Quaternary stratigraphic architecture of the Pearl River Mouth continental shelf, northern South China Sea: Unravelling stratigraphic imprints of tectonism, paleoceanography, and climate change

The complexity of continental shelf stratigraphy is determined by the interactions among various global or local factors. However, their specific roles are still poorly understood. Using a newly-acquired grid of single-channel seismic reflection profiles, combined with piston cores, shallow boreholes, and industrial wells, this study investigates the sequence stratigraphic architecture and evolution of the Quaternary continental shelf offshore the Pearl River Mouth (PRM), northern South China Sea (SCS). Three types of bounding surfaces have been identified according to their stratal terminations: erosional surfaces (ESs), flat-lying surfaces (FSs), and locally dipping surfaces (LDSs). Given the limited extent of LDSs, we utilized ES/FS couplets to subdivide the upper Quaternary section into six high-frequency sequences (SQ6–SQ1) and their corresponding systems tracts. Within each sequence, regional progradational clinoforms (RPCs) prevail across the entire shelf and are accompanied by downstepping shoreline trajectories, which we interpreted as deposits of falling-stage systems tract. RPCs are interrupted by intercalated sheeted units (ISUs) characterized by high-amplitude and continuous seismic reflections, which may consist of transgressive and lowstand deposits. In younger sequences particularly SQ2 and SQ1, progradational-aggradational clinoforms (PACs) with ascending shoreline trajectories are well developed but confined to the shelf margin, indicating efficient sedimentation during lowstand. Our results revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in stratigraphic architectures of the PRM shelf. Along the SW–NE direction, the stratigraphic pattern changes from progradation to retrogradation and back to progradation, resulting in three sectors with distinct shoreline trajectories. Retreating shoreline trajectories and retrogradational stacking patterns are preferentially present in areas adjacent to the Dongsha Rise, which are jointly influenced by several local factors such as tectonism and intense marine processes. Temporally, a dramatic change in stratigraphic patterns can be observed across a key surface ES4, dated ca. 0.6 Ma. Below ES4, fluvial incisions are scarce and RPCs are overall low-angle and capped with relatively thick ISUs. No lowstand PACs were observed. Above ES4, large-scale incised valley networks appear, together with increased scale and dominance of RPCs and PACs. This stratigraphic imprint is attributed to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), which caused a noticeable increase in periodicity, amplitude, and asymmetry of glacio-eustatic cycles. The increased scale of RPCs and PACs after the MPT may reflect increased sediment input due to high denudation rate under intensified monsoon climate.