seas has resulted in rapid growth of international research projects and joint cruises. The first joint project between the United States and China was on the sediment dynamics of the Yangtze estuary and the shallow ECS, with successful cruises organized in 1980 and 1981 (Jin & Milliman, 1983). Another United States–China joint project was the integrated geophysical survey of the northern SCS margin, with a cruise from October to December 1985 (Nissen et al., 1995). Numerous international cruises on geological subjects have been implemented since 1990 using German and French research vessels, and the first cruise of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) in the China Seas took place in 1999 (Table 1.2). Table 1.2 Major International Geological Cruises to the China Seas Since 1990 Are Shown with their Main Themes R/V Sonne, Germany SO72a Oct. 25–Nov. 18, 1990 Sedimentation Wong (1993) SO95 Apr. 12–Jun. 05, 1994 Paleomonsoon Sarnthein et al. (1994) SO114 Nov. 20–Dec. 12, 1996 Pinatubo ash Wiesner, Kuhnt, and Shipboard Scientific Party (1997) SO115 Dec. 13–Jan. 16, 1997 Sunda Shelf Stattegger, Kuhnt, Wong, and Scientific Party (1997) SO132 Jun. 17–Jul. 09, 1998 Sedimentation Wiesner, Kuhnt, and Shipboard Scientific Party (1998) SO140 Apr. 03–May 04, 1999 Sedimentation Wiesner, Stattegger, Kuhnt, and Shipboard Scientific Party (1999) SO177 Jun. 02–Jul. 02, 2004 Gas hydrates Suess (2005) SO220 Apr. 14–May 16, 2012 SO221 May 17–June 07, 2012 R/V JOIDES Resolution, the United States (Ocean Drilling Program) ODP 184 Feb. 11–Apr. 12, 1999 Asian Monsoon Wang, Prell, and Blum (2000) ODP 195, Site 1202 Apr. 28–May 1, 2001 Okinawa Trough Wei (2006) IODP 349 Jan. 26–Mar. 30, 2014 Tectonics Li, Lin, and Kulhanek (2013) R/V Marion Dufresne, France MD106 (IMAGES III) Apr. 16–Jun. 30, 1997 “IPHIS” Chen, Beaufort, and the Shipboard Scientific Party of the IMAGES III/MD 106-IPHIOS Cruise (Leg II) (1998) MD122 (IMAGES VII) Apr. 30–Jun. 18, 2001 “WEPAMA” Bassinot (2002) MD147 (IMAGES XII) May 15–Jun. 08, 2005 “Marco Polo 1” Laj, Wang, and Balut (2005) MD190 (CIRCEA) Apr. 29–May 21, 2012 Monsoon, ocean, climate R/V L' Atlanta, France “Donghai” Apr. 22–17 May, 1996 Sedimentation Berné, Liu, Guéguen, et al. (1996) The ever-closer international collaboration has efficiently promoted the development of geological science in the China Seas. An example is the joint cruise with the R/V Sonne between Germany and China in 1994 (Sarnthein et al., 1994), which brought the SCS into the global focus of paleomonsoon studies and secured the success of the subsequent ocean drilling leg in 1999. In 2004, scientists onboard the same vessel discovered cold-seep carbonates in the northern SCS (Suess, 2005), further stimulating gas hydrate exploration in the region. Of particular significance was ODP Leg 184 targeted on the evolution and variability of the East China monsoon (Wang et al., 2000), a groundbreaking endeavor in the deep-sea research of the China Seas. The...