Characteristics of Sand Waves on the Northern South China Sea Shelf and Its Formation

• 责任者：Luan Xiwu (Key Lab. of Marine Geology and Environment ; Institute of Oceanology ; Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) ; Qingdao 266071 ; China) ; Peng Xuechao
• 刊名：Acta Geologica Sinica
• 出版年：2010
• 卷期：84(2)
• 关键词：洋底 ; ocean floors ; 沙波 ; sand waves ; 南海 ; South China Sea
• 页码：p.233-245
• 图表：12 illus., 1 table, 37 refs.
• 分类号：0200
• issnNo：ISSN0001-5717
• isbnNo：CN11-1951/P

Sand waves on the northern South China Sea Shelf had been considered as stable relict bed form. For the industry use of sea bed between LF13-2 and LF13-1, a new round exploration was carried out. The newly obtained data show that both spacings and amplitudes of sand waves are all systematically changing with water depth. Repeated observations since 2003 to 2004 showed that the sea bed is currently active. This paper points out that present-day oceanographic condition couples well with the sand wave morphologies, and the sand waves are to a great extent in equilibrium with the ongoing present-day oceanographic bottom current condition, and active.