• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.733-753
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• 1994

Monthly mean sea levels from 103 tidal stations in Korea, Japan, and Russia are analyzed to study long-period sea level variations. Barometric adjustment are done for all the sea level data, using monthly air pressures at sea levels from meteorological stations near tidal stations. Seasonal variation is dominant in most of study area. It is the largest in the coasts along the Tsushima Current, and the smallest in the Russian coasts. The cross-correlations of seasonal variations are very high between the coasts along the Tsushima Current. In these marginal seas, seasonal variations seem to be related with the Tsushima Current. The phase of seasonal variations is generally getting late from south to north, and also from west to east. On the other hand, longer-period variations(longer than seasonal variation) have the largest amplitudes and the earliest phases in the coasts along the Pacific Ocean, which shows that they propagate from the Pacific Ocean. Shorter-period variations (shorter than seasonal variation) have generally lower cross correlations. Their values do not show any dictinct difference between areas, and show a common tendency that they are inversely proportional to distance. It implies that the shorter period waves are generated all over the study areas, and propagate in all the directions with faster dissipations. The trends of sea levels in the study area are generally negative in the coasts along the Pacific Ocean and positive in the other areas during the period of 1965 to 1985. By the trends, the mean volume transport between Cheju and Sasebo can be reduced by about 1 Sv during the period. The seasonal variation of volume transport obtained by sea level difference is about 2 Sv in the Korea Strait. The values are comparable to previous reports.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 1975

Oceanographic conditions of the coastal water around Chungmu, one of the most important oyster farming areas in Korea, were studied from May to November in 1974 to find out the environmental influence to oyster farming. Six localities, Goseong Bay, Jaran Bay, off Saryangdo, Hansilpo, Tong-yeong Bay and Juklimpo were selected for monthly oceanographic observation and biological sampling. Flood current running westward brings saline water from the south-east and ebb current brings the low salinity water of Jinju Bay into this area. The waters in Juklimpo, Hansilpo and Tong-yeong Bay are slightly cooler and more saline than the waters in Goseong Bay, Jaran Bay and off Saryangdo. The amount of dissolved oxygen is lowest in September and Hansilpo has the least oxygen during summer. Silicate content is lower in waters of Tong-yeong Bay, Juklimpo and off Saryangdo than those of Goseong Bay, Hansilpo and Jaran Bay. Suspended matter in this area ranges from 7.4 to 16.6 mg/l and scarce in Jaran Bay, Juklimpo and off Saryangdo. Chlorophyll a shows large seasonal variation and local fluctuation. Composition of phyto-plankton reveals the difference between the waters of Goseong Bay, Jaran Bay and off Saryangdo and the waters of Hansilpo, Tong-yeong Bay and Juklimpo. The growth of oyster was good in Juklimpo, Tong-yeong Bay and Goseong Bay and worst in Hansilpo. The highest mortality was observed $82\%$ in the waters off Saryangdo.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.303-312
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• 2008

Despite the impacts of the climate changes on the pelagic ecosystem, few studies have examined the pelagic-benthic coupling in the adjacent East China Sea and Korea Strait. Therefore, the species composition and abundance of the macrobenthic community, as well as the potential food sources of benthic fauna were investigated in the present study using stable isotope analysis (${\delta}^{13}C\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N$) for suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM), sedimentary organic matter (SOM), phytoplankton, and zooplankton. A total of 157 macrobenthic fauna were collected, and the density of the macrobenthic fauna ranged from 4 to 434 ind./0.25 $m^2$, with an average density of 149 ind./0.25 $m^2$. The density of the benthic fauna increased moving from offshore shelf sites to coastal sites adjacent to the Korea Strait. Cluster analysis showed that the macrobenthic communities consisted of three distinct groups: group A in the Korea Strait, group B in the East China Sea, and group C near Ieodo. The dominant species in group A were the amphipods Photis japonica and Ampelisca miharaensis, followed by the polychaete Scolotoma longifolia. Environmental variables, such as the temperature of the seawater and sediment, and oxygen, and chlorophyll a levels, appeared to affect the structure of the community, suggesting the importance of coupling with the pelagic system. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SPOM and zooplankton ranged from -22.97 to -23.5% and -19.92 to -21.86%, respectively, showing a relatively narrow range(<1%) between the two components. The difference between the ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SOM and pelagic organic matter was also within 1%, suggesting that the SOM originated from the pelagic system, which is an important factor controlling the macrobenthic community.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.331-340
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• 1988

Using the oceanographic data during 196s~ 1983, the seasonal variation of the water type in the Tsushima Current is discussed by analyzing the thermosteric anomaly $(\delta_T)$. By investigating with the index of $33.8\%_{\circ}$ in salinity, it is shown that the low saline water inflowed through the Korea Strait affects the variations of water type in surface layer from summer to fall. On the sea surface, the value of $\delta_T$ is affected mainly by the sea surface temperature (SST). However, in summer, $\delta_T$ is temporarily influenced by the transitional characteristic of the surface salinity. It has the minimum value in winter when the SST is the highest and the sea surface salinity is the lowest. In fall, it decreases as the SST decreases. Specifically, the value of $\delta_T$ is 779 cl/t in August in the region of Korea Strait and 667 cl/t in September in the East Coast of Korea. These values are larger than that of the Kuroshio where is 622 cl/t in August. This phenomenon is due to the inflow of low saline water into these area during summer. In loom depth, the seasonal variation of the $\delta_T$ is not so significant as the surface and is mainly dependent on the annual temperature variation. In general, $\delta_T$ decreases as the Tsushima Current flows to the north.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2005

Sediment texture, physical (porosity, water content, bulk density, grain density, and shear strength), and geoacoustic properties (compressional wave velocity and attenuation) were measured on eighteen core samples collected from the shelf off eastern Geoje Island, the South Sea of Korea. Based on these properties, the study area is divided into three different sub-areas: (1) Area I affected directly by the Nakdong River discharge; (2) Area II covered by the southern branch of the Nakdong River discharge; and (3) Area III dominated by relict sediment. Mean grain size, velocity, and bulk density decrease from Area $I(7.4\Phi,\;1528m/s,\;1.6g/cm^3,\;respectively)$ to Area $II(8.1\Phi,\;1485m/s,\;and\;1.5g/cm^3)$, and then increase rather rapidly in Area $III(1.4\Phi,\;1664m/s,\;and\;2.2g/cm^3)$. Porosity, on the other hand, exhibits an opposite trend, increasing from Area $I(64.5\%)$ to Area$II(73.9\%)$ and then decreasing significantly in Area $III(32.9\%)$ From the results measured and calculated, we suggest a specified geoacoustic model in the study area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.663-676
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• 1996

Physical properties and textural parameters of thirty-five piston tore samples recovered from the southeastern coast of Korea (Korea Strait), were investigated using the autopycnometer. The physical properties (porosity, water content, wet bulk density, dry bulk density, gram density, and void ratio) were measured at rather uniform intervals along each core. Sediment texture (grain size, sand, silt, and clay contents) was also measured at the same subbottom depth. The measured and calculated results are; mean grain size $0.57\~8.09\phi(average:3.67\phi)$, porosity $26\~81\%\;(average:\;55\%)$, water content $16.7\~61.4\%(average:\;31.6\%)$, wet bulk density $1.37\~2.18g/cm^3\;(average:\;1.85g/cm^3)$, dry bulk density $2.55\~3.11g/cm^3\;(average:\;2.35g/cm^3)$, grain density $2.40\~3.10g/cm^3\;(average:\;2.85g/cm^3)$, and void ratio $0.56\~2.54$ (average: 0.94). The sediment texture generally coincides well with the bathymetry indicating the influence of Pleistocene-Holocene sea level changes. Also the contours of physical properties are closely related to the sediment texture. Fluctuation of physical properties are similar to the textural variation. It seems that sediment texture is a significant factor in determining physical property in this study area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.413-427
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• 1991

Variability of sea levels at Mukho and Ullungdo and sea level difference(SLD) associated with current is investigated. Time series of adjusted sea levels at both places have very similar pattern of change. Two components appear to contribute to the correlation between sea level and SLD. Low frequency thermosteric effect causes the sea level to rise and fall at the same time. Geostrophic effect of major currents is responsible for the sea level change in opposite ways at both sides. Two contributions have a cancelling effect for sea level change at Mukho while they are additive at Ullungdo. Characteristics of time series in frequency domain are divided into two parts with respect to 0.01 cycles per day(cpd). At Mukho, the cancelling effect yields small values of coherence for low-frequency bands whereas the dominant geostrophic influence may be responsible for the phase relations of about $\pm 180^{\circ}$ between sea level and SLD at higher frequency. Bimonthly dynamic height difference(DHD) between Mukho and Ullungdo is very significantly correlated with SLD. This result suggests that DHD thus the average velocity of current through the Mukho-Ullungdo section can successfully be diagnosed by the sea level records at both locations. For the annual variations, maximum SLD occurs at Mukho-Ullungdo section about 40 days later than the Korea Strait.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2010

Analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles acquired from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the late Quaternary transgressive deposits consist of six seismic units created in response to sea-level rise. These units with different seismic facies and geometry can be grouped into two distinct depositional wedges (paralic and marine) bounded by a ravinement surface. The paralic component underlying the ravinement surface consists of the sediment preserved from shoreface erosion and contains incised-channel fill, ancient beach-shoreface deposit and estuarine deposit. The top of paralic unit is truncated by a ravinement surface and overlain by marine component. The marine component consists of the sediment produced through shoreface erosion during landward transgression and contains mid-shelf sand sheet, mid-shelf sand ridge and inner shelf sand sheet. Such transgressive stratigraphic architecture of six sedimentary units is controlled by a function of lateral changes in the balance among rates of relative sea-level rise, sediment input and marine processes at any given time.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.519-531
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• 2006

Sea surface height (SSH) around fe Korean Peninsula was investigated as a rising rate of $3.89mm\;yr^{-1}$ on the average from 1993 to 2005, which is 1.3 times higher rising rate, compared to the world ocean. In the present study, to investigate SSH changes in regional sections of the East Sea, the Yellow Sea, the South Sea, and the Korea Strait, DT-MSLA (Delayed Time-Maps of Sea Level Anomalies) with multi-satellite data (Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1, ERS, Envisat), provided by AVISO (Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic data), was used. The periodicity in interannual variability was dominant for $4\sim5$ year in summer, and 3 year in winter as well as an increasing trend. The amplitude and phase for the annual and semi-annual mode in SSH and SST were investigated with harmonic analysis. The geographical distribution of amplitudes for comparison of SSH and SST are slightly reverse in southwest-northeast tilted direction. The monthly SST and SSH is highly correlated correlation coefficient about 0.7 with lag of one or two months over the East Sea and the South Sea during June-August. These results suggest that the Kuroshio stream is dominant during summer over these regions.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.297-310
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• 2022

To understand the chemical composition of aerosols in the Cheju-Korea Straits and their contribution to the ocean by deposition, aerosol samples were collected on board R/V Eardo from November 1997 to May 1999. The average concentrations of Al, NO₃^-, non-sea-salt (nss)-SO₄^2-, and NH₄⁺ in aerosols were 2.19, 5.59, 6.16 and 2.08 ㎍ m^-3, respectively. The Al concentration in the high yellow dust period was about 100 times higher than that in the non-yellow dust period. The concentration ratio of NO₃^-/nss-SO₄^2- ranged between 0.47 and 1.5, indicating that the aerosols in the Cheju-Korea Straits are under the effects of NO_x and SO_x emitted from China, Korea and Japan. The equivalent concentration ratio of [NH₄⁺]/[nss-SO₄^2-+ NO₃^-] with the average of 0.58±0.29 indicates that nss-SO₄^2- and NO₃^- are not neutralized by NH₄⁺. A high activity concentration of ²¹⁰Pb with 1.13-1.23 mBq m^-3 was observed during the high yellow dust period, indicating that ²¹⁰Pb is easily adsorbed in the yellow dust originating from the continent of Asia. The distribution of ⁷Be and NH₄⁺ concentrations showed a strong negative linear correlation during the low yellow dust period, April 1998. The total mineral dust flux in the Cheju-Korea Straits was estimated to be 1.21×10⁶ tons yr^-1, accounting for about 12% of the annual sediment discharge via the Nakdong River. The combined annual deposition of NH₄⁺ and NO₃^- was 0.103 mole N m^-2 yr^-1 was estimated to support 4% of the annual primary productivity in the East China Sea.