Abstract
Accumulation of fine particles deteriorates ecosystem of tide lands over Japan. In many cases, the cause of fine particle accumulation is unknown, and it makes building an effective countermeasure difficult. In this research, we analyze fourteen rare earth elements (REEs) in soils of Yamaguchi Bay and its tributary basins. Then we try to determine the source of tide land soils by conducting cluster analysis using content (by weight or composition ratio, by industry oriented or non-industry oriented, and in all particles or in fine particles) of REEs. We found that in our target field, REEs are originated from rivers, and rivers can be classified by using REE content by percentage in fine particles. By cluster analysis and content comparison, we could determine the origin of some tide land soils successfully.
