Occurrence and environmental implications of magnetic iron sulfides in stiff muds from the continental shelf of the East China Sea

Magnetic properties were measured on 370 vibrocores obtained from the outer continental shelf of the East China Sea, with the aim of reconstructing environmental changes during the late Quaternary. High SIRM/χ values (>25 kA m^-1) found in stiff muds of late Pleistocene age suggest the presence of magnetic iron sulfides, especially greigite. Framboidal aggregates of greigite were further identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attached energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analyses, as well as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the magnetic separates. The occurrence of magnetic iron sulfides indicates the complex oxidation-reduction of the stiff muds, resulting from exposure and inundation during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the post-glacial transgression, respectively.