• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.spc1
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• pp.203-213
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• 2006

The spatial patterns of meiobenthic communities in deep-sea sediment were examined. Sediment samples for analyzing of meiobenthic community structure were collected using a remote operated vehicle (ROV), multiple corer TV grab at 20 stations at five sites. In all, 15 meiofauna groups were recorded. Nematodes were the most abundant taxon. Benthic foraminiferans, harpacticoid copepods, polychaetes, and crustacean naupii were also dominant groups at all sites. The total meiofauna density at the study sites varied from 49 to 419 ind./$10cm^2$. The maximum density was recorded at a site located in Challenger Deep in the Mariana trench where simple benthic foraminifera with organic walls flourish. These distinctive taxa seem to be characteristic of the deepest ocean depths. Active hydrothermal sediments contain up to 150 harpacticoid copepods per $10cm^2$ of sediment. In a inactive ridge sediments, devoid of macrofaunal organisms:, the abundance of harpacticoid copepods never exceeded 15 ind./$10cm^2$. Multivariate analysis (multidimensional scaling) revealed significant differences in community structure among the three regions; near an active hydrothermal vent, in the deepest ocean depths and at typical deep-sea bed sites.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1826-1831
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• 2006

A novel hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, heterotrophic archaeon, designated strain $NA1^T$, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent area (depth, 1,650 m) within the Papua New Guinea-Australia-Canada-Manus (PACMANUS) field. Cells of this strain were motile by means of polar flagella, coccoid-shaped with a diameter of approximately $0.5-1.0{\mu}m$, and occurred as single cells. Optimal temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration for growth were $80^{\circ}C$, 8.5, and 3.5%, respectively. The new isolate was an obligate heterotroph that utilized yeast extract, beef extract, tryptone, peptone, casein, and starch as carbon and energy sources. Elemental sulfur was required for growth and was reduced to hydrogen sulfide. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 52.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain $NA1^T$ belongs to the genus Thermococcus, and the organism is most closely related to T. gorgonarius, T. peptonophilus, and T. celer; however, no significant homology was observed among species by DNA-DNA hybridization. Strain $NA1^T$ therefore represents a novel species for which the name Thermococcus onnurineus sp. novo is proposed. The type strain is $NA1^T$ (=KCTC 10859, =JCM 13517).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2008

Fonualei Rift and Spreading Center(FRSC) and Mangatolu Triple function(MTJ) caldera are located in northeastern part of Lau basin which is the active back-arc basin. Deep-tow and surface-tow magnetic surveys are carried out in FRSC. In deep-tow magnetic survey, to compensate for influence of uneven distance between bathymetry and sensor height, magnetic anomaly is continued upward to a level plane by using the Guspi method. We calculate crustal magnetization using Parker and Huestis's inversion algorithm, and try to find the hydrothermal vent and understand the structure of ocean floor crust. The result of deep-tow magnetic survey at FRSC showed that Central Anomaly Magnetization High(CAMH) recorded the max value of 4.5 A/m which is associated with active ridge. The direction of SSW-NNE corresponds with the direction of the principal spreading ridge in Lau basin. The low crustal magnetizaton$(174^{\circ}35.1'W,\;16^{\circ}38.4'S)$ of -4.0 A/m is supposed to correlate with submarine hydrothermal vent. Surface-tow magnetic data were collected in MTJ caldera$(174^{\circ}00'W,\;15^{\circ}20'S)$. The prevailing SSW-NNE direction of collapsing walls and the presence of CAMH at the center of caldera strongly indicate the existence of active spreading ridge in ancient times.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.765-779
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• 2023

The Daum Vent Field (DVF) was newly discovered in the Central Indian Ridge during the hydrothermal expedition by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) in 2021. In this paper, we describe the detailed mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermal chimney and mound to understand the nature of hydrothermal mineralization in the DVF. The mineral assemblages (pyrite±sphalerite±chalcopyrite) of dominant sulfides, FeS contents (mostly <20 mole %) of sphalerite, and (Cu+Zn)/Fe values (0.001-0.22) of bulk compositions indicate that the DVF has an strong affinity with basaltic-hosted seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposit along the oceanic ridge. Combined with the predominance of colloform and/or dendritic-textured pyrite and relatively Fe-poor sphalerite in chimneys, the fluid-temperature dependency of trace element systematics (Co, Mn, and Tl) between chimney and mound indicates that the formation of mound was controlled by relatively reducing and high-temperature fluids compared to chimney. The δ³⁴S values (+8.31 to +10.52‰) of pyrite reflect that sulfur and metals were mainly leached from the associated basement rocks (50.6-61.3%) with a contribution from reduced seawater sulfur (38.7-49.4%). This suggests that the fluid-rock interaction, with little effect of magmatic volatile influx, is an important metal source for the sulfide mineralization in the DVF.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.273-279
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• 2021

Branchinotogluma segonzaci (Miura and Desbruyères, 1995) occurs in hydrothermal vent fields of the southwestern Pacific Ocean. We morphologically compared B. segonzaci from the North Fiji Basin with the original description from the Lau Basin and a subsequent study of specimens from the Manus Basin. The main characteristics of all B. segonzaci populations were similar having 21 segments, 10 pairs of elytra, cylindrical-shaped anterior lobes, and ventral papillae on segment 12 and ventral lamellae on segments 13-17 in males. However, the specimens from the North Fiji Basin had rounded to sub-renifrom elytra rather than oval in the original description. Additionally, we newly obtained 11 cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA barcodes from the North Fiji Basin and Tonga Arc populations and compared them with known COI DNA barcodes of Branchinotogluma species. Thirteen sequences of B. segonzaci showed 0.0-1.07% intraspecific variation and formed two clades in the COI neighbor-joining tree, whereas the interspecific variation among Branchinotogluma species was 8.19-22.4%. The results of this study contribute to biogeographic studies of B. segonzaci and the evolution of polynoid scale worms in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2012

Hydrothermal vents (HTV) provide special environments for evolution of lives independent on solar energy. HTV samples were gained from Tofua arc trench in Tonga, South Pacific. We investigated archaeal diversity enriched using combinations of various electron donors (yeast extract and $H_2$) and electron acceptors [Iron (III), elemental sulfur ($S^0$) and nitrate. PCR amplification was performed to detect archaeal 16S rRNA genes after the cultures were incubated $65^{\circ}C$ and $80^{\circ}C$ for 2 weeks. The cultures showing archaeal growth were transferred using the dilution-to-extinction method. 16S rRNA gene PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis was used to identify the enriched archaea in the highest dilutions where archaeal growth was observed. Most of cultured archaea belonged to genus of Thermococcus (T. alcaliphilius, T. litoralis, T. celer, T. barossii, T. thoreducens, T. coalescens) with 98-99% 16S rRNA gene similarities. Interestingly, archaeal growth was observed in the cultures with Iron (III) and nitrate as an electron acceptor. It was supposed that archaea might use the elemental sulfur generated from oxidation of the reducing agent, sulfide. To cultivate diverse archaea excluding Thermococcus, it would be required to use other reducing agents instead of sulfide.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.27-32
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• 2008

Detailed bathymetry and magnetic survey data for Esmeralda Bank obtained by R/V Onnuri of Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute in September 2007 were analyzed to estimate the locations of possible hydrothermal vents. The shape of Esmeralda Bank is caldera type opened in the western part. The summit is very shallow, about 50 meter b.s.l. and the bottom is about 1300 meter b.s.l. The western part of Esmeralda Bank is more steeper and topographic irregular than eastern part, and showed the valley made by erosion or collapse. The magnetic anomaly patterns of Esmeralda Bank located low anomalies over the north and high anomalies over the south. The magnetic anomalies are steep over the summits and gently smooth over the deep bottom. Two low magnetization zones are located in the summit and westside of Esmeralda Bank. The low magnetization zones of the summits of Esmeralda Bank suggest the possible existence of hydrothermal vent.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.22-40
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• 2009

Detailed bathymetry and magnetic survey data for NW Rota-1 and Esmeralda Bank obtained by R/V Onnuri of Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute in September 2007 were analyzed to investigate bathymetry and magnetic characteristics of the study area and to estimate the locations of possible hydrothermal vents. The shape of NW Rota-1 is corn type, and the depth of the summit is about 500 meter b.s.l. NW Rota-1 shows irregular topographic expression in the southeastern part. The shape of Esmeralda Bank is caldera type opened in the western part. The summit is very shallow, about 50 meter b.s.l. The western part of Esmeralda Bank is more steeper and topographic irregular than the eastern part, and have the valley made by erosion or collapse. The magnetic anomaly patterns of NW Rota-1 and Esmeralda Bank show low anomalies over the north and high anomalies over the south. The magnetic anomalies are steep over the summits and gently smooth over the deep bottom. The low magnetization zone occurs over the summit of NW Rota-1 and is surrounded by the high zones correlated with its crater. Two low magnetization zones are located in the summit and westside of Esmeralda Bank. The low magnetization zones of the summits of NW Rota-1 and Esmeralda Bank suggest the possible existence of hydrothermal vent.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2020

The bulk and partition geochemistry was studied in two sediment cores collected from the axial valley of the north-central Fonualei Rift and Spreading Center (FRSC), Lau back-arc Basin, southwest Pacific. The sediments consist of mostly volcanic ash, although minor amounts of biogenic and other components were present in some intervals. The major element composition of bulk sediments recalculated to a carbonate-free basis was in good agreement with the magma compositions of the adjacent Tofua Arc and the FRSC, with only significant difference in Mn content. The enrichment of Mn and other associated elements (e.g. Cu, Co, Ni, and P) is attributed to hydrothermal input to the sediments, as evidenced by their significant partitioning in the non-detrital phases according to the partition geochemistry. Hydrogenetic and diagenetic inputs were assessed to be relatively insignificant. Estimated hydrothermal Mn fluxes during the Holocene ranged between 5.0 and 37.1 mg cm^-2 kyr^-1, with the higher values in younger sediments, suggesting enhanced hydrothermal activity. The hydrothermal Mn fluxes comparable to or higher than those reported from other spreading centers with strong hydrothermal activities may indicate the presence of unknown hydrothermal vent sites and/or topographic restriction on the dispersal of hydrothermal plumes in the northern part of the FRSC.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.357-368
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• 1985

The Weolseong diatreme crops out about 28km south of Kyeongju City, Korea. The diatreme is a circular shaped volcanic vent, 1.2km in diameter, that formed subaerially, probably by phreatomagmatic (phreatoplinian) eruptions of Tertiary age. The rocks occupying the display well developed layering produced by base surge and proximal ba11istic fall. Accretionary lapilli are a common component. The rocks comprise tuff breccia and fine-grained rock derived from the vent walls. This sequence has undergone subsidence of at least over 650m. Most explanations for the presence of bedded tuffs at considerable depths within a volcanic pipe involve subsidence. Comparable amount of subsidence are recorded in many diatremes in other parts of the world. The ore body is distinctly circular and funnel shaped in center of diatreme. The vent area of diatreme served as channel ways for the mineralized hydrothermal fluids.