In June, 1998, 61 surfacial sediment samples in the south of the Yellow Sea and 24 finegrained sediment samples of overbanks of the Yellow River and Yangtze River were collected. Of the 17 elements analyzed for all samples, 7 elements (Al2O 3, CaO, Na2O, K2O, Cu, Zn, Ti) were selected as valid parameters for distinguish ing substance of the Yellow River from the Yangtze River using the stepwise disc riminant analysis. Two discriminant functions, Y1 and Y2, were constituted utilizing the seven elements to calulate the two fuctional values for each of 61 surface sediment samples, on the basis of which the derived natures of the samples were distinguished. The result of the discriminant analysis demonstrates that the whole surface sediment region of the south of the Yellow Sea can be divided into three subregions with different sources: the first is subregion dominatedby the Yangtze River′s source, the second is one by the Yillow River′ssource and the third is subregion mixed by the Yellow and Yangtze River′s sources.