• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-350
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• 2010

This study conducted sedimentological and geophysical surveys for 3 years (2006-2008) in southern Gyeonggi Bay, Korea to elucidate temporal changes in subaqueous dune morphology on a sand ridge trending northeast to southwest that has been excavated by marine sand mining. The sand ridge (~20 m in height, ~2 km in width and 3~4 km in length) has a steep slope on the NW side and a gentle slope on the SE side, creating an asymmetric profile. Large (10~100 m in length) and very large (>100 m in length) dunes occurring on the SE side of the ridge show a northeastward asymmetrical shape, whereas dunes on the NW side destroyed by marine sand mining display a southwestward asymmetry. The comparison between Flemming (1988)'s correlation and the height-length correlation of this study indicates that tidal current and availability of sand sediment are major controlling factors to the development and maintenance of dunes. Depth and sedimentary characteristics (grain size) are not likely to be major controlling factors, but indirectly influence dune growth by hydrological and sedimentary processes. The length and the height of dunes decrease toward the southeastern trough away from the crest of the ridge. These features result from the decrease of tidal current and sediment availability. The length and the height of dunes on the southeast side decrease gradually over time. This is a result of the interaction between tidal current and the decrease in sediment availability due to sediment extraction by marine sand mining. Marine sand mining has destroyed the dunes directly, causing irregular shapes of shorter length and lower height. The coarse fraction of suspended sediments is transported and deposited very close to the sand pit. By contrast, relatively fine sediments are transported by the tidal current and deposited over a wide range by the settling-lag effect, resulting in a decrease of sediment grain size in the area where suspended sediments are deposited. In addition, marine sand mining, decreases the height of dunes. Therefore, morphological and sedimentological characteristics of dunes around the sand pits will be significantly changed by future sand mining activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2015

The multi-frequency characteristics of anchovy schools were investigated using six acoustic lines collected at 38 and 120 kHz while a primary trawl survey was conducted from 14 April and 18 April of 2014 in off the coast of Tongyeong and Geo-je. Here, the frequency characteristics mean ${\Delta}MVBS$ that is the difference of Mean Volume Backscattering Strength at two frequencies. To use the characteristics effectively, the optimal cell size ($10{\times}2m$) was determined by examining several different cell sizes in consideration with the shapes of fish schools and the ${\Delta}MVBS$ pattern. By examining 6 histograms of ${\Delta}MVBS$, afternoon groups were occupied more in the ${\Delta}MVBS$ range of -6~-4 dB than that of -4~-2 dB, comparing to morning groups. The ${\Delta}MVBS$ range of the morning groups was between -16.9 dB and 11.6 dB, and that of the afternoon groups -16.7 dB and 13.0 dB. The average and standard deviation were $-3.9{\pm}3.6$ dB in the morning and $-4.1{\pm}3.4$ dB in the afternoon, suggesting that morning groups were 2 dB higher than afternoon groups. The ${\Delta}MVBS$ range of all anchovy schools regardless of morning and afternoon was between -16.9 dB and 13.0 dB, their average ${\Delta}MVBS$ was $-4.1{\pm}3.5$ dB. The characteristics can support to identify anchovy species in the waters where multiple fish species are distributed. It is hoped that this study presents the availability and benefit of acoustic data from a primary trawl survey.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.325-338
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• 2016

Properties of aggregation and spatial distribution of fish were examined based on three lines in the South Sea of Korea using three frequencies (18, 38, and 120 kHz) of a scientific echosounder. The vertical distribution of fish was displayed using acoustic biomass namely nautical area scattering coefficient (NASC). As a result, at 120 kHz high NASC showed from water surface to 20 meters in deep while at 18 and 38 kHz very high NASC presented in 70 ~ 90 meters in depth, especially at line 3. Among three lines, the line 2 had lowest NASC. The horizontal distribution of fish using three frequencies together exhibited high NASC between the eastern South Sea and center of South Sea. In especial, NASC ($801{\sim}1,920m^2/n{\cdot}mile^2$) was observed along coastal waters from Busan to Tongyeong, Geoje, and Namhae. In regard with the property of aggregation of fish schools, the volume back-scattering strength ($S_V$) of three lines presented close each other, however, the range of $S_V$ in the line 2 was shortest (-53.5 ~ -43.4 dB). The average distributional depth was deep in the order of L3 ($32.8{\pm}9.0m$), L1 ($45.2{\pm}9.5m$), L2 ($49.7{\pm}5.6m$). The average altitude was high in the order of L3 ($13.4{\pm}10.3m$), L1 ($17.0{\pm}12.6m$), L2 ($56.7{\pm}5.6m$). The average length, thickness, and area were large in the order of L1, L3, and L2. This means that small sized fish schools were distributed near water surface in the line 2 while relatively large and similar sized fish aggregations between line 1 and line 3 appeared however, fish schools at line 3 had lower distributional depth and smaller compared to those at line 1. Acoustic data were visualized for demonstrating the entire circumstances of survey area. Additionally, there was no correlation between acoustic and trawl results.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2009

The border of the shorelines in a nation is an important factor in determining the border of a national territory, but Korea's shorelines are rapidly changing due to the recent rise in sea level from global warming and growth-centered economic policy over the decades of years. This research was done centering on the areas having well-preserved shorelines as they naturally are and other areas having damaged shorelines in their vicinities due to artificial structures at the two beaches located at the neighboring areas and having mutually homogeneous ocean conditions with each other. First, this research derived the shorelines using the aerial photographies taken from 1947 until 2007 and revised the tidal levels sounding data obtained from a hydrographical survey automation system consisting of Echosounder[Echotrac 3100] and Differential Global Positioning System[Beacon]by using topographical data and ships on land obtained by applying post-processing Kinematic GPS measuring method. In addition, this research evaluated the changes and dimensional variations for the last 60 years by dividing these determined shorelines into 5 sections. As a result, the Haewundae Beach showed a total of 29% decrease rate in dimension as of the year 2007 in comparison with the year 1947 due to a rapid dimensional decline centering on its west areas, while the dimension of the Gwanganri Beach showed an increase in its dimension amounting to a total of 69% due to the decrease in flow velocity by artificial structures built on both ends of the beach-forming accumulation; thus, it was found that there existed a big difference in deposition & accumulation tendency depending on neighboring environment in spite of the homogeneous ocean conditions.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.131-146
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• 2014

Multi-beam echosounder data and grain size analysis data of surface sediment were acquired and analyzed in order to investigate the shelf-to-slope morphology, geological character, and their geological controlling factors in the southwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin. According to the morphological character, the continental shelf can be divided into two parts: (1) shallow (~100 m) and steep ($0.5^{\circ}$) inner shelf, (2) deep (100-300 m) and gentle ($0.2^{\circ}$) outer shelf. The continental slope is featured with eight distinct topographic depressions of various spatial dimension (~121 $km^2$ in area) and head wall gradient (${\sim}24.3^{\circ}$). They are developed adjacent to each other and presumably formed by submarine landslides which have recurred under the strong influences of earthquakes and eustatic sea-level change. The inner continental shelf and the continental slope are dominated by fine-grained sediment, whereas the outer continental shelf is dominated by coarse-grained sediment. The surface sediment distribution seems dominantly influenced by eustatic sea-level change. The outer continental shelf is mostly covered by coarse relict sediment deposited during lowstand sea-level, while the inner shelf is covered with recent sediment during highstand sea-level. The surface of the continental slope is covered with fine-grained sediments which were supplied by hemipelagic advection process.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2019

Various artificial reefs provide the fish habitat and nursery, and contribute the improvement of fisheries productivity. The evaluation methods of fishery resources in the artificial reefs have been done by fishing, scuba diving, underwater camera, and scientific echo sounder/sonar. There are a number of studies using echosounders on the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of artificial reefs in various seas around the world. This study focused on the spatial distribution of fishes around artificial reefs and the influential area of reefs off Bukchon, Jeju Island. Not only acoustic data but also various properties of artificial reefs were used in the geographic information system to extract relevant results. As a result, the major material of reefs on this study site was concrete and the number of reefs with that material was the most. The volume of reefs consisted of steel only and steel with riprap was considerably large compared to other reefs. The average NASC in the vertical distribution of fishes in artificial reefs was $31.6m^2/nm^2$ in April, and that was $61.3m^2/nm^2$ in June. The distance between the fish school and their nearest reef in June morning had a wide range from 750 to 3250 m. On the basis of the influence ray of artificial reefs, it had a tendancy of NASC to decrease with distance from the reef in the June morning. It is a preliminary study to present the geospatial analysis example to understand a better way of comprehensive artificial reef environments.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.80-87
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• 2011

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) present the important advantage of being able to approach the seafloor more closely than surface vessel surveys can. To collect bathymetric data, bottom material information, and sub-surface images, multibeam echosounder, sidescan sonar (SSS) and subbottom profiler (SBP) equipment mounted on an AUV are powerful tools. The 3000m class AUV URASHIMA was developed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). After finishing the engineering development and examination phase of a fuel-cell system used for the vehicle's power supply system, a renovated lithium-ion battery power system was installed in URASHIMA. The AUV was redeployed from its prior engineering tasks to scientific use. Various scientific instruments were loaded on the vehicle, and experimental dives for science-oriented missions conducted from 2006. During the experimental cruise of 2007, high-resolution acoustic images were obtained by SSS and SBP on the URASHIMA around the northern Kumano Basin off Japan's Kii Peninsula. The map of backscatter intensity data revealed many debris objects, and SBP images revealed the subsurface structure around the north-eastern end of our study area. These features suggest a structure related to the formation of the latest submarine fan. However, a strong reflection layer exists below ~20 ms below the seafloor in the south-western area, which we interpret as a denudation feature, now covered with younger surface sediments. We continue to improve the vehicle's performance, and expect that many fruitful results will be obtained using URASHIMA.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.381-388
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to integrate and visualize using mapping techniques based on precise seabed geomorphology, seafloor backscattering images and high-resolution underwater images of the nearshore area around the Dokdo, in the East Sea. We have been obtained the precise topography map using multibeam echosounder system around the nearshore area(~50 m) of the southern part of the Seodo. Side scan sonar survey for analysis seafloor backscattering images was carried out in the same area of topography data. High-resolution underwater images(zone(a), zone(b), zone(c)) were taken in significant habitat scope of the nearshore area of the southern part of the Seodo. Using the results of bathymetry, seafloor backscattering images, high-resolution underwater images, we performed an integrated visualization about the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualizing techniques are possible to make the seabed characteristic mapping results of the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualization results present more complex and reliable information than separate geological products for seabed environmental mapping study and it is useful to understand the relation between seafloor characteristics and topographic environments of the study area. The integrated visualizing techniques and mapping analysis need to study sustainably and periodically, for effective monitoring of the nearshore ecosystem of the Dokdo.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.477-486
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• 2017

In this study, we analyze precise seabed geomorphology and conditions for comparing the nearshore areas of the Dongdo(East Island) and the Seodo(West Island) using detailed bathymetry data and seafloor backscattering images, in Dokdo, the East Sea. We have been obtained the detailed bathymetry data and the seafloor backscattering data. The survey range is about $250m{\times}250m$ including land of islets to the nearshore areas of the southern part of the Dongdo and the Seodo. As a result of bathymetry survey, the southern area of the Dongdo(~50 m) is deeper than the Seodo(~30 m) in the water depth. The survey areas are consist of extended bedrocks from land of the Dongdo and the Seodo. The underwater rock region of the Seodo is larger than the Dongdo. In spite of similar extended rocks features from islets, there are some distinctive seabed characteristics between the southern nearshore areas of the Dongdo and the Seodo. The Talus-shaped seafloor environment formed by gravel and underwater rocks originating from the land of the Dongdo is up to about 15 m depth. And the boundary line of between extended bedrocks and seabottom is unclear in the southern nearshore of the Dongdo. On the other hand, the southern coast of the Seodo is characterized by relatively large scale underwater rocks and evenly distributed sediments, which clearly distinguish the boundary of between extended bedrocks and seafloor. This is because the tuff layers exposed to the coastal cliffs of the Dongdo are weak against weathering and erosion. It is considered that there are more influences of the clastic sediments carried from the land of the Dongdo compared with the Seodo. Particularly, the land of the Dongdo has been undergoing construction activities. And also a highly unstable ground such as faults, joints and cracks appears in the Dongdo. In previous study, there are dissimilar features of the massive tuff breccia formations of the Dongdo and the Seodo. These conditions are thought to have influenced the different seabed characteristics in the southern nearshore areas of the Dongdo and the Seodo.