• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1971

The geotectonics and geomorphic structure of Korea resulted from the Song-rim Disturbance and the Daebo orogenic movements. Afterward this mountainous peninsula underwent several geological changes on a small scale, and it was also claimed that the steady rising of the elevated peneplain of the eastern coast and the submerging of the southwestern coastal area are largely due to the tilted block movement. These views have been generally accepted good in several ways, but they are limited in range or lacking in theoretical integration. The present writer investigated the geology of the Mt. Chi-ri-san and the Honam coal mining area for a geological map in 1965, respectively. The results of these studies convinced the present writer that the conventional views, which were based upon a theory of lateral pressure should be reconsidered in many respects, and more recent studies made it clear that the morphological development in the southwestern area can be better explained by the orogenic movement and rock control. The measurement of submerging speed of the western coastal area (Pak. Y. A., 1969) and a new account on the geology and tectonics of the Mid-central region of South Korea (Kim O.J., 1970) act as an encouragement to a new explanation. The present writer's researches on the extreme southwestern portion of the peninsula show that the steady submerging of this area cannot be attributed to a simple downthrown block phenomenon caused by block movement. It is no more than the result of the differential movement of uplifting in the eastern and western coastal areas and the rising of sea-level in the post-glacial period. This phenomenon could be easily explained by the comparison of the rate of rise in sea-level and amount of heat flow between Korea and other areas in the world. The existance of the erosional planes in the Sobaik-San ranges also provide an evidence of an upheaval in the western coast area. Though the Sobaik-San ranges largely follow the direction of the Sinian system. They consist of the numerous branches, whose trends run more or less differently from their main trend because of the disharmonic folding, are converged into Mt. Sobaik-San and Chupungryung. The undulation of the land is not wholely caused by orogenic movements, where as the present writer confirmed that the diversity of morphological development is the direct reflection of geological conditions such as rocks and processes which constitute the basic elements of geomorphic structure. An east-west directed mountain range which could be named as Hansan mountain range, was claimed to be oriented by the joint control. The geological conditions such as a special erosion and weathering of agglomerate and breccia tuff usually produce pot-hole like submarine features which cause the whirling phenomenon at the southwestern coast channel.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.212-223
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• 2002

Cochlodinium polykrikoides bloom in 1995 was studied with a focus on an unusual coastal environment in the South Sea of Korea. Data on temperature, salinity, and zooplankton biomass during 1965-1998 and nutrients during 1990-1998 and chlorophyll-a during 1995-1998 were used in this study. These data were obtained from the serial oceanographic observations in Korean waters carried out by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute. In 1995 the C. polykrikoides bloom began in the coastal area around Narodo Island in August and consequently occurred to the whole coastal area of the South and East Seas of Korea. During June-October 1995, the coastal environment was unusual compared with the long-term means during 1965-1998. In June 1995, sea surface temperature was 1-2$^{\circ}C$ warmer than in other years in all coastal areas, while salinity was high only to the east of Jeju Island. In August 1995, a strong coastal front appeared inshore of a line between Jeju and Tsushima Islands. In particular, a strong coastal front which showed the characteristics of upwelling front occurred in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands, not only because of a strong intrusion of the Tsushima Warm Current but also because of the upwelling of cold bottom water. Salinity was low in the neighboring waters of western side of Jeju Island. Nutrients and chlorophyll-a were high in the inshore area between Narodo and Sorido Islands in 1995 in contrast with the other years and areas. Zooplankton showed an unusually high abundance in the coastal area in October 1995. We conclude that the Tsushima Warm Current strongly influenced the South Sea of Korea in 1995 and created strong upwelling front bordering cold upwelled water in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands. It leads us that these physical structures introduce the favorable environment for the development of C. polykrikoides blooms. We suggest that C. polykrikoides has a bio-physical tolerance of high shear and stress and prefers frontal and upwelling relaxed areas as its habitat. We also find that nutrients were not supplied to the coastal area from the offshore where a low salinity water mass with high nutrients appeared around Jeju Island. Because the strong upwelling front protect the reach of offshore low saline water mass. The main source of nutrients was the upwelled water mass in the coastal area of Wando-Narodo-Sorido.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.63-77
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• 2002

Salinization is an important environmental problem encountered in coastal aquifers. In order to evaluate the salinization problem in the western coastal area of Korea, we have performed a regional hydrochemical study on shallow well groundwaters (N=229) collected within 10 km away from the coastline. The concentrations of analyzed solutes are very wide in range, suggesting that the hydrochemistry is controlled by several processes such as water-rock interaction, seawater mixing, and anthropogenic contamination. Based on the graphical interpretation of cumulative frequency curves for some hydrochemical parameters (esp., $Cl^{-}$ and ${NO_3}^-$), the collected water samples were grouped into two major populations (1) a background population whose chemistry is predominantly affected by water-rock interaction, and (2) an anomalous population which records the potential influences by either seawater mixing or anthropogenic pollution. The threshold values obtained are 34.7 mg/l for $Cl^{-}$ and 37.2 mg/l for ${NO_3}^-$, Using these two constituents, groundwaters were further grouped into four water types as follows (the numbers in parenthesis indicate the percentage of each type water) : (1) type 1 waters (38%) that are relatively poor in $Cl^{-}$ and ${NO_3}^-$, which may represent their relatively little contamination due to seawater mixing and anthropogenic pollution; (2) type 2 waters (21%) which are enriched in $Cl^{-}$, Indicating the considerable influence by seawater mixing; (3) ${NO_3}^-$-rich, type 3 waters (11%) which record significant anthropogenic pollution; and (4) type 4 waters (30%) enriched in both $Cl^{-}$ and ${NO_3}^-$, reflecting the effects of both seawater mixing and anthropogenic contamination. The results of the water type classification correspond well with the grouping on a Piper's diagram. On a Br x $10^4$versus Cl molar ratio diagram, most of type 2 waters are also plotted along or near the seawater mixing line. The discriminant analysis of hydrochemical data also shows that the classification of waters into four types are so realistic to adequately reflect the major process(es) proposed for the hydrochemical evolution of each water type. As a tool for evaluating the degree of seawater mixing, we propose a parameter called 'Seawater Mixing Index (S.M.I.)’ which is based on the concentrations of Na, Mg, Cl, and $SO_4$. All the type 1 and 3 waters have the S.M.I. values smaller than one, while type 2 and type 4 waters mostly have the values greater than 1. In the western coastal area of Korea, more than 21% of shallow groundwaters appear to be more or less affected by salinization process.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.306-316
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• 2003

We conducted a time-series analysis of temperature and salinity of sea water around Jeju Island, Korea. Monthly mean temperature and salinity was influenced by precipitation and weather conditions on Jeju as well as by oceanographic conditions of the open sea such as the Tsushima Warm Current and sea water in coastal areas. Salinity of Jeju coastal waters was the highest in April, and it was always over 34.00 psu with tiny fluctuation between December and June. Due to the effects of the Tsushima Warm Current, Jeju coastal waters maintained high salinity and stability. Low salinity and its large fluctuations during summer were closely associated with the China Coastal Water and precipitation in Jeju. The place of the lowest water temperature was the northeast coasts of Jeju (Gimneong, Hado, Jongdalri). In winter, as warmer water of the Tsushima Warm Current appeared in western area of Jeju dwindled flowing along the northern coasts of Jeju area and becoming cool, the lowest water temperature often appeared locally in Gimnyeong and its vicinitly in summer. The Tsushima Warm Current flows into the east entrance of Jeju Strait, but its influence is weak because of geometry and strong vertical mixing due to fast tidal currents.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.148-158
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• 2004

In the adjacent seas of Cheju Island, the oceanographic conditions show low salinity surface waters starting in May. This water flows from the southeast part of the China Coastal Water, which flows southeastward along the Great Yangtze Sand Bank until April, with the help of southeasterly winds and flows from the adjacent sea off Cheju Island. In May, the Tsushima Warm Current and the low salinity surface water fluctuate in short and long-term periods as influenced by Yellow Sea Cold Water, which flows to the bottom layer at the western entrance of Cheju Strait. Temperature and salinity fronts in the northeastern sea area of U Island are formed in the boundary area between the Tsushima Warm Current, which expands towards Cheju Island from the southeastern sea area of Cheju Island and Hows out from the eastern entrance of the strait. Seasonally, additional oceanographic conditions, such as coastal counter-currents, which flow southward, appears within limited areas in the adjacent eastern and western seas of Cheju Island.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 1995

In order to evaluate the distribution and behaviour of atmospheric particulate metals in high-altitude area, we collected 22 aerosol samples using a high volume air sampler at Soback Mt. Meteorological Observation Station from Jan. to Nov. 1993 and analysed for metals (Al, Fe, Mg, Na, Ca, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) with ICP/AES and ICP/MS. Although sampling site is located in high-altitude and far from local sources of atmospheric pollutants, enrichments of metals are 2 times higher than those of western coastal reural area. This fact may imply that of metallic pollutants in the coastal rural site were came from further western side (e.g. China), atmospheric metals in this study area contain the signal of metropolitan cities located in the main wind direction (NNW). Sea salts are negligible in the aerosol particle population because reference elements of sea salts (Na, Mg) are all originated from soil particles. The contents of soil particles in aerosols are highest in spring and lowest in winter. Atmospheric enriched elements (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) are diluted with soil particles, especially during the yellow sand period. The results of factor analysis suggest possibility of interpreting their chemical significance in terms of sources (soil, pollutants) and gas-particle conversion processes (formation of ammonium sulfates, ammonium nitrates and/or their mixtures).

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.51-61
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• 2021

Following the previous study, we report a complementary dating data on the silty layers deposited in paleo-tidal conditions of the study area, Dangjeong-ri, Seocheon-gun and suggest coastal terrain development processes over the past 200,000 years. Based on the dating results, the silty layers distributed up to 25 m above mean sea level were deposited between 171 and 183 ka, and the gravel layer deposited in a fluvial environment of a paleo-Dangjeong stream was found to have formed between 78 and 83 ka. Considering relative altitudes of distribution, an uplift rate of the study area in the western coast is judged to be relatively 0.5~0.7 low to that of Pohang area in the eastern coast. Compared to Busan and Sacheon areas in the southern coast, it is assumed that an uplift rate of the study area shows a similar level with those during the late Quaternary.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.201.2-201
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• 2005

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.989-1000
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• 2018

The provenance of the Central Yellow Sea Mud (CYSM) in the Yellow Sea has been attracted a great deal of attention over the last three decades, but a consensus is not yet reached. In this study, 101 surface sediment samples collected from the CYSM were investigated to determine provenance and transport mechanisms in the area using the clay minerals and major element components. The Huanghe sediments are characterized by higher smectite, but the Changjiang sediments are more abundant illite contents. Western Korean rivers contain more kaolinite and chlorite than do Chinese rivers. The Chinese rivers have higher $Fe_2O_3$, MgO, and CaO than the Korean rivers at the same $Al_2O_3$ concentration. Therefore, the clay minerals and major element concentrations can be useful indicator for the source. Based on our results, we suggest that the surface sediments in CYSM were composed mainly of Changjiang sediments, mixed a partly with sediments from the Huanghe and the western Korean rivers. Although the northwestern part of CYSM is proximate to the Huanghe, the contents of smectite and CaO were extremely low. It could be evidence that the Huanghe materials do not enter directly into the CYSM due to the Shandong Peninsula Front. Considering the oceanic circulation in the Yellow Sea, the Changjiang sediments could be transported eastward with the Changjiang Diluted Water and then mixed in CYSM via the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC). Huanghe sediments could be provided by coastal currents (Shandong Coastal Current and Yellow Sea Coastal Current) and the YSWC. In addition, sediments from western Korean rivers might be supplied into the CYSM deposit via the Korean Coastal Current, Transversal Current, and YSWC.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.43-51
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• 2011

Marine clays are widely distributed in Korean eastern, western and southern coastal areas. Understanding engineering characteristics of the soft ground is very important, whenever civil structures are constructed in those coastal areas. It is because the ground is composed of highly compressible marine clay. In this paper, the physical and compression characteristics of Incheon, Mokpo, Gwangyang and Busan marine clay were analyzed and the characteristics between western and southern coastal marine clays were compared. For this, test results of 1,471 samples from 114 sites were used. As a result, Incheon clay showed the lowest plasticity and the highest unit weight due to influx of silt from the Yellow River and the turn of the tide of Incheon area. However, Gwangyang clay showed highly compressible characteristic due to extensive reclamation. On the other hand, Mokpo and Busan clay showed partially similar levels of characteristics. The compression index of Mokpo and Busan clay was high more than twice in comparison with Incheon clay and that of Gwangyang clay was higher than seventy percents in comparison with Mokpo and Busan clay.