• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.48-55
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• 2009

To investigate the paleoceanographic environmental changes around the Okinawa Trough, Japan, a piston core (RN88-PC5) was conducted on benthic foraminiferal species composition, assemblage, sedimentological and geochemical analyses. Trubidite sediment intercalated in studied core contains different benthic foraminiferal species, dwelling in shallow coral reef species, from normal hemipelagic sediment. These different benthic foraminiferal species and its assemblage are interpreted as reworked sediment when turbidite current occurred, synchronically. Grain size analysis clearly showed that mean grain size difference occurred between trubidite and hemipelagic sediments. Geochemical analysis also showed the difference of chemical composition between two sedimentary facies. Results of the foraminiferal oxygen isotope analysis showing global surface water warming records since the last 10 ka. The geochemcial analysis and previous works showed that turbidite sediment of studied core indicating sporadic occurrence of regional paleoceanographic events. Assemblage of shallow coral reef benthic foraminifera especially occurred with turbidite layer clearly support the sporadic occurrence of paleoceanographic events such as regional earthquake.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.136-145
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• 1986

Biotope analysis(UPGM) of the data on the total benthic foraminferal assemblage (Kim and Han, 1982) collected from the southeastern sea off the Korean Peninsula shows that foraminiferal assemblages are related to the water masses prevailing in the study area. South Proper facies is governed by the Tsushima Warm Current, and Southern Deep facies is influenced by the cold water mass moved down along the bottom. Northern Nearshore facies is governed by the North Korea Cold Current, and North Proper facies is affected by the North Korea Cold Current and Japan Sea Proper Water. It is also evident that the upper part of the study area is under the influence of the North Korea Cold Current rather than the East Korea Warm Current which flows northward along/or off the right side of the study area. Planktonic foraminiferal occurrence also supports this biotope analysis.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2012

In order to understand the relationship between the formation of hypoxia sediment by eutrophication and changes in benthic foraminiferal assemblage, micropaleontological and geochemical analyses were carried out on one sediment box core (K-1) recovered in the northern Gamak Bay, which is one of the aquacultural areas in the South Sea of Korea. In this analysis, the PON content in the sediment rapidly increased, while the C/N ratio and the C/S ratio decreased since 1977. These results indicate that eutrophication commenced in 1977 in the northern Gamak Bay, and consequently, the hypoxia sediment is 20 cm thick. Ammonia beccarii-Buccella frigida assemblage occurs before the formation of hypoxia sediment. Trochammina hadai-Buccella frigida assemblage appeared in the transitional period toward hypoxia and Trochammina hadai assemblage with a low abundance and diversity is observed in the hypoxia sediment. The agglutinated species T. hadai is regarded as a bio-indicator (opportunistic species) of the organic pollution in northern Gamak Bay.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.454-465
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• 2008

Benthic foraminiferal assemblage and AMS radiocarbon dating of core sediments from the northern shelf of the East China Sea were analyzed in order to understand the paleoenvironment and sedimentary environmental changes around the Korean marginal seas since the last glacial maximum (LGM). The core sediments, containing continuous records of the last 16,000 years, reveal a series of well-defined vertical changes in number of species (S), P/T ratio and species diversity (H) as well as foraminiferal assemblage. Such down-core variations display a sharp change at a core depth of approximately 240 cm, which corresponds to ca. 10,000 year B.P. The sediments of the lower part of the core (240${\sim}$560 cm, Zone I), including the well-developed tide-influenced sedimentary structures, are characterized by high abundances of Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium clavatum (s.l.) and low values in number of species, P/T ratio and diversity. These tide-influenced signatures and foraminiferal assemblage characters suggest that the sediments of Zone I were deposited in a coastal environment (water depths of 20${\sim}$30 m) such as tidal estuary with an influence of the paleo-rivers (e.g., old-Huanghe and Yangtze rivers) during the early phase of the sea-level rise (ca. 16,000 to 10,000 years) since the LGM. In contrast, the upper core sediments (0${\sim}$240 cm, Zone II) are characterized by abundant Eilohedra nipponica and Bolivina robusta with a minor contribution of A. ketienziensis angulata and B. marginata. and high values in number of species, P/T ratio and diversity. Based on relative abundance of these assemblage, Zone II can be divided into two subzones (IIa and IIb). Zone IIa is interpreted to be deposited under the inner-to-middle shelf environment during the marine transgression in the early Holocene (after ca. 9,000 yr B.P.) when sea level rapidly increased. The sediments of zone IIb most likely deposited after 6,000 yr B.P. under the outer shelf environment (80${\sim}$100 m water depth), which is similar to modem depositional environments. The muddy sediments of zone IIb were probably transported from the old-Huanghe and Yangtze Rivers during the late Holocene. We suggest that the present-day oceanographic conditions over the Yellow and the East China Seas have been established after ca. 7,000${\sim}$6,000 yr B.P. when the Kuroshio Current began to influence this area.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.8-31
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• 2023

To understand the distribution and formation mechanism of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, grain size analysis, ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating, and benthic foraminifera analysis were conducted on thirty-two surface sediments collected from the continental shelf of the northern East China Sea, respectively. Surface sediment was composed of sandy mud~muddy sand facies with an average of 52.04% of sand, 13.72% of silt, and 34.20% of clay. These sedimentary facies are palimpsest sediment. Benthic foraminifera was classified into a total of 48 genera and 104 species, including agglutinated foraminifera, calcareous-hyaline, and calcareous-porcelaneous foraminifera. The production rate of agglutinated foraminifera increased toward the Yangtze River area while that of planktonic foraminifera increased toward Jeju Island. Dominant species are Ammonia ketienziensis, Bolivina robusta, Eggella advena, Eilohedra nipponica, Pseudorotalia gamardii, Pseudoparrella naraensis. ¹⁴C radiocarbon datings of Bolivina robusta and Pseudorotalia gamardii with the highest production rate were 2,360±40 yr B.P. and 2,450±40 yr B.P., respectively. In the result of cluster analysis, three assemblages composed of P. gaimardii, B. robusta, and A. ketienziensis-P. naraensis were classified broadly. P. gaimardii assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. at the sea area of the Yangtze River to 50 m in water depth affected by fresh water. B. robusta assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.4 yr B.P. at the sea area of Jeju Island to 50~100 m affected by offshore water. And then, A. ketienziensisP. naraensis assemblage was formed in the northwest sea area (Central Yellow Sea Mud). These distributions and composition of benthic foraminiferal assemblages formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. in the northern East China Sea are thought to be due to the change of benthic ecology environment that occurred by the sea level increase during the late Holocene.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.464-474
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• 2006

The paleoceanography since 14 ka was reconstructed based on the planktic foraminiferal assemblages of core sediments from the outer shelf of the Korea Strait. Planktic foraminifera in the core sediments can be divided into four assemblages: A, B, C, and D. Assemblage A consists mainly of Globigerinoides ruber group and Globigerinoides conglobatus with low abundance (less than 10%), indicating the tropical-subtropical water mass. Assemblage B is composed of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, the indicator of Kuroshio Current, and shows the aspect of the inflow of the Tsushima Current into the Korea Strait. Assemblage C yields polar-subpolar species, mainly Neogloboquadrina incompta and N. pachyderma. It decreases upward of the core. Assemblage D contains coastal water species such as Globigerina bulloides and G. quinqueloba. It is abundant in the lower to middle region of the core. From the analysis of distributions of each assemblage and the result of age datings in the core, it is suggested that the Korea Strait played a role of channelling the East China Sea and the East Sea after the LGM (ca. 14 ka). During this time, the coastal water, affected by fresh waters originated from the river systems of China and/ or the Korean Peninsula, flourished around the Korea Strait and theses coastal water might entered to the East Sea. Around 8.5 ka, the effect of the Tsushima Current started to strengthen in this region, and the present current system seems to be formed at about $7{\sim}6ka$.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 1996

Analyses of surface sediment textures and recent benthic foraminifera were carried out to understand the change of sedimentary depositional processes in the eastern part of Kwangyang Bay. Echo-sounding images revealed that topographic change of the delta front sheet sand was caused by POSCO (Pohang Steel Company)'s dredging and reclaiming. The sand body prograded toward southeast. Fine sediments are distributed in the northeastern part of the study area. Identification of benthic foraminifera was conducted for the two selected cores from the sand body for the first time. Dominant species are Ammonia beccarii, Elphidium excavatum and Quinqueloculina lamarckiana. No abrupt change of benthic foraminiferal assemblage was observed from the sedimentary sequences.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 1995

A turbidite core sediment (RN88-PC5) from 2051 m on the deep-sea floor at the southern margin of Okinawa Trough was examined. Sedimentological characteristics were quite different between sandy sediments and hemipelagic sediments and hemipelagic sediments in terms of benthic foraminiferal assemblage, grain-size and chemical composition. All turbidite sandy sediments were clearly transported from shallow area as they include typical coral reef dwelling benthic foraminifera which were not found in the background hemipelagic sediments. These layers also suggest that the sediments were transported by turbidity-related currents and implies that sedimentological mechanisms were different between sandy sediments and hemipelagic sediments. The result of the /SUP 14/ C age dating and the stable oxygen isotopic fluctuation of planktonic foraminifera show a gradual warming trend of the surface water from about 10 Ka to present. Also Termination lb as well as two fresh water input events were recognized at ca2 and 7 ka.