Modern Sedimentary Environment of Jinhae Bay, SE Korea

Jinhae Bay, one of the largest tidal bays on the southern coast of Korea, is an area with thick accumulations of recent, fine-grained sediments, mainly supplied from the Nakdong River. The preponderance of silt and clay particles reflects the large quantity of sediments transported in suspension. Although the clay mineral assemblage is similar to that derived from the nearby Nakdong River, relatively high concentration (3-9%) of smectite suggests some local input of fine particles from several streams around the bay or some contribution from the offshore water that may be influenced by the Tsushima Current. The content of organic matters in sediments is as high as 12%, and their C/N ratios imply that they are comprised of mixtures derived from marine plankton and terrestrial plants. $^{210}Pb$ excess activity profiles of sediment cores yield an average sedimentation rate (a 100-year time scale) of about 2-5 mm/yr, which coincides well with the long-term sedimentation rate (a 1000-year time scale) estimated from the sediment isopach map. On the basis of sediment bulk density and sedimentation rate, an annual sink of mud in the bay is estimated approximately 1.0 ${\times}$ $10^{6}$ tons per year.