• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2012

We surveyed and evaluated quantities and distribution characteristics of debris on the sea floor around active fishing grounds around the islands in the southwest coast of Korea in 2007 where the average depth is below 40m. Proper recovery gears mainly to haul the derelict fishing gears are selected considering the sea bed types of the areas. The collected debris amounts were used to estimate the total amount of the surveyed area. The number of hauls per trial times the amount of the debris was extended to whole sampling area and the weighting factor from the opinion was applied to reach the total amount of marine debris on the floor. The amount of the deposited marine debris around Wangdeung-do area is estimated as about 686 $kg/km^2$, and the cost of the collection and treatment for the deposited marine debris is estimated about 3.9 billion KRW after consideration of the proper size of the working ships, labor, transport and treatment cost.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.121-134
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• 2016

We characterize the spatial distribution of Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts covering the summit and slopes of a seamount in the western Pacific, using acoustic backscatter from multibeam echo sounders (MBES) and seafloor video observation. Based on multibeam bathymetric data, we identify that ~70% of the summit area of this flattopped seamount has slope gradients less than $5^{\circ}$. The histogram of the backscatter intensity data shows a bi-modal distribution, indicating significant variations in seabed hardness. On the one hand, visual inspection of the seafloor using deep-sea camera data exhibits that the steep slope areas with high backscatter are mainly covered by manganese crusts. On the other hand, the visual analyses for the summit reveal that the summit areas with relatively low backscatter are covered by sediments. The other summit areas, however, exhibit high acoustic reflectivity due to coexistence of manganese crusts and sediments. Comparison between seafloor video images and acoustic backscatter intensity suggests that the central summit has relatively flat topography and low backscatter intensity resulting from unconsolidated sediments. In addition, the rim of the summit and the slopes are of high acoustic reflectivity because of manganese crusts and/or bedrock outcrops with little sediments. Therefore, we find a strong correlation between the acoustic backscatter data acquired from sea-surface multibeam survey and the spatial distribution of sediments and manganese crusts. We propose that analyzing acoustic backscatter can be one of practical methods to select optimal minable areas of the ferromanganese crusts from seamounts for future mining.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.336-348
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• 2010

The Single-channel seismic survey with the source of bubble pulser and drilling survey was carried out in 2008 and 2009 for the site survey of Daecheon-Wonsando area, which was a proposed area of Korea-China subsea tunnel. The goal of this study is to analyze the depth and characteristics of acoustic basement for the stability assessment and tunnel design in this proposed area through combining drilling data with this single-channel seismic data after detailed processing. For this purpose, among the data processing schemes which are usually applied to multi-channel seismic data, we applied the F-K filtering to eliminate the AC(alternating current) noise and the post-stack depth migration to produce depth section. As a result, we verified that the improved depth section could be obtained from single-channel seismic data, and the distribution and characteristics of basement could be analyzed in survey area through the combined analysis with drilling data. However, we could not interpret the detailed structures, fault and fracture zone, due to the quality of bubble pulser source and single-channel data. We expect that those detailed structures can be analyzed when higher resolution seismic data is provided. Therefore, we recommend some items for future seismic survey of subsea tunnel to obtain the high resolution seismic data.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.167-176
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• 2008

Lau basin of the south Pacific, as an active back arc basin, is promising area bearing seafloor massive hydrothermal deposit that is located in a subduction zone between the Pacific ocean plate and Indo-Australian continental plate. We performed multi-beam bathymetry survey in the Lau basin using EM120, to find out high hydrothermal activity Bone. Fonualei Rift and Spreading Center (FRSC) and Mangatolou Triple Junction (MTJ) area were selected for precise site survey through seafloor morphology investigation. The result of surface and deep-tow magnetometer survey showed that Central Anomaly Magnetization High (CAMH) recorded which is associated with active ridge in FRSC-2 and revealed very low magnetic anomalies that can be connected to past or present high hydrothermal activity in MTJ-1 seamount area. Moreover, the physical and chemical tracers of hydrothermal vent flume, i.e., transmission, hydrogen ion concentration (pH), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), methane (CH4) by use of CTD system, showed significant anomalies in those areas. From positive vent flume results, we could conclude that these areas were or are experiencing very active volcanic activities. The acquired chimney and hydrothermal altered bed rock samples gave us confidence of the existence of massive hydrothermal deposit. Even though not to use visual exploration equipment such as ROV, DTSSS, etc., traditional marine geophysical investigation approach might be a truly cost-effective tool for exploring seafloor hydrothermal massive deposit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2000

By using the offshore type submersible platform, Artificial sea floor anchored at a depth of forty meters several experimental studies have been conducted successfully during 1996. The facility consists of an artificial sea floor that floats at 7 meters below the surface, a machinery hut that projects above the surface at the center of the structure and a balance weight beneath the structure. The facility can be surfaced easily by using a water discharging pump in the water tank which is located at the center of it. To find out the behavioral character and the gathering factor of fishes around the artificial sea floor, investigations were carried out during the daytime and nighttime by direct observation and by echo-sounder. Around the testing reefs and artificial sea floor, six kinds of fishes were found by diving observation and the dominants were Scomber japonicus, Sebastes thompsoni and Oplegnathus fascitus. As Scomber japonicus was distributed around the artificial sea floor in dense small school, they were not seen elsewhere in the survey area. The artificial sea floor was concluded to act as a schooling ground far Scomber japonicus, Sebastes thompsoni and Oplegnathus fascitus. were close to the testing reefs(within 10m) in the daytime, and were thought to settle on the testing reefs at nighttime, To examine the distribution of 7shes around the artificial sea floor, an acoustic survey over a 1$\times$1km area, 0-50m in depth during the all day. Around the artificial sea floor many thin scattering fish echo(TS-54.5~ -51.5dB) and dense fish echo(TS-41~-38dB) were mainly distributed. Many scattering fish echoes, which were thought to be a mixture of small squid, pelegic crustacea and ethers, were distributed over the whole survey area. A dense fish school stayed beneath the artificial sea floor for a short duration. These phenomena were concluded to show an attraction and detention function of the artificial sea floor.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.539-544
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• 2016

The aim of this study is identifying characteristics of spatial distribution using submerged debris data on the bottom of sea ground. Marine debris is classified into floating and submerged debris. These are polluting marine environment, ecology and habitat by floating and submerged. Also it takes a lot of money when it is to process the waste flowing into the ocean. In this study, it is used data of submerged debris by side scan sonar on the bottom of sea ground in Pohang port. Submerged distribution map is made to identify spatial classified characteristics of SMD(submerged marine debris) using by position and weight per area of SMD.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.109-112
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• 2006

Successful field test results for high-current time-lapse electrical imaging in marine sediments area are discussed. Because field trial by commercially available equipments were failed, self-developed system which supports transmitting current up to 5 ampere was used. Some weak zones due to local fractures were detected, but the weak zone effect in this area by time-lapse measurements from sea level change was minor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.681-688
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• 2020

Approximately 6,000 chemicals are transported through the sea, including hazardous and noxious substances (HNS), which cause marine pollution and are harmful to marine life. The HNS discharged into the sea during the maritime transportation process undergoes physical and chemical changes on the sea surface and in seawater, and some types of HNS sink and are deposited on the seabed. The HNS deposited on the seabed adversely affects the benthic ecosystem, and hence, it is desirable to detect, treat, and recover the HNS on the seabed. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the performance requirements that should be considered as the top priority when developing a mechanical system for recovering the HNS deposited on the seabed. Various types of existing dredging devices used for collecting and recovering pollutants from river beds and seabeds were investigated, and 10 performance indices for the mechanical devices were selected. The new performance requirements for the development of the seabed-deposited HNS recovery system were proposed using performance indices. By considering the depth of water in domestic seaports, some of the performance requirements of the mechanical system for recovering deposited HNS from the seabed were obtained as follows: production rate (50-300 ㎥/hr), maximum operation depth (50 m), sediment type (most forms), percentage of solids (10 % or higher), horizontal operating accuracy (±10 cm), limiting currents (3-5 knots). These performance requirements are expected to be useful in the conceptual and basic design of mechanical systems for recovering seabed-deposited HNS.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.271-279
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• 2008

Polymetallic sulphides means hydrothermally formed deposits of sulphide minerals which contain concentrations of metals including, inter alia, copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver. Nautilus is the first company to commercially explore the seafloor polymetallic sulphide deposits. The Company holds exploration licences and exploration applications for more than 370,000 $km^2$ in the jurisdictional seas of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and New Zealand along the western Pacific Ocean's Rim of Fire. Neptune Minerals is also a leading explorer and developer in this field, with exploration licences awarded totalling more than 270,000 $km^2$ in the territorial seas or EEZ of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia. These two companies now carry out the most active investment activities for seafloor polymetallic sulphide deposits with a goal of commercial production by 2010. China and Japan carry out exploration activities for the seafloor polymetallic sulphide deposits to secure supplies of strategic metals. China carries out national R&D projects relating to deep sea mineral resources in the world ocean through China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association(COMRA). And Japan investigates her own EEZ for exploration of the seafloor polymetallic sulphide deposits. In consideration of aforementioned international activities of coastal nations as well as private companies for exploring the sulphide deposits, Korea shall prepare strategic plans : First, consolidation of the authorities concerned and legislative support; second, determination of main entity of the project; third, securing government's decisive investment of sufficient budget; and lastly, establishment of the mid, long-term plan for development of seafloor polymetallic sulphides deposits.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 1971

Some major and minor geochemical contents, such as Zr, Br, Ni, Sr, Zn, Mn, Ti and Fe, of ninety-seven sediment samples from the sea off eastern Korea have been analyzed by the fluorescence spectrometric techniques. Concentrations of elements showed 22-962ppm Zr(averaging 194.4ppm), tr-220 ppm Br(averaging 138.2ppm), 31-141ppm Ni(averaging 89.1ppm), 118-3,494ppm Sr(averaging 448.6ppm) 27-134ppm Zn(averaging 92.5ppm), 38-1,043ppm Mn(averaging 664.2ppm), 0.04-0.42% Ti(averaging 0.29%) and 0.57-4.02% Fe(averaging 2.76%). The ratios of Zn/Ti 10$\^$3/, An/Fe 10$\^$3/ and Ti/Fe were 0.27-6.43(averaging 3.27), 2.25-7.76 (averaging 3.46) and 0.04-0.18(averaging 0.11), respectively. From the results of geochemical analyses of sediments from the sea off eastern Korea represented the different types of sediment pattern are considered between the southern part and the northern part of the sea. The bottom sediments of the southern part were characterized with higher Sr and lower Zn, Br contents; higher Zr and lower Br contents; lower Br and lower Zn, Ti and Fe contents; and lower Zn and lower Ti and Fe contents.