• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.93-102
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• 2017

Heavy mineral provide an important information for sediment provenance as well as a potential submarine mineral resources. We compared the heavy mineral characteristics between Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud (SEYSM) and Southwestern Cheju Island Mud (SWCIM) surface sediments. We separated heavy minerals from 28 surface sediments in each mudbelt, and then carried out stereo-microscopic, field-emission scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive spectroscopic and electron probe microanalysis to characterize the type, abundance, mineralogical properties and distribution pattern of heavy mineral. Amphibole and epidote, which are two major heavy minerals, account for more than 70% of total heavy minerals. Zircon and sphene contents are more abundant in SEYSM, whereas apatite and rutile contents are more abundant in SWCIM. Monazite only occurs in some area of SEYSM. Sphene and monazite content decrease to the south in SEYSM. Both garnet-zircon index (GZi) and rutile-zircon index (RuZi) are low in SEYSM but high in SWCIM. Amphiboles in SEYSM primarily correspond to hornblende, however those in SWCIM represent variable composition from pargasite, tshermakite, hornblende to tremolite. Garnets in SEYSM have high Mg and low Ca, but those in SWCIM have low Mg with variable Ca. Different heavy mineral characteristics between SEYSM and SWCIM suggests that sediments in each mudbelt have different provenances. Although this study implies that SEYSM sediment may mostly come from nearby Korean western rivers such as the Keum and Han rivers, this study does not suggest any idea of the source area of SWCIM sediment. Further study is needed to interpret the provenance and transportation mechanism of mudbelt sediments through the heavy mineral research for the river sediments flowing into the Yellow Sea and much more marine sediments.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2011

Mineral compositions of 69 southeastern Yellow Sea surface sediments collected at the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) cruise in 2010, were determined using the quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis. Southeastern Yellow Sea surface sediments are composed of major minerals (quartz 49.1%, plagioclase 13.0% and alkali feldspar 9.3%), clay minerals, calcite, and aragonite. Illite (9.4%) is the most abundant clay mineral, chlorite (4.6%) is the second, and kaolinite (0.8%) is few. Quartz and alkali feldspar contents are high in coarse-grained sediments, whereas amphibole and clay mineral contents are high in fine-grained sediments. Quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, chlorite, and kaolinite contents are higher, and illite content is lower in mud zone 1 corresponding to south margin of Central Yellow Sea Mud than in mud zone 2, a part of Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud. Difference of mineral composition between two mud zone suggests that source of fine sediment may be different in two mud zone and Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud might be largely supplied from the Keum and Youngsan rivers in southern part of the west coast in the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2009

We studied the mineral composition and mineral distribution pattern of 131 surface sediments collected at the cruise in 2000 and 2007 from Southeastern Yellow Sea, South Sea of Korea and Southern part of Jeju Island. Mineral compositions of surface sediments were determined using the quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis. Surface sediments were composed of rock forming minerals (quartz 37.4%, plagioclase 11.7%, alkali feldspar 5.5%, hornblende 3.1%), clay minerals (illite 19.2%, chlorite 4.7%, kaolinite 1.8%) and carbonate minerals (calcite 10.7%, aragonite 3.4%). Distribution of clay minerals is very similar with fine-grained sediments, and especially same as the distribution of HSMD (Hucksan Mudbelt Deposit), SSKMD (South Sea of Korea Mudbelt Deposit) and JJMD (Jeju Mudbelt Deposit). The coarse sediment seemed to be relic sediment during the last glacial maximum and mainly consisted of rock forming minerals. Whereas the fine sediments mainly composed of clay minerals. Based on the clay mineral composition, main ocean current and geographical factor, HSMD and SSKMD might have derived from the rivers around the Korean Peninsula. However, JJMD is complex mudbelt deposit, which formed by Korean rivers and oceanic sediments.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2013

In order to determine the provenance of the Huksan Mud Belt sediments in the southeastern Yellow Sea, the major and rare earth elements of the same sediments were analyzed. The surface sediments were sampled from top of piston-cores and box-cores taken at 51 sites within the Huksan Mud Belt. With the mean grain size of $5-6{\phi}$, the sediments of the study area are mud-dominated. The spatial distribution patterns show that silt content is high in the northern Mud Belt, whereas clay content increases as it moves toward the southern Mud Belt. Interestingly, the geochemical compositions both of major and rare earth elements have resulted in differences of sediment provenance. Among the major elements, plots of Fe/Al vs. Mg/Al ratios, $Al_2O_3$ vs. MgO ratios, and $Al_2O_3$ vs. $K_2O$ reveal that the Huksan Mud Belt sediments are dominated by the Korean river-derived sediments. However, the characteristics of rare earth elements infer sediments originating from the Chinese rivers. This discrepancy between the above provenances is attributed to the different contributory factors in the content of chemical elements. Considering strong correlation between major elements with grain sizes, the contents of the major elements are thought to be influenced by the grain size. However, there is a weak correlation between rare earth elements and grain sizes. The behaviour of rare earth elements may be controlled by heavy minerals, rather than grain sizes. Further study requires to solve the discrepancy arose from the difference in applied chemical tracers.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.335-345
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• 2000

Physical and acoustic properties of the Southeastern Yellow Sea Mud (SEYSM) of Korea were studied by using 10 piston cores. The data were also compared with mudbelt sediments in the South Sea and the East Sea (southeastern inner shelf) of Korea. The sediments were mainly composed of homogeneous silt. Sandy mud and mud were minor components. The major source of sediment in the study area is probably the Keum River. Finegrained sediments discharged from the river are transported southward by coastal current, resulting in a gradual southward increase in porosity and a decrease in wet bulk density and sound velocity. The mean grain size especially appears to be the most important variable to determine the physical properties and velocity. The variations of physical properties with burial depth are dependent more strongly on sediment texture (especially, silt content) than compaction and/or consolidation. Correlations between the physical properties and the sediment texture show slight deviations from those of the East Sea and the South Sea of Korea in spite of similar pattern within the limiting values. This is probably due to the differences in silt contents, sedimentary environments, mineral compositions, and gas contents.