• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2022

In this study, distribution of submarine sand ridges in the coastal waters of Korea was surveyed using multibeam echo sounder data, and the topographic characteristics of each region were identified. For this purpose, the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data was generated using depth data obtained from the Yellow Sea and the South Sea by Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency, and then applied the TPI (Topographic Position Index) technique to precisely extract the boundary of the sand ridges. As a result, a total of 200 sand ridges distributed in the coastal waters were identified, and the characteristics of each region of the sedimentary sediments were analyzed by performing statistical analysis on the scale (width, length, perimeter, area, height) and shape (width/length ratio, height/width ratio, linear·branch type, exposure·non-exposure type). The results of this study are expected to be used not only for coastal navigational safety, but also for marine naming support, marine aggregate resource identification, and fisheries resource management.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.273-279
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• 2007

In order to estimate the sedimentation rates of continental shelf and slope of Ulleung Basin in the Southwestern East Sea, $^{210}Pb,\;^{226}Ra\;and\;^{137}Cs$ were simultaneously measured by a well-type high purity germanium(HPGe) gamma detector. $^{137}Cs$ was used to determine whether the sediment were affected by bioturbation or not, and to judge the accuracy of estimated sedimentation rates. The estimated sedimentation rates decreased exponentially from slope to basin - 0.6 cm/yr in the continental shelf, $0.3{\sim}0.4$ cm/yr in the slope, and below 0.2 cm/yr in the margin of Ulleung basin. From our and other research results, we suggest followings about sediment transport of the study area. The sediment particles were transported by coastal current from south to north through the Korea Straight. And much of them were accumulated in the shelf area. And then, the rest of sediment particles were deposited in the lower slope and the southwest margin of the basin. Also the excess $^{210}Pb$ profiles indicate that the depositional processes in the study area may have been very complicate.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.733-753
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• 1994

Monthly mean sea levels from 103 tidal stations in Korea, Japan, and Russia are analyzed to study long-period sea level variations. Barometric adjustment are done for all the sea level data, using monthly air pressures at sea levels from meteorological stations near tidal stations. Seasonal variation is dominant in most of study area. It is the largest in the coasts along the Tsushima Current, and the smallest in the Russian coasts. The cross-correlations of seasonal variations are very high between the coasts along the Tsushima Current. In these marginal seas, seasonal variations seem to be related with the Tsushima Current. The phase of seasonal variations is generally getting late from south to north, and also from west to east. On the other hand, longer-period variations(longer than seasonal variation) have the largest amplitudes and the earliest phases in the coasts along the Pacific Ocean, which shows that they propagate from the Pacific Ocean. Shorter-period variations (shorter than seasonal variation) have generally lower cross correlations. Their values do not show any dictinct difference between areas, and show a common tendency that they are inversely proportional to distance. It implies that the shorter period waves are generated all over the study areas, and propagate in all the directions with faster dissipations. The trends of sea levels in the study area are generally negative in the coasts along the Pacific Ocean and positive in the other areas during the period of 1965 to 1985. By the trends, the mean volume transport between Cheju and Sasebo can be reduced by about 1 Sv during the period. The seasonal variation of volume transport obtained by sea level difference is about 2 Sv in the Korea Strait. The values are comparable to previous reports.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2003

We investigated the distribution of sea ice using various microwave remote sensing techniques including radar altimeter, radiometer, and scatterometer data in the part of Drake passage, Antarctica, between the area 45$^{\circ}$-75$^{\circ}$W and 55$^{\circ}$-66$^{\circ}$S. Topex/poseidon radar altimeter data were used to analyze the monthly distribution of sea ice surface area between 1992 and 1999 by using Geo_bad_1 flag or MGDR. From satellite radiometer measurements of DMSP's SSM/I, sea ice concentration was extracted during the period from 1993 to 1996. To select a value of ice concentration, normally ranging from 0 to 100%, that can be used as a critical value of judging the existence for ice, sea ice areas estimated from various ice concentrations of radiometer measurements were correlated with the area estimated from the radar altimeter measurements. As a result, 20% of ice concentration was selected, and, then this value was used to integrate radiometer data with radar altimeter and ERS-1/2 scatterometer data. To indirectly verify the result, the last 20 year's sea ice concentration was correlated with surface temperature data near Esper-anza Observation Station. The two data showed a high correlation coefficient of 0.86. The amount of sea ice and temperature variation were found to be closely related in the study area, and this indirectly verifies the result of this study. We provided a method to judge the existence of sea ice from ice concentration of satellite radiometer data and suggested a method to monitor more detailed temporal and spatial variation of sea ice distribution by integra-tion of various microwave remote sensing techniques.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.303-312
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• 2008

Despite the impacts of the climate changes on the pelagic ecosystem, few studies have examined the pelagic-benthic coupling in the adjacent East China Sea and Korea Strait. Therefore, the species composition and abundance of the macrobenthic community, as well as the potential food sources of benthic fauna were investigated in the present study using stable isotope analysis (${\delta}^{13}C\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N$) for suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM), sedimentary organic matter (SOM), phytoplankton, and zooplankton. A total of 157 macrobenthic fauna were collected, and the density of the macrobenthic fauna ranged from 4 to 434 ind./0.25 $m^2$, with an average density of 149 ind./0.25 $m^2$. The density of the benthic fauna increased moving from offshore shelf sites to coastal sites adjacent to the Korea Strait. Cluster analysis showed that the macrobenthic communities consisted of three distinct groups: group A in the Korea Strait, group B in the East China Sea, and group C near Ieodo. The dominant species in group A were the amphipods Photis japonica and Ampelisca miharaensis, followed by the polychaete Scolotoma longifolia. Environmental variables, such as the temperature of the seawater and sediment, and oxygen, and chlorophyll a levels, appeared to affect the structure of the community, suggesting the importance of coupling with the pelagic system. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SPOM and zooplankton ranged from -22.97 to -23.5% and -19.92 to -21.86%, respectively, showing a relatively narrow range(<1%) between the two components. The difference between the ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SOM and pelagic organic matter was also within 1%, suggesting that the SOM originated from the pelagic system, which is an important factor controlling the macrobenthic community.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.331-340
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• 1988

Using the oceanographic data during 196s~ 1983, the seasonal variation of the water type in the Tsushima Current is discussed by analyzing the thermosteric anomaly $(\delta_T)$. By investigating with the index of $33.8\%_{\circ}$ in salinity, it is shown that the low saline water inflowed through the Korea Strait affects the variations of water type in surface layer from summer to fall. On the sea surface, the value of $\delta_T$ is affected mainly by the sea surface temperature (SST). However, in summer, $\delta_T$ is temporarily influenced by the transitional characteristic of the surface salinity. It has the minimum value in winter when the SST is the highest and the sea surface salinity is the lowest. In fall, it decreases as the SST decreases. Specifically, the value of $\delta_T$ is 779 cl/t in August in the region of Korea Strait and 667 cl/t in September in the East Coast of Korea. These values are larger than that of the Kuroshio where is 622 cl/t in August. This phenomenon is due to the inflow of low saline water into these area during summer. In loom depth, the seasonal variation of the $\delta_T$ is not so significant as the surface and is mainly dependent on the annual temperature variation. In general, $\delta_T$ decreases as the Tsushima Current flows to the north.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2005

Sediment texture, physical (porosity, water content, bulk density, grain density, and shear strength), and geoacoustic properties (compressional wave velocity and attenuation) were measured on eighteen core samples collected from the shelf off eastern Geoje Island, the South Sea of Korea. Based on these properties, the study area is divided into three different sub-areas: (1) Area I affected directly by the Nakdong River discharge; (2) Area II covered by the southern branch of the Nakdong River discharge; and (3) Area III dominated by relict sediment. Mean grain size, velocity, and bulk density decrease from Area $I(7.4\Phi,\;1528m/s,\;1.6g/cm^3,\;respectively)$ to Area $II(8.1\Phi,\;1485m/s,\;and\;1.5g/cm^3)$, and then increase rather rapidly in Area $III(1.4\Phi,\;1664m/s,\;and\;2.2g/cm^3)$. Porosity, on the other hand, exhibits an opposite trend, increasing from Area $I(64.5\%)$ to Area$II(73.9\%)$ and then decreasing significantly in Area $III(32.9\%)$ From the results measured and calculated, we suggest a specified geoacoustic model in the study area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.663-676
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• 1996

Physical properties and textural parameters of thirty-five piston tore samples recovered from the southeastern coast of Korea (Korea Strait), were investigated using the autopycnometer. The physical properties (porosity, water content, wet bulk density, dry bulk density, gram density, and void ratio) were measured at rather uniform intervals along each core. Sediment texture (grain size, sand, silt, and clay contents) was also measured at the same subbottom depth. The measured and calculated results are; mean grain size $0.57\~8.09\phi(average:3.67\phi)$, porosity $26\~81\%\;(average:\;55\%)$, water content $16.7\~61.4\%(average:\;31.6\%)$, wet bulk density $1.37\~2.18g/cm^3\;(average:\;1.85g/cm^3)$, dry bulk density $2.55\~3.11g/cm^3\;(average:\;2.35g/cm^3)$, grain density $2.40\~3.10g/cm^3\;(average:\;2.85g/cm^3)$, and void ratio $0.56\~2.54$ (average: 0.94). The sediment texture generally coincides well with the bathymetry indicating the influence of Pleistocene-Holocene sea level changes. Also the contours of physical properties are closely related to the sediment texture. Fluctuation of physical properties are similar to the textural variation. It seems that sediment texture is a significant factor in determining physical property in this study area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.413-427
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• 1991

Variability of sea levels at Mukho and Ullungdo and sea level difference(SLD) associated with current is investigated. Time series of adjusted sea levels at both places have very similar pattern of change. Two components appear to contribute to the correlation between sea level and SLD. Low frequency thermosteric effect causes the sea level to rise and fall at the same time. Geostrophic effect of major currents is responsible for the sea level change in opposite ways at both sides. Two contributions have a cancelling effect for sea level change at Mukho while they are additive at Ullungdo. Characteristics of time series in frequency domain are divided into two parts with respect to 0.01 cycles per day(cpd). At Mukho, the cancelling effect yields small values of coherence for low-frequency bands whereas the dominant geostrophic influence may be responsible for the phase relations of about $\pm 180^{\circ}$ between sea level and SLD at higher frequency. Bimonthly dynamic height difference(DHD) between Mukho and Ullungdo is very significantly correlated with SLD. This result suggests that DHD thus the average velocity of current through the Mukho-Ullungdo section can successfully be diagnosed by the sea level records at both locations. For the annual variations, maximum SLD occurs at Mukho-Ullungdo section about 40 days later than the Korea Strait.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2010

Analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles acquired from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the late Quaternary transgressive deposits consist of six seismic units created in response to sea-level rise. These units with different seismic facies and geometry can be grouped into two distinct depositional wedges (paralic and marine) bounded by a ravinement surface. The paralic component underlying the ravinement surface consists of the sediment preserved from shoreface erosion and contains incised-channel fill, ancient beach-shoreface deposit and estuarine deposit. The top of paralic unit is truncated by a ravinement surface and overlain by marine component. The marine component consists of the sediment produced through shoreface erosion during landward transgression and contains mid-shelf sand sheet, mid-shelf sand ridge and inner shelf sand sheet. Such transgressive stratigraphic architecture of six sedimentary units is controlled by a function of lateral changes in the balance among rates of relative sea-level rise, sediment input and marine processes at any given time.