• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 2003

In the year 2000 we culminated a successful five year investigation of climate change by completing a preliminary east-west transect across Mongolia. An earlier tree-ring study at Tarvagatay Pass, Mongolia indicated unusual warming during the 20th century similar to other paleo-investigations of the northern hemisphere. This record had represented one of the few tree-ring records for central Asia. New data from several sites in western Mongolia confirmed the preliminary temperature. The highest twenty-year growth period for the composite record is from 1973-1994. The western Mongolian record was significantly correlated with the Taimyr Peninsula and two northern hemisphere temperature reconstructions reflecting large-scale temperature patterns while showing some important regional differences. These differences should prove useful for climate models. We have also developed a millennial length temperature-sensitive record at the Solongotyin Davaa site (formerly Tarvagatay Pass) using relict wood and living trees. Conspicuous features over the last 1000 years are a century scale temperature decline punctuated by the end of the Little Ice Age in the late-1800s and 20th century warming. The record also shows a cold period early in the 12th century and warm intervals late in the 10th, early in the 15th and at end of the 18th centuries. Despite a limited sample size before 900 AD, the long Solongotyin Davaa record is useful in indicating severe cold events and suggests some cold intervals nearly as severe. These tree ring series, spanning much of the circumpolar northern treeline, have been compiled to create a long-term reconstruction of the Earth's temperature over centuries. The new chronology, in addition to its value as a detailed record of Mongolian climate, provides independent corroboration for such hemispheric and global reconstructions and their indications of unusual warming during the 20th century.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2003

This study is conducted to examine the woods that were excavated at Jangdo Island. The Jangdo site is located in a small island some 180 meters away from the main island of Wando, Jeollanam-do in southern Korea. This site is known as Cheong-Hea Jin fort for the marine King Jang Bogo during the early 9$^{th}$ century. Total of 101 specimens were collected in three groups； small-size piles, log fences (Mok-check) and logs from a well. The species of the group of piles consisted of Quercus spp. (43%), Pinus densiflora (29%), Pinus koraiensis (5%), Alnus japonica (3%), Fraxinus spp. (3%), Styrax obassia (3%), Juglans spp. (2%), Zelkova serrata (2%), Platycarya strobilacea (2%), Celtis spp. (2%), Torreya nucifera (2%), Quercus myrsinaefolia (2%), and Cinnamomum spp. (2%). The species of Mok-check and logs from the well were identified as all Pinus densiflora. The species composition indicated that the climate around A. D. 9th-10th century in southern Korea was similar to the present.. The wooden fences were also examined for tree-ring analysis. The ages of woods were 50∼60 years. We made two site chronologies. The chronologies indicated that southeastern and southwestern fences were repaired frequently. The results could not give the absolute dates due to lack of reference chronologies in this period.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.33-38
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• 2003

This study is conducted to examine the data of climate or environmental change in the northeastern Asia during the last glacial maximum. A remarkable feature of the 18,000 BP biome reconstructions for China is the mid-latitude extention of steppe and desert biomes to the modem eastern coast. Terrestrial deposits of glacial maximum age from the northern part of Yellow Sea suggest that this region of the continental shelf was occupied by desert and steppe vegetation. And the shift from temperate forest to steppe and desert implies conditions very much drier than present in eastern Asia. Dry conditions might be explained by a strong winter monsoon and/or a weak summer monsoon. A very strong depression of winter temperatures at LGM. has in the center of continent has influenced in northeast Asia similarly. The vegetation of Hokkaido at LGM was subarctic thin forest distributed on the northern area of middle Honshu and cool and temperate mixed forest at southern area of middle Honshu in Japan. The vegetation landscape of mountain- and East coast region of Korea was composed of herbaceous plants with sparse arctic or subarctic trees. The climate of yellow sea surface and west region of Korea was much drier and temperate steppe landscape was extended broadly. It is supposed that a temperate desert appeared on the west coast area of Pyeongan-Do and Cheolla-Do of Korea. The reconstruction of year-round conditions much colder than today right across China, Korea and Japan is consistent with biome reconstruction at the LGM.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2003

Climate of Mongolia is a driven force on natural conditions as well as socio-economic development of the country. Due to the precariousness of climate conditions and traditional economic structure, natural disasters, specially disasters of meteorological and hydrological origin, have substantial effect upon the natural resources and socio-economic sectors of Mongolia. Mongolia's climate is characterized by high variability of weather parameters, and high frequency and magnitude of extreme climate and weather events. During the last few decades, climate of the country is changing significantly under the global warning. The annual mean air temperature for the whole territory of the country has increased by $1.56^{\circ}C$ during the last 60 years,. The winter temperature has increased by $1.56^{\circ}C$. These changes in temperature are spatially variable: winter warming is more pronounced in the high mountains and wide valleys between the mountains, and less so in the steppe and Gobi regions. There is a slight trend of increased precipitation during the last 60 years. The average precipitation rate is increased during 1940-1998 by 6%. This trend is not seasonally consistent: while summer precipitation increased by 11 %, spring precipitation decreased by 17. The climate change studies in Mongolia show that climate change will have a significant impact on natural resources such as water resources, natural rangeland, land use, snow cover, permafrost as well as major economic activities of arable farming, livestock, and society (i.e. human health, living standards, etc.) of Mongolia. Therefore, in new century, sustainable development of the country is defined by mitigating and adaptation policies of climate change. The objective of the presentation is to contribute one's idea in the how to reflect the changes in climate system and weather extreme events in the country's sustainable development concept.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2003

This study was conducted to examine the water use efficiency (WUE) in five species of one-year-old seedlings grown in a field nursery in Mongolia. Larix sibirica and Pinus sylvestris are the most dominant coniferous species while Ulmus pumila is an important deciduous species known well-adapted in harsh conditions such as in semi-arid forests and Gobi desert regions. Caragana arborescens (Siberian pea shrub) and Hippophae rhamnoides are N-fixing shrubs in Mongolia. Thirty one-year-old seedlings were sampled from each of the five species (a total of 150 samples) and measured for net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (E). The Pn and E were used to calculate and compare the WUE of each species. Pn differed significantly among the five species (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Pn between L. sibirica and H. rhamnoides (p > 0.05). C. arborescens showed the highest Pn whereas U. pumila did the poorest. E differed significantly among the five species (p < 0.05). L. sibirica and U. pumila showed considerably lower E than other species. Thus, WUE values of coniferous species such as L. sibirica and P. sylvestris were significantly greater than deciduous or shrub species such as U. pumila, C. arborescens and H. rhamnoides (p < 0.01). It may result that conifers showed relatively high water use efficiency than deciduous or shrub trees due to their lower transpiration rates, which resulted in morphological and physiological characteristics of their leaves. This may indicate that L. sibirica and P. sylvestris can be widely used for rehabilitation works in Mongolia attributed to their dominant distributions but also their high drought-resistance properties.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2003

This study revealed the differences in runoff processes of granite drainage basins in Korea and Mongolia by hydrological measurements in the field. The experimental drainage basins are chosen in Korea (K-basin) and Mongolia (M-basin). Occurrence of intermittent flow in K-basin possibly implies that very quick discharge dominates. The very high runoff coefficient implies that most of effective rainfall quickly discharge by throughflow or pipeflow. The Hortonian overlandflow is thought to almost not occur because of high infiltration capacity originated by coarse grain sized soils of K- basin. Very little baseflow and high runoff coefficient also suggest that rainfall almost does not infiltrate into bedrocks in K-basin. Flood runoff coefficient in M-basin shows less than 1 %. This means that most of rainfall infiltrates or evaporates in M-basin. Runoff characteristics of constant and gradually increasing discharge imply that most of rainfall infiltrates into joint planes of bedrock and flow out from spring very slowly. The hydrograph peaks are sharp and their recession limbs steep. Very short time flood with less than 1-hour lag time in M-basin means that overland flow occurs only associating with rainfall intensity of more than 10 mm/hr. When peak lag time shows less than 1 hour for the size of drainage area of 1 to 10 km2, Hortonian overland flow causes peak discharge (Jones, 1997). The results of electric conductivity suggest that residence time in soils or weathered mantles of M-basin is longer than that of K-basin. Qucik discharge caused by throughflow and pipeflow occurs dominantly in K-basin, whereas baseflow more dominantly occur than quick discharge in M-basin. Quick discharge caused by Hortonian overlandflow only associating with rainfall intensity of more than 10 mm/hr in M-basin.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-170
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• 2003

The existence of coastal terraces, HH(High higher) surfaces found at Gampo of southeast coast and at Jeongdongjin of the central east coast were confirmed at Jigyeong-Ri, the areal border between Gyeongju- and Ulsan city on the southeast coast of Korea Peninsula. Especially this study reports HH JK-surface located on the 155m a.s.l., which is the highest altitude among the ancient shorelines of the coastal terraces in Korea. The HH surfaces on the study area are classified into HH JK at 155m, HH-I at 140m and HH-II at 115m, and each formation stage is related to MIS 17(720∼690ka BP), MIS 15(630∼560ka BP) and MIS 13(510∼480ka BP) respectively. The HH-surfaces remain to be larger than those of H- and L-surfaces. The reason is caused by the unique factors of the coastal geology and morphology on the study area during the formation stage. And also the areal difference by the magnitude of upheaval doesn't exist from north to south because the altitude system of ancient shoreline on each coastal terrace is same along the east coast. The upheaval rate of the eastern coastal areas was measured in the relation to the ancient shoreline and formation stage among the coastal terraces such as HH JK-, HH-I, HH-II, H-III and H-IY surface, and was almost same as 0.23mm/y.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2002

Analysis of No. 199∼145 cross-sections set up by the Ministry of Construction (1978) in the middle reaches of the Sumjin River around Sunchang, Daegang, and Goksung areas have been done for delineating the changes In fluvial geomorphic features. The entire river-bed in the study area has been considerably degraded since 1978. In some cross-sections, the thalweg shillings are observed. Two aspects are responsible for the erosion-dominant environment. First, flow velocity has been increased. Human activities including wetland destruction, ex-channel destruction and artificial levee construction reduced the channel width, and fixed the channel geometry. This has resulted in increase of the water velocity. Pebble and granule∼coarse sand are prevailing on the river-bed, indicate the high speed of the currents. Second, aggregate has been intensively mined during 1980s∼1990s around the areas. Especially, in the right side of the cross-sections No. 188∼187 and the left side of the cross-section No. 155, erosion toward under the artificial levee is remarkable. This can be led to bank failure in case of heavy rainfall.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2011

Phytolith analysis of sediments at the river mouth of valley bottom plains in Myosa-ri, Haman is performed. By the phytolith results, Phragmites and Oryza sativa are dominated in the lower horizon. An abundance of Paniceae and Andropogoneae indicates the active agricultural activities under wet conditions. Moreover, the results of archeological studies suggest the paddy fields in the Three States Age. The phytolith assemblages are dominated in the middle horizon and they gradually increase in the upper horizon. The rice cultivation layer is not proportional to total phytolith yield due to the dominance of Oryza sativa in the lower horizon. However, because the Oryza sativa are continuously observed over the entire sediments, it is suggested that there had been the agricultural activities for the entire periods.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2008

The present study has focused on the environmental changes and evidences for sedimentation in the Lake Khuvsgul catchment during the Holocene period, inferred from short core sediment (BO03) from the eastern shore of Borsog Bay, which were analyzed in order to review records of the Holocene climatic evolution and Holocene history in Northern Mongolia. For the purpose of reconstruction of natural phenomenon that occurred in the lake catchment system during the Holocene, physical and chemical properties including HCl-soluble material, biogenic silica, organic matter and grain size distribution of minerals in the core sediments have been analyzed in this study. The vertical variations in composition for these properties show distinctly that five lines of paleoenvironmental evidence occurred in the lake catchment during the Holocene. A modified age model resulting from AMS carbon dating for the BO03 core sediment shows timings of these environmental events at 9.5 Kyr BP, 8.0 Kyr BP, 5.6 Kyr BP and 3.2 Kyr BP, respectively. Paleoenvironmental changes in the Lake Khuvsgul catchment system during the Holocene highlight distinctive features of the hydrological regime and geomorphologic evolution in the lake catchment due to regional landscape and global climatic changes corresponding with the Holocene optimum and thermal optimum. In particular, the change of hydrologic regime based on the sedimentological evidence has been caused by not only overland flow due to melting water, but also base flow due to thick permafrost around Khuvsgul region.