• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-99
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• 2010

This study analyzes the geomorphic environments of river channels and properties of sediments in the Naeseong-River basin, a branch of Nakdong-River. While the area at NU1 located in the uppermost reaches indicates the landscapes with the gravel riverbeds, the sand riverbeds can be seen in the downstream of NU2 whose basin consists mostly of the granite regolith. The downstream of NU2 has the braided channels in the beds and this may be due to the large quantities of sand particles supply to the bed under the favorable geologic and geomorphic conditions, properties of river flowing within the floodplains less resistant to the erosion and great fluctuations of discharges. Whereas the river at NU2 may seem that sand particles are actively eroded during the high water-level periods, the particles may be actively deposited during the periods at NM2 and NL2. Moreover, in the reaches of NU2 to NM1 and NL1 to NL2, the mean grain sizes of sediments increase downstream suggesting the other supplies of coarse sediments from the lower order streams running the steep slopes because the river flows in the areas consisting of the metamorphic rocks rather than the granites and shows the properties of incised meander.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2024

The Sincheon wetland shows a remarkable diversity of fluvial landforms, such as river islands, anastomosing channels, braided channels, and sand-gravel bars, which contribute to its rich ecological habitat. The wetland area is characterized by a ecological diversity of herbaceous and woody plants. Significant changes in land cover within the wetlands were observed from 2008 to 2020. Notably, there was a rapid decrease in agricultural area from 18% to 0.04%, while the vegetation area expanded from 45% to 54%. Concurrently, the water area also experienced a notable increase from 34% to 41%. The surface sediment composition in the studied area displays sandy loam characteristics and exhibits acidic soil properties. Sediment acidity tends to increase downstream and in the central part of channels. Variations in acidity are also observed at nearby collection sites due to the tributaries and local discharge. The presence of dense vegetation in river islands and bars has led to a significant transformation of sediments into soil, with this change being more pronounced downstream, particularly near the weirs. The installation of a weir in Sincheon wetland is believed to have a significant impact on altering flow velocities between upstream and downstream sections, as well as influencing erosion and sediment deposition patterns. However, given the formation of landforms in response to weirs, effective administration and management are essential to address potential risks of catastrophic environmental disruptions, such as the removal of weirs and/or the maintenance of river channels.