• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.192-201
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• 2018

In this study, a qualitative evaluation of the morphological changes in the seabed surrounding Jinwoo-Island due to the construction of the new Busan port were determined through a numerical simulation. Various scenarios for the discharge of the Nakdong river estuary dam and construction stage of the new Busan port were established and utilized for an indirect and qualitative investigation through simulation using the numerical model implemented in this study. It was concluded through a qualitative study that the morphological changes in the seabed surrounding Jinwoo-Island were typical estuary seabed changes due to the discharge of the Nakdong river estuary dam and waves from the open sea. The effects from the construction of the new Busan port were relatively small.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.484-497
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• 2016

In order to understand the characteristics of the topography change in front of an impermeable breakwater, a coupled model for a two-way analysis of the existing LES-WASS-2D and newly developed morphodynamic model was suggested. A comparison to existing experimental results revealed that the results computed using the 2-D hydro-morphodynamic model were in good agreement with the experimental results for the wave form, pore water pressure in the seabed, and topographical change in front of a submerged breakwater. It was shown that the two-way model suggested in this study is applicable to a morphological change in the seabed around a submerged breakwater. Then, using the numerical results, the topographical changes in front of an impermeable submerged breakwater were examined in relation to partial standing waves. Moreover, the characteristics of the local scour depths in front of them are also discussed in relation to incident wave conditions, sediment qualities, and submerged breakwater shapes.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2020

We analyzed the morphological characteristics of OCC (Ocean Core Complexes) in the middle part of the Central Indian Ridge (MCIR) using high-resolution geophysical data recorded on the Deep-Tow SideScan Sonar IMI-30 system. In terms of slope-gradient variations calculated from the high-resolution bathymetry data, the normal faults formed by seafloor spreading were associated generally with slopes > 30° and resulted in high backscatter intensities, which reflect more topographic effects than acoustic medium variation. However, the areas associated with gentle slopes < 10° tend to show the backscatter intensities reflecting the acoustic characteristic of the medium. We show that the detachment faults exposing the OCCs were initiated with high-angle normal faults (58°) exhibiting outward and inward dips of a breakaway zone. In order to examine the spatial distribution of OCC structures, we characterized the transition from magmatic-dominant seafloor with abyssal hills to tectonic-dominant seafloor with OCC using the down-slope direction variation. The slope direction of the seafloor generally tends to be perpendicular to the ridge azimuth in the magmatic-dominant zone, whereas it becomes parallel to the given ridge azimuth near the OCC structures. Therefore, this spatial change of seafloor slope directions indicates that the formation of OCC structures is causally associated with the tectonic-dominant spreading rather than magmatic extension. These results also suggest that the topographical characteristics of seafloor spreading and OCC structures can be distinguished using high-resolution geophysical data. Thus, we propose that the high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter intensity data can help select potential areas of exploitation of hydrothermal deposits in MCIR effectively.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.151-151
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• 2011

Large amounts of natural gas, mainly methane, in the form of hydrates are stored on continental margins. When gas hydrates are dissociated by any environmental trigger, generation of excess pore pressure due to released free gas may cause sediment deformation and weakening. Hence, damage on offshore structures or submarine landslide can occur by gas hydrate dissociation. Therefore, geotechnical stability of gas hydrate bearing sediments is in need to be securely assessed. However, geotechnical characteristics of gas hydrates bearing sediments including small-strain elastic moduli have been poorly identified. Synthesizing gas hydrate in natural seabed sediment specimen, which is mainly composed of silty-to-clayey soils, has been hardly attempted due to their low permeability. Moreover, it has been known that hydrate loci in pore spaces and heterogeneity of hydrate growth in specimen scale play a critical role in determining physical properties of hydrate bearing sediments. In the presented study, we synthesized gas hydrate containing sediments in an instrumented oedometric cell. Geotechnical and geophysical properties of gas hydrate bearing sediments including compressibility, small-strain elastic moduli, elastic wave, and electrical resistivity are determined by wave-based techniques during loading and unloading processes. Significant changes in volume change, elastic wave, and electrical resistivity have been observed during formation and dissociation of gas hydrate. Experimental results and analyses reveal that geotechnical properties of gas hydrates bearing sediments are highly governed by hydrate saturation, effective stress, void ratio, and soil types as well as morphological feature of hydrate formation in sediments.