• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.533-540
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• 2014

The Wangdol-cho area, in the Hupo Bank, plays a very important role in main fishing grounds, leisure tourism and marine environmental researches of the East Sea. We analyzed the detailed bathymetry and classified the seabed characteristics of the Wangdol-cho area, based on seafloor backscattering images and sediment grain size. The Hupo Bank is developed in parallel with the eastern coastal line of Korean peninsula, and the shallowest area (Wangdol-cho) of the Hupo Bank is located along the eastern part of Hupo Port. The Wangdol-cho comprises three summits; north summit, middle summit, and south summit. The middle summit area among the three summits has the most shallow water depth with minimum about 6 m. The north summit shows about 8 m minimum depth and the south summit about 9 m. The bathymetry data around three summits represent undulating seabeds with many scattered underwater reefs and shallow water depth. The area between the underwater reefs, the flat seafloor in the northeastern part of the survey site, and the western steep slope area have relatively coarse sediments such as sandy gravel and gravelly sand. The bathymetry in the western side of the Wangdol-cho shows steep slope seabed, extending to the Hupo Basin. Fine sediments including mud and silty sand occur in the Hupo Basin area of the survey site. The submarine detailed topography and the analysis of the seafloor characteristics of the survey area are expected to contribute to management for marine environmental researches and sustainable use of ecosystems in the Wangdol-cho.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.312-322
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• 1999

We have studied both submarine morphology and sediment characteristics of waste disposal sites in the southwestern Ulleung Basin, East Sea, as part of a marine environmental preservation program. The Jung waste disposal site in the outer shelf is characterized by the thick accumulation of coarse-grained palimpsest sediments and fine-grained sediments from various sources. The Byung waste disposal site in the continental slope is generally characterized by hemipelagic muds with intermittent sandy sediments originated from the outer shelf and upper slope. The hemipelagic sediments, draping the seafloor, consist of fluidized muds. The core sediments show numerous bioturbation structures which cause vertical mixing of sediments. The surface sediments can be divided into four sand types (S-1, S-2, S-3, and S-4) and two mud types (M-1 and M-2) based on relative contents of reworked coarse-grained palimpsest sediments and fine-grained sediments. sorting and heavy mineral contents. The sands are probably relict sediments reworked during high-energy conditions such as typoon or storm. On the other hand, the muds were originated from various sources such as recent input from the Nakdong River, reworked fine-grained sediment from the shelf or suspended particulate matter from the East Sea Warm Current.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.83-92
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• 2004

A continuous monitoring of textural characteristics of surface sediments, sedimentation rates and beach profile was carried out to investigate the seasonal variations of sedimentary processes in the Imjado beach, southwestern coast of Korea for two years. The beach profiles consist of steep beach face and relatively flat middle and low tide beaches. The slope of the beach face increases in summer and decreases in winter, in good accordance with the standard beach cycle. Ridge and runnel systems are well developed in the middle and low tide beaches during the summer, but these structures are replaced by mega-ripples during the winter. The sediments are fining southward as well as landward. The mean grain-size tends to be increasingly coarser during seasons of autumn and winter on the north beach and during seasons of winter and spring on the south one. In addition, the sediments are eroded on the north beach and accumulated on the south one as a whole. These are probably due to southward transportation of the sediments as long-shore current (NE-SW) runs around the coastal line of the beach. However, the seasonal variations in accumulation rates are very complex and irregular. It is considered that the Imjado beach represents in non-equilibrium state, as a result of coastal and submarine topographic changes by artificial agents and sea-level uprising associated with global warming.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-42
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• 2007

In Sagye coast of Andeok-myeon, southwestern Jeju, shore platform of noncohesive Hamori Formation, marine terrace deposit of round gravels, coastal dune composed of shell sand and volcanic sand, and back lake are linked closely with each other. In this paper, the formation process of Sagye coastal geomorphic system analysed by using OSL dating method is as follows: Firstly, Hamori Formation is a horizontal stratum filed up of tuff reworked by submarine volcanic eruption during 3$\sim$7.6 ka BP. Hollow at the boundary between Hamori Formation' flat and Kwangheak Basalt's gentle slope become a back lake when block is appeared over the sea level by uplift. Secondly, while Hamori Formation was laid below sea level, gravels which had been broken and abraded at southwestern rocky coast composed of Kwangheak basalt or been transported through the small stream from adjacent hillslope were deposited in rapid flow environment. Thirdly, deposition of round gravels was ceased by earth uplift, and shore platform was constructed by abrasion process of energy of swash moving forward. As altitude of shore platform is equal to high tidal level of spring tide, compared it with present high tidal level of study area, earth is uplifted about 105m since shore platform was formed. Fourthly, much sandy sediments transported from offshore bottom covered shore platforms and marine terrace deposits. Lighter sediments among sandy sediments was blown to back, formed secondary sand dune since about 500 year.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.696-700
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• 2004

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST. As the result of harmonic analysis, distributions of the mean SST were $10~25^{\circ}C,$ and generally SST decreased as latitude increased. SST increased in the order as following; the South Sea $(20\~23^{\circ}C),$ the East Sea $(17\~19^{\circ}C)$, and the West $Sea(13\~16^{\circ}C).$ Annual amplitudes and phases were $4\~11^{\circ}C,\;210\~240^{\circ}$ and high values were shown as following; the West Sea $(A1,\;9\~11^{\circ}C),$ the Northern East Sea $(A5,\;8\~9^{\circ}C),$ the Southern East Sea $(A4,\;6\~8^{\circ}C),$ the South Sea $(A3,\;6\~7^{\circ}C),$ the East China Sea $(A2,\;4\~7^{\circ}C)$ and phases; $A3\;(238\~242^{\circ}),\;A4\;(235\~240^{\circ}),\;A5\;(225\~235^{\circ}),\;Al\;(220\~230^{\circ}),\;A2\;(210\~235^{\circ}),$ respectively, Both of them were related inversely except the area A2, therefore the rest areas were affected by seasonal variations. TF were detected by Soble Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpolar Front (SPF) based on the Cold Water Mass (low SST and salinity Subartic Water), resulting from the North Korea Cold Current (NKCC) and the East Sea Proper Cold Water in the middle and low layer, and the Warm Water Mass (high SST and salinity Subtropical Water), resulting from the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) in area A4 and 5, the Kuroshio Front (KF) based on the Kuroshio Current (KC) and shelf waters in the East China Sea (ESC) in A2, and the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) based on the South Sea Coastal Water (SSCW) and TWC in A3. Also, the Tidal Front was weakly appeared in AI. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. Annual amplitudes and phases were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.735-749
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• 2018

In this study, one studied the principal factors and water-quality components that determine the concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in seawater in estuaries, such as the Han, Geum, Youngsan, Seomjin, and Nakdong rivers in Korea. The principal factors determining the concentration of COD in seawater indicated by the principal component analysis were salinity, exogenous origin and autochthonous resources based on chlorophyll-a. Moreover, organic matter in the submarine sediment layer also had a secondary effect. Regression slope assessed the contribution of water-quality components to determine the concentration of COD in the estuary. One found that the effect of salinity on the overall survey was significant. Moreover, the effect of chlorophyll-a was also appeared in April and August. In each estuary, the most significant contribution factor was chlorophyll-a in the Nakdong River and salinity in the Han and Yongsan rivers. The contribution of salinity and chlorophyll-a were found to be the largest in the Geum River. The salinity and chlorophyll-a in the Seomjin River showed a low contribution.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.101-104
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• 2006

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST. As the result of EOF method applying SST, the variance of the 1st mode was 97.6%. It is suitable to explain SST conditions in the whole Korean seas. Time coefficients were shown annual variations and spatial distributions were shown the closer to the continent the higher SST variations like as annual amplitudes. The 2nd mode presented higher time coefficients of 1993, 94, and 95 than those of other years. Although the influence is a little, that can explain ElNINO effect to the Korean seas. TF were detected by Sobel Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpola. Front (SPF) dividing into the north and south part of the East sea, the Kuroshio Front (KF) in the East China Sea (ESC), the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) in the South sea, and the Tidal Front in the West sea. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. The distributions of 1st mode in SST were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations. To discover temporal and spatial variations of TF,SST gradient values were analyzed by EOF. The time coefficients fo the 1st mode (variance : 64.55%) showed distinctive annual variations and SPF, KF, and SSCF was significantly appeared in March. the spatial distributions of the 2nd mode showed contrast distribution, as SPF and SSCF had strong '-' value, where KF had strong '+' value. The time of '+' and '-' value was May and October, respectively. Time coefficients of the 3rd mode had 2 peaks per year and showed definite seasonal variations. SPF represented striking '+' value which time was March and October That was result reflected time of the 1st and 2nd mode. We can suggest specific temporal and spatial variations of TF using EOF.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.397-402
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• 2005

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST As the result of EOF method applying SST, the variance of the 1st mode was 97.6%. It is suitable to explain SST conditions in the whole Korean seas. Time coefficients were shown annual variations and spatial distributions were shown the closer to the continent the higher SST variations like as annual amplitudes. The 2nd mode presented higher time coefficients of 1993, 94, and 95 than those of other years. Although the influence is a little, that tan explain EININO effort to the Korean seas. TF were detected by Sobel Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpolar Front (SPF) dividing into the north and south part of the East sea , the Kuroshio Front (KF) in the East China Sea (ESC), the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) in the South sea, and the Tidal Front in the West sea. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. The distributions of 1st mode in SST were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations. To discover temporal and spatial variations of TF, SST gradient values were analyzed by EOF. The time coefficients fo the 1st mode (variance : 64.55%) showed distinctive annual variations and SPF, KF, and SSCF was significantly appeared in March. the spatial distributions of the 2nd mode showed contrast distribution, as SPF and SSCF had strong'-'value, where KF had strong'+'value. The time of'+'and'-'value was May and October, respectively. Time coefficients of the 3rd mode had 2 peaks per year and showed definite seasonal variations. SPF represented striking'+'value which time was March and October. That was result reflected time of the 1st and 2nd mode. We can suggest specific temporal and spatial variations of TF using EOF.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2023

Submarine mud volcanos are topographic features that resemble volcanoes, and are formed due to eruptions of fluidized or gasified sediment material. They have gained attention as a source of subsurface heat, sediment, or hydrocarbons supplied to the surface. In the continental slope of the Canadian Beaufort Sea, mud volcano exists at various water depths. The MV420, is an active mud volcano erupting at a water depth of 420 meters, and it has been the subject of extensive study. The Korea Polar Research Institute(KOPRI) collected high-resolution seismic data and heat flow data around the caldera of the mud volcano. By analyzing the multi-channel seismic data, we confirmed the reverse-polarity reflector assumed by a gas hydrate-related bottom simulating reflector(BSR). To further elucidate the relationship between the BSR and gas hydrates, as well as the thermal structure of the mud volcano, a numerical geothermal model was developed based on the steady-state heat equation. Using this model, we estimated the base of the gas hydrate stability zone and found that the BSR depth estimated by multi-channel seismic data and the bottom of the gas hydrate stability zone were in good agreement., This suggests the presence of gas hydrates, and it was determined that the depth of the gas hydrate was likely up to 50 m, depending on the distance from the mud conduit. Thus, this depth estimate slightly differs from previous studies.