• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.561-571
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• 2019

The Hupo Basin, continental marginal basin, of the East Sea extends to Uljin-gun and Yeongdeok-gun. The Hupo Bank, a terrain that is higher than the surrounding seabed, is located at the eastern boundary of the Hupo Basin. KIOST(Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology) conducted detailed bathymetry surveys in the northern, central and southern areas of the Hupo Basin from 2011 to 2013. The Hupo Basin, bounded by steep slopes of the Hupo Bank, is deepened from the west coast to the east and deepest to a maximum depth of about 250 m. A narrow seafloor channel appears in the northern, central, and southern areas with the deepest depths. Numerous pockmarks appear on the seafloor at depths of about 150 ~ 250 m in all the three areas of the detailed bathymetry surveys. These pockmarks generally have diameters of about 20 to 50 m and depths of about 4 to 6 m, with craterlike submarine topography of various sizes. Seafloor sediments in the pockmark areas consist of fine silt. Comparing the shape and size of the pockmark of the Hupo Basin with that of other regions of the world, it is considered to be classified as a normal pockmark. There are about 7 pockmarks/1 ㎢ in the northern part of the three areas and about 8 pockmarks/1 ㎢ in the central part. The southern part has about 5 pockmarks/1 ㎢. If the area with the possibility of pockmarks is extended to the depth area of about 150 ~ 250 m in the entire Hupo Basin, the number of pockmarks is estimated to be more than about 4800. The pockmark of the Hupo Basin is more likely to be generated by a fluid such as a liquid than a gas. But it is necessary to scrutinize the cause and continuously monitor the pockmark.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.687-697
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• 2019

By monitoring sediment grain size and level variation of tidal flat surface for 6 years (2005-2011), and also by mooring TISDOS (tidal-flat sediment dynamics observation system) on the low intertidal flat in 2008, we investigated the sedimentary environment of tidal flat in the dammed Yeongsan River Estuary. The tidal flat of the Yeongsan River Estuary lost 82 % of its area because of coastal development projects, and a narrow tidal flat below mean sea level now remains. Most of the tidal flat sediments are composed of silt up to 70-94 %, and show the characteristics of clay deficiency and silt dominance. This is closely related with the coastal development, which led to the destruction of high tidal flats where most mud settled, and the modification of tidal current patterns. Moreover, the estuarine tidal-flat sediments reveal seasonal variation. They are coarse with abundant silt during windy autumn to spring, fine with abundant clay during the less-windy and high-discharge summer. This phenomenon indicates that the behavior of sediment particles on the low intertidal flats of the Yeongsan River Estuary is influenced by wind waves for silt and fresh water discharge and the tidal process for clay. Monitoring results of the altitude of tidal flat surface showed that the study area had eroded at an average rate of -2.6 cm/y during the period of 2005-2011, and also that an unusual deposition with a rate of 4 cm/y occurred in 2010. The erosion can be explained by an increased tidal amplitude and a strengthened ebb-dominant tidal asymmetry after the construction of an estuary dike and the Yeongam Kumho Seawall. The deposition in 2010 seems to have been closely related to the mass production of suspended materials from dredging of the estuary.