Geochemical indices of fine sediment transport, northwest Gulf of Mexico.

The 210Pb distribution, the clay mineralogy distribution, and the distribution of three trace metals, Ba, Pb, and Mn, in the sediments of the south Texas shelf are related to the dynamics of the sedimentary transport process. 210Pb, whose concentration is time dependent, defines three loci of recent sediment accumulations. The variation of 210Pb activity at the sediment-water interface delineates areas of terrestrial sedimentation from hemipelagic sedimentation. Ba tags sediment movement from areas of hydrocarbon exploration. Pb concentrations tag the sediment derived from metropolitan complexes. Mn is concentrated in areas of very slow sediment accumulation. A model of sediment transport and deposition which relates currents, wind, tides, sediment flux, and precipitation has been formulated. -from Author