• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.15-25
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• 2017

Subi basin is located at the crestline of Taebaek mountains. This paper aims to elucidate the geomorphic development of Subi basin through the analysis of river terraces built in Wangpi-cheon and Banbyeon-cheon. Wangpi-cheon flows northeastward from Subi basin, and Banbyeon-cheon flows southward at the west of Subi basin. Absolute age of terrace is measured by means of OSL methodology, long profile of Wangpi-cheon is made up with 10m interval contour line, and the elevation above river bed of high terraces is measured at the end part of terrace. The results are as follow: Firstly, high river terraces of Subi basin, Wangpi-cheon and Banbyeon-cheon are formed about 40 kyr(MIS 3) being interstadial stage of last glacial period. Secondly, the elevation above river bed of high terraces of Wangpi-cheon and Banbyeon-cheon tends to increase toward upstream. It means that the uplift of Taebaek Mountains influences considerably the formation of their terraces. Thirdly, the elevation above river bed of high terraces at the reach from Seomchon to Suha-ri of Wangpi-cheon tends to decrease toward upstream. This section is captured from Banbyeon-cheon flowing in the opposite direction. River piracy has occurred from the time of formation of Suha-ri high terrace to the time of formation of Hantee wind gap. Finally, for fluvial system of Wangpi-cheon to establish dynamic equilibrium, topographic axis will move toward Banbyeon-cheon.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1992

The reconstruction of the vegetational and environmental history of the Korean peninsula by the use of various fossil floral data from the Carboniferous period to the Pre-Holocene is reviewed. Though the oldest plant fossil in Korea (Neuropteris) dates back to the Carboniferous period, the first appearance of many of the present-day floristic genera indeed dates back to the Oligocene (c. 40 to 20 million years B.P.), and includes many thermophilous genera. The presence of thermophilous genera in the Oligocene at up to four degrees north of their present distributional limits implies that the climate of the Oligocene was warmer than that of today. The occurrence of similar thermophilous floristic element at up to six degrees north of their present range during the Middle Miocene suggests a maximum northward expansion of warmth-loving evergreen broadleaved vegetation for, recent Korean vegetation history. The continued occurrence of numerous present-day genera since the Oligocene period indicates a long-term stability of Korean vegetation, along with minor fluctuations within it. The admixture of evergreen coniferous plants and deciduous breadleaved plants, however, indicates a probable temperate climate for much of the Middle Pleistocene. There are couple of evidences which are indicative of an early-stage anthropogenic disturbance of natural vegetation during the Middle Pleistocene of Korea. The presence of cold-episodes during the Upper Pleistocene caused a general expansion of deciduous plants and cryophilous evergreen coniferous, plants. It is likely that the maximum southward expansion of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine floras in Korea occured during the penultimate glacial period. The disappearance of some cryophilous genera from 10,000 years B.P. marks the continued climatic amelioration since then, along with minor climatic fluctuations during the Holocene period.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.47-59
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• 2016

The formation age and depositional environment of the marine terrace I of the estimated paleoshoreline altitude of 18m in Sanhari of Ulsan coast, southeastern Korea were investigated on the basis of examination of lithofacies and stratigraphy of terrace deposits. Marine deposits of the terrace is composed of rounded boulders(70cm in diameter) and rounded pebbles(1.0cm in diameter) which overlay them. The above rounded boulders which lie on the paleo-shore platform are considered to have been formed by wave abrasion in the same period that the paleo-shore platform was developed. The rounded pebbles which lie on the rounded boulder layer are considered to have been deposited in gravel beach and berm environment, judging from the laminae developed in this layer. The paleo-shore platform and marine rounded gravel layer of the terrace are assumed to have been formed in the large transgression period of the Last Interglacial culmination stage(MIS 5e), judging from the comparision of the formation age of 125ka B.P. of Juckcheon terrace I in the adjacent Pohang coast which was dated by amino acid dating. The terrestrial deposit of this terrace was largely composed of angular and subangular gravel mixed with marine rounded pebble which has been carried away mainly from the deposit of previous marine terraces and redeposited in this terrace. The lowest peat layer of terrastrial deposit was considered to have been deposited during the period from the late MIS 5e which is the estimated finishing time of deposition of the above marine gravels to the early stage of following regression period(MIS 5d) in which the sea level was still high. The sediments of angular and subangular gravel deposit which lie on this peat layer were assumed to have been deposited during the period from the early stage of the first regression period(MIS 5d) of the Last Interglacial to the Last Glacial. The lower part of the angular gravel layer is composed of the deposits of the fluvial and colluvial sediments, whereas most of the upper and middle part of the layer is mainly composed of angular gravels of colluvial sediments formed in the cold environment.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.357-365
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• 1994

The sediments on the continental shelf off the west coast (middle part) of Korea are divided into northern sandy deposits and southern muddy sediments, respectively. The sandy sediments consist dominantly of quartz and feldspar grains, representing mature-stage sediment in composition. Further-more, the presence of iron-stained quartz grain and glauconite does indicate that the sediments are similar to the relict sediments on the outer shelf of Yellow Sea and East China Sea. These sandy sediments are interpreted as a basal sands that were deposited during the transgression period due to sea-level rise after to last glacial maximum (LGM). The tidal deposits in the Namyang Bay, the west coast of Korea are divided vertically into the upper layer of muddy sediments and the lower layer of sandy sediments. the upper layer sediments contain abundant rock fragments, and are interpreted as the modern tetragenous sediments. The lower layer sediments, on the other hand, are rich in quartz and feldspar grains, representing high index of sediment maturity ratio. the lower layer sandy deposits show the presence of iron-stained.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 1999

Hundred pieces of peat woods(ca. 2500 years old) were excavated in 1995 at Hyunwhari, Pyungtaek in the west-central coast of the Korea Peninsula. Among them, 63 samples representing 21 trenches were selected for the species identification. Because most peat woods were rotten by fungi for long period, only 27 samples could be identified. Due to the deteriorated structure of peat woods, all samples were embedded in PEG(polyethylene glycol 2000) and then sectioned using a rotary microtome. Major species were Alnus spp.(55.6%), Fraxinus spp.(33.3%) and Quercus (Lepidobalanus)(11.1%). No conifers were found. The species composition indicates that the sample region was a swamp or lakeside, which appeared to be formed because of the sea-level rise after last-glacial period.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 1992

To understand the natural environments and human cultures in the Yellow Sea regions, this paper deals especially the climate and sea level fluctuation in the Yellow Sea and its surrounding region in the period of late Pleistocene (125, 000 yr BP) to Holocene. During the glacial maximum (about 15, 000 yr BP to 18, 000 yr BP), the climate might be cold and arid. These arid climate in the Yellow Sea region did make desertization possible. Possible human culture exchanges between China, Korea and Japan might be carried in a easy way, because the entire basin of the Yellow Sea was exposed as land. Paleoshorelines of the Yellow Sea in the period of 10, 000 yr BP, 9, 000 ry BP and 6, 000 yr BP are presented and sea level fluctuation curve from 37, 000 yr BP (late Pleistocene) to present (late Holocene), for the first time, is presented based on a careful reconsideration of existing old data and recent new data.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.157-168
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• 2012

The Eonyang section is located at the confluent area of Samdong River to Taehwa River in Sinhwa-ri, Samnam-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan-si, Korea. Physical analyses such as the OSL age dating, magnetic susceptibility and grain size analysis were performed. Coarse grains in the upper section were deposited by the aeolian processes from the local sources and the grains in the lower section by the fluvial processes. The Eonyang section shows the large differences such as the irregularity in the variations of magnetic susceptibility, large deviations in the Y values and very poor sorting values from the loess sediments in Bongdong, Geochang and Daecheon in Korea. These characteristics in the Eonyang section suggest the multi-source areas such as the Chinese Loess Plateau and nearby floodplain or the influences by the other processes. The loess sediments of Eonyang section were formed during the period from the late MIS 3 to MIS 2.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.43-61
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• 2018

Heterogeneous sedimentary deposits with different soil colors and various degree of hardness are exposed in its foredune and tidal zone due to the effects of recently accelerated coastal erosion along the Ujeon Coast in Jeung-do, Shinan-gun. This study was conducted on the assumption that these sedimentary deposits were developed in different timing and environments. Thus, we can infer the geomorphic development processes of the area based on evidences like the physicochemical characteristics of each sedimentary layer. Several analysis of these sedimentary depositssuch as grain size analysis, X-ray Fluorescence Measurement (XRF), and Loss on ignition (LOI) were performed on central (Ujeon A) and southern (Ujeon B) parts of the Ujeon Coast. I found that the foredune sedimentary deposits have four stages of geomorphic development processes. In the initial stage of development, during the peak of the Last Interglacial Period (MIS 5e), basal deposits were accumulated in the low-energy environment of subtidal zones. In the second stage, during the Last Glacial Period (MIS 4~MIS 2), eolian sedimentary layers were developed by terrestrial aeolian processes by which fine materials were transported from the Yellow Sea which became a dry land exposed by lowered sea level. In the third stage, various mechanism existed for the formation of each sedimentary layer. In the region of Ujeon A, sedimentary layers were developed in the littoral zone environment dominated by marine processes during the maximum phase of transgression in the Holocene. Meanwhile, the region of Ujeon B began to form eolian sedimentary layers during MIS 2. In the last stage, thick coastal dune deposits, covered all over the Ujeon Coast. During the late Holocene (0.7~0.6 ka), terrestrial processes kept dominating the region, developing typical eolian sedimentary layers.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2010

Seongnyu Cave have developed along the NE-SW direction in carbonate rocks of the Joseon Supergroup. The cave mostly shows horizontal passages and contains three lakes. The main passage is about 330 m long with 540 m-long branches, thus the total length of the cave is about 870 m. Through cave diving, about 85 m-long new passages were discovered. Numerous speleothems such as soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstones, rimstones, cave shields, cave corals, curtains (and bacon sheets), cave pearls, cave flowers, helictites and calcite rafts can be found in the cave. Especially, some speleothems which were believed to have grown in the past were discovered in the submerged passage, and a few stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and columns were eroded (or corroded) by the cave stream that flowed on the floor. Because these speleothems only grow in subaerial environments within limestone caves, it appears that they grew when there was no lake in the cave and became submerged as the lake level rose in the cave. The presence of these speleothems in the lakes indicate that they only grew during glacial periods when sea-level was lower. Therefore, detailed investigation of these speleothems will provide invaluable information on paleoclimatic evolution around the Korean peninsula in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.204-217
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• 2013

This study shows the geomorphological processes of Yuga alluvial fan at Dalseong-gun, Daegu in Korea, based on characteristics of geomorphological surfaces, analysis of geomorphological deposits and OSL age dating. Alluvial fans of this area are classified into three surfaces(YG-F1, YG-F2, YG-F3) and were formed by the depositional processes resulting from the changes in hydraulic geometry of flowing water which was a stream flowing out of mountains debouched on to a plain, not by a sudden decrease in surface gradient of river bed. YG-F3 surface, about 110,000 yr B.P.(MIS 5.4), was formed as Yongri river deposited a lot of debris. This result was due to the process that the deposition took place actively with the upward of base level as the last interglacial period began. Later, the denudation of the river valley and geomorphological surface constantly occurred and the local and seasonal changes were found in precipitation and stream discharge with the beginning of the interstadial of the last glacial stages(MIS 3), leading to YG-F2 formed by debris flow, earth flow, mud flow and stream flow. Then, short-term climate changes and temporal climate events repeatedly caused aggradation and denudation over time and going through these processes, YG-F1 is believed to have been made by earth flow or mudflow during the last glacial maximum(MIS 2).