• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.223-235
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• 2018

This study was carried out to investigate benthic sedimentary environments and benthic polychaetous communities on the coast of Ulsan, located on the southern East Sea of Korea. This survey was conducted at 15 stations, four times seasonally in January, April, July and October 2016. From the coast to the outer sea, surface sediments turned into fine grained sediments. There were complex coarse-grained sedimentary facies in various forms in the coastal zones while those with mud facies were found in the offshore zone. Organic matter content (LOI) and sulfide amount (AVS) recorded extremely high values, and increased from the coast to the outer sea, showing a similar trend to mud content with depth. The benthic polychaetous community revealed a mean density of $525ind./m^2$, and the total species number of species was 84. The major dominant polychaetous species were Magelona japonica, Lumbrineris longifolia and Heteromastus filiformis throughout the four seasons. Magelona japonica was concentrated predominantly in shallow coastal areas, but was present in all the regions of the survey area. Lumbrineris longifolia showed higher density in offshore regions more than 30 m deep, whereas H. filiformis showed higher density in coastal areas less than 30 m in depth. As a result of cluster analysis, the study area was divided into three ecological areas according to species composition, such as the northern coastal area between Ulsan PortOnsan Port, the southern area around Hoeya River and the outer sea area. Benthic environments in the study area, as determined by AMBI and BPI index, maintained a healthy condition in all four seasons with the AMBI at a level above GOOD and BPI at a level above FAIR. As organic matter accumulation continues to take place in the Ulsan coastal area, it is essential that detailed research activities continue to be carried out and ongoing monitoring be maintained.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2003

Three piston cores. obtained from the northwestern Ulleung Basin of the East Sea, are analyzed to study the tephrostratigraphy of the late Quaternary core sediments and to reveal the comparative characteristics of the tephra layers. The cores consist mainly of the muddy sediments that are partly interbedded with lapilli tephra and ash layers. The muds are further divided into hemipelagic and turbiditic mud facies. The hemipelagic facies is dominated by bioturbated mud and crudely laminated mud, whereas the turbiditic facies includes mainly thinly laminated mud and homogeneous mud, and often alternates with non-turbiditic muds. According to microscopic observation and EDX analysis, three tephra layers of the Ulleung-Oki (U-Oki; ca. 9.3 ka), Aira-Tanzawa (AT: ca. 22~24.7 ka) and Ulleung-Yamato (U-Ym; ca. 25~33 ka) are identified in the study cores. Among these, the U-Oki and U-Ym layers, originating from the Ulleung Island, consist mainly of massive-type glass shards with alkali feldspar. Both of the tephra layers contain a lower content of SiO$_2$ (57~66.5 wt.%) and a higher content of Na$_2$O+K$_2$O (11~16 wt.%) than the AT layer (SiO$_2$=75~78.5 wt.%, Na$_2$O+K$_2$O=6.5~9 wt.%) that consists of typical plane-type and/or bubble-wall glass grains. Compared with that of the U-Ym layer, a sedimentary facies of the U-Oki layer is very thick and contains three stratigraphic units, probably due to relatively large and different supplies of pyroclastic sediments. Thus, the eruption of Ulleung Volcano (ca. 7,300 B.C.) is thought to have had a more powerful effect on depositional environment than the U-Ym eruption.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.93-102
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• 2017

Heavy mineral provide an important information for sediment provenance as well as a potential submarine mineral resources. We compared the heavy mineral characteristics between Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud (SEYSM) and Southwestern Cheju Island Mud (SWCIM) surface sediments. We separated heavy minerals from 28 surface sediments in each mudbelt, and then carried out stereo-microscopic, field-emission scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive spectroscopic and electron probe microanalysis to characterize the type, abundance, mineralogical properties and distribution pattern of heavy mineral. Amphibole and epidote, which are two major heavy minerals, account for more than 70% of total heavy minerals. Zircon and sphene contents are more abundant in SEYSM, whereas apatite and rutile contents are more abundant in SWCIM. Monazite only occurs in some area of SEYSM. Sphene and monazite content decrease to the south in SEYSM. Both garnet-zircon index (GZi) and rutile-zircon index (RuZi) are low in SEYSM but high in SWCIM. Amphiboles in SEYSM primarily correspond to hornblende, however those in SWCIM represent variable composition from pargasite, tshermakite, hornblende to tremolite. Garnets in SEYSM have high Mg and low Ca, but those in SWCIM have low Mg with variable Ca. Different heavy mineral characteristics between SEYSM and SWCIM suggests that sediments in each mudbelt have different provenances. Although this study implies that SEYSM sediment may mostly come from nearby Korean western rivers such as the Keum and Han rivers, this study does not suggest any idea of the source area of SWCIM sediment. Further study is needed to interpret the provenance and transportation mechanism of mudbelt sediments through the heavy mineral research for the river sediments flowing into the Yellow Sea and much more marine sediments.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.205-214
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• 2007

Marine environmental characteristics on the dinoflagellate cysts distribution in surface sediment of the southwest sea of Korea were investigated from 21 stations in September 2003, and 36 stations in June, 2004. The water mass characteristics indicated that the southwest sea of Korea is characterized by various oceanographic conditions due to coastal waters of Korea and China. The Tsushima warm currents and the cold bottom water of the Yellow Sea. Mud contents and chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in central region such as, Namhaedo, Yeosu and Goheung coast than in western region such as, Wando, Haenam and Jindo coast in the South Sea of Korea. A total of 35 taxa of dinoflagellate cysts were identified representing 21 genera, 33 species, 2 unidentified species. Cyst abundance ranged from 13 to 527 cysts $g-dry^{-1}$, showing higher abundance in the coastal areas than in western region of the South Sea of Korea. From the result of the PCA analysis, the distribution of dinoflagellate cysts was not only related to the different water masses which appeared in the southwestern sea but also to physical and biological parameters such as water temperature, light, surface sediment faces and phytoplankton biomass.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2009

Analysis of four microsatellite markers from Mud Crab Scylla serrata revealed that there is high level of genetic diversity within this species. Genetic diversity of S. serrata was calculated using allele diversity, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity (Het-exp), polymorphic information content, gene differentiation and Nei's $D_{A}$ distance. Mean polymorphic information content value was 0.797, which reflected high level of polymorphism across the loci of S. serrata. The Palau population has the highest genetic diversity (Het-exp=0.871), while the Kosrae population has the lowest genetic diversity (Hetexp=0.806). However, the geographical genetic distance among S. serrata populations from Yab, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Palau were low (0.2009${\sim}$0.3350). These results suggest that despite their wide distribution, S. serrata are no different in geographical genetic diversity within the five sampled locations.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.231-238
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• 2002

In this study we classified sediment types of tidal flat using Landsat-5 images. This is for groping the method which can analyze correctly various kinds of sediment faces through satellite images. This work was performed by referencing ground truth of sediment faces which was investigated in the field. With this data we classified Landsat-5 image of 1997's to grope a most suitable classification method. As a result, in case of south Kanghwa island area, it was the optimum way to compound band 4, 5, 7 of Landsat-5 TM imagery. And, this work classified 3 kinds of sediment faces - M(mud), sM(sandy mud) and (g)M(slightly gravelly mud) - in land and mixed water area. It is anticipated that if this method is applied to a image of extremely lower sea level time, it can classify the sediment types of a broad tidal flat area. This is expected to be a beginning of estimating the effect of sediment faces to the change of the tidal flat ecosystem.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.235-247
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• 2019

The Central South Sea Mud (CSSM), developed in the Seomjin River estuary, is known to be supplied with sediments from Heuksan Mud Belt (HMB) and Seomjin River. However, in order to form a mud belt, more sediments must be supplied than supplied in the above areas. Therefore, research on additional sources should be conducted. In this study, clay minerals, major elements analyzes were performed on cores 16PCT-GC01 and 16PCT-GC03 in order to investigate the transition in the provenance and transport pathway of sediments in CSSM. The Huanghe sediments are characterized by higher smectite and the Changjiang sediments are characterized by higher illite. Korean river sediments contain more kaolinite and chlorite than those of chinese rivers. Korean river sediments have higher Al, Fe, K concentraion than Chinese river sediments and Chinese rivers have higher Ca, Mg, Na than those of Korean rivers. Therefore, clay minerals and major elements can be a useful indicator for provenance. Based on our results, CSSM can be divided into three sediment units. Unit 3, which corresponds to the lowstand stage, is interpreted that sediments from Huanghe were supplied to the study area by coastal or tidal currents. Unit 2, which corresponds to the transgressive stage, is interpreted to have a weaker Huanghe effect and a stronger Changjiang and Korean rivers effect. Unit 1, which corresponds to the highstand stage when the sea level is the same as present and current circulation system is formed, is interpreted that sediments from Changjiang and Korean rivers are supplied to the research area through the current.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.173-184
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• 2019

Variations in grain size distribution and clay mineral assemblage are closely related to the sedimentary facies that reflect depositional conditions during the glacial and interglacial periods. Gravity cores BS17-GC15 and BS17-GC04 were collected from the continental shelf and rise in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea during a cruise of the ANA07D Cruise Expedition by the Korea Polar Research Institute in 2017. Core sediments in BS17-GC15 consisted of subglacial diamicton, gravelly muddy sand, and bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. Core sediments in BS17-GC04 comprised silty mud with turbidites, brownish structureless mud, laminated mud, and brownish silty bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. The clay mineral assemblages in the two core sediments mainly consisted of smectite, chlorite, illite, and kaolinite. The clay mineral contents in core GC15 showed a variation in illite from 28.4 % to 44.5 % in down-core changes. Smectite contents varied from 31.1 % in the glacial period to 20 % in the deglacial period and 25.1 % in the interglacial period. Chlorite and kaolinite contents decreased from 40.5 % in the glacial period to 30.3 % in the interglacial period. The high contents of illite and chlorite indicated a terrigenous detritus supply from the bedrocks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Core GC04 from the continental rise showed a decrease in the average smectite content from 47.2 % in the glacial period to 20.6 % in the interglacial period, while the illite contents increased from the 21.3 % to 43.2 % from the glacial to the interglacial period. The high smectite contents in core GC04 during the glacial period may be supplied from Peter I Island, which has a known smectite-rich sediment contributed by Antarctic Circumpolar Currents. Conversely, the decrease in smectite and increase in chlorite and illite contents during the interglacial period was likely caused by a higher supply of chlorite- and illite-enriched sediment from the eastern Bellingshausen Sea shelf by the southwestward flowing contour current.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2016

We studied the heavy minerals in 46 surface sediments collected from the Central Yellow Sea Mud (CYSM) to characterize the type, abundance, mineralogical properties and distribution pattern using the stereo-microscopy, field-Emission scanning electron microscopy (FE SEM) and chemical analysis through the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Heavy mineral assemblages are primarily composed of epidote group, amphibole group, garnet group, zircon, rutile and sphene in descending order. Epidote group and amphibole group minerals account for more than 50% of total heavy minerals. The minerals in epidote group, amphibole group and garnet group in studied area are epidote, edenite and almandine, respectively. When we divided the CYSM into two regions by $124^{\circ}E$, the eastern region contain higher contents of epidote and (zircon + rutile), which are more resistant to weathering but lower of amphibole, which is less resistant to weathering than the western region. Based on this results, it is possible to estimate that the eastern region sediments are transported for a long distance while western region sediments are transported for a short distance from the source area. In the future, the additional study on the heavy minerals in river sediments flowing into the Yellow Sea and much more samples for marine sediments must be carried out to interpret exactly the provenance and sedimentation process.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2014

In this study, we tried to determine the origin of fine-grained sediments in Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud patch (SEYSM) using principal component analysis coupled with semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis for 4 major clay minerals. We used 51 marine surface sediments from SEYSM and 33 surface sediments of rivers flowing into the Yellow Sea. We made bioplot diagram using R program with principal component 1 and component 2 because the two components might contain about 98% of all data. The content of each clay mineral in the south and north regions of SEYSM are almost similar. In the biplot, SEYSM sediments distribute close to Korean rivers sediments than Huanghe and Changjiang sediments. Based on these results, we suggest that SEYSM is originated from the Korean rivers sediments. The higher accumulation rate in the SEYSM compared to the sediment discharge from neighboring Korean rivers can be explained by erosion and reworking of surface sediments in this area. The principal component analysis can be used for the provenance research of marine sediments around the Korean Peninsula.