• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2011

To reinterpret the meaning of fluvial terraces in the Quaternary researches, the concepts and geomorphic properties of fluvial terraces are reviewed. Fluvial terraces are the alluvial landform that was once river channel or floodplain by paleochannel flowed in elevated areas from the current river by active incision of rivers due to the climatic changes and/or uplifts. As fluvial terraces are the remnants of alluviums after incisions of rivers, the major factors influencing on the incisions are the falling of erosion base, increase of river discharge and distinct geomorphic phenomenon of river. While it is generally known that fluvial terraces deposits in the upper or middle reaches of large rivers were formed during glacial periods, the deposits may be formed at the various periods due to the diverse natural environments and geomorphic properties of specific rivers, because there have been numerous cases that the ages of fluvial terraces in the upper or middle reaches of large rivers in Korea and China can be correlated to the interglacial periods.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.447-462
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• 2009

Kohyun River basin is located at southern parts of Taebaek Mountains and most of river basins consists of sedimentary rock. The aims of this study are to investigate the distribution characteristics and processes of fluvial terraces at Kohyun River, using scientific methods such as classification of fluvial landforms, analysis of geomorphological deposits, XRD and OSL age dating. In Kohyun River basin are three levels terraces from T1 to T3. Fluvial terraces are assumed to be erosional terraces according to deposited situation of alurium and existences of bedrock riverbed. From the result of OSL age dating, formation age of fluvial terrace 1(T1) is calculated about 37,000 yr.B.P.(MIS 3), and fluvial terrace 2(T2) is calculated about 113,000 yr.B.P.(MIS 5). Therefore, fluvial terraces at Kohyun River are assumed to be formed at warmer period in the glacial stages or cooler period in the interglacial stages. The incision rate of fluvial terrace 1 at Kohyun River is calculated to be 0.054m/ka, and the incision rate of fluvial terrace 2 is calculated to be 0.115m/ka. This results suggest to lower incision rate than other rivers in Korea because of low uplift rates and little discharge.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.17-33
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• 2011

This study summarizes the research history of fluvial terraces in Korea and examines the geomorphic properties of fluvial terraces in Korea based on the previous works. The research history of fluvial terraces in Korea can be divided into the three periods. The theories of fluvial terraces were spread by the early geomorphologists during the period of Japanese colonial era to mid-1980s. The dissertations on the fluvial terraces were intensively published during the late 1980s to 1990s and their discussions were the center of geomorphology researches in Korea. Since 2000s, the discussions have become more mature and researches have been quantitatively increased as the various methodologies have been developed. The fluvial terraces in Korea are mostly developed in the western and eastern parts of the Taebaek Mountains, upper and middle reaches of Han and Nakdong River, and in the western slopes of Sobaek Mountains, middle reaches of Namhan River, upper and middle reaches of Geum and Seomjin River. Along these rivers in actively uplifted areas, fluvial terraces with much higher altitude from riverbed are observable and incision rates are relatively high. In the sense of the formation ages, they have developed in not regular patterns by the climatic changes during the Quaternary, but in more complicated aspects by the environmental conditions such as climate, hydrology, geology and geomorphology in the specific drainage basins.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-38
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• 2000

The marine terraces often offer come important clues to understand the topographic development during the Quaternary and the present landforms in korea. We examined the mechanism of the marine terraces formation along the coast from Samjung-Ri(community), Guryongpo-Eup(county) to Haseo-Ri, Yangnam-Myun(county), Gyungju-Si(city). Among the various but unique factors of the given coastal environment, which should contribute to the marine terraces formation together, we focused on five possible factors for the present stydy. Geologic difference in bedrocks, protrusion degree of coastiline, topological relief of sea-bottom, fluvial characteristics on land, and pattern of the waves appeared to act cooperatibely on the terrace formation of Southeastem coast in korea, while the fluvial characteristics seemed play a significant but localized role in it. Wide distribution of middle surfaces on the coast of Samjungri-Janggilri could be due to the concentration of the high waves and the weakness of the Tertiary volcanic rocks. For the sporadic distribution of the terraces on the coast of Gupungri-Gyewonri, it seemed attributable to the erosion -susceptible weak bedrock, the coastline of inner bay, shallow sea-bottom with the gentle relief, and other fluvial characteristics with the low divides. Together with the geologic difference in bedrock, other factors including protrusion degree of coast, topological relief of sea-bottom, and the transportation loads by the stream Daejongchon are believed to act cooperatively on the mechanism of the marine terraces formation on the coast of Duwonri-Upchonri.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2014

This study estimates geomorphological processes of fluvial terraces by uplifts and bedrock features, by the analyses of topography, distribution, formation age and incision rate of fluvial terraces using Gwang-cheon River in Uljin, Namdae-cheon River in Pyeonghae and Osip-cheon River in Yeongdeok located in the southern Taebaek Mountain Range. The tectonic and climatic terraces I in the upper reaches of Gwang-cheon River with an altitude from riverbed of 9~12m indicate the formation age of MIS 2 with a incision rate of 0.40m/ka. However, the tectonic and climatic terraces I in the upper reaches of Osip-cheon River with an altitude from riverbed of 7~10m show the formation age of MIS 3 with an incision rate of 0.10m/ka. These results suggest that the uplift rate in the Gwang-cheon River basin is likely to be higher than that in the Osip-cheon River basin. Unlike the lower reaches of Osip-cheon River, the thalassostatic terraces are not found in the lower reaches of Gwang-cheon River, because the basin has low maintainable ability of landforms in river valley due to high uplift rate and bedrock properties resistant to weathering and erosion. On the other hand, the lowest tectonic and climatic terraces in the study areas indicate different formative ages and the terraces during the cooling stage in interglacial as well as during interstadial are also found. Therefore, this study suggests that chronological method for fluvial terrace by the previous developmental model of climatic terrace should be reconsidered.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.18 no.1 s.22
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• pp.41-46
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• 2004

The fluvia(thalassostatic) terraces have been developed among the lower Yeongsan river, near the southwestern coastal region of Korean peninsula. These thalassostatic terraces could be classified into 3 surface, i. e., Yeongsan 32m, 18m, and 10m surface, in desending order, according to the relative heights from the river floor. Yeongsan 32m, 18m and 10m surfaces were corresponded to the mMT3, mLT1 and mLT2 surfaces of Choi(2003), respectively. It was revealed that the mLT1 surface was the marine terraces which had been formed in the Last Interglacial culmination period(oxygen isotope stage 5e) in the southeastern coast of Korean peninsula.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.1-2
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.425-443
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• 2004

Fluvial terraces is poorly developed along Bukhan River in Central Korea. Altitude from riverbed of T1 terraces are 18-29m, T2 terraces 2539m, respectively. Rubification index of T2 is 0.66, T1 is 0.54, and thickness of gravel weathering rind on gneiss of T2 are 14.0mm, granites of T2 are $\infty$, gneiss of T1 are 5.0mm and granites of T2 are 8.0mm, because weathering in deposits of T2 terraces, older than T1, is severer than T1 terraces. Since deposits in T2 have more active and longer weathering than T1, SiO$_2$/Al$_2$O$_3$ is 3.32 in T2 and 4.06 in T1, and SiO$_2$/R$_2$O$_3$ is 2.64 in T2 and 3.19 in T1. CIA(Chemical Index of Alteration) is 87.85％ in T2 and 85.88％ in T1. Kaolinite and halloysite are founded in deposits of T2 indicating high weathering, and are founded gibbsite made tv eluviation of kaolinite. However, deposits of T1 have no kaolinite, and are found plagioclase, weak mineral in weathering process. Comparing to previous researches by estimated age as altitude from riverbed, rubification index, thickness of gravel weathering rind, element contents and mineral composition, forming age of T2 terraces in Bukhan River are estimated in marine oxygen isotope stage 6 (130-190ka), and T1 terraces are marine oxygen isotope stage 4(59-74ka).

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.27-44
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• 2004

Upper reach of Soyang River at the northernmost area around Taebaek Mountains in South korea is profitable area to understand paleo-environment during the Quaternary such as tectonic process and climate change in the Korean Peninsula. This study explained paleo-environment affect to channel development by geomorphic distribution and characteristics of terrace surfaces, and analysis of deposits at 58 fluvial terraces in upper reach of Soyang River. Fluvial terraces were classified from T1 to T6. Most terraces are distributed on the point bar in meandering channel and one side along river valley. Terraces tend to decrease in number and superficial dissection rate to be higher and channel slope to be steeper if it takes long time from T1 to 6. The paleo-channel of Soyang River is supposed to be stronger meandering in period of T2 than T3. The weathering rind of gravel is generally thicker in older terrace, however, differs by contents of water and air in deposits. Based on the data of stratigraphy, grain size analysis, pollen analysis and rubification index in deposit, formation age of T5 terrace in Soyang River are estimated in MIS(Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage) 10, and T2 terrace are estimated in MIS 6.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2001

According to the change of stream power/resisting power relationship due to the crustal movement or the climatic change, most channel landforms which reflect the equilibrium state of fluvial system are eroded and a part of them is remained as a river terrace. In many rivers in Korea are extensively distributed the relatively younger low river terraces. But their accurate formation mechanism is not known. In this paper, the formation processes and the dating of low river terraces distributed in Nakdong River basin will be investigated. Stream power of the downward erosion was revived because the sea level fell down. So stream power was superior to the resisting power under the cool-wet climatic condition during the last glacial period. Thus the river bed was excavated deeply, so that low river terraces were built up. And many incised meander loops were cut during this period. But, when fluvial system did not have equilibrium over all reaches, the last glacial period ended and the sea level initiated to rise rapidly. The headward erosion from the fall of sea level during the last glacial period had kept up to Hagye Fall because of the cutting of incised meander loops. Deeply excavated valleys and abandoned channel of cut-meander in lower reaches of a stream were filled with sediments. Thus the longitudinal profile of the uppermost reaches reflect the last interglacial, the upper reaches the last glacial, and the middle/1ower reaches recent fluvial system. Therefore low river terraces have been formed since the last glacial period.