中文摘要：

谢帕德（Shepard，1954）和福克（Folk）等（1970）的沉积物结构分类是较为常用的两种分类方法。尽管都是基于沉积物粒度组成的三元分类，但分类的出发点和基本思路有很大的不同。Shepard分类是三端元等价的纯描述性分类，不反映沉积物粒度组成的水动力学属性，砾质沉积物未考虑在内。Folk分类虽然也是三端元分类，但三个端元是不等价，首先按砂／泥比划分基本类型，然后再按粉砂／黏土比进一步分类，砂／泥比反映动力强度的大小，粉砂／黏土比反映介质的混浊度，具有明显的动力学意义。鉴于粒度分异与搬运距离的成因联系，Folk分类也是分析物源区的工具。笔者用两种分类研究了南黄海的表层沉积物，发现按照Folk分类，南黄海的表层沉积物分布可以分为两个沉积系列。在南黄海西部，沉积物由西向东依次为砂-粉砂质砂-砂质粉砂-粉砂；而在东部，由东向西依次为砂-泥质砂-砂质泥-泥组成。由岸及海随着沉积水动力由强变弱，沉积物粒度变细，大致与由东西两侧的强潮流作用区到中部的静水涡流作用区的动力学格局相一致，在一定程度上反映了沉积环境的变化、沉积物的物源和输运方向。实践证明，Folk分类的应用效果明显优于Shepard分类，可以较好地满足海洋地质研究的需要，应当在我国海洋沉积物的研究中予以推广。

英文摘要：

Both the Shepard＇s and Folk＇s classifications of detrital sediments are used in mapping the surficial sediments of the South Yellow Sea, In accordance with Shepard＇s nomenclature the detrital sediments in the mapping area are divided into sandy silt, silty sand, silt, clayey silt, sand silt-clay and sand, and following the Folk＇s classification, they are sand, silt, mud, silty sand, sandy silt, sandy mud, muddy sand,gravelly mud and so on. Results show that the Shepard＇s classification is only a descriptive one. The three end members of the triangle are equal in significance with no meaning of hydrodynamics. However, the classification proposed by Folk et al treated the three end members of the triangle in accordance with their dynamic significance, The map compiled upon Folk＇s classification demonstrates that grain size components are the effective indicator of hydrodynamics. The distribution of the sediments, therefore, can indicate the change of the sedimentary environment. The fine components of sediments clearly increase as the environments change from high energy environments to low energy ones, The distribution of sediments also has the function to indicate the provenance of the sediments. In the map, the west part of the South Yellow Sea is dominated by sediment from sand to silt, but the east part by sediments from sand to mud. In this regard, Folk＇s classification is highly recommended in mapping the surficial sediments in the future offshore mapping programs.