• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.300-312
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• 2004

The geomorphological environment of Suwon Basin consists of two great elements: mountains which surround the basin and plains and low relief hills by differential erosion of granitic area. Nothern and eastern parts of the basin surround with gneissic mountains(Mt. Kwangkyo), southern and western parts of the basin with granitic mountains(Mt. Chilbo, etc). The basin developed on granitic saprolites is composed of two types of sub-order geomorphic elements: flood plains alongside four river(Whangkuji-chon, Seoho-chon, Suwon-chon, Wonchonri-chon) and aligned hills and mounts between the river side plains. While the low down lands provided the spatial condition for the extention of downtown of Suwon, the gneissic mountains have played the positive roles by high ecological dam effects with stable supply of water and purification of air, etc.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1971

The geotectonics and geomorphic structure of Korea resulted from the Song-rim Disturbance and the Daebo orogenic movements. Afterward this mountainous peninsula underwent several geological changes on a small scale, and it was also claimed that the steady rising of the elevated peneplain of the eastern coast and the submerging of the southwestern coastal area are largely due to the tilted block movement. These views have been generally accepted good in several ways, but they are limited in range or lacking in theoretical integration. The present writer investigated the geology of the Mt. Chi-ri-san and the Honam coal mining area for a geological map in 1965, respectively. The results of these studies convinced the present writer that the conventional views, which were based upon a theory of lateral pressure should be reconsidered in many respects, and more recent studies made it clear that the morphological development in the southwestern area can be better explained by the orogenic movement and rock control. The measurement of submerging speed of the western coastal area (Pak. Y. A., 1969) and a new account on the geology and tectonics of the Mid-central region of South Korea (Kim O.J., 1970) act as an encouragement to a new explanation. The present writer's researches on the extreme southwestern portion of the peninsula show that the steady submerging of this area cannot be attributed to a simple downthrown block phenomenon caused by block movement. It is no more than the result of the differential movement of uplifting in the eastern and western coastal areas and the rising of sea-level in the post-glacial period. This phenomenon could be easily explained by the comparison of the rate of rise in sea-level and amount of heat flow between Korea and other areas in the world. The existance of the erosional planes in the Sobaik-San ranges also provide an evidence of an upheaval in the western coast area. Though the Sobaik-San ranges largely follow the direction of the Sinian system. They consist of the numerous branches, whose trends run more or less differently from their main trend because of the disharmonic folding, are converged into Mt. Sobaik-San and Chupungryung. The undulation of the land is not wholely caused by orogenic movements, where as the present writer confirmed that the diversity of morphological development is the direct reflection of geological conditions such as rocks and processes which constitute the basic elements of geomorphic structure. An east-west directed mountain range which could be named as Hansan mountain range, was claimed to be oriented by the joint control. The geological conditions such as a special erosion and weathering of agglomerate and breccia tuff usually produce pot-hole like submarine features which cause the whirling phenomenon at the southwestern coast channel.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.41 no.3 s.114
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• pp.331-345
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• 2006

This study deals with geomorphological process of the sand dune landform including the distribution and surface environments, characteristics of sediments, origins and moving processes in lower reach and mouth delta of Duman River, Northeast Korea and China. The methodology of the study includes image analysis of Landsat TM(1992.10) and ETM(2000.9) and Spot(2005.4) for analysis of land cover, 2 times field survey for recognition of landform and acquisition of sediments raw data materials, and grain analysis and exoscopy about raw data materials. The geomorphic elements from satellite image analysis are composed of the delta, sand spit, active and stable dune, sand bar and riparian vegetated zone. Results of the grain analysis indicate the sediments originated from marine coastal zone than riverine one. This means that present sand dune not so much reflect present climatic and geomorphic environments. Result of the exoscopy analysis show that ratio of quartz, which is comparatively resistant to environment, is highest as $65{\sim}83%$ out of sediments. But the surface of the $30{\sim}40%$ of mineral grains was coated by yellow-colored stained materials, due to chemical weathering. Some grains show rough skin, looking as acicular, network structure and etching pits, affected by physical and chemical weathering.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2009

The method to generate a digital elevation model(DEM) from contour lines causes a problem in which the low relief landform cannot be clearly presented due to the fact that it is significantly influenced by the expression of micro landform elements according to the interval of contours. Thus, this study attempts to develop a landcover burning method that recovers the micro relief landform of the DEM, which applies buffering and map algebra methods by inputting the elevation information to the landcover. In the recovering process of the micro landform, the DEM was recovered using the buffering method and elevation information through the map algebra for the landcover element for the micro landform among the primary DEM generation, making landcover map, and landcover elements. The recovering of the micro landform was applied based on stream landforms. The recovering of landforms using the buffering method was performed for the bar, which is a polygonal element, and wetland according to the properties of concave/convex through generating contours with a uniform interval in which the elevation information applied to the recovered landform. In the case of the linear elements, such as bank, road, waterway, and tributary, the landform can be recovered by using the elevation information through applying a map algebra function. Because the polygonal elements, such as stream channel, river terrace, and artificial objects (farmlands) are determined as a flat property, these are recovered by inputting constant elevation values. The results of this study were compared and analyzed for the degree of landform expression between the original DEM and the recovered DEM. In the results of the analysis, the DEM produced by using the conventional method showed few expressions in micro landform elements. The method developed in this study well described wetland, bar, landform around rivers, farmland, bank, river terrace, and artificial objects. It can be expected that the results of this study contribute to the classification and analysis of micro landforms, plain and the ecology and environment study that requires the recovering of micro landforms around streams and rivers.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.385-400
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• 2004

The Lago Sofia Conglomerate encased in the 2km thick hemipelagic mudstones and thinbedded turbidites of the Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation, southern Chile, is a deposit of a gigantic submarine channel developed along a foredeep trough. It is hundreds of meters thick kilometers wide, and extends for more than 120km from north to south, representing one of the largest ancient submarine channels in the world. The channel deposits consist of four major facies, including stratified conglomerates (Facies A), massive or graded conglomerates (Facies B), normally graded conglomerates with intraformational megaclasts (Facies C), and thick-bedded massive sandstones (Facies D). Conglomerates of Facies A and B show laterally inclined stratification, foreset stratification, and hollow-fill structures, reminiscent of terrestrial fluvial deposits and are suggestive of highly competent gravelly turbidity currents. Facies C conglomerates are interpreted as deposits of composite or multiphase debris flows associated with preceding hyperconcentrated flows. Facies D sandstones indicate rapidly dissipating, sand-rich turbidity currents. The Lago Sofia Conglomerate occurs as isolated channel-fill bodies in the northern part of the study area, generally less than 100m thick, composed mainly of Facies C conglomerates and intercalated between much thicker fine-grained deposits. Paleocurrent data indicate sediment transport to the east and southeast. They are interpreted to represent tributaries of a larger submarine channel system, which joined to form a trunk channel to the south. The conglomerate in the southern part is more than 300 m thick, composed of subequal proportions of Facies A, B, and C conglomerates, and overlain by hundreds of m-thick turbidite sandstones (Facies D) with scarce intervening fine-grained deposits. It is interpreted as vertically stacked and interconnected channel bodies formed by a trunk channel confined along the axis of the foredeep trough. The channel bodies in the southern part are classified into 5 architectural elements on the basis of large-scale bed geometry and sedimentary facies: (1) stacked sheets, indicative of bedload deposition by turbidity currents and typical of broad gravel bars in terrestrial gravelly braided rivers, (2) laterally-inclined strata, suggestive of lateral accretion with respect to paleocurrent direction and related to spiral flows in curved channel segments around bars, (3) foreset strata, interpreted as the deposits of targe gravel dunes that have migrated downstream under quasi-steady turbidity currents, (4) hollow fills, which are filling thalwegs, minor channels, and local scours, and (5) mass-flow deposits of Facies C. The stacked sheets, laterally inclined strata, and hollow fills are laterally transitional to one another, reflecting juxtaposed geomorphic units of deep-sea channel systems. It is noticeable that the channel bodies in the southern part are of feet stacked toward the east, indicating eastward migration of the channel thalwegs. The laterally inclined strata also dip dominantly to the east. These features suggest that the trunk channel of the Lago Sofia submarine channel system gradually migrated eastward. The eastward channel migration is Interpreted to be due to tectonic forcing imposed by the subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the Andean Cordillera just to the west of the Lago Sofia submarine channel.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.138-159
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• 1996

There has been a tendency for Geomorphology and Climatology to be dominant in Physical Geography for 50 years in Korea. Physical Geography is concerned with the study of the totality of natural environment through the integrated approaches. But, an overall direction or a certain paradigm could not be found, because major sub-divisions of Physical Geography have been studied individually and the subjects and the approaches in studying Physical Geography are enormously diverse. A consensus of opinion could not also exist in deciding what kind of the sub-divisions should be included in the physical geography in general and how those should be summarized. Furthermore it would be considered imprudent to survey the studies of Physical Geography besides those of Geomorphology and Climatology due to the small number of researchers. Assuming that the rest of Physical Geographical studies with the exception of Geomorphological and Climatological studies are the Physical Geography in general, the studies of Physical Geogrpahy in general are summarized and several aspects are drown out as follows. First the descliption of all possible factors of natural environments was the pattern of early studies of Physical Geography and the tendency is maintained in the various kinds of research and project reports. Recently Physical Geographers have published several introductory textbooks or research monographs. In those books, however, the integrated approaches to Physical Geography were not suggested and the relationship between man and nature are dealt with in the elementary level. Second, the authentic soil studies of Physical Geographers are insignificant, because the studies of soil in Physical Geography have been mostly considered as the subsidiary means of Geomorphology Summarizing the studies of Soil Gegraphy by physical geographers and other Pedologists, the subjects are classified as soil-forming processes, soil erosions, soil in the tidal flat and reclaimed land, and soil pollution. Physical Geographers have focused upon the soil-forming processes in order to elucidate the geomorphic processes and the past climatic environment. The results of other subjects are trifling. Thirdy Byogeygrayhers and the results of studies are extremely of small number and the studies of Biogeography in Korea lines in the starting point. But, Biogeography could be a more unifying theme for the Physical-human Geography interface, and it would be expected to play an active part in the field of environmental conservation and resource management. Forth, the studies of Hydrogeography (Geographical Hydrology) in Korea have run through the studies of water balance and the morphometric studies such as the drainage network analysis and the relations of various kinds of morphometric elements in river. Recently, the hydrological model have introduced and developed to predict the flow of sediment, discharge, and ground water. The growth of groundwater studies is worthy of close attention. Finally, the studies on environmental problems was no mole than the general description about environmental destruction, resource development, environmental conservation, etc. until 1970s. The ecological perspectives on the relationship between man and nature were suggested in some studies of natural hazard. The new environmentalism having been introduced since 1980s. Human geographers have lead the studies of Environmental Perception. Environmental Ethics, Environmental Sociology, environmental policy. The Physical geographers have stay out of phase with the climate of the time and concentrate upon the publication of introductory textbooks. Recently, several studies on the human interference and modification of natural environments have been made an attempt in the fields of Geomorphology and climatology. Summarizing the studies of Physical Geography for 50 years in Korea, the integrated approaches inherent in Physical Geography disappeared little by little and the majol sub-divisions of Physical Ceography have develop in connection with the nearby earth sciences such as Geology, Meteorology, Pedology, Biology, Hydrology, etc been rediscovered by non-geographers under the guise of environmental science. It is expected that Physical Geography would revive as the dominant subject to cope with environmental problems, rearming with the innate integrated approaches.