• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.521-535
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• 2011

This study intended to explain the relationship between climate change and magnetic susceptibility of estuarine sediment. Data of OSL dating and magnetic susceptibility from estuarine tidal sediment were compared with various climate change data. During the last Holocene, the intense of magnetic susceptibility related with weaker Siberian High and stronger Asian Summer Monsoon. It is explained that high precipitation and runoff made much fluvial sediment input to the estuary. From the early to mid Holocene, there is no clear relationship between climate change and MS because of the much coastal sediment input caused by rapid sea level rise and the formation of upland soil and coastal marsh. These results contribute to reconstruct paleo-environmental changes of west coast of Korea, in the way of using benefit of ubiquitous estuarine tidal flats and relatively useful magnetic susceptibility methodoloy.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1998

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.37-51
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• 2011

Geomorphic changes and sedimentary changes are investigated by sediment analysis from estuarine tidal flat, Mosan Bay Estuary, which is a tide-dominated and rias estuary. Sediments separatedly deposited during the early Holocene and the late Holocene. There are unconformities between the early Holocene sediment unit and the late Holocene sediment unit. Developments of these unconformities were related with fluctuated sea level change during the mid Holocene. Three deposit zones are spatially classified, which are named "intermittent tide channel deposit zone"(A1, B1, D3), "flood-dominated deposit zone"(A3, B3, C1, C3), and "fluvial sediment deposit zone"(A2, B2). This classification is explained by three main effects; laterally restricted migration of a tidal channel, diffract flood effect and settling lag effect, and fluvial induced reworking. These effects are deserved as main factors which have formed estuarine geomorphology in tidedominated and rias estuary. This study suggests research directions in reconstructing estuarine geomorphic and sedimentary change in west coast of Korea. Furthermore, it gives useful data for making a "land-ocean interaction" model for west coast of Korea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.520-532
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• 2015

In order to understand the Holocene sea level changes in the eastern Yellow Sea, the west coast of Korea, and to compare the rates of sea level rise in each period of time, the geological proxy records for pre-instrumental era and measurement data for the present day were combined and analysed. The sea level in the Yellow Sea rose fast with a rate of about 10 mm/yr during the early Holocene, and decelerated down to 1 mm/yr since the mid to late Holocene. The rising rates of sea level in the 20th century were slightly higher than those in the late Holocene. The present-day rates of sea level rise, known as the 'rapid' rise, are in fact much lower or similar, compared to the early to mid Holocene sea levels in the study area. Recent tide-gauge data show that sea level rise in the eastern Yellow Sea has been accelerating toward the 21st century. These rising trends coincide well with global rising patterns in sea level. Additionally, the present-day rising trends of sea level in this study are correlated with increased rates of carbon dioxide concentrations and sea surface temperatures, further indicating a signal to global warming associated with the human effect. Thus, the sea level changes induced by current global warming observed in the eastern Yellow Sea and world's oceans can be considered as 'Anthropocene' sea level changes. The changes in sea level are based on instrumental measurements such as tide-gauges and satellite altimetry, meaning the instrumental era. The Holocene changes in sea level can thus be reconstructed from geological proxy records, whereas the Anthropocene sea-level changes can be solely based on instrumental measurements.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 2005

The change in global climate and Asian monsoon patterns during the mid-Holocene, 6000 years before present (6 ka), is simulated by a climate model at spectral truncations of T170 with 18 vertical layers, corresponding to grid-cell sizes of roughly 75km. The present simulation is forced with the observed monthly data of sea surface temperatures, and the specified concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, while in the mid-Holocene experiment, orbital parameters such as obliquity, precession, and eccentricity are changed to the 6ka conditions. Under such conditions, the precipitation associated with the summer monsoon is enhanced over a wider zonal band from the Middle East to Southeast Asia, while no significant alteration takes Place in winter. The monsoonal wind also increases over the Arabian Sea, showing the enhanced southwesterly wind during summer and northeasterly wind during winter. Overall, the showing of the Asian monsoon is enhanced during the mid-Holocene, especially in summer, which is consistent with the proxy estimates and other previous model simulations.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.463-471
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• 2018

In this paper, we review previous studies on the relative sea-level changes in the Yellow Sea during the Holocene to comprehensive understand the various research results. Currently, it is reported two theories : 1) the Holocene sea-level has never been higher than the present-day level; and 2) sea-level have reached highstand during mid-Holocene, followed by slow lowering to that of the present. The first theory yields a curve that is similar to a climate-change-related eustatic sea-level curve. However, in reality, most of the relative sea-level fluctuation resulted from land uplift or subsidence. The second theory yields a curve that is fairly coincident with a relative sea-level curve indicative of continental margins being located away from the ice sheets(i.e., far-field), and is considered as an effect of GIA(Glacio Isostatic Adjustment) and gravitational attraction. Based on detailed review of previous researches, we realized that they sourced the same papers, but obtained different results because they selectively chose and added the data. The data used to derive the second theory pertain to the northern Gunsan region, which is located within the western area of the Chugaryeong fault. Thus, we believe that the sea-level curve for the second theory is only representative of the area north of Gunsan, which is subject to GIA and tectonic deformation. Although the relative sea-level curve for the west coastal area is comparable to that for the far-field continental margin region, it is necessary to evaluate local tectonic activities as suggested by active seismicity in the west coastal area and the more than 400 faults currently existing in on the Korean Peninsula.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.303-312
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• 2011

Analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the Holocene transgressive deposits consist of five sedimentary units characterized by retrograding or backstepping depositional arrangements. Unit I, forming a linear sediment body along the shelf margin, is an ancient beach/shoreface deposit formed during the early stage of transgression. During the transgression, the paleo-channels were backfilled with fluvial or coastal-plain sediments, forming Unit II as an incised-channel fill deposit. The near-surface sediment was reworked and eroded by shoreface erosion, forming a thin lag of sands (Unit III) on the midshelf. During the middle stage of the transgression, the shoreline may have stabilized at around 70 - 80 m below the present sea level for some period of time to allow the formation of sand ridge systems (Unit IV). Unit V in the inner shelf was deposited in an estuarine environment during the middle to late stage of transgression. Such transgressive stratigraphic architecture 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.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.51-64
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• 2017

The paleo-environments including changes in vegetation, climate, and sea level since the middle Holocene(6,400(?)-1,800(?) yr BP) were reconstructed with the special reference to pollen analysis from two trench samples at Yulha-dong, Kimhae-si, southern Korea. The environmental characteristics by the pollen zonation wassummarized asfollows: Pollenzone I(6,400(?)~3,940(?) yr BP)showed the dominance of Quercus species with broad-leaved trees, it was warm condition. Pollenzone II(3,940(?)~2,300(?) yr BP) was characterized to the yellow soil indicating terrestrial environment. Moreover, it showed Alnus-NAP period related to the extension of agriculture and deforestation by the rapid decrease of Quercus and increase of Gramineae. Pollenzone III(2,300(?)~1,800(?) yr BP) showed human impact from the increase of NAP and Pinus. Plenty of Quercus with deciduous broad-leaved trees also suggested warmer condition than before.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.439-449
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• 2016

Understanding the variability of the monsoon system requires information about the changes in the past. We revealed the Mid- and Late-Holocene paleo-climate changes and Asian monsoon variations in Korea by the speleothem records from Pyeongchang. To this, we used thicknesses of growth laminae, stable-isotope analysis (carbon, oxygen), and radio-carbon age dating. The speleothem grew between ~4580 yr BP to ~660 yr BP and we identified several weak AM(Asian monsoon) events, such as Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch, Iron Age Cold Epoch, and Dark Age Cold Period. These events might have occurred relatively early compared to those of other studies.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2010

Holocene vegetation and climate changes were assumed on the basis of pollen records from Wonpyeong Trench II-3 of the Osong archaeological site, Cheongju, Chungbuk Province, Korea. An organic matter beared in coarse sediments appeared to be low throughout the succession. Although an occurrence of pollen grains is not high, some dominant and principal taxa may indicate vegetation changes response to climate changes in central inland area of the Korean Peninsula. The age determination can be estimated with indirect way by comparing with previous age-controlled pollen studies. It is assumed that the former last glacial conifer forests had been changed into open mixed conifers and deciduous broadleaved forest during the early Holocene period. Warmer and more humid climate conditions, during the mid-Holocene, might have allowed the hardwoods including deciduous- and evergreen-broadleaved trees, and warm-preferring pine tree to flourish. Subsequently, the former forests were replaced by mixed of conifer and deciduous broadleaved forest owing to deterioration of climate conditions during the late Holocene. Human activity is also detected by agricultural indicators, such as buckwheat and large pollen grains comparable to corn, in upper most pollen profile. During this time, the forests in studied area were primarily affected by human disturbance rather than natural environment.