• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.218-229
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• 2016

The bedform stability diagram indicates the shape and size of bedforms that will occur to a given grain size and flow velocity. The diagram has been constructed from experimental data which have been mostly acquired by flume experiments. Generally, the flume experiments have been performed on well sorted sediments with unimodal grain size distribution, in order to understand relationship between grain size and flow velocity. According to the diagram, a ripple structure initiates to be formed from lower flow regime flat bed, as the flow velocity increases on the surface of fine-sand or medium-sand sediments. This study aims to verify that the experimental result of bedform stability diagram will be reproduced in our flume experimental systems, and also to confirm that the result is consistent not only on well-sorted sand sediments but also on poorly-sorted sand sediments with bimodal grain size distribution. The experimental results in this study show that initiation of 2D or 3D ripple structure on poorly-sorted sand sediments requires higher flow velocity and shear stress than those for initiation of the structure on well-sorted sand sediments. In general, carbonate sediments are characterized by poor sorting due to inactive hydraulic sorting and bimodal grain size distribution with allochems and matrices. The results suggest that the carbonate depositional system possibly need a higher flow velocity for initial formation of 2D or 3D bedform structures. The reason might be the fact that pulling off and lifting of a grain in poorly sorted sediments require more energy due to sorting, friction, stabilization, armour effects, and their complex interaction. This preliminary study warrants additional experiments under various conditions and more accurate analysis on the relationship between formation of bedforms and grain size distribution.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.139-150
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• 2010

This study investigated the depositional environment of the area of Anmyeondo in the mid-western coast of Korea. A total of 142 surface sediments were analyzed, and leveling survey was conducted as well in 12 transects at the sandy tidal flat in the area. The surface sediments are classified into several different types (slightly gravelly Sand, Sand, slightly gravelly sandy Mud, etc.) and they show fining-distribution toward the offshore. Textural parameters are characterized by being coarse, well sorted, positively skewed in the supratidal and intertidal flat, whereas being finer, poorly sorted, negatively skewed in the subtidal flat. According to the C-M diagram, the sediment transport modes are characterized by the mixed mode of bedload and graded suspension in supratidal and intertidal flat, and by graded suspension or uniform suspension in the subtidal flat. Histogram shows a bimodal distribution in the lower subtidal flat which is indicative of two sediment transport modes.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 1991

size data of 1,044 surface sediments from Korean shelf area were compiled and reexamined. Size distribution curves of the sediments are unimodal (31% of the total number), bimodal (54%), or multimodal 915%), Size curves of the sediments and modal subpopulations of the mixed sediments show resemblance to normal curve in shape. The modal mean value shows systematic change along a direction inside the Recent mud belts of the southeastern Yellow Sea and west of Korea Strait. It was found that the areas covered by unimodal sand are minimal value areas of heavy metal and suspended sediment-concentration in the southeastern Yellow Sea and northern East China transport processes during Recent time. It was also found that the mode analysis is useful method to extract information from sediment size data.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.259-271
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• 1993

The distributions of bottom sediments and the depositional processes on the continental shelves of Korean Seas are interpreted. Generally the continental shelf sediments can be classified into the sand-facies and mud-facies, showing the typical bimodal size distributions Most of the sandy and gravelly sediments on the outer shelf floor are interpreted as "relict" sediments that were deposited during the last glacial times when the sea level was lower than the present. On the other hand the muddy sediments on the inner shelf area are interpreted as "recent" sediments that are deposited under the present environment conditions. It is understood that most of the fine materials cannot escape the inner shelf area due to the strong tidal and coastal fronts, and are transported eastward from the West Sea along the southern coast of Korean Peninsula. The dark-colored muddy sediments in the Hupo Basin of the East Sea are, however, considered to be "relict" sediments. In the midshelf area fine materials are mixed with the relict coarse sediments, and some of the relict sediments are continuously reworked under the present environmental conditions forming the "palimpsest" sediments.