• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.389-401
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• 2007

The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition in precipitation, groundwater and geothermal water were monitored over four-year period from 2001 to 2004 at the Yuseong catchment, Daejeon. By analyzing the long term rainfall pattern, we found out the drought cycle of 6 or 7 year. We fortunately revealed that the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of rain has progressively changed to heavier isotopic ratios from 2001 to 2004. The weighted mean values of ${\delta}^{18}O\;and\;{\delta}D$ of rain are calculated to be $-7.7%o\;and\;-51%o$, respectively. These isotopic values are much heavier than those of groundwater and geothermal water collected at the same period, which indicates that the rain or snow of the study area would not immediately affect the isotopic composition of groundwater or geothermal water. Comparing with the previous data, the groundwater and geothermal water collected at 1990 and 1992 year has the heaviest isotopic composition and afterwards their isotopic composition has been progressively shifted to the direction of lighter composition field.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2008

Oxygen isotopic composition(${\delta}^{18}O$) of walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, otoliths were measured to investigate interannual and regional correlation with habitat temperature. Specimens were collected from fishermen in Korea and Japan between $1997{\sim}1999$, while seawater temperatures were obtained from Korean and Japanese Oceanographic Data Centers. Seawater temperature was generally lower off the eastern Korean Peninsula than off eastern Hokkaido(Japan). Sagittal otoliths were removed for measurement of ${\delta}^{18}O$ using a micro-drilling technique. In most cases, ${\delta}^{18}O$ and habitat temperature exhibited negative relationship in Korean and Japanese waters. Higher ${\delta}^{18}O$ was observed in Korean pollock compared to Japanese pollock. The marginal parts of otoliths exhibited higher ${\delta}^{18}O$ than cores from both regions. This is an indication that somatic growth of walleye pollock occurs in deeper and cooler waters. Interannual variation in ${\delta}^{18}O$ was also observed. Mean ${\delta}^{18}O$ values acquired from 1997 otoliths were lower(2.15%) than those of 1998(2.67%) and 1999 (2.65%) in Korean pollock. These measurements coincided with changes in observed temperature in Korean waters, in which mean seawater temperature was warmer in 1997 than in 1998 and 1999. In Japanese waters, mean seawater temperature was lowest in 1997, which coincided with highest ${\delta}^{18}O$ values in the same year.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.477-494
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• 2008

Stable isotope analyses on lake or wetland sediments are useful to reconstruct paleoclimate. Organic and inorganic carbonates obtained from lake sediment are isotopically analyzed to get oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios. Oxygen isotope ratios can be used to quantitatively and qualitatively reconstruct paleo-temperature or humidity while carbon isotope ratios be used to reveal environmental changes around the lake or human impacts on the area. Peat mosses in peat bogs are nice samples for the carbon isotope analysis, which derives paleo-temperature and paleo-atmospheric $CO_2$ changes. In coastal area, the reconstruction of past sea-level is possible because terrestrial originated organic matter is carbon isotopically different from marine originated organic matter. Also, scientists can do research on Asian Monsoon based on the fact that $\delta^{13}C$ of C3 plants and C4 plants are consistently different each other and that they are distributed differently with respect to salinity. In Korea, paleoenvironmental studies using stable isotopes are not popular yet because of low academic interests on the methodology and difficulties of obtaining proper sediment samples. Interesting results can be produced to answer paleoenvironmental questions of Korea if scientists isotopically analyze sediment cores from a paleo-lake such as Hanon in Jeju island, peat bogs such as Mujechi-Neup and Yong-Neup, and coastal wetlands.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.357-362
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• 2000

Stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen were investigated in southern Yellow Sea in August 1997. Salinity showed good positive correlation with ${\delta}^{18}$O and ${\delta}$. The correlation between ${\delta}^{18}$O and ${\delta}$D is good. From the relationship between these parameters, we obtained two lines of conclusion: 1) seawater of study area I in summer is a mixture of Changjiang Water and modified Kuroshio Water; 2) stable isotopes are very useful tracers in studying property and behavior of water masses in the study area. In case when water masses can not be easily distinguished by T-S analysis, the stable isotopes seem to be powerful tools for this purpose.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2021

Isotopic compositions of snow or ice have been used to reconstruct paleoclimate and to calculate contribution to streamwater using isotopic hydrograph separation as an end member. During freezing and melting of snow or ice, isotopic fractionation occurs between snow or ice and liquid water. Isotopic evolution during melting process has been studied by field, melting experiments and modeling works, but that during freezing has not been well studied. In this review, isotopic fractionation during equilibrium freezing is discussed using the linear relationship between two stable water isotopes (oxygen and hydrogen) and the Rayleigh fractionation. Snow, evaporated from nearby ocean and condensated, follows the Global Meteoric Water Line (slope of 8), but the melting and freezing of snow affect the linear relationship (slope of 19.5/3.1~6.3). The isotopic evolution of liquid water by freezing observed in the open system during Rayleigh fractionation is also seen in the closed system. The isotopic evolution of snow or ice in the open system where the snow or ice is continuously removed becomes more enriched than the residual liquid water by the fractionation factor. The isotopic evolution of snow or ice in the closed system eventually equals the original isotopic compositions of liquid water. It is expected the understanding of isotopic evolution of snow or ice by freezing to increase the accuracy of the paleoclimate studies and hydrograph separation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.348-353
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• 2008

Oxygen isotope has not been used actively in water mass studies because of difficulties on the analysis though it has advantages as a water mass tracer. The most popular method to analysis the oxygen isotope ratio in water samples is equilibration method: isotopic equilibrium of water with $CO_2$ at constant temperature. The precision of oxygen isotope analysis using commercial automatic $H_2O/CO_2$ equilibrator is ${\pm}0.1%o$. This value is not sufficient for studies in open ocean. The object of this study is to improve the analytical precision enough to apply open ocean studies by modification of the instrument. When sample gas is transferred by the pressure difference, the fractionation which is preferential transportation of light isotope can be occurred since the long transportation path between the equilibrator and mass spectrometer. And the The biggest source of error during the analysis is long distance and large volume of the pathway of sample gas between. Therefore, liquid nitrogen trap and high vacuum system are introduced to the system. The precisions of 14 time analysis of same seawater sample are ${\pm}0.081%o$ and ${\pm}0.021%o$ by built-in system and by modified system in this study, respectively.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.216-226
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• 1995

Stable isotopic and elemental compositions were analyzed for well- preserved calcareous skeletons (gastropods, pectenids, brachiopods, a scaphopod, and other bivalves) of the Pleistocene Seoguipo Formation from Cheju Island, Korea. Mineralogically and texturally, aragonitic and calcitic fossils still retain their original mineralogy and microstructure. High $\delta$$\^$18/O and $\delta$$\^$13/C contents indicate that the shells have not been altered by the post-burial diagenesis. Also, this is supported by high Na and Sr contents as well as low Mn and Fe compositions of the shells. Oxygen isotopic compositions of the well preserved fossils show that the organisms had lived under the lower paleotemperature or within the isotopically enriched paleo-seawater during the deposition of the Seoguipo Formation. This result strongly implies that the Seoguipo Formation was deposited during a glacial period. The paleotemperature variation throughout the sequence during the deposition of the Sewguipo Formation was negligible.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2013

Water vapor isotopes can be excellent tools for understanding complex mechanisms in the water cycle and atmospheric hydrological cycle and they can be applied to various fields of paleoclimatology, atmospheric science, hydrogeology, oceanography, and ecohydrology. Thus, studies of global or local transport of water vapor may be able to provide a very useful clue to better understand the movements of water and energy in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. In this study, the isotopic compositions of water vapor have been observed for moisture transport during the passage of Typhoon Bolaven at Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon, in the western part of Korea, from August 27 to August 29, 2012. In the clear sky, the isotopic compositions of water vapor at KOPRI exhibited relatively higher isotopic ratios, which were near isotopic equilibrium with sea surface water (${\delta}^{18}O$=-14‰). On the other hand, a largely depleted isotopic ratios in surface water vapor were observed in association with the passage of Typhoon Bolaven (approximately 10‰ depleted compared to the clear sky). The fact that the isotopic minima in water vapor are encountered during the onset period of the Typhoon Bolaven with increases of relative humidity, which is consistent with, so called, "the amount effect".

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.35-48
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate paleoenvironmental conditions of the shallow sea around Jeju Island during the Late Holocene using geochemical contents of the bivalve (Glycymeris albolineata) collected from the Sangmori Shell Mound. The bivalve shell used shows the archaeological age of 2,300 yr BP. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions show that growth rates decreased with aging. Coeval trends of both isotope compositions can be observed: heavier values during winters and lighter values summers except for their young and old growth stages. The seasonality of bivalve shell appear to reflect seasonal variations of paleotemperature as well as paleosalinity. Especially China Coastal Water with low salinity was transported into the southern Jeju Strait from Changjiang River during summer periods. Heavier carbon isotope values during winter indicate higher productivity, and this is supported by high density of phytoplanktons and higher chlorophyll contents during winter time. For accurate interpretation, monitoring of present-day conditions of shallow marine water as well as additional geochemical analysis of the same Recent bivalve may be necessary.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.4 s.173
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• pp.421-434
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• 2005

Abstract Based onthe characteristics of Carlin-type gold deposit in Nevada district, a potential in Korea is evaluated to the Yemi area where is structurally controlled by folds and trust fault. The fault of high angles are combined with a more permeable rocks such as the Yemi breccia and laminated silty limestone. The pattern of enrichment factors for Tl, Sb, As, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mo and W of limestones in the southern area are geochemically similar with those reported from the Carlin-type Bold deposit. Moreover, the oxygen and carbon isotopes show a hydrothermal alteration is widely developed in this area. According to the result of geophysical interpretation, stable isotope, alteration mineralogy, geochemical study, and geological structure, this mineralized zone may be extended to the M direction, so a detailed systematic exploration is required to identify this alteration zone.