• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.163-171
• /
• 2024

Changes in the soil layer on Dokdo are important both academically and with regard to sustainable conservation and utilization of the islands. Continuous investigation and observation are necessary, as the soil layer is essential to the growth of plants and, therefore, the islands' ecosystem. Such work was carried out for about 8 years using soil erosion measuring bars, which are durable and facilitate simple monitoring of changes in the soil layer. Each bar comprised a rod measuring 30~50 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, and the use of stainless steel afforded resistance to corrosion caused by sea breezes. Six measuring bars were installed in the soil layers of each of two islands, Dongdo and Seodo, and measurements were taken one to three times a year from 2014 to 2021. The field measurements indicate that soil was deposited on Dongdo but eroded on Seodo during the observation period. As the measuring bars on Dongdo were located in the central and lower parts of the island, the observed changes in the soil layer resulted mainly from sedimentation of material eroded by weathering or soil runoff from the upper part of the island. In contrast, the measurement locations on Seodo were located in the upper and central parts of the island, where soil erosion and runoff diminished the soil layer at the observation points.