• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1992

The reconstruction of the vegetational and environmental history of the Korean peninsula by the use of various fossil floral data from the Carboniferous period to the Pre-Holocene is reviewed. Though the oldest plant fossil in Korea (Neuropteris) dates back to the Carboniferous period, the first appearance of many of the present-day floristic genera indeed dates back to the Oligocene (c. 40 to 20 million years B.P.), and includes many thermophilous genera. The presence of thermophilous genera in the Oligocene at up to four degrees north of their present distributional limits implies that the climate of the Oligocene was warmer than that of today. The occurrence of similar thermophilous floristic element at up to six degrees north of their present range during the Middle Miocene suggests a maximum northward expansion of warmth-loving evergreen broadleaved vegetation for, recent Korean vegetation history. The continued occurrence of numerous present-day genera since the Oligocene period indicates a long-term stability of Korean vegetation, along with minor fluctuations within it. The admixture of evergreen coniferous plants and deciduous breadleaved plants, however, indicates a probable temperate climate for much of the Middle Pleistocene. There are couple of evidences which are indicative of an early-stage anthropogenic disturbance of natural vegetation during the Middle Pleistocene of Korea. The presence of cold-episodes during the Upper Pleistocene caused a general expansion of deciduous plants and cryophilous evergreen coniferous, plants. It is likely that the maximum southward expansion of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine floras in Korea occured during the penultimate glacial period. The disappearance of some cryophilous genera from 10,000 years B.P. marks the continued climatic amelioration since then, along with minor climatic fluctuations during the Holocene period.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Flooding hazard caused by natural and artificial environmental changes is closely associated with change in river bed configuration. This study is aimed at explaining a river-bed change related to soil erosion in the Keum river basin using GIS and RS. The USLE was used to compute soil erosion rate on the basis of GIS. River-bed profiles stretching from Kongju to Ippo were measured to construct a 3D-geomorphological map. The river-bed change was also detected by remote sensing images using Landsat TM during the period of 1982 to 2000 for the Keum river. The result shows that USLE indicates a mean soil erosion rate of $1.8\;kg/m^2/year$, and a net increase of a river-bed change at a rate of $+5\;cm/m^2$/year in the Kangkyeong area. The change in river-bed is interpreted to have been caused by soil erosion in the downstream of the Keum river basin. In addition river-bed change mainly occurred on the downstream of the confluence where tributaries and the main channel meet. Other possible river-bed change is caused by a removal of fluvial sand aggregates, which might have resulted in a net decrease of exposed area of sediment distribution between 1991 and 1995, while a construction of underwater structures, including a bridge, a reclamation of sand bars for rice fields and dikes, resulted in an increase of the exposed area of river-bed due to sediment accumulation.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2006

Terrace stratigraphy of the southeastern coastal areas of Korea is reappraised on the basis of terrace mapping and geochronology. Coastal terraces are divided into uHT ($90{\sim}130\;m$), HT ($63{\sim}86m$), MT ($36{\sim}55\;m$), and LT ($8{\sim}25\;m$) according to altitude. Among these, the Lower Terrace I is interpreted to have formed during MIS 5e based on Tephras Aso-4 (MIS 5c), Ata(MIS 5d or 5e) and OSL data. The age of Lower Terrace II is thought to be MIS 5a based on tephras and OSL data. The uplift rate in the SE part of Korea during the formation of the Lower Terrace (i.e. the MIS 5) ranges from 0.08 to 0.25 mm/yr and averages as 0.15 mm/yr. Such value is quite small in comparison to that of Japan, Taiwan or many other tectonically active areas in the world.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 2005

Researches onmarine terrace in Korea have been drastically progressed during the last two decades.main themes of researches include vertical and horizontal distribution of paleo-shoreline, sedimentary facies ofmarine terrace deposits, OSL dating of terrace deposits and estimation of uplift rate. At present, it is noted thatmarine terraces distributed at the same altitude do not always show the same sedimentary facies, nor have the same ages.marine terraces are generally divided into five terrace systems, of which ages increase in ascending order. There are some arguments about discrimination between 2nd and 3rd terrace systems and their age. The core discrepancy lies on the question of whether the level of the last interglacial terrace is on the level of about 20m or on the 30~35m(~40m) in altitude. The uplift rate based on the paleoshoreline distribution ranges between 0.10 and 0.20m/ka.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2009

In the field of computer vision, image mosaicking is a common method for effectively increasing restricted the field of view of a camera by combining a set of separate images into a single seamless image. Image mosaicking based on feature points has recently been a focus of research because of simple estimation for geometric transformation regardless distortions and differences of intensity generating by motion of a camera in consecutive images. Yet, since most feature-point matching algorithms extract feature points using gray values, identifying corresponding points becomes difficult in the case of changing illumination and images with a similar intensity. Accordingly, to solve these problems, this paper proposes a method of image mosaicking based on feature points using color information of images. Essentially, the digital values acquired from a digital color camera are converted to values of a virtual camera with distinct narrow bands. Values based on the surface reflectance and invariant to the chromaticity of various illuminations are then derived from the virtual camera values and defined as color-invariant values invariant to changing illuminations. The validity of these color-invariant values is verified in a test using a Macbeth Color-Checker under simulated illuminations. The test also compares the proposed method using the color-invariant values with the conventional SIFT algorithm. The accuracy of the matching between the feature points extracted using the proposed method is increased, while image mosaicking using color information is also achieved.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2003

A 31m-long sediment core (SSDP-102) was taken from the inner shelf (about 40m water-depth) off the northwestern coast of the Korea Strait. Detailed lithofacies and organic-geochemical analyses were performed to establish a high-resolution stratigraphy in the Korea Strait shelf and to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes associated with the Holocene marine transgression. The stratigraphic framework of the core was primarily established using 6 AMS $^{14}C$ ages. The sedimentary record of the core SSDP-102 allows for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental changes during the last 12.1 ka BP. According to the high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, lithofacies and organic-geochemical data, the core SSDP-102 can be divided into three units (III to I in ascending order) above the acoustic basement. The three units reflect distinct changes of depositional environments resulted from the post-glacial marine transgression. Therefore, it is suggested that three phases of sea-level change have occurred within the inner shelf of the Korea Strait following the Holocene marine transgression. (1) estuarine environments from ca. 12.1 to 6.2 ka BP; (2) near-shore environments with a period of decreased rising of sea level between 6.2 and 5.1 ka BP; (3) near-shore to modem marine environments after 5.1 ka BP. In particular, the present marine conditions influenced by the warm Tsushima Current have been gradually established after ca. 5.1 ka BP.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2003

The Neolithic relics containing sedimentary deposits have been found in the Moonamni coastal zone of the East Sea, Korea. The purpose of this research is to establish the late Quaternary stratigraphy of the coastal dune deposit and to elucidate its depositional environment of the Neolithic-site sediments on the basis of analytical properties of grain size population and mineralogy of the sediments. As a result, the vertical sections of the sediments from three trenches are characterized by three major stratigraphic depositional units of Unit 3, Unit 2 and Unit 1 in ascending order. Unit 3 and 2 can be further divided into tow sub-units. Unit 3 is composed of massive sands in the lower part and muddy sand in the upper part. It is considered that the Unit 3 is a typical dune deposit showing well-sorted sands. Unit 2 is characterized by the cross-bedding, and include archaeological remains such as pottery shards. This unit can be further divided into two sub-units of muddy sand in the lower part and sand in the upper part. Unit 1 occupies the top section and consists of modem dune sediment. The Neolithic cultural remains would be accumulated in the coastal dune area in relation to dynamic condition of beach system under the high stand of Holocene sea-level at about 7,800∼6,500 yr B.P. or so.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2000

This study examined the spatial distribution of precipitation in Sokcho area. The hourly, daily and monthly precipitation on the 2 stations, 5 AWS in Sokcho area were analyzed by daily, monthly, altitudinal distribution and synoptic environment. The results of the Study are as follows. The amount of Yearly precipitation, 1970~1999 in Sokcho area is gradually increasing. The amount of monthly precipitation 1970~1999 at Sorak weather observation station (altitude 148m), Compared with that in 7 Stations is greatest in spring, Summer and autumn. Because the valleys near Ssangcheon river are funnels for sea wind into Sorak weather observation station. The amount of Summerly precipitation at Mishiryong(1993~1999), the highest altitude in 7 weather observations stations is more 95.2mm than that of Sokcho airport, the lowest altitude, but the amount of winterly precipitation at Sokcho airport is more 89.6mm than that of Mishiryong. When the heavy rainfall and the heavy Snowfall occured in Sokcho area, wind systems were mainly a sea wind (north-north-eastly wind, north-westly wind) and daily mean wind speed was respectively 4.4㎧, 3.6㎧. The amount of the heavy rainfall and heavy snow fall in Sokcho area is closely associated with the north-eastly stream at the lower and the upper level toward the coast of East sea(Sokcho area).

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.20 no.1 s.26
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• pp.9-27
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• 2006

The East Asian (China, Korea and Japan) summer monsoon precipitation and its variability are examined from the outputs of the 22 coupled climate models performing coordinated experiments leading to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) following the multi-model ensemble (MME) technique. Results are based on averages of all the available models. The shape of the annual cycle with maximum during the summer monsoon period is simulated by the coupled climate models. However, models fail to simulate the minimum peak in July which is associated with northward shifts of the Meiyu-Changma-Baiu precipitation band. The MME precipitation pattern is able to capture the spatial distribution of rainfall associated with the location of the north Pacific subtropical high and the Meiyu-Changma-Baiu frontal zone. However precipitation over the east coast of China, Korea-Japan peninsular and the adjoining oceanic regions is underestimated. Future projections to the radiative forcing of doubled $CO_2$ scenario are examined. The MME reveals an increase in precipitation varying from 5 to 10 %, with an average of 7.8 % over the East Asian region at the time of $CO_2$ doubling. However the increases are statistically significant only over the Korea-Japan peninsula and the adjoining north China region. The increase in precipitation may be attributed to the projected intensification of the subtropical high, and thus the associated influx of moist air from the Pacific to inland. The projected changes in the amount of precipitation are directly proportional to the changes in the strength of the subtropical high. Further a possible increase in the length of the summer monsoon precipitation period from late spring through early autumn is suggested.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.20 no.1 s.26
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• pp.39-50
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• 2006

Jeonjangri site of Geochang area is located in the Geochang Basin, and lies on the river terrace of upstream part of Hwang River. Fluvial deposits are well distributed at the northern and southern walls of trench 2(district 2) in the Jeonjangri archeological site. This study aims to interpret the occurrences of fluvial sedimentary deposits on the basis of grain size analysis and palynological analysis in the representative sections of Jeongjangri site. The sedimentary profile shows that the upper units are typified by paleosols with soil wedge formed at about $25,000{\sim}30,000yr$ B.P, and the lower units are characterized by reddish brown muddy sands, organic muds and sand/gravel downwards in the profile. Particularly palynological study on the organic muds of southern wall section showed a result that lower unit is dominant with grass vegetation, and upper unit with Alnus-Quercus-Pinus vegetation. The former is interpreted to be formed at $60,000{\sim}50,000yr$ B.P (stadial), while the latter at $80,000{\sim}70,000yr$ B.P. In general broad-leaved/coniferous mixed forests are mostly dominant in Jeongjangri site and the climate was presumed to be cool temperate at that time.