• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2013

The pollen analysis was performed targeting the valley plain alluvium of Jangjae-ri, Asan area in order to clarify the climate and vegetation environment of the Last glacial maximum and the Late glacial in terms of Gokgyo River Watershed In Asan-City, Korea. The sample collection point gets included in the current deciduous broadleaf forest zone (south cool temperate zone). The results are as follows. (1) The vegetation environment of about 19,300-14,100yrB.P. at the investigation area is mainly classified into YJ-I period and YJ-II period while YJ-Ia period is classified once again into YJ-Ia period and YJ-Ib period. YJ-Ia period (19,300-17,500yrB.P.) is correlated with the Last Glacial Maximum while the vegetation at the time has relatively a little wide distribution area of grassland compared to the forest and the forest vegetation of this time period is the mixed conifer and deciduous broad-leaved forest. YJ-Ib period (15,400-14,750yrB.P.) is correlated with the Late glacial (or the Last Glacial Maximum) and the distribution area of grassland became wider compared to the forest. While the forest vegetation of this time period is the mixed conifer and deciduous broad-leaved forest, a difference exists in terms of the dominant tree species. YJ-II period (about 14,650-14,100yrB.P.) is correlated with the Last glacial while the distribution area of grassland became even wider than the forest compared to the YJ-Ib in case of the vegetation at the time and the forest vegetation of this time period is the coniferous forest. (2) Both YJ-I period and YJ-II period were relatively cold and dry compared the End of Late Glacial (about 12,000-10,000yrB.P.)~Early Holocene (10,000-8,500yrB.P.), Also, YJ-II period was relatively colder than the YJ-I period and the YJ-Ib period was relatively more humid than the YJ-Ia period.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2002

Sediment from six piston cores from the East Sea (Sea of Japan) was analyzed for evidence of paleoceanographic changes and paleoclimatic variation. A distinct geochemical boundary is evident in major element concentrations and organic carbon content of most cores near the 10-ka horizon. This distinctive basal Holocene change is interpreted to be largely the result of changing sediment sources, an interpretation supported by TiO_2/Al_2O_3$ ratios. Organic carbon and carbonate contents also differ significantly between the Holocene and glacial intervals. The C/N ratio of organic matter is greater than 10 during the glacial period, but is less than 10 for the Holocene, suggesting that the influx of terrigenous organic matter was more volumetrically important than marine organic matter during glacial times. The chemical index of weathering (CIW) is higher for the Holocene than the glacial interval, and changes markedly at the basal Holocene geochemical boundary. Silt fractions are higher in the glacial interval, suggesting a strong effect of climate on silt particle transportation: terrigenous aluminosilicates and continental organic carbon transport were higher during glacial times than during the Holocene. Differences in sediment composition between the Holocene and glacial period are interpreted to have been climatically induced.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2001

To understand paleoceanographic environmental changes in the Esat Sea during the transitional period between Holocene and last glacial maximum, geochemical high resolution study was conducted by using a piston core(95PC-1) samples collected from the southernmost part of the Ulleung Basin. Geochemical results reveal that major distinctive paleoceanographic variations in transitional period are prominent. Major elemental concentrations show distinctive variations between glacial and Holocene suggesting changes in sediment supply. $TiO_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio of the sediment indicates different sediment composition between Holocene and glacial period. The content of total organic carbon ranging from 0.5% to 4% during transitional period. These vslues showed 2-4 times and two times higher than those of last glacial and Holocene, respectively. The C/N ratios deduced from organic matters exceed10 during transitional period suggesting terrigenous organic matter are supplied from continent, especially during last glacial maximum. Carbonate contents are relatively stable during Holocene and last glacial maximum with gradual decrease during glacial period with high fluctuation during transitional period. The variations of chemical index of weathering (CIW) also show a distinctive variation between glacial and Holocene, which is coincident with those of carbonate and organic carbon. The grain size distribution indicates that the difference content of silt fraction during Holocene and glacial period is closely related with climatic effect during glacial period. Therefore geochemical differences in sediment composition between Holocene and last glacial maximum is thought to be related to paleoceanographic, sea-level change and local paleoclimatic changes.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2009

We investigated the response of the westerly winds over the Southern Ocean (SO) to glacial boundary conditions for the Last Glacial Maximum using the CCM3 atmospheric general circulation model. In response to glacial boundary conditions, the zonally averaged maximum SO westerly winds weakened 20-35% and were displaced toward the equator by 3-4 degrees. This weakening of the SO westerly winds arose from a substantial increase in mean sea level pressure (MSLP) in the southern part of the SO around Antarctica relative to the northern part. The increase in MSLP around Antarctica is associated with a marked temperature reduction caused by an increase in sea ice cover and ice albedo feedback during the glacial time. The weakened westerly winds in the SO and their equator-ward displacement might play a role in reducing the atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration by reducing upwelling of the carbon rich deep water during the glacial time.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.141-153
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• 2023

Biological pump processes generated by diatom production in the surface water of the Southern Ocean play an important role in exchanging CO₂ gas between the atmosphere and ocean. In this study, the biogenic opal content of the sediments was measured to elucidate the variation in the primary production of diatoms in the surface water of the Southern Ocean since the last glacial period. A piston core (COR-1bPC) was collected from the Conrad Rise, which is located in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. The sediments were mainly composed of siliceous ooze, and sediment lightness increased and magnetic susceptibility decreased in an upward direction. The biogenic opal content was low (38.9%) during the last glacial period and high (73.4%) during the Holocene, showing a similar variation to that of Antarctic ice core ΔT and CO₂ concentration. In addition, the variation of biogenic opal content in core COR-1bPC is consistent with previous results reported in the Antarctic Zone, south of the Antarctic Polar Front, in the Southern Ocean. The glacial-interglacial biogenic opal production was influenced by the extent of sea ice coverage and degree of water column stability. During the last glacial period, the diatom production was reduced due to the penetration of light being limited in the euphotic zone by the extended sea ice coverage caused by the lowered seawater temperature. In addition, the formation of a strong thermocline in more extensive areas of sea ice coverage led to stronger water column stability, resulting in reduced diatom production due to the reduction in the supply of nutrient-rich subsurface water caused by a decrease in upwelling intensity. Under such environmental circumstances, diatom productivity decreased in the Antarctic Zone during the last glacial period, but the biogenic opal content increased rapidly under warming conditions with the onset of deglaciation.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2010

Calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) content was measured from 3 box core (BC060301, BC060303, BC070301) sediments, in addition to pilot core (PC313) sediments, from deep waters within the Western Pacific Ocean. At the two collection sites (BC060301, PC313) located close to the equator, downcore variation exhibited low $CaCO_3$ content during the interglacial period and high $CaCO_3$ content during the glacial period. Variation of coarse fraction (>$63\;{\mu}m$) content also followed changes in $CaCO_3$ content, indicating that dissolution effect of bottom water decreased during the glacial period. Such variation pattern is typical of the Pacific Ocean. However, downcore variation at the two collection sites (BC060303, BC070301) in the Philippine Sea contrasted the trend of the previous two cores (i.e., high $CaCO_3$ content during the interglacial period and low during the glacial period). This pattern is typical of the Atlantic Ocean. Such results may be attributed to the increasing dilution effect, initiated possibly by the increased transportation of terrigenous materials from nearby continent and archipelago during the glacial period when sea level was low. Alternatively, it is possible that the non-carbonate biogenic particles may have been responsible for dilution. Because of these uncertainties, the record of $CaCO_3$ variation in the deep Western Pacific Ocean is not regionally consistent.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.173-184
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• 2019

Variations in grain size distribution and clay mineral assemblage are closely related to the sedimentary facies that reflect depositional conditions during the glacial and interglacial periods. Gravity cores BS17-GC15 and BS17-GC04 were collected from the continental shelf and rise in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea during a cruise of the ANA07D Cruise Expedition by the Korea Polar Research Institute in 2017. Core sediments in BS17-GC15 consisted of subglacial diamicton, gravelly muddy sand, and bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. Core sediments in BS17-GC04 comprised silty mud with turbidites, brownish structureless mud, laminated mud, and brownish silty bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. The clay mineral assemblages in the two core sediments mainly consisted of smectite, chlorite, illite, and kaolinite. The clay mineral contents in core GC15 showed a variation in illite from 28.4 % to 44.5 % in down-core changes. Smectite contents varied from 31.1 % in the glacial period to 20 % in the deglacial period and 25.1 % in the interglacial period. Chlorite and kaolinite contents decreased from 40.5 % in the glacial period to 30.3 % in the interglacial period. The high contents of illite and chlorite indicated a terrigenous detritus supply from the bedrocks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Core GC04 from the continental rise showed a decrease in the average smectite content from 47.2 % in the glacial period to 20.6 % in the interglacial period, while the illite contents increased from the 21.3 % to 43.2 % from the glacial to the interglacial period. The high smectite contents in core GC04 during the glacial period may be supplied from Peter I Island, which has a known smectite-rich sediment contributed by Antarctic Circumpolar Currents. Conversely, the decrease in smectite and increase in chlorite and illite contents during the interglacial period was likely caused by a higher supply of chlorite- and illite-enriched sediment from the eastern Bellingshausen Sea shelf by the southwestward flowing contour current.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.12 no.1 s.15
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• pp.26-30
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• 2003

We examined the species of charcoals excavated at the late paleotithic site of Suyanggae. Suyanggae is located on the riverbed of Han river near Banyans, central Korea. The charcoals belong to the post-glacial period (radiocarbon dates: $18,630\~16,400\;BP$). Only two species were identified. Most of samples (139 among 142) examined were Pinus spp. (diploxylon). The other 3 samples were Picea spp. The results suggest the upper layer at $235\~245\;cm$ below the ground level was formed during dry and warm post glacial period, predominated by two needle pines and lower layer at 270 cm below the ground layer during the last glacial maximum period, predominated by spruces.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 2019

Understanding the interaction between climate and the water cycle is critical especially in a drought sensitive region such as California. This study explored hydrologic changes in central and southern California in relation to the glacial-interglacial climate cycles over the last 30 thousand years. To do this, we reconstructed paleovegetation using plant wax carbon isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$) preserved in marine sediment cores retrieved from the central California continental shelf (ODP Site 1018) and Santa Barbara Basin (ODP Site 893A). The results were then compared to the existing sea surface temperature (SST) and pollen records from the same cores to understand terrestrial hydrology in relation to oceanographic processes. The Last Glacial was generally dry both in central and southern California, indicated by grassland expansion, confirming the previously suggested notion that the westerly storm track that supplies the majority of the precipitation in California may not have moved southward during the glacial period. Southern California was drier than central California during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This drying trend may have been associated with the weakening of the California Current and northerly winds leading to the early increase in SST in southern California and decline in both offshore and coastal upwelling. The climate was wetter during the Holocene in both regions compared to the glacial period and forest coverage increased accordingly. We attribute this wetter condition to the precipitation contribution increase from the tropics. Overall, we found a clear synchronicity between the terrestrial and marine environment which showed that the terrestrial vegetation composition in California is greatly affected by not only the global climate states but also regional oceanographic and atmospheric conditions that regulate the timing and amount of precipitation over California.

• 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.