. In addition, the litho- genic matter fluxes, MLD, sea surface wind velocity (SSWV), sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) were utilized to elucidate the potential environmental controls of diatom growth in the northern SCS. An important aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of differences between diatom assemblages in the sea water and at the sea floor, which is extremely important issue in connection with the study palaeo- climate and palaeooceanography based on sediment cores