• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2E
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• pp.76-82
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• 1994

The characteristics of bottom sediment may be able to vary within a few meters of depth in shallow water. Since bottom attenuation coefficient as well as sound velocity in the bottom layer is determined by the composition and characteristics of sediment itself, it is reasonable to assume that the bottom attenuation coefficient is accordingly variable with depth. In this study, we use a parabolic equation scheme to examine the effects of depth-varying compressional wave attenuation on acoustic wave propagation in the low frequency ranging from 100 to 805 Hz. The sea floor under consideration is sandy bottom where the water and the sediment depths are 40 meters and 10 meters, respectively. Depending on the assumption that attenuation coefficient is constant or depth-varying, the propagation loss difference is as large as 10dB within 15 km. The predicted propagation loss is very much comparable to the measured one when we employ a depth-varying attenuation coefficient.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 1999

A high-resolution seismic profile acquired across the northeastern boundary of the Pungam Basin, one of the Cretaceous sedimentary basins in Korea, has been interpreted to delineate subsurface geological structures across the basin boundary. We identified boundary faults and unconformity surfaces of the basin and divided sediment body into three seismic depositional units (Units I, II, and III from youngest to oldest). Inferred from fault geometry and type, northeastern part of the Pungam Basin has been formed by a strike-slip fault whereas the normal faults near the boundary were formed by transtensional movement along a fault zone. A 350-400 m thick sediment layer is overlying the Precambrian gneiss. Bedding planes of Unit III are dipping westward and are closely related to an anticline in the acoustic basement. Unit II is also tilted westward, suggesting that the eastern part of the fault zone was uplifted after deposition of lower part of the sedimentary body. Afterward, the uplifted sediment layers were eroded and transported to the western part of the basin. Chaotic reflection pattern of sedimentary Units II and III may suggest that strike-slip movement along the fault zone deformed basin-filled sediments.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1203-1211
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• 2010

In order to study geology and sediment characteristics in Danghang Bay area, surface geological survey, SBP (sub-bottom profiler) survey, and sediment analysis were conducted. Danghang Bay area has a closing coast surrounded by land, and surface layer are covered by mud and sandy mud. Sedimentary facies of the surface layer consists of Mm and Mms facies. A SBP seismic survey shows that gas bearing sediments might be spread throughout the sediment layers, so that it seems to be hard to find acoustic basement and gas seeps are easily found throughout the survey lines. The gas trapped in the sediments may be related to the high organic contents of the sediment, and the thick mud layer may restrain the gas from releasing.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.434-444
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• 1994

Physical and acoustic properties of sediment core samples recovered from the Kwangyang Bay, the Yeosu Sound, and the inner shelf of central South Sea, Korea were investigated. Compressional wave velocity, density, porosity, and shear strength were measured at 10cm interval's along the core depth. Sediment texture(grain size, sand, silt, and clay contents) were also measured and correlated with the physical properties(density, porosity, and shear strength). The physical and acoustic properties of the sediment changed gradually from the Kwangyang Bay to the shelf area in accordance with the distance from the input source of the terrigenous sediment. The Yeosu Sound acted as a route of sediment transport from the estuary(the Seomjin River) to the shelf and vice versa. The physical and acoustic properties of the Yeosu Sound sediment conformed to an intermediate stage between river mouth and shelf areas. These results can be utilized to trace the influence of the Seomjin River on the so-called mud belt of Korea.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 2013

High-resolution chirp profiles were analyzed to investigate the echo types of near-surface sediments in the Yellow Sea off the Baegryeong Island. On the basis of seafloor morphology and subbottom echo characters, 7 echo types were identified. Flat seafloor with no internal reflectors or moderately to well-developed subbottom reflectors (echo type 1-1 and 1-2) is mainly distributed in the southern part of the study area. Flat seafloor with superposed wavy bedforms (echo type 1-3) is also distributed in the middle part. Mounded seafloor with either smooth surface or superposed bedforms (echo type 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3) occurs in the middle part of the study area. Irregular and eroded seafloor with no subbottom reflectors (echo type 3-1) is present in the northern part of the study area off the Baegryeong Island. According to the distribution pattern and sedimentary facies of echo types, depositional environments can be divided into three distinctive areas: (1) active erosional zone due to strong tidal currents in the northern part; (2) formation of tidal sand ridges in response to tidal currents associated with sea-level rise distributed in the middle part; and (3) transgressive sand sheets in the southern part. Such a depositional pattern, including 7 echo types, in this area reflects depositional process related to the sea-level rise and strong tidal currents during the Holocene transgression.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2013

To analyze the distribution pattern of flood sediment deposits near the mouth of Chucheoncheon (river), side scan sonar images and seafloor sediment properties were investigated in the offshore area within about 50 m deep in water. Based on the analysis result of the sonar images, the seafloor of the study area is divided into three areas of basement, sandy-mud, and dispersed flood sediment. The colors of sonar images in each area are represented by dark black, light grey, and greyish black, respectively. The sediment composition in the grey black area shows 33.73% of gravel, 62.88% of sand, 3.37% of silt, and 0.02% of clay. On the other hand, the composition of the light grey area is 10.31% of sand, 56.42% of silt, and 33.27% of clay. Especially the sediment of the grey black area contains the considerable amount of burned plant fragments in black color, which could distinctly be differentiated from those in the offshore. The distribution pattern of the flood sediment deposits suggests that the land-originated detrital sediments seem to be transported from the Chucheon river into offshore along the shore rather than transversely. In conclusion, the longshore current of the study area is probably dominant to affect the spatial distribution of bottom features.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 2002

Determination of sediment type is generally based on ground truthing. This method, however, provides information only for the limited sites. Recent developments of remote classification of seafloor sediments made it possible to obtain continuous profiles of sediment types. QTC View system, which is an acoustic instrument providing digital real-time seabed classification, was used to classify seafloor sediment types in the Suyoung Bay, Pusan. QTC View was connected to 50 kHz echo sounder, All parameters of QTC View and echo sounder are uniformly kept during survey. By ground truthing, the sediments are classified into seven types, such as slightly gravelly sand, slightly gravelly sandy mud, gravelly muddy sand, clayey sand, sandy mud, slightly gravelly muddy sand, and rocky bottom. By the first remote classification using QTC View, four sediment types are clearly identified, such as slightly gravelly sand, gravelly mud, slightly gravelly muddy sand, and rocky bottom. These are similar to the result of the second survey. Also the result of remote classification matches well with that of ground truthing, but for sediment type determined by minor component. Therefore, QTC View can effectively be used for remote classification of seafloor sediments.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.424-431
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• 2009

This study investigates the difference of sound velocity (compressional wave velocity) between gas hydrate-bearing sediments and nongas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea. We use a dataset measured from one site in the central part of the Ulleung Basin. Sound velocity for gas hydrate-bearing sediment shows the range from 1600 m/s to 2200 m/s. However, the value for nongas hydrate-bearing sediment is mostly around 1500 m/s, being less than 1400 m/s below 140 m subbottom depth. This trend is probably due to the presence of free gas below BSR (Bottom Simulating Reflector). Gas hydrate-bearing sediments show high value (maximum 150 Ohm-m) of resistivity. The physical properties between gas hydrate-bearing sediment and nongas hydrate-bearing sediment are characterized by the different patterns due to the presence of gas hydrate in comparison with those of marine unconsolidated sediments. Therefore, in order to investigate acoustic and physical properties for gas hydrate-bearing sediments, the study for the occurrence type and the amount of gas hydrates should be conducted simultaneously.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.301-312
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• 2015

A commercial gas field was found in the southwestern continental shelf of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea in the late 1990s. To develop additional gas field, an exploration well was drilled through the coarse infill of submarine canyon near the gas field, but it was uneconomic to develop hydrocarbons. Using newly acquired deep seismic reflection and previous well data, we have identified additional geological structure which has hydrocarbon potentials below submarine canyons in the southwestern margin of the basin. Based on the interpretation of the deep seismic reflection and well data, the sequences of the study area can be classified into the syn-rift megasequence(MS1), post-rift megasequence(MS2), syn-compressional megasequence(MS3), and post-compressional megasequence(MS4) in relation to the tectonic events. MS1, deposited simultaneously with the basin formation before the middle Miocene, is characterized by chaotic seismic facies with low- to moderate-amplitude and low frequency reflections. MS2 comprises laterally continuous, low- to moderate-amplitude reflections, showing progradational stacking patterns due to high rates of sediment supply during basin expansion in the middle Miocene. MS3 is mainly composed of continuous reflections with high amplitude and moderate- to high-frequency which are interpreted as coarse-grained sediments. The coarse-grained sediments of MS3 sequence is widely truncated by several submarine canyons which filled with fine-grained sediment of MS4 to form a stratigraphic trap of hydrocarbon. Therefore, the reservoir and seal of the hydrocarbon trap in the study area are coarse-grained sediment of MS3 and submarine canyon filled with fine-grained sediment of MS4, respectively. A flat-spot seismic anomaly, which may indicate the presence of hydrocarbon, is observed within the stratigraphic trap.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 1999

To study the characters of surface sediment and to describe the seasonal depositional environment as a result of sedimentation process off Byun-San Peninsula, a total 61 samples of surface sediment (32 samples in summer; 29 samples in winter) were collected and analysed. A digitized depth data from sea chart and echosounding profiles along five trans-sections were helpful for understanding the morphological factors. The types classified by the characters of surface sediment are type I (sand, S), type II (silty sand, zS), and type ill (sandy silt, sZ). Mean grain size varies from 2.11 to 7.81 ${\Phi}$. The positive-skewness shows the typical tide-dominated environment. The sediment type of the northwestern stations is medium sand and the sorting value is 0.5~1.4 ${\Phi}$ of well/moderately sorted. Meanwhile, other stations are composed of muddy sands and sandy muds transported from rivers and offshore. These sediment types toward inshore change gradually from silty sand to sandy silt. According to the C/M diagram, there are three major transport modes of sediment: bed load (Mode A), graded suspension (Mode B), and suspension (Mode C), correlating with north-eastern sandy area, middle part of silty-sand area, and southern sandy-silt area, respectively. The result of Principal Component Analysis shows also similar pattern of sediment types. In result, sediment texture of type III tends to be finer and more poorly-sorted than that of type II and sediment facies are correlateed with sedimentation process.