• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.431-443
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• 2010

The morphometric characteristics of 13 alluvial fans in the southern parts of the Korean Peninsula are studied and relationships between their distributions and causes are discussed by comparing them with 690 alluvial fans in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. The relationships between the surface gradient of alluvial fans and source basin area, the surface gradient and the relief ratio of the source basin, and the source basin area and the relief ratio were investigated. The alluvial fans in South Korea have typical characteristics of the Asian fans, although their frequency and density are relatively low, and the size and the relief ratio of their source basins are relatively small and steep, respectively. Moreover 36 major Korean river basins without alluvial fans tend to have lower altitude and relief ratios. Contrary to the argument by Blair and McPherson, the natural depositional gaps on the gradient of alluvial fans were not found. The Gyeongju alluvial fan is probably a fluvial fan with gentle gradient, whereas the other Korean fans seem to be debris-flow related on the base of their gradients.