• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 2019

Understanding the interaction between climate and the water cycle is critical especially in a drought sensitive region such as California. This study explored hydrologic changes in central and southern California in relation to the glacial-interglacial climate cycles over the last 30 thousand years. To do this, we reconstructed paleovegetation using plant wax carbon isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$) preserved in marine sediment cores retrieved from the central California continental shelf (ODP Site 1018) and Santa Barbara Basin (ODP Site 893A). The results were then compared to the existing sea surface temperature (SST) and pollen records from the same cores to understand terrestrial hydrology in relation to oceanographic processes. The Last Glacial was generally dry both in central and southern California, indicated by grassland expansion, confirming the previously suggested notion that the westerly storm track that supplies the majority of the precipitation in California may not have moved southward during the glacial period. Southern California was drier than central California during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This drying trend may have been associated with the weakening of the California Current and northerly winds leading to the early increase in SST in southern California and decline in both offshore and coastal upwelling. The climate was wetter during the Holocene in both regions compared to the glacial period and forest coverage increased accordingly. We attribute this wetter condition to the precipitation contribution increase from the tropics. Overall, we found a clear synchronicity between the terrestrial and marine environment which showed that the terrestrial vegetation composition in California is greatly affected by not only the global climate states but also regional oceanographic and atmospheric conditions that regulate the timing and amount of precipitation over California.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2021

Tephrochronology is the study of tephra layers to correlate and date geologic events. As tephra layers can be used as time-markers, they are essential for the dating of Quaternary deposits. In this study, two types of tephra layers were found in the upper and lower parts of marine terrace deposits distributed in the Sanha-dong and Jeongja-dong, Ulsan areas. Based on the morphological features of glass shards, refractive indices, major element compositions, and similarity coefficients, the upper and lower tephras were identified as AT (ca. 25 ka) and Ata (ca. 105-110 ka) tephra, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first official report of Ata tephra on terrestrial deposits in Korea. These results are expected to aidin the research of the Quaternary paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and active faults in the southeastern part of Korea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.290-294
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of rodent (mainly ground squirrel) burrows found near the Lake Hovsgol, Mongolia. Those burrows are straight to slightly curved and gently inclined in lateral view. Cross-sectional shapes are either circular or elliptical with diameters ranging from mostly 8-10 cm. Most abandoned burrows are passively filled with soils and/or pebbles. The size and architecture of these Mongolian burrows are remarkably similar to those of the previously reported Late Pleistocene burrows from Korea. Therefore, the rodent burrows found at Korean Palaeolithic sites are thought to have been formed by ground squirrels. However, the difference in burrow-fills suggests that the mean annual precipitation of the Korean Peninsula during the Late Pleistocene is much higher than that of Mongolia.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

Analyses of sedimentological and geochemical parameters from two radiocarbon-dated sediment cores (JM98-845-PC and JM98-818-PC) retrieved from the central part of Isfjorden, Svalbard, in the Arctic Sea, reveal detailed paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic histories over the last 15,000 radiocarbon years. The overconsolidated diamicton at the base of core JM98-845-PC is supposed to be a basal till deposited beneath pounding glacier that had advanced during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum). Deglaciation of the fjord commenced after the glacial maximum, marked by the deposition of interlaminated sand and mud in the ice-proximal zone by subglacial meltwater discharge, and prevailed between 13,700 and 10,800 yr B.P. with enriched-terrigenous organic materials. A return to colder conditions occurred at around 10,800 yr B.P. with a drop in TOC content, which is probably coincident with the Younger Dryas event in the North Atlantic region. At this time, an abrupt decrease of TOC content as well as an increase in C/N ratio suggests enhanced terrigenous input due to the glacial readvance. A climatic optimum is recognized between 8,395 and 2,442 yr B.P., coinciding with 'a mid-Holocene climatic optimum' in Northern Hemisphere sites (e.g., the Laurentide Ice sheet). During this time, as the sea ice receded from the fjord, enhanced primary productivity occurred in open marine conditions, resulting in the deposition of organic-enriched pebbly mud with evidence of TOC maxima and C/N ratio minima in sediments. Fast ice also disappeared from the coast, providing the maximum of IRD (ice-rafted debris) input. Around 2,442 yr B.p. (the onset of Neoglacial), pebbly mud, characterized by a decrease in TOC content, reflects the formation of more extensive sea ice and fast ice, which might cause decreased primary productivity in the surface water, as evidenced by a decrease in TOC content. Our results provide evidence of climatic change on the Svalbard fjords that helps to refine the existence and timing of late Pleistocene and Holocene millennial-scale climatic events in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.597-602
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• 2005

The Late Quaternary palynoflora from an archaeological site in Piseo-ri, Muan, Korea consists predominately of deciduous broadleaved angiosperms and subordinately of herbs and conifers. Dominant taxa are Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, Alnus, Carpinus, deciduous Quercus, Compositae and Gramineae. The palynoflora dated 43,000-18,000 yr BP, corresponding to the last glacial period, is similar to the modern vegetation of the cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest in the middle part of the Korean Peninsula. Based on palynofloral composition, three palynozones are recognized. Zone I represents a cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest, composed of Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, Alnus and D. Quercus, and is characterized by persistent occurrence of warm temperate taxa. Zone II shows drastic decrease in Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, and increase in herbs. This zone reflects a cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest with scattered open grasslands. Zone III is characterized by dominance in herbs and increase in conifers. The palynofloral composition suggests a cool temperate climate, and variation in occurrences of main taxa indicates that climatic conditions gradually became cold and dry.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.34-47
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• 2009

AMS radiocarbon dates indicated that Eurimji reservoir, located at Jecheon City, Chungbuk Province, has been formed during the late Holocene Epoch. The sedimentary sequence at bottom reveals histories in hydrology, climate conditions and past vegetation dynamics. Ages controlled sedimentological and palynological analyses on ER 3-1 Core contribute to reconstruct paleoclimate and past hydrological conditions. These analyses suggest that lower interval (307.5m~309.5m elevations) of the ER 3-1 Core was deposited in stable from 1,920 yrBP to 1,420 yrBP, but upper layer sediment above these elevations was composed of reworked sediments during the pre and post 2,000 yrBP. Pollen assemblage indicates that watershed vegetation of the Eurimji reservoir, during the period of 1,920 yrBP~1,420 yrBP, was closely comparable to modern vegetation dominated Pinus and Quercus mixed vegetation. Also, riparian including Alnus, Fraxinus and Salix were inhabited along the banks of stream, and aquatics such as Typha, Nymphaea and Persicaria flourished at shore of the reservoir. According to cultural chronicle, it infers that the Eurimji reservoir was formed from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age or the beginning of ancient society. An integrated data suggested that Quercus-Pinus-Abies mixed forest flourished under cool and dry climate conditions during 3,200 yrBP~200 yrBP.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2010

Seongnyu Cave have developed along the NE-SW direction in carbonate rocks of the Joseon Supergroup. The cave mostly shows horizontal passages and contains three lakes. The main passage is about 330 m long with 540 m-long branches, thus the total length of the cave is about 870 m. Through cave diving, about 85 m-long new passages were discovered. Numerous speleothems such as soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstones, rimstones, cave shields, cave corals, curtains (and bacon sheets), cave pearls, cave flowers, helictites and calcite rafts can be found in the cave. Especially, some speleothems which were believed to have grown in the past were discovered in the submerged passage, and a few stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and columns were eroded (or corroded) by the cave stream that flowed on the floor. Because these speleothems only grow in subaerial environments within limestone caves, it appears that they grew when there was no lake in the cave and became submerged as the lake level rose in the cave. The presence of these speleothems in the lakes indicate that they only grew during glacial periods when sea-level was lower. Therefore, detailed investigation of these speleothems will provide invaluable information on paleoclimatic evolution around the Korean peninsula in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.291-299
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• 2016

This study examined stratigraphic research containing extreme climate event during Quaternary period in Saban-ri, Haeri-myeon, Gochang by constructing 3D topographic model and 3D geological model. As a result of 3D topographic model and subsurface geological model, the geology of study area accumulated bedrock, Pleistocene series, and Holocene series chronologically. Most of the study area consist of bedrock on basement and Holocene series on upper layer. Additionally, Pleistocene series are presented as lens-shaped deposit on eastern part, and wedge-shaped deposit on northeastern part. Holocene layers consist of sand and clay-silt layer deposited sequentially where implies fluvial deposits on transgression environment. Distinctively, Pleistocene clayey silt layer and Holocene sand layer on eastern are observed as pond shape deposits that are considered as storm-related deposits originated from overwash system caused by extreme paleoclimate.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2011

The recent global warming may be estimated to give lots of impacts to the human society and biosphere of influencing climate change included by the natural climate variations through the human activity which can directly and/or indirectly play a major role of total atmospheric composition overall. Therefore it currently appears evidences such as hot wave, typhoon, and biosphere disturbance, etc. over the several regions to be influenced by global warming due to increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through inducing forest destruction, fossil fuel combustion, greenhouse gases emission, etc. since industrial revolution era. Through the working group report of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for climate change was analyzed by the individual country's current status and figure out the important issues and problems related to the future trend of climate change science with advanced countries preparedness and research, In this study, the first working group report of IPCC focuses on those aspects of the current understanding of the physical science of climate change that are judged to be most relevant to policymakers. As this report was assessed and analyzed by including the progress of climate change science, the role of climate models and evolution in the treatment of uncertainties. This consists of the changes in atmospheric constituents(both aerosols and gases) that affect the radiative energy balance in the atmosphere and determine the Earth's climate, considering the interaction between biogeochemical cycles that affect atmospheric constituents and climate change, including aerosol/cloud interactions, the extensive range of observations snow available for the atmosphere and surface, for snow, ice, and frozen ground and for the oceans, respectively and changes in sea level, the paleoclimate perspective and assessment of evidence for past climate change and the extension, the ways in which physical processes are simulated in climate models and the evaluation of models against observed climate, the development plans and methods of improving expert and building manpower urgently and R&D fund expansion in detail for climate change science in Korea will be proposed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2019

Long chain plant waxes (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, and n-alcohols) and their carbon isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$) in geologic archives are valuable tools for paleovegetation reconstruction. However, the sensitivity of different plant wax constituents to vegetation shift is not well understood. This study explores controls on the variation in ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of long-chain n-alkanes ($C_{27}$ to $C_{33}$) and n-alkanoic acids ($C_{26}-C_{30}$) in the Gulf of Mexico core sediments (ODP 625B) near the Mississippi River delta. n-Alkanoic acids' ${\delta}^{13}C$ values were higher than those of n-alkanes by 1-2‰ on average and such a pattern is the opposite from their isotope fractionation observed in living plants: 1-2‰ smaller in n-alkanes than n-alkanoic acids. We attribute this offset to contributions from aquatic plants or microbes that produce high concentrations of $^{13}C-enriched$ long-chain n-alkanoic acids. The sensitivity of n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids to vegetation and climate varied among chain lengths. The $n-C_{33}$ alkanes were most sensitive to $C_4$ grassland expansion among n-alkane homologues, while no specific trend was observed in n-alkanoic acids. This is due to the similarity in n-alkanoic acid concentrations between $C_3$ and $C_4$ plants by homologues and low terrestrial plant-derived n-alkanoic acid contributions to the sediments. The results of this study suggest that long chain n-alkanoic acids' ${\delta}^{13}C$ values in sediments may be influenced by contributions from different sources such as aquatic plants or microbial inputs and therefore interpretations regarding this matter should be cautiously formulated. We suggest that there is a need for further studies on characterizing long-chain n-alkanoic acids ($C_{26}-C_{34}$) in aquatic plants and microbes from various climates and environments in order to investigate their production and integration into sedimentary archives.