• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.447-454
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• 1998

As a widespread tephra erupted 24 to 25 KA, Aira-Tn Ash, or AT, provides an invaluable datum for stratigraphic study of late Pleistocene in Northeast Asia. AT can be identified from their tonal characteristic and morphology (the so­called bubble-wail feature), as well as typical refractive index. First reported in 1983, its presence was confirmed from many palaeolithic deposits distributed throughout Korea. It forces us to reconsider the age of prominent Pleistocene deposits. At the famous archaeological site of Chon-gok-ni, presence of AT lends a firm support that sedimentation and deposition of lithic assemblage were in fact a late Upper Pleistocene event, thus, throwing a new question at archaeologists to explain why such archaic-looking tools were continued to be made. Discovery of AT at Chongdongjin is more surprising, since the coastal terrace has been regarded by many as an early Lower Pleistocene eustatic feature. It implies strongly that we need to devise a new scheme for Quaternary stratigraphy. In the absence of reliable datum and marker for Quaternary research, efforts must be given to search for and identify AT and other widespread tephras.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.346-358
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• 2016

This study built the volcano Data Base(DB) of 289 active volcanoes around the Korean Peninsula, Japan, China (include Taiwan), and Russia Kamchatka area. Twenty nine more hazardous volcanoes including Baekdusan, Ulleungdo and 27 Japanese volcanoes that can cause a widespread ash-fall on the Korean peninsula by potentially explosive eruption were selected. This selection was based on the presence of volcanic activity, whether or not containing dangerous explosive eruption rock types, distance from Seoul, and volcanoes having Plinian eruption history with volcanic explosivity index (VEI) 4 or more. The results of this study are utilized for screening high-risk volcanoes that may affect the volcanic disaster caused by a widespread fallout ash. By predicting the extent of spread of ash caused by these hazardous volcanic activities and by analyzing the impact on the Korean peninsula, we suggest that it should be used for helping to predict volcanic ash damages and conduct hazards mitigation research as well.