The element geochemical behavior and provenance of marine sediments are of significance to understanding the oceanic material cycle. Here, we tested the grain size and major and trace elements of 35 surface sediments in the offshore area of Sierra Leone, analyzed the content characteristics and controlling factors of the elements, discussed the material source of the sediments, and made a comparative study with the sediments in the offshore area of China. The results show that sandy silt is the main sediment type in the research area, and the average sediment mean grain size (Mz) is 4.15Φ. The content of Ca in the samples is the highest among the major elements (except Si), with an average of 5.1%. The content of Sr is the highest among the trace elements (except Ti, P, and Mn), with an average of 378.2 μg/g. The results of correlation analysis and factor analysis show that there are three main sources of sediments in the research area, namely, terrigenous weathering products, ilmenite-dominated ore, and oceanic biochemical substances. Compared with the sediments in China offshore, the sediments in the study area are more affected by marine biochemistry and have special ore input characteristics.

Bays are active land–sea transition zones where the internal hydrodynamic processes control the material exchange between the bay and open sea. Yet, the differences and potential connectivity of those processes between adjacent bays and off-bay areas remains understudied. Using in situ observations during a spring tide in May 2020, complemented with satellite imagery and reanalysis dataset, this study examines sediment dynamics in two neighboring bays of central Fujian—Shenhu Bay (SHB) and Weitou Bay (WTB). Results show that SHB exhibits tidal asymmetry with strong offshore export, while WTB has weaker, vertically divergent residual currents with bottom-layer seaward suspended sediment flux. Outside the bays, residual currents and sediment flux follow a northeastward coastal pathway under late-spring circulation. Sediment transport from bay interiors to mouths and is further transported downstream by regional circulation, potentially entering adjacent bay through exchange between the bay and the open sea. Mechanism analysis indicates that Eulerian residual currents dominate net sediment transport, whereas tidal pumping is minor. These findings reveal sediment export pathways and inter-bay connectivity, advancing understanding of coastal sediment dynamics and material cycling in Fujian waters.

As a key sedimentary body connecting the north and South Yellow Sea, the subaqueous clinoform off Shandong Peninsula plays an important role in the sedimentary system of China seas, and it is also a studied example in the study among the major “source to sink” systems. Based on AMS ¹⁴C dating, sediment grain size, major and trace element contents from core WH-05 located at the edge of the clinoform, we discuss changes in the deposition rate, analyze sediment provenance and controlling factors, and reveal the environmental evolution of the source area since the Holocene. Results from core WH-05 show that marine sedimentation began at about 8.5 ka B.P. The deposition rate decreased from the initial 28.37 m/ka to 0.52 m/ka. Sediment provenance suggests that the Huanghe river sediments have been the main source for the study area since the Holocene. The As/Al, V/Sc indicators show that the environmental oxidation environment was gradually weakened and then increased slightly starting from 7.0 ka B.P. The change in redox is consistent with the change in sea level, the deposition rate, and depositional depth.

Existing bollard force measurement methods have not yet been able to realise simple, accurate, and efficient measurements of the bollard force of a single ship’s cable. In this paper, an experimental study on the measurement of ship bollard force is carried out with reference to the calculation method of measuring the cable force of a diagonal cable. Based on the fundamental frequency method and the frequency difference method, a new comprehensive method is proposed to detect the fundamental frequency of cable vibration. A study on the identification of the cable condition based on the measured vibration data is also carried out. Experimental studies on the error rate of different data acquisition positions, excitation methods, excitation positions, wetted cables, different temperatures, and other influencing factors were conducted, and a new excitation method based on environmental excitation and artificial excitation was proposed. By analysing the calculated values of the vibration frequency method and the tensile values of the prototype test platform, it is concluded that the data acquisition position, excitation position, and excitation method have a small influence on the measured value of the ship’s bollard force, and the range of the error rate increases by about 1.5% under the wetting of the cable and ±2% under the low temperature (2 °C), with the integrated error range of −5% to 4%, and the error rate can satisfy the normal distribution well, and the measurement accuracy is corrected by correcting the length of the cable. The measurement accuracy is corrected by correcting the cable length. It is proved that the method has strong feasibility and applicability, and can effectively realise simple, accurate, and efficient measurement of ship bollard force.