• Asian review of World Histories
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2014

This paper examines the historical relationship between the Little Ice Age and the Anthropocene, which has not yet been studied. The Little Ice Age is the coldest multi-century period in the Holocene. The reforestation of huge farmlands, abandoned due to pandemics in the Americas, aggravated the cooling weather of the Little Ice Age. It was in the long and severe cold of the Little Ice Age that the transition from renewable energy to non-renewable energy was completed in Britain in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and when the pattern of linear growth in greenhouse gas concentrations was forged in the ecosystems of the Earth. The Little Ice Age forced humans to depend on fossil fuels while the advent of warmer and more stable climate in the Holocene enabled them to start agriculture in an energy revolution 11,000 years ago, thus making the coming of the Anthropocene possible.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2010

Carbon isotopic compositions of the YC-2 stalagmite in Yongcheon Cave were analyzed to delineate paleoclimatic variations near Korean peninsula for the past historical period. The YC-2 stalagmite is about 68 mm long and annual growth laminae are distinctively identified. Because the number of growth laminae is at least 242, the stalagmite can be estimated to be at least 241 years old. At about 15 mm from the bottom, one thick brown growth lamina is observed, and this lamina was likely to have been formed when the stalagmite ceased to grow, making the hiatus. High resolution, carbon isotope data indicate past fluctuations of East Asia monsoonal intensity (intimately related to the amount of precipitation). Based on the carbon isotope trend, the stalagmite can be divided into three stages (Stages I, II and III). The highest carbon isotopic compositions of Stage I (${\delta}^{13}C$=-3.3~0.4‰, PDB) indicate that the stalagmite grew during the Little Ice Age when cold and dry climate prevailed with less vegetation. Stage II is characterized by a transitional period from cold and dry to warm and wet climate with a increasing trend of carbon isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$=-9.6~-0.6‰) and this period indicates the weakening of the Little Ice Age climate. This decreasing trend also suggests that Little Ice Age was terminated near middle 1870's around Korean peninsula. Relatively low carbon isotopic compositions during Stage III (${\delta}^{13}C$=-11.0~-8.0‰) indicates that the climate was changed to warm and wet conditions which are similar to the present.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.18 no.2 s.23
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• pp.23-31
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• 2004

Temperature variations, and carbon dioxide and methane concentrations are summarized during the past 400,000 years. Atmospheric temperature varied approximately within $10^{\circ}C$ during the past 400,000 years. Most of the time during the past 400,000 years, temperature was lower than today except 410000, 320000, 250000, and 125000 years ago. Temperature was slightly higher or at least similar to today during the time period of 410000. 320000, 250000, and 125000 years ago. The carbon dioxide concentration varied between 180 and 300 ppm, and the methane concentration varied between 40 and 700ppb. The present atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is 375 ppm and methane is 1750 ppb. Temperature was 5-$7^{\circ}C$ lower than today during the Last Glacial Maximum(18,000 years ago) and the Younger Dryas(10,000 years ago). Temprature was varied within $1^{\circ}C$ during the past 10,000 years. Especially Middle Holocene Climatic Optimum(6,000 years ago), Medieval Warm Period (500-1,000 years ago), and Little Ice Age(100-500 year ago) were global climatic events. In general, mechanism for the Middle Holocene Climatic Optimum, Medical Warm Period, and Little Ice Age can be explained by the solar insulation, however their exact mechnism is not well known. Carbon dioxide concentration during the past 400,000 years never reached the current value of 375 ppm. Furthermore, the current methane concentration never reached during the past 20Ma. However, current temperature value has happened several times during the past 400,000 years. The implication of this is unsolved question so far. This should be challenged in the near future.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.390-395
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• 2011

The main purpose of ice model basin is to assess and evaluate the performance of the Arctic ships and offshore structures because the full-scale tests in ice covered sea are usually very expensive and difficult. There are various ice conditions, such as level ice, brash ice, pack ice and ice ridge, in the real sea. To estimate their capacities in ice tank accurately, an appropriate model ice sheet and prepared ice conditions copied from actual sea ice conditions are needed. Pack ice is a floating ice that has been driven together into a single mass and a mixture of ice fragments of varying size and age that are squeezed together and cover the sea surface with little or no open water. So Ice-class vessels and Icebreaker are usually operated in pack ice conditions for the long time of her voyage. The most ice model tests include the pack ice test with the change of pack ice concentration. In this paper, the effect of pack ice size and channel breadth in pack ice model test is conducted and analyzed. Also we presented some techniques for the calculation of pack ice concentration in the model test. Finally, we developed a new model test methodology of pack ice condition in square type ice tank.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.1 s.176
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• pp.95-102
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• 2006

To properly interpret and define climatic warming trends of the last $100\~150$ years.; climatic changes over the past several centuries must be constrained. High resolution surface air temperatures (SATs) to reconstruct global temperature trends extend back only to the late of 19th century. Fortunately, on long time scale and over large areas, ground surface temperatures (GSTs) track SATs. GST changes penetrate into the subsurface and are recorded as transient temperature perturbation. Therefore, borehole temperatures can be used to recover climate change over the last millennium in an area; paleoclimate change inferred from borehole temperatures can be used to interpret global warming over the last century, little ice age, and medieval warm period.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.37-49
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• 2021

Analysis and prediction of storm surges are very important because the global warming has raised sea levels and increased the frequency of massive typhoons, accelerating damage of coastal flooding. However, the data for storm surge prediction is lacking due to the short history of observation in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of the previous surges and tsunamis based on the historical documents published during the Joseon Dynasty. In addition, we tried to evaluate the damage and spatial extent of such disasters, using the expressions about surge records including heights and number of administrative divisions. As a result, a total of 175 records of surges and tsunamis were compiled from 1392 to 1910: 145 events were extracted through the analysis of the ancient documents, and 30 events were from the previous research. Most of the strorm surges occurred along the west coast during summer season. More than half of the total surges were concentrated for 120 years from the mid 1600s to the mid 1700s, which was estimated to be highly relevant to the climate conditions in East Asia during the Little Ice Age. Hazardous areas by storm and tidal surges were also extracted, including Asan, Ganghwa, and Siheung during the Joseon Dyanisity period.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Coastal dunes play an important role in coastal defense. The Moraeul dune in Daecheongdo Island is representative in this regard. However, there is little knowledge, concerning the morphology, grain size, and formation timing of the dune. This study investigated the geomorphological characteristics of the Moraeul dune using topographic surveys, grain size analyses, and OSL dating. The dune was classified as 'single accreted foredune', which was developed under dense vegetation cover and efficient sand trapping. The dune consisted of fine to medium sand with 1.6Φ of mean grain size, and was covered with pine trees (> 100 years old). The samples from the upper part of the dune yielded quartz OSL ages ranging 0.5 ~ 0.7 ka. Therefore, it is likely that the dune developed at least before the Little Ice Age and became what it is today about one century ago.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.69-83
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• 2014

This study examines vegetation and climate changes from pollen compositions of alpine moors in the Korean Peninsula such as Mujechineup at Mt. Jeongjok, Yongneup at Mt. Daeam, Jilmoineup at Mt. Odae and Wangdeungjaeneup at Mt. Jiri including moors at Mt. Jeombong. It can be found that the alpine moors were less interfered by human than low moors during the past 2,000 years of the historical age. Based on dominant periods of Pinus and Quercus, pollen compositions of the alpine wetlands, climatic environments of vegetation and historical records, vegetation and climate changes during three periods such as approximately 2,000~1,000 yr BP, 1,000~400 yr BP and 400 yr BP~present are examined. It was warmer during the period of 1,000~400 yr BP than 2,000~1,000 yr BP. The period of approximately 400 yr BP indicate the coldest climate of Little Ice Age. This study finds dominances of Quercus, low NAP/AP ratios, obvious divisions of pollen zones and human interference after 400 yr BP from pollen compositions of the alpine moors during the historical age. Human interference in the high moors becomes obvious after approximately 400 yr BP, indicating that there is a time lack of approximately 1,500~2,000 years between the alpine and low moors.

• Asian review of World Histories
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-116
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• 2013

The theory of terrestrial impact which has been developed by the astronomy scientists since 1970s is employed for this article in a new angle that atmospheric conditions of our planet should be adopted in the interpretation of the history of mankind. Large and small terrestrial impacts must be acknowledged as key tasks in terms of the study of 'world history'. The Society of Interdisciplinary Studies has already advocated that the 'Bronze Age Civilization' was strongly influenced by the long term terrestrial impact phenomena. Based on historical materials from Korea, the present study was able to identify the years 680-880, 1100-1220, 1340-1420, and 1490-1760 as periods in which territorial impacts occurred.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2006

The extension of sunspot number series and auroral observations backward in time is of considerable interest for dynamo theory, solar activity and climate research. It was known that the Maunder minimum corresponded to a unusual cold so called little ice age in Europe and the appearance of sunspot had a close relation to the occurrence of aurora. Therefore we have examined ancient records of sunspots and aurorae with indirect solar proxies during this period and have studied for the features and peculiarities of solar activity with the relation of the climate variation.