• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.361-365
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• 2004

Deep-sea Resources Research Center (DRRC) has been using a free-fall grab (FFG) for the resource evaluation of polymetallic nodules in the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area, NE Pacific, since 1992. A FFG model (Model 4200, Benthos) adapting one glass buoy system (diameter 17 inch, net buoyance 25.4 kg) has been used until 1993. Since then, DRRC has carried out a study to increase the recovery rate of FFG and it was found that a revised system adapting an additional buoy (diameter 10 inch, net buoyance 4.5 kg) gives improved results. The nodule sampling tests were performed using two different models for the same study area and the resulting recovery rates were compared. The result shows no distinct difference in recovery time between two models, but average recovery rate of the revised model was increased to 99.44% from 96.06% of the original model.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.557-567
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• 1998

In order to utilize the data obtained during the deep-sea resources exploration program, the analysis of data structure and database were conducted to develop an appropriate data operating system called Deep-sea Database System. The Relation Data Base Management System, RDBMS, was chosen as a data managing system and the MS Access$^{TM}$ as a DB engine, and the MapInfo$^{TM}$ software as GIS tools. Problems in networking and security were detected and solved during the operation test. Accordingly, development of standardized operative procedure was proposed in obtaining raw data. This proposal will also be reflected in the subsequent phase of the deep-sea program. The Deep-sea Database System could be applied to the selection of potential mining sites and the estimation of economical efficiency over th KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) region. It is also expected that this system might improve the efficiency of detail survey and help in the relinquishment process as a fulfillment of the obligation as a pioneer investor.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 1999

Radiolarian assemblages from KODOS area were analyzed in order to understand the biostratigraphy and paleoceanography of deep-sea sediment from the Northeast Equatorial Pacific. The sediment core was divided into two or three units on the basis of the chemical and physical properties. In the upper sediment, mixtures of Quaternary and Tertiary radiolarians are found indicating active reworking processes. Dissolution of radiolarians seem to increase with depth. Radiolarians are seldom in Unit III presumably due to dissolution and corrosion. The middle part of unit I appears to correspond to Collosphaera invaginata Zone (0.21 Ma). Unit II belongs to Collosphaera tuberosa Zone. Based on the absence of Stylatractus universus, we estimate its age to be younger than 0.42 Ma. Based on our analyses of radiolarians in Unit I and II, we estimated the age of unit III as Tertiary, particularly from Oligocene to Miocene. There may to be hiatuses of more than 3 My from late Miocene to Pliocene, which probably resulted from erosion and dissolution by the Antarctic Bottom Water Sedimentation rates during Quaternary range from 0.15 to 0.50 mm/ky with significant variabilities among stations. Radiolarians in the study area were mostly warm-water species.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.219-230
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• 2004

The aims of this study are to construct database using geostatistics and Geographic Information System (GIS), and to derive the spatial relationships between manganese nodule abundance and each factor affecting nodule abundance, such as metal grade, slope, aspect, water depth, topography, and acoustic characteristics of the subbottom using the GIS and probability methods. The greater is the copper and nickel grade, the higher is the rating. The distribution pattern of nickel grade is similar to that of copper grade. The slopes are generally less than $3^{\circ}$, excluding seamounts and cliff areas. There is no increment in the rating with increasing slope. The rating is highest for slopes between 2.5 and $3.5^{\circ}$ in block B2 and between 3 and $6^{\circ}$ in block C1. The topography is classified into five groups: seamount, hill crest, hill slant, hill base or plain, and seafloor basin or valley. The ratings prove lowest for seamount and hill crest. The results of the study show a decrease in the rating with an increase in water depth in the study area. There was a poor relationship between manganese nodule abundance and the thickness of the upper transparent layer in block C1. Using GIS, it is possible to analyze a large amount of data efficiently, and to maximize the practical application, to increase specialization, and to enhance the accuracy of the analyses.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.467-473
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• 2006

The EM 120, a newly installed multibeam echo sounder on RM Onnuri, has several advantages over the previously installed SeaBeam 2000 in performance and thus data quality. The EM 120 system provides a bottom topographic map with high resolution by (1) increasing the number of beams, (2) increasing the across track swath range, (3) measuring the more accurate sound velocity within the water column, and (4) improving stabilization for pitching, rolling, and yawing of the ship. This study compares EM 120 and SeaBeam 2000 echo sounders in terms of the data quality from the same survey area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, NE Pacific. Our result shows that the EM 120 provides more precise topographic data than the SeaBeam 2000. Although overall trends of data, such as topographic direction and relief, are similar for both echo sounders, the water depths measured by the EM 120 are shallower than that of SeaBeam 2000 by 80 to 90 meters.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.320-334
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• 2000

Deep-sea surface sediment were analyzed for their geotechnical properties, and the sediment samples were collected with a multiple-corer from 31 stations along the track line (131$^{\circ}$30'W, 5-12$^{\circ}$N) in the northeast equatorial Paciflc. Most of the sediments from the northern part (8-12$^{\circ}$N) showed typical properties of siliceous sediments, whereas the southern part (5-6$^{\circ}$N) showed calcareous characteristics due to high biogenic carbonate productivity in the surface waters, where its water depth was shallower than the carbonate compensation depth (CCD: 4,400 m). Geotechnical properties changed sharply at the boundary of 7$^{\circ}$N. Calcareous sediments from the southern part had low water contents, low porosity, low shear strength, high bulk density and high specific grain density, whereas siliceous sediments from the northern part attained high water content, high porosity, high shear strength, low bulk density and low specific grain density. Higher sediment activities were observed in the northern sediment samples than the southern sediment samples. The core samples of the northern sediments were divided into a semi-liquid upper layer and a consolidated lower layer with a boundary at 5-8 cm. These sediment samples showed a rapid increasing pattern along the downcore in original shear strength when an opposite trend was observed in the southern samples. The results showed that sediment variabilities in geotechnical properties between the northern and southern parts such as productivities of surface water, grain solubility due to water depth variation, sedimentation rate, erosion and redistribution of sediment, and combined sedimentary processes were distinctly different along the latitude.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.245-254
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos in the deep sea bottoms of northeastern Pacific during July 1998. The faunal samples were collected using the multiple corer at ten stations; eight stations along the transects from 5$^{\circ}$N to 12$^{\circ}$N, and two stations in the Preservation Zone and Impact Zone of the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area. The organic carbon content in sediments ranged from 0.79 to 1.76 mg cm$^{-3}$, and higher concentration appeared at stations in lower latitudes than 8$^{\circ}$N. The most abundant meiobenthos was nematodes and followed by foraminiferans; these two taxa comprised more than 70% of the total abundance at all stations. The most abundant meiobenthos occurred with mesh size of 0.063 nm. The maximum density of meiobenthos was 442 ind./10 cm$^2$ at station N5, and the density gradually decreased toward station N8 where the minimum density of 92 md./10 cm$^2$ was found. More than 60% of meiobenthos were distributed at surface sediment layer within 1.0 cm, and the peak abundance was found at 0-0.25 cm layer. The latitudinal distribution pattern of meiobenthos in the study area seemed to be related with the primary productivity of the surface water that is also connected to the water circulation pattern of the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, diverging at latitude of 8$^{\circ}$N and conversing at 5$^{\circ}$N.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.273-286
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• 2004

The effects of environmental forcing on autotrophic picoplankton distributional patterns were investigated for convergence ($5^{\circ}N$), divergence ($9^{\circ}N-10^{\circ}30'N$) and oligotrophic ($17^{\circ}N$) sites in the tropical eastern Pacific during 2001 and 2003 KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) cruises. The distributions of picoplankton populations - Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes algae - were determined by flow cytometric analyses. Latitudinal variations in abundance maxima, vertical profiles, integrated abundance (0-150 m), and estimated carbon biomass were contrasted for each site according to three hydrological conditions. Prochlorococcus showed consistently high abundance in the surface mixed layers of all sites at $1\;{\times}\;10^5{\sim}3\;{\times}\;10^5\;cells\;ml^{-1}$ and showed declining abundance below these layers. However, these decreasing rates were not particularly sharp showing considerably high abundance at $1\;{\times}\;10^4\;cells\;ml^{-1}$ or higher even at 100 m depth. Vertical profiles of Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes were generally parallel to each other in all sites. A clear abundance maximum was observed at divergence site at or slightly above the pycnocline depth. Higher abundance was observed at the surface mixed layer for convergence site but a sharp decrease was observed below the pycnocline. However, there was no significant abundance fluctuation with depth at more oligotrophic site ($17^{\circ}N$). Integrated cell abundance of Prochlorococcus was high in the oligotrophic site at $2.17\;{\times}\;10^{13}\;m^{-2}$, and low in the convergence site at $0.88\;{\times}\;10^{13}\;m^{-2}$. However, opposite pattern was observed for Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes where relatively high integrated cell abundance was shown in the convergence site. Estimated carbon biomass of Prochlorococcus contributed 30.4-80.3% of total autotrophic picoplankton carbon showing the highest contribution in the oligotrophic site and the lowest contribution in the convergence site. Synechococcus contribution of total autotrophic picoplantkon carbon biomass was lower than 5.8% for most of sites except the convergence site where Synechococcus contributed 23.2% of picoplankton carbon biomass. Carbon biomass of picoeukaryotes was 18.8-46.4% showing the highest carbon biomass at the convergence site. Overall, Prochlorococcus showed higher cell abundance and carbon biomass and exhibited different reaction to hydrological conditions when compare with the other two major autotrophic picoplankton groups.