• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.325-331
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• 2016

Three diatom assemblage zones were erected from HMB-103 core sediment of the Heuksan Mud Belt. The paleoenvironmental changes were reconstructed basing on diatom analyses using indicator species, cold and warm water species, and salinity. Seventy-six species belonging to 41 genera were identified in the core sediments. The number of diatom valves per gram of dry sediment ranged from 0.1 to $15.4{\times}10^4g^{-1}$. As a result, diatom assemblage I in about 45,000 yr B.P showed a high abundance in cold species indicating a major influence by the Korea Coastal Current. Diatom assemblage II from 14,000 to 11,646 yr B.P is characterized by rare abundance and indicative of the cold periods at Younger Dryas with the lower sea-level. However, diatom assemblage III from 11,646 yr B.P to Holocene was more affected by the Yellow Sea Warm Current while the progressive sea level rise.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.673-684
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• 2012

Quantitative understanding of total carbon, total inorganic carbon and total organic carbon contained in ocean sediments is a basic data for interpretation of oceanic sediment environments. Elemental analyzer(EA) is frequently used for the analysis of carbon contents in inland soils and ocean sediments. Carbon and nitrogen contents of the soil reference material analyzed by an EA were 2.30% and 0.21% with standard deviations of 0.02 and 0.01, respectively. Relative standard deviations were 0.01 and 0.06, respectively, representing a high precision. Regression analysis of TOC and TC analysis results for the samples with TOC of less than 2.0% for the site in Hyung-Do showed a linear relationship with a slope of 0.9743($R^2$=0.9989, n=38), and the results of a relationship regression analysis between total organic carbon contents less than 0.5% and average grain size except for two samples showed a linear relationship with a slope of 0.0444($R^2$=0.6937 n=36). TOC contents of surface sediments were in the ranges of 0.10~1.67%(Average $0.26{\pm}0.37%$) with TOC values of 1.67% at S02 sampling site, 1.13% at S07 sampling site, and less than 1.00% at remaining sites. In the case of PC 01 core sediments, TOC showed the highest value of 0.20% near 70 cm. In the case of PC 02 core sediments, the highest value of 0.24% was indicated near 60 cm. The analysis method of organic carbon obtained from Hyung-Do Intertidal zone sediment sample results may be considered applicable to an organic carbon analysis for ocean sediments and useful for organic carbon analysis experiments of ocean sediments with a reduction in time required for the analysis and a high precision coupled with a high accuracy.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.328-336
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• 2007

A piston core (587 cm long) was recovered from the upper slope of a seamount in the Korea Plateau. Three episodes of sedimentation were identified based on sedimentary facies, grain size distribution, carbonate constituents and initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratio of carbonates. The lower part of the core, Unit I-a (core depth $465{\sim}587cm$) is composed of shallow marine carbonate sediments the deposited by storm surges, and is about $13{\sim}15Ma$ (Middle Miocene) based on $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ initial ratio. This suggests that the depositional environment was relatively shallow enough to be influenced by storm activities. Unit I-b (core depth $431{\sim}465cm$) is mostly composed of turbidites, and Sr isotope ages of bivalves and planktonic formaminifera are about $11{\sim}14\;and\;6{\sim}13Ma$, respectively. This indicates that the Korea Plateau maintained shallow water condition until 11 Ma, and began to subside since then. However, planktonic foraminifera were deposited after 11 Ma and redeposited as turbidites as a mixture of planktonic foraminifera and older shallow marine carbonates about 6 Ma ago. Unit II (core depth $0{\sim}431cm$) is composed of pelagic sediments, and the Sr isotope age is younger than 1 Ma, thus the time gap is about 5 Ma at the unconformity. About 1 Ma ago, the Korea Plateau subsided down to a water depth of about 600 m. The sampling locality was intermittently influenced by debris flows and/or turbidity currents along the slope, resulting the deposition of re-transported coarse shallow marine and volcaniclastic sediments.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 2001

Compressional wave velocity and electrical resistivity of muddy sediments in the southeastern inner shelf of Korea were studied using nine piston core samples. The acoustic and physical properties were measured with 10 cm depth interval. Sediment structures were examined by x-radiographs of the cored sediments. Subbottom profiles were obtained by a high-resolution acoustic subbottom profiler. Acoustic turbid layers are clearly seen on the profiles, and x-radiographs of the sediments showed degassying structures formed by gas escaping. On the basis of x-radiographic images, velocities, electrical resistivities and physical properties, the sediments are divided into gassy and non-gassy sediments. The presence of gas and degassying structures result in a marked variation in velocity and electrical resistivity. It can be concluded that velocity and electrical resistivity arep arameter to recognize gassy sediment. The velocity is important parameter to indicate gassy sediment.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.187-198
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• 2003

High-resolution (Chirp, 3-11 kHz) echo facies and sedimentary facies of piston-core sediments were analyzed to reveal the late Quaternary depositional processes in the Korea Plateau and Ulleung Interplain Gap. The Korea Plateau is an Isolated topographic high with a very restricted input of terrigenous sediments, and its slope is characterized by a thin sediment cover and various-scale submarine canyons and valleys. Echo and sedimentary facies suggest that the plateau has been moulded mainly by persistent (hemi) pelagic sedimentation and intermittent settling of volcanic ashes. Sediments on the plateau slope and steep margins of ridges and seamounts were reworked by earthquake-induced, large-scale slope failures accompanied by slides, slumps and debris flows. As major fraction of the reworked sediments consists of (hemi) pelagic clay particles, large amounts of sediments released from mass flows were easily suspended to form turbid nepheloid layers rather than bottom-hugging turbidity currents, which flowed further downslope through the submarine canyons and spreaded over the Ulleung Basin plain. In the Ulleung Interplain Gap, sediments were introduced mainly by (hemi) pelagic settling and subordinate episodic mass flows (turbidity currents and debris flows) along the submarine channels from the slopes of the Oki Bank and Dok Island. The sediments in the Ulleung Interplain Channel and its margin were actively eroded and reworked by the deep water flow from the Japan Basin.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2009

The XRF core scanner was used, to analyze high resolution chemical elements in deep sea sediment cores from Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeastern Pacific. Comparison of data estimated by the XRF core scanner with ICP-AES showed relatively weak correlation coefficients between elements (especially Ba, Pb, Sr, Zr) except for Mn contents ($r^2$ > 0.89). However down-core variations of most elements seemed to be well matched each other and furthermore, XRF core scanner data reflected changes of sedimentary facies characterized by sediment colors. Mn/Al ratio dramatically changed at boundaries of facies in BC08-02-05 and BC08-02-13 but progressive changes occured in BC08-02-02, BC08-02-09 and BC08-02-10 where the sediments have been affected by bioturbations. The difference of Mn/Al ratio in each facies (Facies I, Facies II, Facies III) has been caused by redox condition of depositional environment. Vertical change of Mn/Al ratio were divided into two types probably affected by activities of benthic organisms in the study area.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 2004

A total of 116 surface sediment samples were obtained on the Yellow Sea and analyzed for grain size and geochemical elements in order to interpret the present sediment transportation. Thirty-nine cores and 3,070 line-km shallow seismic profiles are analyzed for sedimentary records of Yellow Sea in the past. Results show that the boundary of sediment transport between Korean side and Chinese side is about between $123^{\circ}E$ and $124^{\circ}E$. The similar result is produced from Shi et al. (in this publication). Two cyclonic patterns of surface sediments are recognized in the northeastern and southwestern Yellow Sea, while the strong front zone of the mud patch and sandy sediments are found in the southeastern Yellow Sea (the southwestern part of Korean coasts). The formation of fine-particle sediment packages, called for Northwest Mudbelt Deposit (NWMD), Hucksan Mudbelt Deposit (HSMD) and Jeju Mudbelt Deposit (JJMD), are resulted from eddies (gyres) of water circulations in the Yellow Sea. NWMD has been formed by cyclonic (anticlockwise) eddy. NWMD is composed of thick, homogeneous, relatively semi-consolidated gray clay-dominated deposit. On the other hand, HSMD and JJMD are formed by anticyclonic (clockwise) eddies. They are thick, homogeneous, organic-rich gray, silt-dominated deposit. Both core and surface sediments show that the middle zone across Chinese and Korean side contains bimodal frequency of grain-size distribution, indicating that two different transport mechanisms exist. These mud packages are surrounded by sand deposits from both Korea and China seas, indicating that Yellow Sea, which is the shallow sea and epicontinental shelf, is formed mostly by sand deposits including relict sands. The seismic profiles show such as small erosional/non-depositional channels, sand-ridges and sand-waves, Pleistocene-channelfilled deposits, a series of channels in the N-S major channel system, and thick Holocene sediment package, indicating that more complex sedimentary history exists in the Yellow Sea.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.529-543
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• 2003

Deep-sea surface sediments, acquired from 1997 to 2002 in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific, were analyzed for index and geotechnical properties to provide background information for the design of manganese nodule minor. The sediments were classified into 16 types based on the measured properties and evaluated in terms of miner maneuverabillity and potential environmental impacts arising from mining activities. It was found that the middle part of the study area covered with coarse siliceous sediments is more favorable to the commercial production than the northern part of pelagic red clay. In particular, Area B2 in the middle part is considered the best mining site since it shows the highest abundance as well as it consists mostly of normally to over consolidated (types B, C, D) coarse siliceous sediments that are appropriate for effective minor movement and accompany weak environmental impacts. Taking account of all the analyzed core logs, the average shear-strength values are proposed as a practical guideline fur movements of a manganese nodule miner: 6.0 kPa at 10cm and 7.0kPa at 40cm below the seabed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.545-556
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• 2003

Detailed interdisciplinary investigations demonstrate that the Yeongsan River estuarine-filled sediments clearly record important paleoenvironmental changes during the Last Glacial and Holocene. The sediments from 18.9 m(20.5∼l.6m in depth) long core MW-1 are differentiated by changes in sedimentary textures and palynomorph assemblages. Chronology was provided by AMS$^{14}$C dating and regional pollen correlation. Three paleoenvironrnental phases are recognized: (1) The Last Glacial deposits consist mainly of fluvial sediments and paleosols, experienced deposition alternating with pedogenesis. The appearance of the paleosols suggests that the paleoclimate might be cold and humid. (2) The early and middle Holocene phase started abruptly in response to the rapid global climatic warming. and is characterized by abundant marine palynomorphs. (3) The late Holocene is marked by more cool conditions. The paleoenvironmental changes recorded in the sediments coincide not only with local but also with broad-scale, probably global climate changes.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 1999

The down-core distribution of chlorophyll a, organic carbon contents and ${\delta}^{13}C$ in the bottom sediments were measured to understand the evolution of eutrophication in Masan Bay. Bottom sediment were collected in January 1994. The chlorophyll a and organic carbon contents in the sediment core decreased with increasing sediment depth, respectively. Bottom sediments (0~20 cm) in Masan Bay was rich in chlorophyll a (avg. 9.6 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$ dryweight) and organic C (avg. 2.5%). The down-core distribution of chlorophyll a suggests that the inner part of Masan Bay has experienced the acceleration of chlorophyll a supply since 1960s. Flux of organic carbon to the sea floor is in the range of 10 $gCm^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ assuming the C:Chl a ratio of 25. It suggests tht approximately 1.3% of the fixed carbon by phytoplankton appears to be deposited in the bottom sediments.