• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• spring
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• pp.15-21
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• 1998

Sparker profiles and sediment cores collected from the Korea Strait show a distinct pattern of stacked prograding wedges consisting of three distinct units. These wedges are interpreted as the lowstand deposits formed during glacioeustatic sea-level lowstands. Repeated sea-level falls during late Pleistocene with high sediment discharge from the paleo-Nakdong River system resulted in the formation of thick lowstand wedges.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.74-87
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• 2014

Analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection profiles collected from the Ulleung Basin reveals that the Quaternary sequence consists of four stratigraphic units separated by erosional unconformities. Individual stratigraphic unit includes eighteen mass transport deposits which are variable in geometric characteristics and spatial distribution. Each mass transport deposit on the seismic profile is acoustically characterized by chaotic or transparent seismic facies, and shows wedge or lens-shaped external geometry. The mass transport deposits, which comprise a succession of stacked wedges, mainly occur on the southern slope, and their thickness gradually decreases toward the basin plain. The time structure map of erosional unconformities shows that a tectonic-induced structural high and troughs toward the northwest and northeast are developed at the central part of the basin. Based on the isochron map, the mass transport deposits, originated from southern part of the study area, transported to the basin plain and can be divided into two groups by the structural high. Consequently, the mass transport deposits within the Quaternary sequence in the Ulleung Basin are largely controlled by the large amounts of sediment supply, dissociation of gas hydrate during the lowstands, and central structural high.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.13-14
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• 2003

It is generally well known that Quaternary is characteristic geologically in terms of glacial and interglacial repeats and their associated unconformity formation. This paper deals with the first finding of the characteristic and significant meaningful unconformity between Holocene and late Pleistocene, which implies submergence and emergence of the tidal sedimentary basin along the western coastal zone of Korea during interglacial stage(IOS-5e) and glacial time(IOS-2). The stratigraphy of intertidal deposits in the Haenam Bay, western coast of Korea shows two depositional sequence units (Unit I of Holocene and Unit II of late Pleistocene) bounded by an erosional surface of disconformity. The disconformity is related to the latest Pleistocene sea-level lowstands (probably during the LGM). The Unit II is interpreted as intertidal deposit showing tidal sedimentary structures and crab burrow ichnology and has two parts (the upper part and the lower part) showing different lithology and character. The upper part of Unit II shows characteristic subaerial exposure features (emergence) and its related lithology. Such subaerially exposed upper part (more or less 4m to 5m in thickness) is characterized by yellow-brownish sediment color, cryoturbat-ed structure, crab burrow ichnofacies and high value of shear strength. Geochemical and clay mineral analyses of the upper part sediments also indicate subaerial exposure and weathering. In particular, very high value of magnetic susceptibility of the upper part in comparison to that of the lower part is interpreted as pedogenetic weathering during the subaerial exposure period.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.714-724
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• 2005

The East Sea, a semi-enclosed marginal sea with shallow straits in the northwest Pacific, is marked by the nearly geographic isolation and the low sea surface salinity during the last glacial maximum (LGM). The East Sea might have the only connection to the open ocean through the Korea Strait with a sill depth of 130 m, allowing the paleo-Tsushima Water to enter the sea during the LGM. The low paleosalinity associated with abnormally light $\delta^{18}O$ values of planktonic foraminifera is interpreted to have resulted from river discharge and precipitation. Nevertheless, two LGM features in the East Sea are disputable. This study attempts to estimate volume transport of the paleo-Tsushima Water via the Korea Strait and further examines its effect on the low sea surface salinity (SSS) during the lowest sea level of the LGM. The East Sea was not completely isolated, but partially linked to the northern East China Sea through the Korea Strait during the LGM. The volume transport of the paleo-Tsushima Water during the LGM is calculated approximately$(0.5\~2.1)\times10^{12}m^3/yr$ on the basis of the selected seismic reflection profiles along with bathymetry and current data. The annual influx of the paleo-Tsushima Water is low, compared to the 100 m-thick surface water volume $(about\;79.75\times10^{12}m^3)$ in the East Sea. The paleo-Tsushima Water influx might have changed the surface water properties within a geologically short time, potentially decreasing sea surface salinity. However, the effect of volume transport on the low sea surface salinity essentially depends on freshwater amounts within the paleo-Tsushima Water and excessive evaporation during the glacial lowstands of sea level. Even though the paleo-Tsushima Water is assumed to have been entirely freshwater at that time period, it would annually reduce only about 1‰ of salinity in the surface water of the East Sea. Thus, the paleo-Tsushima Water influx itself might not be large enough to significantly reduce the paleosalinity of about 100 m-thick surface layer during the LGM. This further suggests contribution of additional river discharges from nearby fluvial systems (e.g. the Amur River) to freshen the surface water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.6 s.175
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• pp.707-716
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• 2005

Organic geochemical analyses including Rock-Eval pyrolysis, elemental analysis and stable carbon isotope analysis were performed to evaluate the characteristics of organic matter in the ODP Leg 127 Site 794A sediments and to understand paleoceanographic changes. Based on the TOC contents, C/N ratio, HI vs. OI, $\delta^{13}C_{org}$ and C/S ratio, results imply that dark layers containing a large amount of terrigenous organic matter were deposited under the suboxic/anoxic conditions, whereas the light layers containing largely marine organic matter were deposited under the oxic conditions. These results indicate that increasing surface-productivity by the input of a large amount of terrigenous organic matter from adjacent continent led to the deposition of dark layers during the interglacial highstands, whereas marine primary production and dilution caused by Kosa from the China desert area led to the deposition of light layers with the decreased to terrigenous organic matter during the glacial lowstands.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.90-101
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• 2009

Analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection data from the Southern Ulleung Basin reveals that Plio-Quaternary section in the area consists of nine stacked sedimentary units separated by erosional unconformities. On the southern slope, these sedimentary units are acoustically characterized by chaotic seismic facies without distinct internal reflections, interpreted as debris-flow bodies. Toward the basin floor, the sedimentary units are defined by well-stratified facies with good continuity and strong amplitude, interpreted as turbidite/hemipelagic sediments. The seismic facies distribution suggests that deposition of Plio-Quaternary section in the area was controlled mainly by tectonic movement and sea-level fluctuations. During the Pliocene, sedimentation was mainly controlled by tectonic movements related to the back-arc closure of the East Sea. The back-arc closure that began in the Miocene caused compressional deformation along the southern margin of the Ulleung Basin, resulting in regional uplift which continued until the Pliocene. Large amounts of sediments, eroded from the uplifted crustal blocks, were supplied to the basin, depositing Unit 1 which consists of debris-flow deposits. During the Quaternary, sea-level fluctuations resulted in stacked sedimentary units (2-9) consisting of debris-flow deposits, formed during sea-level fall and lowstands, and thin hemipelagic/turbidite sediments, deposited during sea-level rise and highstands.