Study on Zoned Characteristics and Formation Cause of the East China Sea Submarine Topography

Abstract

Based on the multi-beam bathymetric data observed in the East China Sea during 1997 to 2001, the East China Sea submarine topographic characteristics were reviewed and analyzed systematically. Based on the above analysis and study, the East China Sea submarine topography can be divided into 4 topographic areas, namely, continental shelf, continental slope, the Okinawa Trough plain and eastern island slope. In this paper, the submarine topographic characteristics of different topographic areas are analysed and described, 5 representative profiles are analysed, and the factors affecting the East China Sea submarine topographic development are also analysed. Several new understandings or corrections for the East China Sea submarine topography are suggested, and they include (1) the shelf break line is determined to be at 160 m depth rather than 200 m depth, the boundary line between inner shelf and outer shelf is at 50 m depth.