• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-90
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• 2017

This study investigated the correlation between the diatom community and the environmental variables on the tidal flat surface of the eastern part of Gomso Bay in the West coast of Korea in order to utilize the quantitative sea level record as a basic data. 24 sediment samples at 10cm intervals downstream of the Galgok Stream were used for diatom analysis, grain size analysis and CCA. As a result of diatom analysis, marine diatoms dominated at lower altitudes and the ratio of diatoms to fresh water diatoms and brackish diatoms increased toward upland. As a result of CCA, the contribution of environmental variables was analyzed as 25.3% at altitude, 21.6% at sand, 13.3% at skewness, etc. This means that altitude above sea level has the greatest influence on the diatom composition in the tidal flat surface. It suggests that the contribution of environmental variables at altitude above sea level can be used as a basic data for the quantitative records for reconstruction of paleo-sea level.