• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.103-113
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• 2001

This study presents Quaternary sedimentation pattern around Dok-Island volcanoes (Dok Island and Dok Seamount), based on analysis of high-resolution (chirp) echo characters. Echo facies If, showing sharp, continuous bottom echo without subbottom reflectors, is recorded mainly from the flat tops of the volcanoes. This facies indicates sands and gravels (re) deposited by shallow marine processes. Echo facies IIA in the basin floor and basal slopes of the volcanoes and Oki Bank is characterized by semi-prolonged bottom and several parallel subbottom echoes. This facies reflects hemipelagic settling with intermittent influences of turbidity currents in the slope areas. Echo facies IIC is recorded from acoustically-transparent debrite masses on the basal slopes of the volcanoes and Oki Bank. Echo facies IIIA is characterized by irregular hyperbolic echoes in the slope areas of the volcanoes. It suggests hard rock basement or irregular volcanic edifices. Echo facies IIIC shows regularly-overlapping hyperbolic bottom echoes. It is interpreted to represent rock-fall deposits (talus) accumulated in the mid-slope area. Echo characters and topography suggest that the tops of Dok-Island volcanoes were flattened and lowered by shallow-marine erosional processes. The eroded sediments were transported to and deposited in the base of slope and basin plain mainly by debris flows and turbidity currents along submarine canyons and valleys.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

Sedimentary facies and high-resolution echo facies were analyzed to elucidate sedimentation pattern of the late Quaternary glacial-marine deposits in the northern continental margin of the South Shetland Islands. Six sedimentary facies are classified, based on grain texture and sedimentary structures in gravity cores. The high-resolution (3.5 ㎑) echo characters are classified into 6 echo facies on the basis of clarity, continuity, and shape of bottom and subbottom echoes together with seafloor topography. Distribution of the echo and sedimentary facies suggest that there was a significant change in sedimentation pattern between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent glacier-retreating period. When the grounded glaciers extended to the present shelfbreak during LGM, coarse-grained subglacial tills were widespread in the shelf area, and deep troughs in the shelf were carved beneath the fast-flowing ice steam. As the glacial margin retreated landward after LGM, dense meltwater plumes released from the retreating ice-front were funneled along the glacier-carved troughs, and accumulated channel- or cannyon-fill deposits in the shelf and the upper to mid slope. At that time, slope sediments seem to have been reworked by slope failures and unsteady contour currents, and further transported by fine-grained turbidity currents along the South Shetland Trench. After the glacial retreat, sediments in the shelf and slope areas have been mainly introduced by persistent (hemi) pelagic settling, and fine-grained turbidity currents frequently occur along the axis of the South Shetland Trench.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2005

To classify the surface sedimentary facies using IKONOS image collected over Hwangdo tidal flat in Cheonsu Bay, the optical reflectance was compared for characterizing various sedimentary environments such as grain size, tidal channel pattern and area ratio of surface remnant water. The intertidal DEM (Digital Elevation Model) was generated by echo-sounder for analyzing the relationship between IKONOS image and sedimentary environments including topography. The boundary of the optical reflectance between mud-mixed facies and sand facies was distinct, and discrimination of the associated sandbar feature was also possible. The mud-mixed facies coupled with intricate tidal channels is confined to the relatively hi호 topography of Hwangdo tidal flat. The boundary between mud and mixed flat was indistinct in IKONOS optical reflectance but it would have a difference in the area ratio of surface remnant water. The dark area in the image represented the well developed sand facies having a lot of surface remnant water due to the relatively low surface topography. The overall accuracy of characterizing the surface sediment facies by maximum likelihood classification method was 86.2 %. These results demonstrate that high spatial resolution satellite imagery such as IKONOS coupled with knowledge of grain size, surface remnant water and tidal channel network can be effectively used to characterize the surface sedimentary facies (mud, mixed and sand) network of the tidal flat environments.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.187-198
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• 2003

High-resolution (Chirp, 3-11 kHz) echo facies and sedimentary facies of piston-core sediments were analyzed to reveal the late Quaternary depositional processes in the Korea Plateau and Ulleung Interplain Gap. The Korea Plateau is an Isolated topographic high with a very restricted input of terrigenous sediments, and its slope is characterized by a thin sediment cover and various-scale submarine canyons and valleys. Echo and sedimentary facies suggest that the plateau has been moulded mainly by persistent (hemi) pelagic sedimentation and intermittent settling of volcanic ashes. Sediments on the plateau slope and steep margins of ridges and seamounts were reworked by earthquake-induced, large-scale slope failures accompanied by slides, slumps and debris flows. As major fraction of the reworked sediments consists of (hemi) pelagic clay particles, large amounts of sediments released from mass flows were easily suspended to form turbid nepheloid layers rather than bottom-hugging turbidity currents, which flowed further downslope through the submarine canyons and spreaded over the Ulleung Basin plain. In the Ulleung Interplain Gap, sediments were introduced mainly by (hemi) pelagic settling and subordinate episodic mass flows (turbidity currents and debris flows) along the submarine channels from the slopes of the Oki Bank and Dok Island. The sediments in the Ulleung Interplain Channel and its margin were actively eroded and reworked by the deep water flow from the Japan Basin.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.379-390
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• 2015

Multibeam backscatter strength is dependent not only on seafloor sediment facies but also on changed incidence angle due to the actual bottom slope. Therefore, the correction for actual bottom slope should be considered before the analysis of backscatter strength. This paper demonstrates the backscatter correction technique for the actual incidence angle and ensonified area. The target area is a part of the eastern Yellow Sea with water depths of 46~55 m. The area is located between the sand ridges and covered by large dunes with various bottom slopes. The dunes usually have the gentle slopes of about $1{\sim}3^{\circ}$, but show some steep slopes of $5{\sim}15^{\circ}$ on the crest. The backscatter strength values on the crest range from -34 to -23 dB, assuming that the bottom is flat. However, this study shows that the backscatter strength range was somewhat reduced (-32~-25 dB) after correction for actual bottom slope. In addition, the backscatter imagery was significantly improved; high and low backscatter strength values on the crest due to the actual bottom slope were normalized. The results demonstrate that the correction technique in this study is an effective tool for processing backscatter strength.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.126-134
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• 2001

Several angular sandstone fragments (about 7 cm in longest diameter) occur in two piston cores, obtained from the submarine trough in the northeastern part of Korea Strait. The origin of the sandstone fragments and the paleoenvironment of trough sediment could be suggested from sedimentary facies analysis of cores and identification of ostracod within sandstone fragments. Echo characteristics around two core sites in submarine trough represent the prolonged bottom echoes with diffuse or no subbottom reflectors. The cores consist of a lower bioturbated mud and an upper gravelly sand sediments with sandstone/shell fragments. The bioturbated mud sediments show low water contents (27-44%) and high shear strength (19.2->37 kPa) compared with those of Holocene sediments (60-219% and 1.0-2.7 kPa, respectively) in the inner shelf and continental slope. However, clay contents (48-56%) of the bioturbated mud sediments are similar to those of fluviatile Holocene sediments in the inner shelf. The mean grain size of gravelly sand sediments ranges from 2.3 to 3.0 ${\phi}$ and shows coarsening upward with sandstone/shell fragments. The Holocene palimpsest in the continental shelf are composed of muddy sand sediments or sandy mud sediments (mean grain size: 4.6-7.6 ${\phi}$). Those suggest that two core sediments might be formed from Paleofluvial and paleocoastal deposits during sea-level lowstand. However, sandstone fragments mainly consist of quartz grains and bioclasts, with carbonate matrix, hollow pore, and glauconite. Two extinct ostracod species, Normanicythere sp. and Kotoracythere sp., are recovered in the sand-stone fragments of core EP-7, and they continued to exist from late Pliocene to early Pleistocene in cold water environment of this area. Thus, the sandstone fragments are interpreted to be formed at the paleocoastal environment derived from the Plio-Pleistocene outcrops exposed around the submarine trough during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) period.