Landform Changes of Terminal Area of the Nagdong River Delta, Korea

낙동강 삼각주 말단의 지형 변화

In present, the terminal area of the Nagdong River Delta consists of micro-depositional landforms with sand barrier islands, sand bars and tidal flats which are arranged parallel to the present shoreline, and have rapidly shifted toward sea during last 100 years due to human activities such as construction of estuary dam, industrial complex and residential area. To clarify the landform changes of the area, the author traced the morphologic change pattern based on interpretation of air-photos, topographic maps and old Korean traditional map, and the results are as follows ; Based on the Daedongyeojido, one of the old Korean map, published in 1861, the area including upper part of the delta was underlying by sea level except two larger sand barriers, which means the Nagdong River Delta was not completely formed as the present outline of morphology by 1860s. According to the topographic map(1 :50,000) of 1916, the delta resembled to the present morphology pattern was exposed in 1916, and at this time the area was mainly composed of one sand barrier island, four sand bars and tidal flats, which had slowly elongated southwards before construction of the Nagdong River Estuary Dam in 1987. But after 1987, the area has been rapidly and drastically shifted southwards in arrange with one chain of sand barrier islands (Elsugdo -Myeonghodo-Sinhodo ) and four chains of sand bars (first chain ; Jinwoodo -Daemadeung-Maenggeummeorideung, second chain : Jangjado-Baeghabdeung, third chain ; Saedeung-Namusitdeung, fourth : Doyodeung-Dadaedeung) parallel to shoreline. This rapid landform change of the area is now occurring, and is seemed to ascribed firstly, to the construction of the Nagdong River Estuary Dam on Elsugdo in 1987, the Sinho Industrial Complex on Sinhodo and Myeongji Residential Area on Myeonghodo in 1992, secondly, to artificial alteration of drainage channel and consequential breakdown of former energy system between riverflow and tidal-and wave-energy. From these facts, it is inferred that the landform change pattern of the area will continue until a new equilibrium between the factor available to this energy system is accomplished.

낙동강 삼각주 말단은 하중도와 사주 그리고 간석지의 퇴적미지형으로 이루어져 있으며, 이들 미지형들은 해안선에 평행하게 바다쪽으로 향해 하중도군, 제1사주군, 제3사주군, 그리고 제4사주군의 순으로 배열되는 특징을 나타낸다. 하중도군은 을숙도-명호도-신호도로서 1916년 이전에 형성되었고, 제1사주군인 맹금머리등-대마등-진우도는 맹금머리등을 제외하면, 하중도군과 함께 1916년 이전에 출현된 사주들이다. 제2사주군인 백합등-장자도와 제3사주군인 나무싯등-새등은 각각 1970년과 1984년 이전에 형성되었으며 제4사주군인 다대등-도요등은 최근인 1990년 이후에 등장된 사주로서 현재 합성되어 있다. 이러한 사실은 삼각주 말단이 1987년 낙동강 하구둑 건설이후 빠르게 전진 발달하고 있다는 것을 의미하며, 이는 하구둑과 신호공단 및 명지주거지의 조성을 위한 하구 부근의 준설과 인공적인 수로의 변경에 따른 토사의 일시적 재퇴적현상에서 비롯된 것으로 보이며, 그 결과 연구지역의 미지형 변화는 삼각주 말단에서 일어나고 있는 낙동강의 유수와 파랑 그리고 연란류 및 조류의 에너지가 하구둑 건설 이전에 작용했던 것처럼 균형을 이룰 때까지 계속될 것으로 생각된다.