• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 1992

To understand the natural environments and human cultures in the Yellow Sea regions, this paper deals especially the climate and sea level fluctuation in the Yellow Sea and its surrounding region in the period of late Pleistocene (125, 000 yr BP) to Holocene. During the glacial maximum (about 15, 000 yr BP to 18, 000 yr BP), the climate might be cold and arid. These arid climate in the Yellow Sea region did make desertization possible. Possible human culture exchanges between China, Korea and Japan might be carried in a easy way, because the entire basin of the Yellow Sea was exposed as land. Paleoshorelines of the Yellow Sea in the period of 10, 000 yr BP, 9, 000 ry BP and 6, 000 yr BP are presented and sea level fluctuation curve from 37, 000 yr BP (late Pleistocene) to present (late Holocene), for the first time, is presented based on a careful reconsideration of existing old data and recent new data.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.316-326
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• 2008

The Earth's temperature has risen $0.76^{\circ}C$ (degree) during last 100 years which Implies a sudden rise, compare with the 4oC (degrees) rise through out the past 20,000 years. If the volume of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission continues at the current level, the average temperature of the Earth will rise by $1^{\circ}C$ (degree) by 2030 with the further implication that the temperature of Earth will rise by $2{\sim}5^{\circ}C$ (degrees) every 100 years. Therefore, as we are aware that the temperature of the glacial epoch was $8{\sim}9^{\circ}C$ (degrees) lower than the present time, we can easily predict that the above temperature rises can be potentially disastrous for human life. Every country in the world recognizes theseriousness of the current climate change and adopted a convention on climate change in June 1992 in Rio. The COP1 was held in March 1995 in Berlin and the COP3 in Dec. 1997 in Kyotowhere the target (2008-2012) was determined and the advanced nations' reduction target (5.2%, average)was also agreed at this conference. Korea participated in the GHG reduction plan which required the world's nations to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Ratification of the Kyotoprotocol and the followup requirement to introduce an international emissions trading scheme will require severe reductions in GHGs and considerable economic consequences. USA are still refusing to fully ratify the treaty as the emission reductions could severely damage the economies of these countries. In order to estimate the exact $CO_2$ emission, this study statistically analyzed $CO_2$ emission of each country based on the following variables : level of economic power and scientific development, the industrial system, productivity and energy efficiency.

• Journal of Coastal Disaster Prevention
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

Global warming under the influence of climate change and its direct impact on glacial and sea level are known issue. However, there is a lack of research on an indirect impact of climate change such as coastal structure design which is mainly based on a frequency analysis of water level under the stationary assumption, meaning that maximum sea level will not vary significantly over time. In general, stationary assumption does not hold and may not be valid under a changing climate. Therefore, this study aims to develop a novel approach to explore possible distributional changes in annual maximum sea levels (AMSLs) and provide the estimate of design water level for coastal structures using a multiple non-crossing quantile regression based nonstationary frequency analysis within a Bayesian framework. In this study, 20 tide gauge stations, where more than 30 years of hourly records are available, are considered. First, the possible distributional changes in the AMSLs are explored, focusing on the change in the scale and location parameter of the probability distributions. The most of the AMSLs are found to be upward-convergent/divergent pattern in the distribution, and the significance test on distributional changes is then performed. In this study, we confirm that a stationary assumption under the current climate characteristic may lead to underestimation of the design sea level, which results in increase in the failure risk in coastal structures. A detailed discussion on the role of the distribution changes for design water level is provided.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2017

Many debris landforms in the mountains of Korea have formed in the periglacial environment during the last glacial stage when the generation of sediments was active. Because these landforms are generally located on steep slopes and mostly covered by vegetation, however, it is difficult to observe and access them through field investigation. A scientific method is required to reduce the survey range before performing field investigation and to save time and cost. For this purpose, the use of remote sensing and GIS technologies is essential. This study has extracted the potential area of debris landform formation using a fuzzy set model as a mathematical data integration method. The first step was to obtain information about the location of debris landforms and their related factors. This information was verified through field observation and then used to build a database. In the second step, we conducted the fuzzy set modeling to generate a map, which classified the study area based on the possibility of debris formation. We then applied a cross-validation technique in order to evaluate the map. For a quantitative analysis, the calculated potential rate of debris formation was evaluated by plotting SRC(Success Rate Curve) and calculating AUC(Area Under the Curve). The prediction accuracy of the model was found to be 83.1%. We posit that the model is accurate and reliable enough to contribute to efficient field investigation and debris landform management.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.101-112
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• 2011

Coastal terrace was developed at 7.2m height near Shinchon village in Geoje Island. It is located on the east side of southern coast in Korean Peninsula, where sea-level changes caused by ebb and flow of the tide, embayment are relatively low. Due to the breccia layer by mass-movement, dark grayish clayey formation, marine origin's rounded gravel are deposited sequentially in a cross-section of coastal terrace, so it provides a good example which understand Holocene sea level changes to determine the effect on the various sedimentary environments. For the purpose of identifying the morphogenetic process, Grain size, Roundness, XRD, AMS dating analysis was attempted. As a result, after last glacial age, Holocene sea level rise to +5.6m(4,740±100yrs BP). At that time, various geomorphological features are considered to be formed.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.357-368
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• 2003

Time-series CTDT (Conductivity/Temperature/Depth/Transmissivity) were obtained at one point near tidewater glacier of Marian Cove (King George Islands, Antarctica) to present water column properties and SPM (suspended particulate matter) dispersal pattern in relation with tide, current, meteorological data, and SPM concentration. Four layers were divided from the water column characteristics measured in the interval of an hour for about 2 days: 1) cold, fresh, and turbid surface mixed layer between 0-20 m in water depth, 2) warm, saline, and relatively clean Maxwell Bay inflow between 20-40 m in water depth, 3) turbid/cold tongue of subglacial discharges compared with the ambient waters between 40-70 m in water depth, and 4) cold, saline, and clean bottom water beneath 70 m in water depth. Surface plume, turbid freshwater at coastal/cliff area in late summer (early February), had the characteristic temperature and SPM concentration according to morphology, glacial condition, and composition of sediments. The restrict dispersion only over the input source of meltwater discharges was due to calm wether condition. Due to strong wind-induced surface turbulence, fresh and turbid surface plume, englacial upwelling cold water, glacier-contact meltwater, and Maxwell Bay inflow was mixing at ice-proximal zone and the consequent mixed layer deepened at the surface. Large amount of precipitation, the major controlling factor for increasing short-term glacial discharges, was accompanied by the apparent development of subglacial discharge that resulted in the rapid drop of salinity below the mid depth. Although amount of subglacial discharge and englacial upwelling may be large, however, their low SPM concentration would have small influence on bottom deposition of terrigenous sediments.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.67-83
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• 2008

To find out the process of hillslope denudation since the Last Glacial Maximum in Asan area, we conducted the stratiform interpretation and carbon age measurements with the collected samples through trenching in the valley bottom of 'Agol' located in the lower stream of Magok stream. The results are as follows. 11 inorganic and 8 organic matter layers were confirmed at the point of trench MG1 in the subject area, 7 inorganic and 3 organic at the point of trench MG2, and 5 inorganic and 3 organic at the point of trench MG3, respectively. The frequency of hillslope denudation, hillslope mass movement, which had occurred in the unstable environment of back hillslope at the point of MG 1, was 11 times (8 times before about 2,900yrBP, twice in between about 2,900~1,900yrBP, and once after about 1,900yrBP) as a whole. The frequency of moor which had formed in the comparatively stable environment of back hillslope was 9 times (5 times before about 3,000yrBP, twice in between 3,000~2,800yrBP, and once in between 2,200~1,900yrBP) at minimum. The frequency of back hillslope denudation at the point of MG2 was totally 7 times (4 times before about 1,900yrBP and 3 times after about 1,900yrBP) and the moor formations were 3 times (twice before about 1,900yrBP and once after 1,900yrBP). The frequency of back hillslope denudation at the point of MG3 was totally 5 times (3 times before about 1,900yrBP and twice after about 1,900yrBP) and the moor formations were 3 times (twice before about 1,900yrBP and once after 1,900yrBP). The hillslope surrounded by valley bottom of 'Agol' was confirmed as the pile up of various inorganic matters by the mass movement such as sand or sandy gravel in the valley bottom of the subject area, formed not once but several times of denudation. We could know that the hillslope denudation cycle converged to the time period of $10^2{\sim}10^3$ years. These results will be an important basic data for restoring hillslope denudation process near Asan and changing climate of the Late Quaternary Period.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 1971

The Korean Peninsula is located between the tectonically stable Asian Continent and the tectonically active Japanese islands. The east coast of Korea shows evidence of uplift whereas the west coast shows evidence of submergence. However, radiocarbon dates indicate that the rate of submergence of the west coast of Korea is slower than the tectonically stable east coast of North America. Therefore, both east and west coasts of Korea might have been uplifted during the last post-glacial period. This uplift may result the spreading line of the from compressional strain produced along East Sea of Korea (Japan Sea) and/or the conversion hinge line of the Pacific mantle convection current plunging beneath the Asian continent. This downturn is supposed to be located in the Japan Trench. High heat flow near the east coast of Korea produces the differential strain. This strain accelerates the compressional strain of the peninsula. The Sea Floor Spreading Theory can explain the tectonism of the Korean Peninsula in Recent time. Baek-Doo Mt. and Han-Ra Mt., dormant volcanoes, may be an evidence of westward movement of the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.403-420
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• 1997

Dodaecheon is a small river flowing into Asan Bay which is located in the middle part of the West Coast of the Korean Penninsula. We have investigated the change of depositional environment in Dodaecheon river basin during the middle Holocene. In the course of the research, the methods such as boring, radiocarbon dating, diatom and pollen analysis were employed. The Holocene deposits of the studied area are consisted of peat and gray silt layers, and contain many plooen and diatom fossils. Based on the results of diatom and pollen analysis, we conclude that the gray silt layers were sedimented owing to the transgression in the middle Holocene, and the peat layers by the regression or stabilzation of the sea level. The shoreline in the Post Glacial Age reached to the rivemouth of Dodaecheon at ca. 7,000 years before present(y. BP) and at that time the high tide sea-level(mean high water level of spring tide) rose to ca. 3m above present mean sea-level(m.a.s.l.). Since then to ca. 6,000y. BP, the high tide sea-level arrived to ca. 5m above present mean sea level further repeating minor transgressions and regressions. The peat layers of the coastal lowland of the West Coast were formed by the sea level fluctuations from 7,000 y. BP to 3,000 y. BP, and they were distributed 2 to 6 meters higher than the mean sea level of the present day. Most of them sedimented due to the high tide level are older and higher than those of the East Coast which were formed at the swale in the low tidal range environment.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1987

A study on sedimentation, geochemical behavior and seismic stratigrapht of the continental shelf sediments along the Korea Strait and a part of south and southeast offshore area of the Korea Peninsula was carried out. In the inner shelf floor with depth ranging up to 80m zonal distribution patterns of mud, sandy silt, and silty sand were observed. In the outer shelf, however, coarse sandy sediments are dominant, and shills and gravels were frequently observed. These observations seem to confirm the Holocene sedimentary processes on the continental shelves off the south, south to east coasts of Korea discussed by Park (1985 and 1986) and Park and Choi (1986). The suface sediments (upper most 5cm thick)from selected 9 stations were analyzed for Al,Mn, Fe,Cr,Ni,Cu,Zn and Pb in order to study geochemical behavior of the sediments in the study area. All data were normalized to Al to com,pensate the size effect of the sediments.In general,inner shelf sediments show slight enrichment compared to the outer shelf sediments.In particular,Pb and Zn show heavy enrichment in most of the sediments.to degrees comparable to those observed at the polluted Kwangyang and Masan Bay sediments.Thus,it is considered that rapid migration or movement of fine-grained sediments in the study area does exist. Three seismic stratigraphic units were analyzed based on the seismic records.The acoustic basement the lower sedimentary deposit(B)and the upper deposit(A)were observed.The strong reflectivity R,in particular, between unit A and B is considered to be an erosinal unconformity during the last Glacial time.