• 한국해양학회지
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1987

A study on sedimentation, geochemical behavior and seismic stratigrapht of the continental shelf sediments along the Korea Strait and a part of south and southeast offshore area of the Korea Peninsula was carried out. In the inner shelf floor with depth ranging up to 80m zonal distribution patterns of mud, sandy silt, and silty sand were observed. In the outer shelf, however, coarse sandy sediments are dominant, and shills and gravels were frequently observed. These observations seem to confirm the Holocene sedimentary processes on the continental shelves off the south, south to east coasts of Korea discussed by Park (1985 and 1986) and Park and Choi (1986). The suface sediments (upper most 5cm thick)from selected 9 stations were analyzed for Al,Mn, Fe,Cr,Ni,Cu,Zn and Pb in order to study geochemical behavior of the sediments in the study area. All data were normalized to Al to com,pensate the size effect of the sediments.In general,inner shelf sediments show slight enrichment compared to the outer shelf sediments.In particular,Pb and Zn show heavy enrichment in most of the sediments.to degrees comparable to those observed at the polluted Kwangyang and Masan Bay sediments.Thus,it is considered that rapid migration or movement of fine-grained sediments in the study area does exist. Three seismic stratigraphic units were analyzed based on the seismic records.The acoustic basement the lower sedimentary deposit(B)and the upper deposit(A)were observed.The strong reflectivity R,in particular, between unit A and B is considered to be an erosinal unconformity during the last Glacial time.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 1986

A Q-mode factor analysis for 115 surficial bottom sediments on the continental shelf off the southeast coast of Korean Peninsula(the Korea Strait) has been carried out to determine the depositional environments. The first four factors are taken as the "principal" factors, and the results are considered to represent the depositional history and sedimentary processes in relation to the Holocene sea-level changes. The fact implies that the sediments are grouped as outer-shelf relict sand sediments, inner-shelf modern muddy sediments, and finally the palimpsest sediments that are mainly distributed within and around the Korea Trough.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.271-281
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• 2002

Interpretation of high-resolution seismic profiles collected from the inner shetf of the Korea Strait reveals that the shelf sequence in this area consists of three sedimentary units (I, II, and III in a descending order) formed after the last glacial maximum. Lower two units (II and III) represent the transgressive systems tract formed during the Holocene transgression, Unit III above the sequence boundary is interpreted to be the transgressive estuarine deposit, whereas Unit ll above the ravinement surface forms a thin transgressive sand which consists of the sediment produced through shoreface erosion and winnowing during the transgression. Unit I above the maximum flooding surface is the highstand systems tract consisting mainly of recent muds derived from the Nakdong River.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 1994

Bedform morphology of the giant ripples have been studied on the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea, East China sea and Korea-Tsushima Strait on the basis of side-scan sonar image, sub-bottom profile, sedimentary facies, geomorphology evidence and hydrology. There are well developed giant ripples ranging from 100 to 500 m in wavelengths and from 2 to 10 m in wave height at nine sites in the study area, which are covered by medium to fine sand. Most of them have been formed under the present hydrologic regime where the tidal currents and local currents or turbulence flows are superimposed. In the study area, giant ripples are produced on two different environments. One is at the geomorphic narrow zone such as the Korea Strait where currents are accelerated by the topographic effects, while the other is the sandy flat plain where tidal currents and local currents are harmonized.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 2007

To study the composition of the developmental stages of Maurolicus japonicus eggs distributed in the western Korea Strait, we investigated the water temperature, salinity, eggs and larvae in December 2002. The Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water (KSBCW) lower than $10^{\circ}C$ was found in off the Ulsan and Busan where M. japonicus eggs were the most abundant. The composition of the developmental stages of M. japonicus eggs at each station were composed of 37.7~89.5% in the first stage, 8.5~37.8% in the middle stage and 0.0~24.7% in the last stage respectively. In the southern area where the KSBCW appeared, the first stage eggs occupied 73.3~89.5%. The high percentage of the first stage eggs indicated that the eggs should be transported by the cold water lower than $10^{\circ}C$ from the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea. In the northern area where the KSBCW was not found, the first, middle and last stage eggs were composed of 37.5%, 37.8% and 24.7% respectively. The ratios of middle and last stage eggs were much higher than those in the southern area with the KSBCW, which implies that the eggs are recruited into the northern area from the southern area with the KSBCW by the Tsushima Warm Current. The pre-larvae found only in the middle and northern part of the study area would be hatched during the transport of eggs from the southern area with the KSBCW by the Tsushima Warm Current.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2003

A 31m-long sediment core (SSDP-102) was taken from the inner shelf (about 40m water-depth) off the northwestern coast of the Korea Strait. Detailed lithofacies and organic-geochemical analyses were performed to establish a high-resolution stratigraphy in the Korea Strait shelf and to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes associated with the Holocene marine transgression. The stratigraphic framework of the core was primarily established using 6 AMS $^{14}C$ ages. The sedimentary record of the core SSDP-102 allows for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental changes during the last 12.1 ka BP. According to the high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, lithofacies and organic-geochemical data, the core SSDP-102 can be divided into three units (III to I in ascending order) above the acoustic basement. The three units reflect distinct changes of depositional environments resulted from the post-glacial marine transgression. Therefore, it is suggested that three phases of sea-level change have occurred within the inner shelf of the Korea Strait following the Holocene marine transgression. (1) estuarine environments from ca. 12.1 to 6.2 ka BP; (2) near-shore environments with a period of decreased rising of sea level between 6.2 and 5.1 ka BP; (3) near-shore to modem marine environments after 5.1 ka BP. In particular, the present marine conditions influenced by the warm Tsushima Current have been gradually established after ca. 5.1 ka BP.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2005

Interpretation of high-resolution seismic profiles from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the sedimentary deposits consist of seven seismic units formed during the late Quaternary. These units comprise lowstand, transgressive, and highstand systems tracts. The lowstand systems tract consists of a lowstand prograding wedge (SU1) and a mass flow deposit (SU2) including slumps and slides. The transgressive systems tract contains four seismic units: an ancient beach/shoreface deposit (SU3), a channel-fill deposit (SU4), a transgressive sand layer (SU5), and a transgressive sand ridge (SU6). The highstand systems tract consists of an inner-shelf mud deposit (SU7) derived from the Nakdong and Seomjin rivers during the last 6 ka when sea level was close to the present level.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.303-312
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• 2011

Analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the Holocene transgressive deposits consist of five sedimentary units characterized by retrograding or backstepping depositional arrangements. Unit I, forming a linear sediment body along the shelf margin, is an ancient beach/shoreface deposit formed during the early stage of transgression. During the transgression, the paleo-channels were backfilled with fluvial or coastal-plain sediments, forming Unit II as an incised-channel fill deposit. The near-surface sediment was reworked and eroded by shoreface erosion, forming a thin lag of sands (Unit III) on the midshelf. During the middle stage of the transgression, the shoreline may have stabilized at around 70 - 80 m below the present sea level for some period of time to allow the formation of sand ridge systems (Unit IV). Unit V in the inner shelf was deposited in an estuarine environment during the middle to late stage of transgression. Such transgressive stratigraphic architecture 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.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2007

The main purpose of this study is to identify the shallow gas origin in the KSSM zone. Based on the results of gas composition and isotope in the headsapace gas, the shallow gas is mainly composed of methane and carbon and deuterium isotopes (${\delta}^{13}CCH_4$ and ${\delta}DCH_4$) of methane has ranged from -93.4%o to -70.9%, and from -228%o to -199%o in each. These results imply that shallow gas has predominately biogenic source by $CO_2$ reduction rather than thermogenic. The carbon isotopic separation (${\varepsilon}_c$) between methane and carbon dioxide $(CO_2)$ has a range of 54.4 to 72.2, it also supports biogenic origin of shallow gas.