• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 1993

The shingle beach as a typical pocket beach located in Jeongdo-ri, Wando, Cheolanam-do, Korea has been investigated in terms of textural characteristics, mainly gravel shape and roundness. In the Jeongdo-ri gravel beach, changes of beach profile after storm weather and textural parameters of gravels were observed and measured from May 1992 to March 1993. Beach profile is divided into two different Fair-weather zone and Storm-weather zone influenced by dynamic condition of wave energy. The former is affected by wave and tide under fair-weather condition, the latter seems to be formed under storm-weather condition. Each zone comprises a series of beach faces and berms formed by continuous sedimentary processes of swash, overwash and backwash. Storm-weather zone is subdivided into three groups having a pair of beach face and berm respectively. Mean sizes of berm gravel(45.5 mm -123.6 mm) are coarser than gravels of beach face (36.8 mm - 78.3 mm) in fair-weather zone. On the other hand, in storm-weather zone, gravels of berms (33.1 mm -82.5 mm) are finer than those of beachfaces (46.2 mm - 105.2 mm). The proportion of disc shaped gravels of berm (50.0% - 58.5 %) is higher than that of beachface (45.9 % - 51.3 %) in each subzone except C-group of storm-weather zone. And the proportion of the equant shaped gravel increases about up to 10% seaward. Therefore, shore-normal distribution of gravels seems to be affected by shape and size sorting effects. Shore-parallel distribution pattern of gravel shape is more distinctive than size distribution patterns. That is, disc and blade shaped particles decrease up to 20% and 13% respectively, and equants increase up to 34% to the westward. Gravels plotted on Sneed and Folk's triangular diagram are more compacted and elongated with decreasing size. Therefore primary gravels are shaped by characteristics of country rock e.g. cleavage, joint etc., and secondary are affected by sorting and size-controlled process evolution by wave action.