Clay mineral distributions in surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea and surrounding river sediments: Sources and transport patterns

•We have examined clay mineralogy of surface sediments throughout the Liaodong Bay and surrounding rivers.•Four characteristic end-members in clay compositions were observed from four major provenances.•The clay minerals are mainly derived from the surrounding rivers, besides the bedrocks erosion around.•The distribution patterns of clay minerals are closely related to river inputs, the regional currents, and tidal systems.

Clay mineralogy of surface sediments throughout the Liaodong Bay and surrounding fluvial samples has been analyzed in order to reveal sources and spatial transport patterns of the detrital fine-grained sediments. Four characteristic end-members in clay compositions were observed from four major provenances, respectively: high content of smectite and scarce chlorite from northern rivers, and Luan River, high illite and low smectite from southern rivers, highest content of illite from eastern rivers, mediate content from western rivers. The sources and distribution patterns of clay minerals are closely related to river inputs, the regional currents, and tide systems. The clays covered in the southwest (SW zone) are primarily supplied by the Luan River and the Liugu River. While the clays in the northern Liaodong Bay (North Zone) derived from the northern rivers seem to be transported mainly via the surface currents. The clay minerals in the southeast (SE zone) sourced from the Laotieshan passage are attributed to the northward residual currents. Furthermore, the materials resulted from bedrocks erosion may bring a few clay minerals.