| To investigate the marine sand resources in the western offshore of Hainan Island, drilling opera-tions were carried out in the western offshore region of Hainan Island. The results of borehole dating, grain size, andmineral characteristic analyses indicate that, since the Last Glacial Maximum, the sedimentary formations in thewestern offshore area have become coarser from bottom to top. The lithology primarily consists of silt, gravelly sand,and gravelly mud, with the sedimentary environment transitioning from estuarine tidal flats to continental, near‐shore, and coastal environments. The dominant minerals identified are quartz and feldspar, followed by limonite,magnetite, hematite, biotite, etc. Two layers of buried building marine sand were developed. The first layer, buriedat a depth of 2.2 m, has a thickness of 2.58 m, while the second layer, buried at 6 m, has a thickness of 1.5 m, withthe first layer being thicker. The marine sand is mainly composed of grayish-yellow gravelly sand, with quartz beingthe main mineral. A comprehensive analysis shows that the formation of marine sand is closely related to the supplyof material sources in Hainan Island, as well as the transformation of landforms influenced by climate and sea levelchanges. The buried marine sand discovered in this study is within the recoverable water depth range, shallow inburial, and holds prospecting significance. This study indicates that the sedimentary environment since the last gla-cial maximum has a controlling effect on sea sand formation. The research results provide a scientific basis for fu-ture exploration of sea sand resources. |