• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2022

The Arctic Ocean is very sensitive to global warming and Arctic Ocean sediments provide a records of terrestrial climate change, analyzing their composition helps clarify global warming. The gravity core sediment ARA07C-St02B was collected at the East Siberian margin during an Arctic expedition in 2016 on the Korean ice-breaking vessel ARAON, and its provenance was estimated through sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analysis. The core sediment was divided into four units based on sediment color, sand content and ice-rafted debris content. Units 1 and 3 had higher sand and ice-rafted debris contents than units 2 and 4, and contained a brown layer, whereas units 2 and 4 were mainly composed of a gray layer. Correlation analysis using the adjacent core sediment ARA03B-27 suggested that the sediment units were deposited during marine isotope stage 1 to 4. The bulk mineral, clay mineral, and geochemical compositions of units including a brown layer differed from units including a gray layer. Bulk and clay mineral compositions indicated that coarse and fine sediments had a different origin. Coarse sediments might have been deposited mostly by the East Siberian Coastal Current from the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea or by the Beaufort Gyre from the Chukchi Sea, whereas fine sediments might have been transpoted mostly by currents from the East Siberian Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea. Some of the coarse sediments in unit 1 and fine sediments in unit 3 might have been deposited by iceberg ice, sea ice or current from the Beaufort Sea and the Canada Archipelago. Investigating the geochemical composition of the potential origins will elucidate the origin and transportation of the study area's core sediments.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2005

To discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the East China Sea, textural and elemental compositions along with strontium isotopic ratio ($^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$) were analyzed and compared with the sediments originated from Chinese rivers. The sediments in the study area are composed of fine-grained mud with a mean grain size of $47\;{\phi}$ and their $CaCO_3$, contents range from 3.9 to 11.5% (average 7.6%). In the study area, the content of most metallic elements are strongly constrained by sediment grain size (quartz dilution effect) and that of biogenic material and, thereby, their spatial distribution seems not enough for understanding sediment provenance in the study area. The muddy sediments of the Yangtze river have much lower $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratio ($0.71197{\sim}0.71720$) than the Yellow Sea shelf muddy sediments which are supposed to be originated from the Huanghe river ($0.72126{\sim}0.72498$), suggesting the distribution pattern of $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios as a new tracer to discriminate the provenance of shelf sediments in the study area. Different source rock compositions and weathering processes between both drainage basins may account for the differences in $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratio. Although the ratios show wide range, from 0.71445 to 0.72184 with an average 0.71747 in the study area, they are close to the values of the Yangtze river sediments, suggesting that the sediments were mainly originated from the Yangtze river. The previous studies on the dispersal pattern of modern sediments and the physico-chemical properties of seawater in the Yellow and East China seas support the possibility that the fine-grained Yangtze river sediments can reach to the East China Sea shelf as well as to the southeastern Yellow Sea.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2018

East China Sea (ECS) is known to be supplied with large amounts of sediments form Huanghe, Changjiang and various rivers in Korea. Many studies have been conducted to identify the effects of rivers and deposition process of ECS, but no consensus has been reached. In this study, clay minerals, rare earth elements (REEs) and grain size were analyzed to study the provenance and sedimentation environment of core 99MAP-P63 in ECS. Clay mineral contents of 99MAP-P63 are abundant in order of illite, chlorite, kaolinite, and smectite. The provenance of 99MAP-P63 sediments using clay minerals is interpreted as the Changjiang regardless of depth. As a result of REEs analysis, 99MAP-P63 sediments are very similar to Chinese rivers sediments. Therefore, the provenance of 99MAP-P63 is Changjiang, and the influence of Korean river seems to be insignificant. 99MAP-P63 sediments are generally classified as sandy silt, but the top of the core is divided into sand with a sand contents of 85 %. Compared with surrounding cores, sandy silt sediments arecorresponded to the low stand stage when sea-level was low, and the sediments were thought to have been supplied directly through the paleo-Changjiang. Sandy sediments in uppermost of core are corresponded to transgressive stage. Although distance from estuary was increased due to sea-level rise, it was possible to supply coarse sediments due to high bottom stress, and the paleo-Changjiang sediments deposited in study area were re-deposited.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.235-247
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• 2019

The Central South Sea Mud (CSSM), developed in the Seomjin River estuary, is known to be supplied with sediments from Heuksan Mud Belt (HMB) and Seomjin River. However, in order to form a mud belt, more sediments must be supplied than supplied in the above areas. Therefore, research on additional sources should be conducted. In this study, clay minerals, major elements analyzes were performed on cores 16PCT-GC01 and 16PCT-GC03 in order to investigate the transition in the provenance and transport pathway of sediments in CSSM. The Huanghe sediments are characterized by higher smectite and the Changjiang sediments are characterized by higher illite. Korean river sediments contain more kaolinite and chlorite than those of chinese rivers. Korean river sediments have higher Al, Fe, K concentraion than Chinese river sediments and Chinese rivers have higher Ca, Mg, Na than those of Korean rivers. Therefore, clay minerals and major elements can be a useful indicator for provenance. Based on our results, CSSM can be divided into three sediment units. Unit 3, which corresponds to the lowstand stage, is interpreted that sediments from Huanghe were supplied to the study area by coastal or tidal currents. Unit 2, which corresponds to the transgressive stage, is interpreted to have a weaker Huanghe effect and a stronger Changjiang and Korean rivers effect. Unit 1, which corresponds to the highstand stage when the sea level is the same as present and current circulation system is formed, is interpreted that sediments from Changjiang and Korean rivers are supplied to the research area through the current.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.898-913
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• 2007

We examined soil properties and provenance of loess-paleosol sequences at the Daebo Granite area of Buan, Jeonbuk Province, South Korea. The section consists of the surface layer, Layer 1(paleosol), Layer 2(loess), Layer 3(paleosol), Layer 4(loess), and Layer 5(paleosol), from top to bottom and thickness of the exposed section is approximately 280cm. The magnetic susceptibility values show the distinct variations between the loess- and the paleosol layer. Even though pH, ORP, water content, and soil hardness do not display the obvious differences in the section, the organic content indicates the variation similar to those of the magnetic susceptibility. In the respect of the soil colors measured under 3 conditions, although the variations of the wet soil color exceedingly reflect the difference of the layers, these variations are obscure in some points in the section due to the characteristics of the Munsell color system. Based on the geomorphological properties, sedimentary structure, the difference of the major element composition and the condrite-normalized rare earth element(REE) patterns showing the clear difference from the adjacent bedrocks and stream sediments and the similarity to those of the Chinese Loess Plateau, it is suggested that the section was formed by the material originated from the Chinese Loess Plateau and peripheral areas. However, because the material experienced the alteration after sedimentation under the environment of the sediment area, it has the properties different from the material in the provenance areas. This phenomenon may result in the climatic condition of Korea, especially in precipitation.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2013

In order to determine the provenance of the Huksan Mud Belt sediments in the southeastern Yellow Sea, the major and rare earth elements of the same sediments were analyzed. The surface sediments were sampled from top of piston-cores and box-cores taken at 51 sites within the Huksan Mud Belt. With the mean grain size of $5-6{\phi}$, the sediments of the study area are mud-dominated. The spatial distribution patterns show that silt content is high in the northern Mud Belt, whereas clay content increases as it moves toward the southern Mud Belt. Interestingly, the geochemical compositions both of major and rare earth elements have resulted in differences of sediment provenance. Among the major elements, plots of Fe/Al vs. Mg/Al ratios, $Al_2O_3$ vs. MgO ratios, and $Al_2O_3$ vs. $K_2O$ reveal that the Huksan Mud Belt sediments are dominated by the Korean river-derived sediments. However, the characteristics of rare earth elements infer sediments originating from the Chinese rivers. This discrepancy between the above provenances is attributed to the different contributory factors in the content of chemical elements. Considering strong correlation between major elements with grain sizes, the contents of the major elements are thought to be influenced by the grain size. However, there is a weak correlation between rare earth elements and grain sizes. The behaviour of rare earth elements may be controlled by heavy minerals, rather than grain sizes. Further study requires to solve the discrepancy arose from the difference in applied chemical tracers.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.169-179
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• 2015

To understand the transport pathways of muddy sediment of the Kunsan basin in Yellow Sea, grain sizes and clay mineral of 32 surface sediments and a sediment core were analyzed. In the study area, illite is predominant (63.4~71.9%), followed by chlorite (15.1~20.2%), kaolinite (10.3~17.2%) and smectite (2~6.9%), According to the spatial distribution of the clay minerals, illite, kaolinite+chlorite and smectite show relatively higher contents in the center of the north, northeast, and the south of the study area, respectively. Considering the spatial distribution of clay mineral contents the sand ridge alignments and tidal current pathways, the smectite particles were probably derived from the south of the study area, but kaolinite and/or chlorite particles were mainly transported from the Korean coastal zone. Meanwhile, down-core variation in the contents of clay minerals of the core revealed a distinct change in fine-grained muddy sediment provenance: muddy sediment input from the Korean coastal areas has increased while the input from China has decreased since the last 5,000 year ago, by showing the amount decrease of smectite and the increase of kaolinite+chlorite at the top layer of the late Holocene muddy sediment unit of the core.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 1978

Nearly 300 bottom sediments and 20 box-cores were sampled from the Asan bay. The central portion of the Asan bay is covered by sand, slightly gravelly sand and gravelly muddy sand. Between the central and marginal zones gravelly mud and slightly gravelly sandy mud are characteristically distributed. The gravel population in the sediments seems to be originated from the rocky bottom on the area near the bay because the gravel is angular and composed of the schist and gneiss. The quartz/feldspar ratio is about 3/2. It is considered to be that the amount of feldspar in this bay is much higher than that of any other areas in the Yellow Sea. This is considerd to be comparatively short distance of transport ion of these sediment from the provenance.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.246-258
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• 1988

Semi-quantitative analysis of $less-than-2{\mu}m$ clay minerals in thirty-nine superficial sediments from the Chinju Bay, southern coast of Korea, was made to reveal the distribution, provenance and dispersal pattern of fine-grained sediments. Additional nine samples were also taken from the Choryang Cheon (a river draining the kaolin-rich Hadong area) to investigate the influence of river a discharge. Grain size analysis for the Chinju Bay sediment samples was performed simultaneously as an aid to understand the sediment types and depositional environments. Except for the northeastern part, clayey mud predominates the entire bay. Average relative abundance of the four major clay minerals, I. I., illite, kaolinite, chlorite and smectite, is $55.1\%,\;23\%,\;21.5\%\;and\;0.4\%$, respectively. Although illite dominant clay mineral, the average content is about $10\~20\%$ tourer than that of the nearby continental shelf area. On the contrary, kaolinite content in the bay is about $10\%$ higher than that of the shelf area. Recent clay minerals of the Chinju Bay are mainly derived from the nearby inland area through numerous rivers and streams. Transport from shelf area, however. also seems to be important.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.481-496
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• 2012

REE, major and trace elements, and Sr-Nd isotopic ratios of surface sediments around Jeju Island were analyzed for identifying the origin of the sediments. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) between 44.2 to 68.9 (av. 59.4) shows a similarity with the Huanghe sediment. The most sediments found within the study areas show a very similar chondrite-normalized REE pattern that has enriched LREE ($La_{(N)}/Sm_{(N)}$ >3) and small negative Eu anomaly, typically of average shales. The UCC-nornalized REE patterns of the southwestern offshore sediment samples show a very similar pattem with the Changjiang sediment with enriched in most REE and more convex REE pattern than those of the Huanghe and Keum rivers sediments, which indicates that the Changjiang River's suspended sediments have been transported into the western part of Jeju Island. The $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ isotopic ratios vs ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(0)$ values were thus used as a tracer to discriminate the provenance of sediments in the study area. Based on the discriminated diagram, it clearly showed that most sediments in the western and northwestern part were closely plotted with sediments of the Huanghe River. However, the sediments in the southwestern part near the Changjianf estuary were closely plotted with submerged delta sediments of the Changjiang River. In contrast, the sediment samples of the northeastern part showed discriminative figures from those of the Chinese rivers. It suggests that sediments around Jeju Island must be originated from diverse sources.