• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.9-26
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• 1999

The Ulleung Basin (Tsushima Basin) in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) is floored by a crust whose affinity is not known whether oceanic or thinned continental. This ambiguity resulted in unconstrained mechanisms of basin evolution. The present work attempts to define the nature of the crust of the Ulleung Basin and its tectonic evolution using seismic wide-angle reflection and refraction data recorded on ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs). Although the thickness of (10 km) of the crust is greater than typical oceanic crust, tau-p analysis of OBS data and forward modeling by 2-D ray tracing suggest that it is oceanic in character: (1) the crust consists of laterally consistent upper and lower layers that are typical of oceanic layers 2 and 3 in seismic velocity and gradient distribution and (2) layer 2C, the transition between layer 2 and layer 3 in oceanic crust, is manifested by a continuous velocity increase from 5.7 to 6.3 km/s over the thickness interval of about 1 km between the upper and lower layers. Therefore it is not likely that the Ulleung Basin was formed by the crustal extension of the southwestern Japan Arc where crustal structure is typically continental. Instead, the thickness of the crust and its velocity structure suggest that the Ulleung Basin was formed by seafloor spreading in a region of hotter than normal mantle surrounding a distant mantle plume, not directly above the core of the plume. It seems that the mantle plume was located in northeast China. This suggestion is consistent with geochemical data that indicate the influence of a mantle plume on the production of volcanic rocks in and around the Ulleung Basin. Thus we propose that the opening models of the southwestern East Sea should incorporate seafloor spreading and the influence of a mantle plume rather than the extension of the crust of the Japan Arc.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.242-249
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• 2008

Recently, AVO analysis has been widely used in oil exploration with seismic subsurface section as a direct indicator of the existence of the gas. In the case of the deep reservoirs like the gas reservoirs in the East-sea, it is often difficult to observe AVO responses in CMP gathers even though the bright spots are shown in the stacked section. Because the reservoir becomes more consolidated as its depth deepens, P-wave velocity does not decrease significantly when the pore fluid is replaced by the gas. Thus the difference in Poisson's ratio, which is a key factor for AVO response, between the reservoir and the layer above it does not increase significantly. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Poisson's ratio difference on AVO response with a variety of Poisson's ratios for the upper and lower layers. The results show that, as the difference in Poisson's ratio between the upper and lower layers decreases, the change in the reflection amplitude with incidence angle decreases and AVO responses become insignificant. To consider the limitation of AVO responses shown in the gas reservoir in East-sea, the velocity model was made by simulation Gorae V structure with seismic data and well logs. The results of comparing AVO responses observed from the synthetic data with theoretical AVO responses calculated by using material properties show that the amount of the change in reflection amplitude with increasing incident angle is very small when the difference in Poisson's ratio between the upper and lower layers is small. In addition, the characteristics of AVO responses were concealed by noise or amplitude distortion arisen during preprocessing. To overcome such limitations of AVO analysis of the data from deep reservoirs, we need to acquire precisely reflection amplltudes In data acquisition stage and use processing tools which preserve reflection amplitude in data processing stage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.129-143
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• 2017

The shallow sediments in the southwestern Ulleung Basin consist of mass flow deposits such as slide/slump and debris flow deposits (DFD), caused by slope failure. These sediments are proven to be important in studying geological disaster and stability of the seafloor. In this paper, we analysised the flow accumulation and slope failure susceptibility of the Ulleung Basin on the basis of multi-beam data, collected in this area. We also studied the distribution pattern and the seismic characteristics of the DFD in the uppermost layer of the Ulleung Basin on the basis of seismic data. The slope susceptibility was calculated as the frequency ratio of each factors including slope, aspect, curvature and stream power index (SPI), which causes the slope failure. These results indicate that the slope failure is frequently to occur in the southern and western continental slope of the Ulleung Basin. The sediment flow (mass flow) caused by the slope failure converges to the north and northwest of the Ulleung Basin. According to the seismic characteristics, the uppermost layer in study area can be divided into four sedimentary unit. These sedimentary units develop from the south and southwest to the north and northwest in association with slope susceptibility and flow accumulation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.90-101
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• 2009

Analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection data from the Southern Ulleung Basin reveals that Plio-Quaternary section in the area consists of nine stacked sedimentary units separated by erosional unconformities. On the southern slope, these sedimentary units are acoustically characterized by chaotic seismic facies without distinct internal reflections, interpreted as debris-flow bodies. Toward the basin floor, the sedimentary units are defined by well-stratified facies with good continuity and strong amplitude, interpreted as turbidite/hemipelagic sediments. The seismic facies distribution suggests that deposition of Plio-Quaternary section in the area was controlled mainly by tectonic movement and sea-level fluctuations. During the Pliocene, sedimentation was mainly controlled by tectonic movements related to the back-arc closure of the East Sea. The back-arc closure that began in the Miocene caused compressional deformation along the southern margin of the Ulleung Basin, resulting in regional uplift which continued until the Pliocene. Large amounts of sediments, eroded from the uplifted crustal blocks, were supplied to the basin, depositing Unit 1 which consists of debris-flow deposits. During the Quaternary, sea-level fluctuations resulted in stacked sedimentary units (2-9) consisting of debris-flow deposits, formed during sea-level fall and lowstands, and thin hemipelagic/turbidite sediments, deposited during sea-level rise and highstands.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2014

Because offshore plant industry needs to design, deploy and operate much of equipment especially, the latest trend shows the installation of production facilities is augmented in the subsea. The installed facilities are very difficult to be repaired or changed because they are located in the subsea. For solving these problems, both the directly related information of the production like the optimal number, position and depth of wells and the distribution for effective operation and safety of equipment of subsea should be considered at the preliminary stage of FEED (Front End Engineering Design). The marine exploration is introduced in this paper for providing the fundamental technology to answer the questions related to above considering points. First, some kinds of the offshore plant facilities are enumerated and aims of marine exploration for the offshore oil/gas development are summarized. In addition to it, the main roles of marine survey, in the step of designing and installing offshore oil-gas plant, development are briefly listed. And then foreign examples are shown to help the reader's understand. This paper is hoped to be helpful for understanding the marine exploration that can be applied to offshore oil/gas plant and to be contributed to developing the domestic techniques in this field for the future.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2007

We investigated the undulation of Moho depth and the crustal structure of the continental margin in the East Sea along the Korea Peninsula from inversion and modelling using potential data and previous seismic results. Free-air gravity anomalies generally reflect topography effect. Bouguer gravity anomalies increase toward the Ulleung Basin, indicating that Moho depth is shallower under the Ulleung Basin. Positive magnetic anomalies exist along the continental margin and decrease toward the Ulleung Basin. In analytic signal, the small anomaly in the Hupo Bank infers that the Hupo Bank is uplifted by igneous intrusion and the strong anomaly on the continental slope denotes existence of SDR(seaward dipping reflectors), which are in accordance with the location of SDR detected in previous seismic studies. The inversion result of Bouguer gravity anomaly and the 2-dimensional gravity modelling indicate that the undulation of Moho depth shallows from the continental shelf toward the Ulleung Basin. This is in good agreement with the Moho depth calculated by the previous seismic velocity model using ocean bottom seismometer(OBS). The 2-dimensional gravity modelling infers magmatic underplating zone under the lower continental crust on the continental margin of the East Sea, indicating the possible rifiting of the continental margin.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.267-285
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• 2002

Dok Island, a Pliocene volcano, lies in the southwestern part of the East Sea. Most the work to date have focused primarily on the petrolography of the island, and as a result, the morphological characteristics and internal structure of the volcanic edifices of the Dok Island remain poorly understood. To provide better constraints on these features, bathymetric data with multibeam echo sounder, 32-channel seismic and 3D gravity modeling were used in this study. Three positive topographic highs are present in the study area, and these highs satisfy the seamount criteria. They are named as Dokdo, Tamhae, and Donghae seamounts. 32-channel seismic survey was conducted to investigate the sediment thickness of the area, which shows that there are no sediments near the summit of seamounts. Away from the seamounts, however, sediment becomes thick(>2000 m) toward the western part of the study area, and sediments in the northern and southern parts are about 1000 m thick. Free-Air gravity anomalies in this study generally follow the bathymetric feature with less than -20 mGal at the western part, but increase towards the seamounts. In the summit of the Dokdo Seamount, anomalies reach over 120 mGal, and in Tamhae and Donghae seamounts, the peak anomaly shows 90 and 70 mGals, respectively. All seamounts have an isolated volcanic conduit in their centre and show regional compensation root with 0.5～1.5 km thickness. The flat-topped summit of the seamounts is probably caused by wave truncation, indicating the sea level at the time of formation of the flat-topped geometry. Comparison between the present-day sea level and subsidence level during the opening of the East Sea suggests that the seamounts in the study area have subsided by 200～300 m after the formation. Furthermore, it implies that the seamounts formed over 12～10 Ma.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.174-193
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• 2023

Korea is surrounded by the sea and has rivers connecting to it throughout the inland areas, which has been a geographical characteristic since ancient times. As a result, there have been exchanges and conflicts with various countries through the sea, and rivers have facilitated the transportation of ships carrying grain, goods paid for by taxes, and passengers. Since the past, the sea and rivers have had a significant impact on the lives of Koreans. Consequently, it is expected that there are many cultural heritages submerged in the sea and rivers, and continuous efforts are being made to discover and preserve them. Underwater cultural heritage is difficult to discover due to its location in the sea or rivers, making direct visual observation and exploration challenging. To overcome these limitations, various geophysical survey techniques are employed. Geophysical survey methods utilize the physical properties of elastic waves, including their reflection and refraction, to conduct surveys such as bathymetry, underwater topography and strata. These techniques detect the physical characteristics of underwater objects and seafloor formation in the underwater environment, analyze differences, and identify underwater cultural heritage located on or buried in the seabed. Bathymetry uses an echo sounder, and an underwater topography survey uses a side-scan sonar to find underwater artifacts lying on or partially exposed to the seabed, and a marine shallow strata survey uses a sub-bottom profiler to find underwater heritages buried in the seabed. However, the underwater cultural heritage discovered in domestic waters thus far has largely been accidental findings by fishermen, divers, or octopus hunters. This study aims to analyze and summarize the latest research trends in equipment used for underwater cultural heritage exploration, including bathymetric surveys, underwater topography surveys and strata surveys. The goal is to contribute to research on underwater cultural heritage investigation in the domestic context.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.5 no.1_2 s.6
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• pp.9-15
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• 1997

The study area is located in the Central Bransfield Basin, Antarctica. To analyze the morphology of seafloor, structure of basement, and seismic stratigraphy of the sedimentary layers, we have acquired, processed, and interpreted the multi-channel seismic data. The northwest-southeastern back-arc extension dramatically changes seafloor morphology, volcanic and fault distribution, and basin structure along the spreading ridges. The northern continental shelf shows a narrow, steep topography. In contrast, the continental shelf or slope in the south, which is connected to the Antarctic Peninsula, has a gentle gradient. Volcanic activities resulted in the formation of large volcanos and basement highs near the spreading center, and small-scale volcanic diapirs on the shelf. A very long, continuous normal fault characterizes the northern shelf, whereas several basinward synthetic faults probably detach into the master fault in the south. Four transfer faults, the northwest-southeastern deep-parallel structures, controlled the complex distributions of the volcanos, normal faults, depocenters, and possibly hydrocarbon provinces in the study area. They have also deformed the basement structure and depositional pattern. Even though the Bransfield Basin was believed to be formed in the Late Cenozoic (about 4 Ma), the hydrocarbon potential may be very high due to thick sediment accumulation, high organic contents, high heat flow resulted from the active tectonics, and adequate traps.