Sediment source is a key issue in sedimentology. Although sediment geochemistry is an important tool in sedimentology, the explorations and applications of radionuclides in sediment geochemistry are still limited. In this study, naturally occurring radionuclides (238U, 226Ra, 228Ra, and 40K) in sediments were simultaneously measured using a high-purity germanium γ-spectrometer in three typical ecosystems of mangrove, seagrass, and coral reefs. The distribution characteristics of radionuclides in sediments from the these ecosystems were discussed in one-dimensional view of activity level, two-dimensional view of radionuclide pairs and activity ratio, and three-dimensional view of ternary diagram of radionuclides to identify distinct sources of sediments. Ternary diagram of 238U-232Th(228Ra)-40K/10 in sediments was applied in the China different seas for tracking distinct sediment sources. This study emphasized that the three-dimensional view of ternary diagram of 238U-232Th(228Ra)-40K/10 comprehensively exhibited the information of activity level, composition, and spatial distribution area of radionuclides. In conclusion, ternary diagram of 238U-232Th(228Ra)-40K/10 may be an optimized method for source identification in sediments and provide a supplement to the existing tools of geochemical proxies.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |