• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.685-695
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• 2012

We studied the detailed bathymetry and the geophysical characteristics of the summit of the Dokdo volcano using mutibeam echosounding and geophysical survey data. The bathymetry around the main east and west islets of the Dokdo volcano shows very shallow within about 10 m water depth. From near islets to about 30 m b.s.l., the shallow water area has very steep slope and many irregular sunken rocks. The area from about 30 m to about 80 m b.s.l. shows gentle rises and falls, and less steep slope. The area from 80 m b.s.l. has gradually flat undulation and smooth slope seabaed and is extended to offshore. The main islets of the Dokdo volcano and the rocky sea bottom elongated from the islets might be the residual part of the eroded and collapsed main crater of the Dokdo volcano. The bathymetry and the seafloor image(from backscattering) data show small craters, assumed to be formed by the eruption of later volcanism. The seafloor images propose that, except some areas with shallow sand sedimentary deposits, there are typical rocky bottom such as rocky protrusions and lack of sediments in the main morphology of the survey area. The stepped slopes of the seabed are deduced to be submarine terraces. The several prominent submarine terraces are found at the summit of the Dokdo volcano, suggesting repetition of sea level changes(transgressions and regressions) in the Quaternary. The results of the magnetic anomaly and the analytic signal have a good coherence with other geophysical consequences regarding to the location of the residual crater.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.20 no.1 s.26
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• pp.51-66
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• 2006

The climate of the last glacial maximum (LGM) in northeast Asia is simulated with an atmospheric general circulation model of NCAR CCM3 at spectral truncation of T170, corresponding to a grid cell size of roughly 75 km. Modern climate is simulated by a prescribed sea surface temperature and sea ice provided from NCAR, and contemporary atmospheric CO2, topography, and orbital parameters, while LGM simulation was forced with the reconstructed CLIMAP sea surface temperatures, sea ice distribution, ice sheet topography, reduced $CO_2$, and orbital parameters. Under LGM conditions, surface temperature is markedly reduced in winter by more than $18^{\circ}C$ in the Korean west sea and continental margin of the Korean east sea, where the ocean exposed to land in the LGM, whereas in these areas surface temperature is warmer than present in summer by up to $2^{\circ}C$. This is due to the difference in heat capacity between ocean and land. Overall, in the LGM surface is cooled by $4{\sim}6^{\circ}C$ in northeast Asia land and by $7.1^{\circ}C$ in the entire area. An analysis of surface heat fluxes show that the surface cooling is due to the increase in outgoing longwave radiation associated with the reduced $CO_2$ concentration. The reduction in surface temperature leads to a weakening of the hydrological cycle. In winter, precipitation decreases largely in the southeastern part of Asia by about $1{\sim}4\;mm/day$, while in summer a larger reduction is found over China. Overall, annual-mean precipitation decreases by about 50% in the LGM. In northeast Asia, evaporation is also overall reduced in the LGM, but the reduction of precipitation is larger, eventually leading to a drier climate. The drier LGM climate simulated in this study is consistent with proxy evidence compiled in other areas. Overall, the high-resolution model captures the climate features reasonably well under global domain.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.423-430
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• 2013

An algorithm to allow shoreline movement during numerical experiment on sediment transport, deposition or resuspension for general coastal morphology is proposed here. The bed slope near shoreline, i.e. mean sea level, is influenced by bed material, tidal current, waves, and wave-induced current, but has been reported to remain within a stable range. Its annual variation is not large, either. The algorithm is adjusting the bathymetry, if the largest bed slope within shoreline band exceeds a given bed slope due to continuous erosion at zones below the shoreline. This algorithm automatically describes retreat of shoreline caused by erosion, when used within a numerical system. The algorithm was tested to a situation which includes a continuous dredging at a point, and showed satisfactory development of concentric circle contours. Next, the algorithm was tested to another situation which includes sinking of eroded part of bed plate, and produced satisfactory results, too. Finally, the algorithm was tested to a movable-bed laboratory experimental conditions. The shoreline movement behind detached breakwater was reasonably reproduced with this algorithm.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.218-226
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• 2016

Field observations were used to study the characteristics and influence of groundwater level fluctuations on vegetation development on the natural beach of a sandy barrier island, in the Nakdong River estuary. The spatial/temporal fluctuations of the groundwater level and the interactions with the external forces (weather, ocean wave and tide) were analyzed. The results indicated that when it rains the groundwater level rises. During summer, when precipitation intensity is greater than 20 mm/hour, it rose rapidly over 20 cm. Subsequently, it fell gradually during periods of no precipitation. Seasonal characteristics indicated that the groundwater level was high during the summer rainy season and tended to fall in the winter dry season. The time-averaged groundwater level, observed from the four observations over 3 years (2012-2014), was about 1.47 m, higher than mean sea level (M.S.L.). It was shown that the average annual groundwater level rises toward the land rather than showing intertidal patterns observation. Differences in the presence or absence of a coastal sand dunes affected the progress of vegetation. In other words, in environments of saltwater intrusion where the groundwater level varies, dependent on the distance from the shoreline and bottom slope, sand dunes can be provided to affect soil conditions and groundwater, so that vegetation can be grown reliably.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.495-506
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• 2018

Global interest in climate change and sea level rise has led to active research on the velocities of glaciers. In studies about the velocity of glaciers, in-situ measurements can obtain the most accurate data but have limitations to acquire periodical or long-term data. Offset tracking using SAR is actively being used as an alternative of in-situ measurements. Offset tracking has a limitation in that the accuracy of observation is lower than that of other observational techniques, but it has been improved by recent studies. Recent studies in the $Uv{\hat{e}}rsbreen$ glacier area have shown that glacier altitudes decrease at a rate of 1.5 m/year. The glacier displacement velocities in this region are heavily influenced by climate change and can be important in monitoring and forecasting long-term climate change. However, there are few concrete examples of research in this area. In this study, we applied the improved offset tracking method to observe the two-dimensional velocity in the $Uv{\hat{e}}rsbreen$ glacier. As a result, it was confirmed that the glacier moved at a maximum rate of 133.7 m/year. The measruement precisions for azimuth and line-of-sight directions were 5.4 and 3.3 m/year respectively. These results will be utilized to study long-term changes in elevation of glaciers and to study environmental impacts due to climate change.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.203-213
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• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the seasonal patterns of multiple bar formation in summer and flattening in winter on the macrotidal Sinduri beach in Taean, and to understand the processes their formation and subsequent flattening. Beach profiling has been conducted regularly over the last four years using a VRS-GPS system. Surface sediment samples were collected seasonally along the transectline, and grain size analyses were performed. Tidal current data were acquired using a TIDOS current observation system during both winter and summer. The Sinduri macrotidal beach consists of two geomorphic units: an upper high-gradient beach face and a lower gentler sloped intertidal zone. High berms and beach cusps did not develop on this beach face. The approximately 400-m-wide intertidal zone comprises distinct 2-5 lines of multiple bars. Mean grain sizes of sand bars range from 2.0 to 2.75 phi, corresponding to fine sands. Mean sizes show shoreward coarsening trend. Regular beach-profiling survey revealed that the summer profile has a multi-barred morphology with a maximum of five bar lines, whereas, the winter profile has a non-barred, flat morphology. The non-barred winter profiles likely result from flattening by scour-and-fill processes during winter. The growth of multiple bars in summer is interpreted to be formed by a break-point mechanism associated with moderate waves and the translation of tide levels, rather than the standing wave hypothesis, which is stationary at high tide. The break-point hypothesis for multi-bars is supported by the presence of the largest bar at mean sea-level, shorter bar spacing toward the shore, irregular bar spacing, strong asymmetry of bars, and the 10-30 m shoreward migration of multi-bars.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.697-706
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• 2002

Authigenic siderite grains, ranging 100 to 250-${\mu}$m in diameter, are abundant in an about 8,600-year-old sediment layer in Namyang Bay, west coast of Korea. The siderites exhibit the aggregated spherulitic morphology with well-developed rhombs on the grain surfaces. They consist mostly of FeCO$_3$ (average, 65%) and MnCO$_3$ (average, 22%) with low Mg/Ca ratio (less than 0.4) in their bulk composition. A series of compositional ternary discrimination diagrams, together with high Mn and low Mg contents, show that only meteoric porewater was involved in siderite precipitation, assuming that depositional environment of host sediment is an organic-rich freshwater system. Considering a series of results such as radiocarbon age, authigenic Mn-rich siderite and lithological features, siderite-hosting sediment (unit Tl) is interpreted as freshwater swamp or bog deposition, infilling the topographic depressions that locally existed before the formation of mid-to-late Holocene tidal deposits. Center-to-margin compositional variation within individual grain is very systematic; Mn and Ca decrease towards the margin of a siderite grain, while Fe and Mg increase. It suggests that the spherulitic siderites were precipitated in this sedimentary layer in a series during the early diagenesis of MnOx-FeOx reduction under steady-state.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.88-94
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• 2018

This study examined the safety of a cable stayed bridge caused by damage to the cable system. Many cable-supported bridges, including cable-stayed bridges and suspension bridges, have been constructed on the Korean peninsula. This requires efficient maintenance and management because this structure has complex structural components and systems. This large structure also often faces risks either from manmade causes or natural phenomena. In 2015, the cables on one cable-stayed bridge in South Korea was struck by lightning, which led to a fire on the cables. These cables were damaged, which put the bridge at risk. This bridge was back in use after a few weeks of investigations and replacements of the cables but this was done at enormous social and economic expense. After this event, risk-based management for infrastructure is required by public demand. Therefore, this study examined the risks on the cable system due to potential damage. In this paper, a one cable-stayed bridge in South Korea was selected and its safety was investigated based on the damage scenarios of cable system for efficient and prompt management, and to support decision making. FEM analysis was conducted to evaluate the safety of the bridges after damage to the cable system.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.512-519
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• 2015

Although Quaternary marine terraces and onshore paleo-shoreline records provide clues to our understanding for the mode and nature of neotectonics in the Korean peninsula, it cannot be accomplished without knowledge on both independent information of the past sea level records and tectonic deformation field together with precise results of numerical dating for higher terraces. This study reported cosmogenic radionuclides ($^{10}Be$) dating results conducted in higher terraces in the eastern and western coasts of the Korean peninsula. As a result, the measured concentration ratio of $^9Be/^{10}Be$ and the exposure ages were much younger than expected. It implies that either there is possibility of error in experimental processes or the samples experienced a complex exposure history probably included a burial at some stage. Considering the past climatic conditions around the Korean peninsula and a possible complex exposure history after the emergence of marine terrace, the discovery of a suitable study area and a sampling site are an essential part of successful $^{10}Be$ dating technique.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.138-150
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• 1997

The late Quaternary stratigraphy of the tidal deposits in the Hampyung Bay, southwestern coast of Korea comprises 1) Unit III (nonmarine fluvial coarse-grained sediments), 2) Unit II (late Pleistocene tidal deposits), and 3) Unit I (late Holocene fine-grained tidal deposits) in ascending order. The basements of the Hampyung Bay is composed of granitic rocks and basic dyke rocks. These three units are of unconformally bounded sedimentary sequences. The sequence boundary between Unit I and Unit II, in particular, seems to be significant suggesting erosional surface and exposed to the air under the cold climate during the LGM. The uppermost stratigraphic sequence (Unit I) is a common tidal deposit formed under the transgression to highstand sea-level during the middle to late Holocene.