• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.151-163
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• 2003

In this study, we investigated the physiochemical characteristics of temporal estuarine environment formed during the summer flood season (consecutive rainy days with average 50 mm day$^{-1}$ precipitation) in the coastal area of South Sea of Korea. The freshwater from the Seomjin River was characterized by lower temperature, salinity and pH, and high concentrations of COD and nutrients. In the summer flood season, such peculiar Somejin-River freshwater was dispersed southward along the coast of Yeosubando-Dolsando-Geumodo, form-ing temporal estuarine environment (defined as "Coastal Pseudo-Estuary" in this study) throughout the entire study area (as far as 60 km from the Seomjin River mouth). Compared to the winter dry season, the DIN/DIP ratio was almost doubled (16-36) during the summer flood season. This excessive nitrate supply during the summer flood season was probably due to nitrogenous fertilizer. Distribution and behaviors of physiochemical factors in this coastal pseudo-estuarine environment were controlled not only by the runoff of the Seomjun River (physical mixing of river water with seawater) but also by the biogeochemical estuarine processes which are mostly similar to those of the river estuary.r estuary.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the crust and consists of three stable isotopes, 28Si (92.23%), 29Si (4.67%), and 30Si (3.10%). Si isotopes are widely studied worldwide as a proxy for the biogeochemical cycle of Si to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate. However, in Korea, there have been no studies on biogenic silica using Si isotopes. In this study, we carried out Si isotope measurements of giant diatoms, summarizing the previously reported alkali fusion methods and establishing the best Si separation method for biogenic silica. Samples were completely digested using alkali fusion at high temperatures, effectively separating Si using an AG® 50W-X8 cation exchange resin. To evaluate the precision and accuracy of our measurements, Si isotope standard material (NBS-28) and USGS reference materials (AGV-2, GSP-2, BHVO-2) were analyzed. The results are in excellent agreement with the reported values within the acceptable error. The Si isotope measurement method developed in this study is expected to help in understanding the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment by tracing the Si cycle.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.49-67
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• 2006

A mesocosm, an artificial tidal flat ecosystem, was constructed outdoors to simulate in situ physical and biochemical environmental conditions of natural tidal flat as much as possible. During the experiment from February to August 2004, the study was focused on the biogeochemical variations of superficial water and porewater after introduction of freshwater into the mesocosm. The mesocosm has three experimental conditions; SW-M-T: maintaining the saline water of approximately 20 psu; FW-M-T: complete exchange of freshwater ul the mesocosm with continuous mixing of water column: FW-NM-T: complete exchange of saline water to freshwater in the mesocosm without mixing of water column. Mass extinction of benthic macrofauna appeared due to drastic decrease of porewater salinity from 20 psu to less than 10 psu between the 63th and 91st day of freshwater introduction in FW-M-T and FW-NM-T. Throughout the periods, 7/8 of bivalves and 2/3 of polychaete populations have been extinguished in the sediment. In FW-NM-T, as temperature rises, both evident decrease of DO in water column and active release of DIP from sediment were observed. ${NO_3}^-$ was removed from water column into sediment throughout the periods. Therefore extremely low ${NO_3}^-$ was found during late spring and summer. Whereas ${NH_4}^+$ exhibited only $1/2{\sim}1/8$ of ${NO_3}^-$ concentration. Unexpectedly even after mass extinction of benthic macrofauna, we were not able to find high ${NH_4}^+$. This mesocosm study suggests that when fresh water introduce to natural tidal flat, its sediment activity functions as a potential source of DIP, but a sink of ${NO_3}^-$.