• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.361-368
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• 2006

The Saemangeum tidal flat with an area of approxirnately $233km^2$ is one of the biggest estuarine tidal flats on the west coast of Korea. Because of its location in the estuary of Mangyeong and Dongjin Rivers, the tidal flat receives large amount of sediments. A 33-km long sea dyke, enclosing a coastal zone of $401km^2$, was constructed to reclaim tidal flat in the Saemangeum area. The dyke construction radically changes the local tidal current regime and estuarine circulation. These have an effect on sedimentary environments in the tidal flat. On the tidal flats of the study area net deposition occurred, but net erosion occurred near tidal channel in 2004. The comparison of topography and surface sediments in summer 2004 with those in summer 1988 before the dyke construction showed that elevation increased with maximum 80cm and mean grain sizes were fining at Gwanghwal tidal flats. Sedimentary facies of two cores from Gwanghwal tidal flat revealed homogeneous layers in the upper part suggesting rapid deposition after the dyke construction. The sedimentation rate in Gwanghwal tidal flat(GW 6) using $^{210}Pb$ analysis was about 5.4cm/yr which is well matched with the sedimentation pattern revealed by change in topography.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.541-552
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• 2010

Geochemical and physical investigations such as ${\delta}^{13}C$ isotope ratio, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, magnetic susceptibility (MS), and particle size analyses were carried out on the estuarine tidal flat sediments from the west coast of Korea in order to reconstruct the East Asian summer monsoon variability during the late Pleistocene and Holocene Our results indicated that the summer monsoon probably peaked around 7,700-7,800 yr BP and then started to decline about 7,400 yr BP in the Korean peninsular, and that the monsoon was relatively weak between 24,000-24,500 yr BP but relatively strong between 18,500-19,500 yr BP during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our estuarine geochemical data have proven to be valuable as a new proxy for detecting the shifts in monsoon strength. This new evidence will be helpful, especially for Korean paleoenvironmental studies with few proxy data archives.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.375-384
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• 2012

The sedimentary processes of the Ganghwa tidal flat has been changed over 20 years because of the large-scale construction projects. The sedimentary environment of the Donggum tidal flat, located in the eastern part of Ganghwa tidal flat and in the lower reaches of Yeomha channel, was affected by changes the tidal current regime and estuarine circulation. These resulted an occurrence of rapid deposition in the tidal flat. The silt-clay laminated silt facies in the upper parts of two core sediments suggested that deposition had been relatively high in the tidal flat. The sedimentation rates from the cores using $^{210}Pb$ analysis were 3.25cm/year(st. 3) and 3.47cm/year(st. 5). However the short-term sediment accumulation rates from 2010 to 2012 were mostly less than 1cm/year, indicated that the sediments deposited relatively low rates. As a result, the sediment in the Donggum tidal flat rapidly accumulated during 2000s due to constructions of man-made structures. Recently, the increase of elevation in the tidal flat resulted to show relatively low sedimentation rate with seasonal variations.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.593-607
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• 2015

This study examined the Holocene environmental changes by OSL dating and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in 12 sediment cores from estuarine tidal flat, Mosan Bay Estuary, west coast of Korea. For the complexity of the geomorphic characteristics of estuaries, it is difficult to obtain a series of data. The following significant results were derived using relatively simple methods. First, MS data shows sensitive changes in pattern according to the precipitation change during mid to late Holocene. Second, MS data show periodicity of 250 yr. when they were wavelet transformed. This periodicity is related with the intensifying of solar intensity, the East Asian Summer Monsoon and ENSO. Thus, MS data from estuarine sediments are valuable data which can explain mechanism of climate change in East Asia and worthy as proxy data.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.125-125
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• 2023

Estuarine dams are dams constructed in estuaries for reasons such as securing freshwater resources, controlling water levels, and hydroelectric power generation. These estuarine dams alter the flow of freshwater to the coastal ocean and the tidal properties of the estuaries which has implications for the estuaries' circulation and sediment transport. A previous study has analyzed the effect of estuarine dams on 1D (along-channel) circulation and sediment transport. However, the effect of estuarine dams on the transverse variability of along-channel and across-channel circulation and sediment transport has not been studied and is not known. In this study, a coupled hydrodynamic-sediment dynamic numerical model (COAWST) was used to analyze the transverse variability of along-channel and across-channel flow and sediment transport in estuaries with estuarine dams. The estuarine dam was found to change the 3D structure of circulation and sediment transport, and the result was found to depend on the estuarine type (i.e., strongly stratified (SS) or well-mixed (WM) estuary). The SS estuary had inflow in the channel and outflow over the shoals, consistent with estuarine circulation. Longer discharge interval reduced the estuarine circulation. The WM estuary had inflow over the shoals and outflow in the channel, consistent with tide-induced circulation. As the estuarine dam was located nearer to the estuary mouth, the tide-induced circulation was reduced and replaced with estuarine circulation. The lateral circualtion was the greatest in the tide-dominated estuaries. It was reduced and changed direction due to differential advection change as the dam was located nearer the mouth. Overall, the WM estuary transverse flow structure changed the most. Lateral sediment flux was important in all estuaries, particularly for transporting sediments to the tidal flats.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2012

The spatial variation of organic matter sources in tidal flat sediment of the Nanakita River estuary, involving Gamo lagoon on the north-east coast of Honshu Island, Japan, was examined using carbon stable isotopes and fatty acid biomarkers. The spatial variation of total organic carbon (TOC) contents and ${\delta}^{13}C$ values were highly variable in between the stations, such as sandy flat (1.3 mg/g, -21.0‰), sand-muddy flat (2.6 mg/g, -21.9‰), and muddy flat (24.9 mg/g, -25.9‰), respectively. Particularly, at the muddy flat, high TOC content and low ${\delta}^{13}C$ value of the sediments indicated that the surface sediment was composed largely of terrestrial organic matter. Whereas, at the sandy flat and sand-muddy flat, the high ratios of diatom and bacteria biomarkers indicated the high contribution of abundant microorganism along with marine organic matter in sediment composition. From these results, it considered that the amount and origin of transported sedimentary organic matter indicated different characteristics in this study stations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.687-697
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• 2019

By monitoring sediment grain size and level variation of tidal flat surface for 6 years (2005-2011), and also by mooring TISDOS (tidal-flat sediment dynamics observation system) on the low intertidal flat in 2008, we investigated the sedimentary environment of tidal flat in the dammed Yeongsan River Estuary. The tidal flat of the Yeongsan River Estuary lost 82 % of its area because of coastal development projects, and a narrow tidal flat below mean sea level now remains. Most of the tidal flat sediments are composed of silt up to 70-94 %, and show the characteristics of clay deficiency and silt dominance. This is closely related with the coastal development, which led to the destruction of high tidal flats where most mud settled, and the modification of tidal current patterns. Moreover, the estuarine tidal-flat sediments reveal seasonal variation. They are coarse with abundant silt during windy autumn to spring, fine with abundant clay during the less-windy and high-discharge summer. This phenomenon indicates that the behavior of sediment particles on the low intertidal flats of the Yeongsan River Estuary is influenced by wind waves for silt and fresh water discharge and the tidal process for clay. Monitoring results of the altitude of tidal flat surface showed that the study area had eroded at an average rate of -2.6 cm/y during the period of 2005-2011, and also that an unusual deposition with a rate of 4 cm/y occurred in 2010. The erosion can be explained by an increased tidal amplitude and a strengthened ebb-dominant tidal asymmetry after the construction of an estuary dike and the Yeongam Kumho Seawall. The deposition in 2010 seems to have been closely related to the mass production of suspended materials from dredging of the estuary.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.521-535
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• 2011

This study intended to explain the relationship between climate change and magnetic susceptibility of estuarine sediment. Data of OSL dating and magnetic susceptibility from estuarine tidal sediment were compared with various climate change data. During the last Holocene, the intense of magnetic susceptibility related with weaker Siberian High and stronger Asian Summer Monsoon. It is explained that high precipitation and runoff made much fluvial sediment input to the estuary. From the early to mid Holocene, there is no clear relationship between climate change and MS because of the much coastal sediment input caused by rapid sea level rise and the formation of upland soil and coastal marsh. These results contribute to reconstruct paleo-environmental changes of west coast of Korea, in the way of using benefit of ubiquitous estuarine tidal flats and relatively useful magnetic susceptibility methodoloy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to clarify the origin of organic matters on sediment and the characteristics of seasonal variation at an estuarine tidal flat. Silt-clay content (<63 ${\mu}m$), chlorophyll a, TOC, C/N ratio and the stable isotope ratio of carbon and nitrogen were measured at tidal flat around the estuary of the Nanakita River. As a result, organic matters originating from marine organic matter and bethic microalgae greatly contributed to sedimentation of organic matters at Stn.A, sandy tidal flat, though terrigenous organic matters did at Stn.C, muddy tidal flat. Furthermore, it was revealed that the volume and origin of organic matters in the sediments depended on seasonal variation, and the factors were different from the Stns, i.e. bentic microalgae and event for Stn.A, and the eventual sedimentation of organic matters originating from terrestrial plants, respectively.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2009

Seasonal variations of microalgal biomass and community composition in both the sediment and the seawater were investigated by HPLC pigment analysis in an estuarine muddy sandflat of Gwangyang Bay from January to November 2002. Based on the photosynthetic pigments, fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, and diatoxanthin were the most dominant pigments all the year round, indicating that diatoms were the predominant algal groups of both the sediment and the seawater in Gwangyang Bay. The other algal pigments except the diatom-marker pigments showed relatively low concentrations. Microphytobenthic chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentrations in the upper layer (0.5 cm) of sediments ranged from 3.44 (March at the middle site of the tidal flat) to 169 (July at the upper site) mg $m^{-2}$, with the annual mean concentrations of $68.4{\pm}45.5,\;21.3{\pm}14.3,\;22.9{\pm}15.6mg\;m^{-2}$ at the upper, middle, and lower tidal sites, respectively. Depth-integrated chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentrations in the overlying water column ranged from 1.66 (November) to 11.7 (July) mg $m^{-2}$, with an annual mean of $6.96{\pm}3.04mg\;m^{-2}$. Microphytobenthic biomasses were about 3${\sim}$10 times higher than depth-integrated phytoplankton biomass in the overlying water column. The physical characteristics of this shallow estuarine tidal flat, similarity in taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton and microphytobenthos, and similar seasonal patterns in their biomasses suggest that resuspended microphytobenthos are an important component of phytoplankton biomass in Gwangyang Bay. Therefore, considering the importance of microphytobenthos as possible food source for the estuarine benthic and pelagic consumers, a consistent monitoring work on the behavior of microphytobenthos is needed in the tidal flat ecosystems.