• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.631-643
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• 2020

The central-western Korean Peninsula contains records of an Early Mesozoic collisional event related to the final amalgamation of the East Asian continent. Here, we present a renewed geologic map of the Deokjeok and Soya islands in the central-western Korean Peninsula and its explanatory note. Our geologic map was based on a detailed investigation of the northeastern area of both islands, which is characterized by a complex fault and shear zone system that accommodated the crustal deformation related to the Mesozoic post-collisional orogenic collapse and the subsequent structural inversion. We suggest future directions of study aiming at addressing issues regarding the deformational responses of crust to the Mesozoic tectonic transition and orogenic cycles.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.414-427
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• 2019

In East Asia, the long-range transport of dust storms originating from Mongolia and northern China affects airborne dust loadings over downwind areas in the southern Korean Peninsula. Since 1997, dust loading cases caused by dust storms have been observed using the thresholds of total suspended particles (TSP, ${\geq}250{\mu}g\;m^{-3}\;hr^{-1}$) and particulate matter less than $10{\mu}g$ ($PM_{10}$, ${\geq}190{\mu}g\;m^{-3}\;hr^{-1}$) in the central-southern Korean Peninsula. There were two dust loading cases that exceeded these thresholds in 2016 and three in 2017, which reflects the downward trend of the last twenty-one years in the central-southern Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, five other dust loading cases with mass concentrations lower than the thresholds were observed from 2016 to 2017. In the moderate dust loading cases exceeding the thresholds, a descending motion of cut-off lows below $45^{\circ}N$ and a southward trough at 500 hPa gpm isopleths intensified at the western ridge, and largely extended the surface high-pressure system over southeast China. Airborne dust loadings following pronounced north-westerlies in the forward side of the high-pressure system were transported to the surface of the central-southern Korean Peninsula. However, in slight dust loading cases lower than the thresholds, the restricted descending motion of cut-off lows over $45^{\circ}N$ and the southwestward trough at 500 hPa gpm isopleths intensified the zonal flow over the Korean Peninsula. Surface high- and low-pressure systems moved eastward from the source compared to moderate dust loading cases. Due to the zonal movement of dust storms traversing eastern China, slight dust loading cases were observed with relatively higher ratios of $PM_{2.5}/TSP$ and carbon monoxide (CO) in the central-southern Korean Peninsula.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2023

Blocking refers to a class of weather phenomena appearing in the mid and high latitudes, whose characteristics are blocked airflow of persistence. Frequently found over the Pacific and Atlantic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, blocking affects severe weather in the surrounding areas with different mechanisms depending on the type of blocking patterns. Along with lots of studies about persistent weather extremes focusing on the specific types of blocking, a new categorization using Rossby wave breaking has emerged. This study aims to apply this concept to the classification of blockings over the Pacific and examine how different wave breakings specify the associated cold weather in the Korean peninsula. At the same time, we investigate a strongly developing ridge around the Pacific by designing a new detection algorithm, where a reversal method is modified to distinguish ridge-type blocking patterns. As result, Kamchatka blocking (KB) and strong ridge over the Central Pacific are observed the most frequently during 20 years (2001~2020) of the studied period, and anomalous low pressures with cold air over the Korean Peninsula are accompanied by blocking events. When it considers the Rossby wave breaking, cyclonic wave-breaking is dominant in KB, which generates low-pressure anomalies over the Korean Peninsula. However, KB with anticyclone wave breaking appears with the high-pressure anomalies over the Korean Peninsula and it generates the warm temperature anomaly. Lastly, the low-pressure anomalies are also generated by the strong ridge over the Central Pacific, which persists for approximately three days and give a significant impact on cold surge on the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2009

This study was conducted to find out the effects of relationship between ocean-meteorological factors and snowfall at Incheon, Gunsan and Mokpo when cold and dry continental air mass passed through the West Sea of Korea in winter. Mean snowfall from December to February showed the order of Gunsan (12.7 cm), Mokpo (9.0 cm) and Incheon (7.8 cm). In particular, the snowfall in the three regions showed the regional difference in December and February. It was well consistent with the extension of continental high. Extension of continental high can cause effect on snowfall at the west regions (Inchoen, Gunsan, Mokpo) of the Korean Peninsula. The continental high extended from the southern China to western coastal region of the Korean Peninsula in December, it extended from the northern China to central area of the Korean Peninsula in January. It also extended from the north side of China through Bohai Sea and Yodong Peninsula to central area of the Korean Peninsula in February. Therefore, more snowfall recorded in Incheon is higher in February than December whereas Gunsan and Mokpo is the opposite. The heavy snowfall at the three regions was caused by loss of the heat from the ocean to air when the heat loss was higher than 100 $W/m^2$. The heavy snowfall was also observed when the arrangement of continental high atmospheric pressure and low pressure was high at the west and low at the east, which formed a front in West and when the wind blow from the North or North West at the speed of 4${\sim}$8 m/sec.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.437-445
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• 2008

We analyzed fault plane solutions of the recent twenty-two earthquakes which occurred from 2004 to 2006 in the central part of the Korean Peninsula by using P- and S-wave polarities along with SH/P amplitude ratios. The fault plane solution shows that strike-slip fault is dominant here, especially for the events with local magnitude equal to or greater than 3.0. However, some events with local magnitude less than 3.0 show normal fault or strike-slip fault with normal components. In the case of strike-slip fault, its orientation is almost in the direction of NNE-SSW to NE-SW almost parallel to the general trend of faults, while the compressional axis of the stress field trends ENE to E-W. The result is almost consistent with the stress field in and around the Korean peninsula, as reported previously. We cannot give any appropriate explanations to the normal faulting events along the western offshore and inland areas whether it is related to the local stress changes or tectonically unidentified extensional structures. Thus, an extension of investigations is desirable to clarify the cause of such phenomena.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

This study reports the structural geometry and folding mechanism of a regional-scale overturned fold in the Daecheong Island, central-western part of the Korean Peninsula. Based on low-hemisphere stereographic and down-plunge projections using data from a detailed field survey, we classify the regional-scale fold as an open overturned fold shallowly plunging toward NE. The asymmetric and symmetric parasitic folds in the limb and hinge zones indicate layer-parallel shortening prior to flexural-flow folding. Fold dating must be required to decipher the orogenic process causing the regional-scale overturned fold in the Daecheong Island.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.573-580
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• 2006

A sediment core from the Cheollipo arboretum ($36^{\circ}$ 47' 57'N, $126^{\circ}$ 09' 04') was studied for pollen analysis in order to reconstruct postglacial vegetational change and environmental changes around the central western region of the Korean Peninsula. The record shows four pollen assemblage zones: Zone CHL-I, Quercus stage (ca. 9,300$\sim$6,200 yr BP): zone CHL-II, Quercus-Pinus stage (ca. 6,200$\sim$4,600 yr BP); zone CHL- III, Pinus-Quercus stage (ca. 4,600$\sim$1,160 yr BP): zone CHL-IV and Pinus stage (ca. 1,160 yr BP-present). During the 9,300$\sim$8,500 yr BP, the early Holocene, researchers have guessed a piece of cool-temperate norihern/altimontane mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved forest. Between 8,500$\sim$4,600 yr BP the Quercus dominated the landscape of study area and the established dates of this typical cool-temperate central/montane deciduous broad-leaved forest vegetation might be ca. 6500 yr BP, and then the Pinus developed around the site at ca. 5,700 yr BP. The abrupt increase of Pinus and NAP (non-arboreal pollen) after ca. 1,100 yr BP indicates the vegetation changes due to human activities. From the dynamics of the Chenopodiaceae pollen indicating salt marsh and freshwater pollen flora such as Typha, Trapa, Nymphoides and so forth, we suggest that the tidal flat was altered into freshwater lake around 6,500 yr BP.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.185-189
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• 2008

This study was conducted to find out the effects of relationship between ocean conditions and snowfall when cold and dry continental air mass passes through the West Sea of Korea. Route of continental high atmospheric pressure can cause effect on snowfall at the west regions (Inchoen, Gunsan, Mokpo) of the Korean Peninsula. The continental high atmospheric pressure extend from the southern China to western coastal region of the Korean Peninsula during the December, and it extend from the north side of China through Bohai Sea and Yodong Peninsula to central area of the Korean Peninsula during the February. Therefore, more snowfall recorded in Incheon is higher during Feb. than Dec.. whereas Gunsan and Mokpo is the opposite. The heavy snowfall at the western coastal region of Korea was caused by loss of the heat from the ocean to air when it's higher than $100W/m^2$. the heavy snowfall was also observed when the arrangement of continental high atmospheric pressure and low pressure was high at the West and low at the East, which formed a front in West and when the wind blow from the North or North West at the speed of $4\sim8m/sec$. There were not much relation between salinity in the western sea and snowfall in the western coastal region of Korea.

• 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 Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.127-133
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• 2010

In the ocean area surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the undersea earthquakes have occurred frequently during last decades. The eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula is very vulnerable to tsunami attacks which occur along the Western Coast of Japan. In special, the middle areas of the eastern coast of Korean Peninsula have been damaged due to the Central East Sea Tsunami occurred in 1983. Thus, tsunami hazard mitigation becomes an important issue at eastern coastal communities. The countermeasures against unexpected tsunami attacks are not sufficient because the government policy generally focused on not preventing but recovering. In this paper, a hazard map based on the field survey and tsunami evacuation simulation is developed to mitigate tsunami damage at Imwon port, which was severely damaged during the 1983 Central East Sea Tsunami.