• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.235-253
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• 2006

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the Korean margin leading to the separation of the Japan Arc. The Korean margin is rimmed by fundamental elements of rift architecture comprizing a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. In the northern part, rifting occurred in the Korea Plateau, a continental fragment extended and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsula, that provided a relatively broader zone of extension resulting in a number of rifts. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the Korea Plateau we bounded by major synthetic and smaller antithetic faults, creating wide and symmetric profiles. The large-offset border fault zones of these basins have convex dip slopes and demonstrate a zig-zag arrangement along strike. In contrast, the southern margin is engraved along its length with a single narrow rift basin (Hupo Basin) that is an elongated asymmetric half-graben. Rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension in the west and southeast directions orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope rather than strike-slip deformation. Although rifting involved no significant volcanism, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which seems to reflect slab-induced asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism intensified by asthenospheric upwelling in a back-arc setting.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.119-130
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• 2015

Impacts of Argo temperature assimilation on the analysis fields in the East Sea is investigated by using DAESROM, the East Sea Regional Ocean Model with a 3-dimensional variational assimilation module (Kim et al., 2009). Namely, we produced analysis fields in 2009, in which temperature profiles, sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) anomaly were assimilated (Exp. AllDa) and carried out additional experiment by withdrawing Argo temperature data (Exp. NoArgo). When comparing both experimental results using assimilated temperature profiles, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the Exp. AllDa is generally lower than the Exp. NoArgo. In particular, the Argo impacts are large in the subsurface layer, showing the RMSE difference of about $0.5^{\circ}C$. Based on the observations of 14 surface drifters, Argo impacts on the current and temperature fields in the surface layer are investigated. In general, surface currents along the drifter positions are improved in the Exp. AllDa, and large RMSE differences (about 2.0~6.0 cm/s) between both experiments are found in drifters which observed longer period in the southern region where Argo density was high. On the other hand, Argo impacts on the SST fields are negligible, and it is considered that SST assimilation with 1-day interval has dominant effects. Similar to the difference of surface current fields between both experiments, SSH fields also reveal significant difference in the southern East Sea, for example the southwestern Yamato Basin where anticyclonic circulation develops. The comparison of SSH fields implies that SSH assimilation does not correct the SSH difference caused by withdrawing Argo data. Thus Argo assimilation has an important role to reproduce meso-scale circulation features in the East Sea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.381-388
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to integrate and visualize using mapping techniques based on precise seabed geomorphology, seafloor backscattering images and high-resolution underwater images of the nearshore area around the Dokdo, in the East Sea. We have been obtained the precise topography map using multibeam echosounder system around the nearshore area(~50 m) of the southern part of the Seodo. Side scan sonar survey for analysis seafloor backscattering images was carried out in the same area of topography data. High-resolution underwater images(zone(a), zone(b), zone(c)) were taken in significant habitat scope of the nearshore area of the southern part of the Seodo. Using the results of bathymetry, seafloor backscattering images, high-resolution underwater images, we performed an integrated visualization about the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualizing techniques are possible to make the seabed characteristic mapping results of the nearshore area of the Dokdo. The integrated visualization results present more complex and reliable information than separate geological products for seabed environmental mapping study and it is useful to understand the relation between seafloor characteristics and topographic environments of the study area. The integrated visualizing techniques and mapping analysis need to study sustainably and periodically, for effective monitoring of the nearshore ecosystem of the Dokdo.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2000

Depths to four seismic sequence boundaries and the thickness of each sequence were estimated and mapped based on multi-channel seismic data in the Ulleung Basin. These depth-structure and isopach maps were incorporated into the interpretation of gravity and magnetic anomaly maps. The sediment thickness ranges from 3,000 m to 4,000 m in the central basin, while it reaches 6,000 m locally along the southwestern, western, and southeastern margins. The acoustic basement forms a northeast-southwest elongated depression deeper than 5000 m, and locally deepens up to 7,500 m in the southwestern and western margins. Low gravity anomalies along the western and southern margins are associated with basement depressions with thick sediment as well as the transitional crust between the continental and oceanic crusts. Higher gravity anomalies, dominant in the central Ulleung basin, broaden from southwest toward northeast, are likely due to the shallow mantle and a dense crust. A pair of magnetic elongations in the southeastern and northwestern margins appear to separate the central Ulleung basin from its margin. These magnetic elongations are largely dominated by intrusive or extrusive volcanics which occurred along the rifted margin of the Ulleung basin formed during the basin opening. The crust in the central Ulleung Basin, surrounded by the magnetic elongations, is possibly oceanic as inferred from the seismic velocity. The oceanic crust can be mapped in the central zone where it widens to 120 km from the southwest toward northeast. Bending of the crustal boundary in the southern part of the Ulleung Basin suggests that the Ulleung Basin has been deformed by a collision of the Phillipine plate into the Japan arc.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.66-75
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• 2014

This study aims to understand environmental factors that determine spatial distribution of macrozoobenthic community in the southern area (ca 100-500 m depth) of East Sea, Korea, known as a candidate site for carbon storage under the seabed. From sixteen locations sampled in the summer of 2012, a total of 158 species were identified, showing density of $843indiv/m^2$ and biomass of $26.2g\;WW/m^2$, with increasing faunal density towards biologically higher diverse locations. Principal component analysis showed that a total of 33 environmental parameters were reduced to three principal components (PC), indicating sediment, bottom water, and depth, respectively. As sand content was increasing, number of species increased but biomass decreased. Six dominant species including two bivalve species favored high concentrations of ${\Omega}$ aragonite and ${\Omega}$ calcite, indicating that the corresponding species can be severely damaged by ocean acidification or $CO_2$ effluent. Cluaster analysis based on more than 1% density dominant species classified the entire study area into four faunal assemblage (location groups), which were delineated by characteristic species, including (A) Ampelisca miharaensis, (B) Edwardsioides japonica, (C) Maldane cristata, (D) Spiophanes kroeyeri, and clearly separated in terms of geography, bottom water and sediment environment. Overall, a discriminant function model was developed to predict four faunal assemblages from five simply-measured environmental variables (depth, sand content in sediment, temperature, salinity and pH in bottom water) with 100% accuracy, implying that benthic faunal assemablages are closed linked to certain combinations of abiotic factors.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.217-227
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• 2017

The object of this study is to estimate the net volume transport and the residual flow that changed by space and time at southern part of Yeomha channel, Gyeonggi Bay. The cross-section observation was conducted at the mid-part (Line2) and the southern end (Line1) of Yeomha channel for 13 hours during neap and spring-tides, respectively. The Lagrange flux is calculated as the sum of Eulerian flux and Stokes drift, and the residual flow is calculated by using least square method. It is necessary to unify the spatial area of the observed cross-section and average time during the tidal cycle. In order to unify the cross-sectional area containing such a large vertical tidal variation, it was necessary to convert into sigma coordinate system by horizontally and vertically for every hour. The converted sigma coordinate system is estimated to be 3~5% error when compared with the z-level coordinate system which shows that there is no problem for analyzing the data. As a result, the cross-sectional residual flow shows a southward flow pattern in both spring and neap tides at Line2, and also have characteristic of the spatial residual flow fluctuation: it northwards in the main line direction and southwards at the end of both side of the waterway. It was confirmed that the residual flow characteristics at Line2 were changed by the net pressure due to the sea level difference. The analysis of the net volume transport showed that it tends to southwards at $576m^3s^{-1}$, $67m^3s^{-1}$ in each spring tide and neap tide at Line2. On the other hand, in the control Line1, it has tendency to northwards at $359m^3s^{-1}$ and $248m^3s^{-1}$. Based on the difference between the two observation lines, it is estimated that net volume transport will be out flow about $935m^3s^{-1}$ at spring tide stage and about $315m^3s^{-1}$ at neap tide stage as the intertidal zone between Yeongjong Island and Ganghwa Island. In other words, the difference of pressure gradient and Stokes drift during spring and neap tide is main causes of variation for residual current and net volume transport.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.433-449
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• 2006

Temporal and spatial variations of precipitation in South Korea are investigated using 60 observation data of the recent 30-years from 1976 to 2005. The area averaged annual precipitation amount is about 1310 mm and shows a strong spatial variation, maximum at the southern and Kyoungki province (>1300 mm) and minimum at the Kyungpook province(<1100 mm). The precipitation days show a strong spatial variation with maximum at the Sobaik mountain region(>100 days) and minimum at the Kyungpook province (<90 days). The interannual variations (IAV) of precipitation amount and days are more significant at the southern and eastern part of Sobaik and Taebaik mountain, and along the Sobaik mountain, respectively. So, the difference of annual precipitation amount reaches to about 800mm between wet and dry years at the southern part of Korean peninsula. Whereas, the IAV of precipitation intensity is strong at the southern and middle part of South Korea with a minimum between two maxima. Also, seasonal variations are closely linked with the geographic environments (elevation, distance from ocean, location relative to the Taebaik mountain). Therefore, maximum and minimum of seasonal variations of precipitation are occurred at the northern inland region (ratio of summer to the annual precipitation (RSAP) is greater than 60%), eastern and southern coastal regions (RSAP is less than 53%),respectively. And the RSAP is slightly increased from 50% to 55% comparing the Ho and Kang (1988). The consistent and strong positive relation between the heavy rainfalls, the ratio of heavy rainfalls to annual precipitation and the annual precipitation indicates that heavy rainfall is more frequent and strong at the maximum annual precipitation region.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.550-564
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• 1995

The temporal and spatial characteristics of wind fields over the neighbouring seas of the Korean peninsula are investigated using 10-years daily wind data during 1978${\sim}$1987 which have been spatially smoothed and low-pass filtered. Long term annual and monthly means are examined for synoptic patterns and spectral analyses are made for temporal variability and spatial coherence. Spatial patterns of the annual mean wind stress and curl have a strong resemblance with those of monthly means during the winter season. Two outstanding periodicities are observed at 1 and 2 cycles per year. The synoptic winds over the study area are highly coherent at both the annual and semi-annual periodicities. However, each basin has its own characteristic spatial pattern. For instance, the prevailing wind during the winter season is northerIy over the northern East Sea (ES), Yellow Sea (YS), and northern East China Sea (ECS), while it is northwesterly over the southern ES and northesterly over the northern ES and southern ECS. At the same time, the wind stress curl is positive over the northern ES and southern ECS, while it is negative over the southern ES, YS and northern ECS. On the other hand, the wind field during the summer season, with its strength being much reduced, is completely different from that during the winter season, and frequent passage of tropical storms provokes large temporal variability over ECS. One remarkable point is that the annual cycle, dominated by the Siberian High, tends to propagate from northeast to southwest, i.e., from northern 25 toward southern ES, YS and ECS, while the semi-annual cycle propagates in the opposite direction, from southwest to northeast. The semi-annual periodicity may reflect development of extratropical cyclones in spring and fall which frequently cross the Korean peninsula. In higher frequencies, there are no dominant periodicities, but local winds over YS and ES are highly correlated for frequencies larger than 0.1 cycles per day and phase difference increases linearly with frequency. This linear increase of phase corresponds to phase speed of 550 and 730 km/d at 0.1 and 0.3 cpd, respectively, The phase speed is apparently coincident with moving speed of extratropical cyclones across the Korean peninsula in the west-east direction.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.127-137
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• 2007

To confirm whether or not the Electrochemical Disinfection System (EDS) meet with the D-2 regulation established by IMO (International Maritime Organization), the biological treatment efficacy of the EDS was assessed using three groups of natural marine plankton (bacteria, $10-50\;{\mu}m$ and $>50\;{\mu}m$ sized organisms). Influent water was passed through the EDS under the flow velocity ($23.8\;m^3/hr$) and test design was consisted of control (no treatment) and experimental (10 ppm and 30 ppm) condition for total residual chlorine (TRC). And the biological condition of the influent water followed the standards established by the guidelines for the approval of ballast water management systems. The disinfection efficacy of the $10-50\;{\mu}m$ sized organisms (phytoplankton) was assessed by three kinds of measurements using photomicroscope, epifluorescence microscope and fluorometer (fumer Designs 10-AU). After being passed through the EDS, all motile phytoplankton lost their motility under photomicroscope, the colour of chlorophyll fluorescence fumed from red into green under epifluorescence, and the high chlorophyll fluorescence (Expt. 1: 6.95, Expt. 2: 7.11) detected by fluorometer decreased into value not detected. These results indicated phytoplankton community was totally killed after electrochemical disinfection treatment. Survivorship of the larger organisms than $50\;{\mu}m$ was determined based on the appendage's movement under a stereomicroscope. Natural assemblage collected from ambient seawater was killed shortly after being passed through the EDS, whereas some Artemia remained alive. However, no live Artemia was found after 24 hour further exposure to each TRC concentration (10 and 30 ppm) under darkness. After electrochemical treatment, the target bacteria such as aerobes, coliform and Escherichia coli were completely killed on the basis of CFU (colony forming unit) on Petrifilm plate ($3\;M^{TM}$) after 48 hr incubation. Moreover, no regrowth was found in the three groups of plankton during five days under additional exposure to the treated water. These results indicated that the disinfection efficiency of the EDS on the three groups of plankton satisfy D-2 regulation.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.223-232
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• 2008

In order to determine the temporal and spatial variations of nutrient profiles in the shallow pore water columns (upper 30 cm depth) of intertidal sandflats, we measured the salinity and nutrient concentrations in pore water and seawater at various coastal environments along the southern coast of Korea. In the intertidal zone, salinity and nutrient concentrations in pore water showed marked vertical changes with depth, owing to the active exchange between the pore water and overlying seawater, while they are temporally more stable and vertically constant in the sublittoral zone. In some cases, the advective flow of fresh groundwater caused strong vertical gradients of salinity and nutrients in the upper 10 cm depth of surface sediments, indicating the active mixing of the fresher groundwater with overlying seawater. Such upper pore water column profiles clearly signified the temporal fluctuation of lower-salinity and higher-Si seawater intrusion into pore water in an intertidal sandflat near the mouth of an estuary. We also observed a semimonthly fluctuation of pore water nutrients due to spring-neap tide associated recirculation of seawater through the upper sediments. Our study shows that the exchange of water and nutrients between shallow pore water and overlying seawater is most active in the upper 20 cm layer of intertidal sandflats, due to physical forces such as tides, wave set-up, and density-thermal gradient.