• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.131-146
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• 2014

Multi-beam echosounder data and grain size analysis data of surface sediment were acquired and analyzed in order to investigate the shelf-to-slope morphology, geological character, and their geological controlling factors in the southwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin. According to the morphological character, the continental shelf can be divided into two parts: (1) shallow (~100 m) and steep ($0.5^{\circ}$) inner shelf, (2) deep (100-300 m) and gentle ($0.2^{\circ}$) outer shelf. The continental slope is featured with eight distinct topographic depressions of various spatial dimension (~121 $km^2$ in area) and head wall gradient (${\sim}24.3^{\circ}$). They are developed adjacent to each other and presumably formed by submarine landslides which have recurred under the strong influences of earthquakes and eustatic sea-level change. The inner continental shelf and the continental slope are dominated by fine-grained sediment, whereas the outer continental shelf is dominated by coarse-grained sediment. The surface sediment distribution seems dominantly influenced by eustatic sea-level change. The outer continental shelf is mostly covered by coarse relict sediment deposited during lowstand sea-level, while the inner shelf is covered with recent sediment during highstand sea-level. The surface of the continental slope is covered with fine-grained sediments which were supplied by hemipelagic advection process.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.48-62
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• 1998

Seasonal volume transport on the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf is investigated in terms of objectively fitted transport streamfunction fields based on the current meter data of the Texas­Louisiana Shelf Circulation and Transport Processes Study. Adopted here for the objective mapping is a method employing a two-dimensional truncated Fourier representation of the streamfunction over a domain, with the amplitudes determined by least square fit of the observation. The fitting was done with depth-averaged flow rather than depth-integrated flow to reduce the root-mean-square error. The fitting process filters out $11\%$ of the kinetic energy in the monthly mean transport fields. The shelf-wide pattern of streamfunction fields is similar to that of near-surface velocity fields over the region. The nearshore transport, about 0.1 to 0.3 Sv $(1 Sv= 10^6\;m^3/sec)$, is well correlated with the seasonal signal of along-shelf wind stress. The spring transport is weak compared to other seasons in the inner shelf region. The transport along the shelf break is large and variable. In the southwestern shelf break, transport amounts up to 4.7 Sv, which is associated with the activities of the encroaching of energetic anticyclonic eddies originated in Loop Current of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of streamfunction variability contains $67.3\%$ of the variance and shows a simple, shelf-wide, along-shelf pattern of transport. The amplitude evolution of the first EOF is highly correlated (correlation coefficient: 0.88) with the evolution of the along-shelf wind stress. This provides strong evidence that the large portion of seasonal variation of the shelf transport is wind-forced. The second EOF contains $23.7\%$ of the variance and shows eddy activities at the southwestern shelf break. The correlation coefficient between the amplitudes of the second EOF and wind stress is 0.42. We assume that this mode is coupled a periodic inner shelf process with a non-periodic eddy process on the shelf break. The third EOF (accounting for $7.2\% of the variance) shows several cell structures near the shelf break associated with the variability of the Loop Current Eddies. The amplitude time series of the third EOF show little correlation with the along-shelf wind.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 1990

Narrow (10-20 km wide) and steep (0.3-$2.4^{\circ}$) continental shelf off the eastern coast of Korea is covered with terrigenous clastic sediments reflecting the Holocene fluctuation of sea level. Surface sediments on the inner shelf consist of muddy sand and sandy mud with some gravels near the coast. However, sand or muddy sand, shell fragments and well rounded gravels occur near the edge of continental shelf at the depth of about 130-l50m. The coarse sediments near the shelf edge seem to be the relict or palimpsest sediments deposited under the nearshore environment during the low-stand or sea level due to so-called the Wisconsinan glaciation. Distribution of recent sediments near the coast and the inner shelf may reflect the affect of waves and currents precluding the deposition of fine sediment near the coast and on the shallow portion of shelf. Eastern Korean Warm Current also nay have played an important role to the transport and distribution of fine sediments from the south.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.55-61
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• 1985

Two hundred suspended-matter samples were collected from the continental shelf off the southeast coast of Korea during September, 1981, March, 1982 and April 1983. Superficial bottom sediments on the shelf were also taken. Based on the alalyses of TSM distribution and concentration patterns, it is considered that finegrained suspended matters are restricted to nearshore-inner shelf showing a band or zone paralleling with coastal morphology. This fact suggests a limitation of "modern" fine grained sediments to a nearshore and inner shelf band. The sand deposits with the lower value of mud content (<5%) adjacent to the shelf break and on the outer shelf would probably be "relict" sediments (old beach sediments) deposited in response to a lower stand of sea level during the Pleistocene ice age. The transgression did little to alter the distribution of sand on the outer shelf in this particular study area. The progress of shore line was so rapid that a given locality was in the beach zone and subject to rapid longshore drift and extensive reworking only for a few years. Probably the most pronounced effect of the transgression was sorting of the sand, and at least partial winnowing out of the finer fractions.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.259-271
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• 1993

The distributions of bottom sediments and the depositional processes on the continental shelves of Korean Seas are interpreted. Generally the continental shelf sediments can be classified into the sand-facies and mud-facies, showing the typical bimodal size distributions Most of the sandy and gravelly sediments on the outer shelf floor are interpreted as "relict" sediments that were deposited during the last glacial times when the sea level was lower than the present. On the other hand the muddy sediments on the inner shelf area are interpreted as "recent" sediments that are deposited under the present environment conditions. It is understood that most of the fine materials cannot escape the inner shelf area due to the strong tidal and coastal fronts, and are transported eastward from the West Sea along the southern coast of Korean Peninsula. The dark-colored muddy sediments in the Hupo Basin of the East Sea are, however, considered to be "relict" sediments. In the midshelf area fine materials are mixed with the relict coarse sediments, and some of the relict sediments are continuously reworked under the present environmental conditions forming the "palimpsest" sediments.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.212-221
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• 2004

Concentrations of suspended particulate matters (SPM) and their distribution patterns were monitored three times in the East China Sea during the winter season in 1998 and 1999. SPM concentrations showed significant temporal variations controlled by the atmospheric conditions and sea states. In coastal area, SPM values were about 10-20 mg/l in fair weather conditions, but exceeded 100mg/l during the storm periods. Turbid waters were distributed widespread in the continental shelf of the East China Sea and the coastal area of the Korean Peninsula, and these two areas were connected along a NE-SW direction. The distribution patterns of turbid waters were interpreted as representing the transport behavior of suspended matter. Although the primary source of inner shelf mud deposits of Korea seems to be the Korean Peninsula, contribution from the East China Sea to the coastal area of Korea increases especially during the winter season.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.369-379
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• 2003

Analysis of high-resolution seismic profiles and sediment data from the southeastern continental shelf of Korea reveals that the late Quaternary deposits consist of a set of lowstand (LST), transgressive (TST), and highstand systems tracts (HST) that corresponds to the sea-level change after the Last Glacial Maximum. LST (Unit I) above the sequence boundary consists of sandy mud or muddy sand deposited during the last glacial period and is confined to the shelf margin and trough region. TST (Unit II) between transgressive surface and maximum flooding surface consists of sandy sediments deposited during the postglacial transgression (15,000-6,000 yr BP). Although TST is widely distributed on the shelf, it is much thinner than LST and HST. On the basis of distribution pattern, TST can be divided into three sub-units: early TST (Unit IIa) on the shelf margin, middle TST (Unit IIb) on the mid-shelf, and late TST (Unit IIc) on the inner shelf, respectively. These are characterized by a backstepping depositional arrangement. HST(Unit III) above the maximum flooding surface is composed of the fine-grained sediments deposited during the last 6000 yrs when sea level was close to the present level and its distribution is restricted to the inner shelf along the coast.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 1986

A Q-mode factor analysis for 115 surficial bottom sediments on the continental shelf off the southeast coast of Korean Peninsula(the Korea Strait) has been carried out to determine the depositional environments. The first four factors are taken as the "principal" factors, and the results are considered to represent the depositional history and sedimentary processes in relation to the Holocene sea-level changes. The fact implies that the sediments are grouped as outer-shelf relict sand sediments, inner-shelf modern muddy sediments, and finally the palimpsest sediments that are mainly distributed within and around the Korea Trough.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1987

A study on sedimentation, geochemical behavior and seismic stratigrapht of the continental shelf sediments along the Korea Strait and a part of south and southeast offshore area of the Korea Peninsula was carried out. In the inner shelf floor with depth ranging up to 80m zonal distribution patterns of mud, sandy silt, and silty sand were observed. In the outer shelf, however, coarse sandy sediments are dominant, and shills and gravels were frequently observed. These observations seem to confirm the Holocene sedimentary processes on the continental shelves off the south, south to east coasts of Korea discussed by Park (1985 and 1986) and Park and Choi (1986). The suface sediments (upper most 5cm thick)from selected 9 stations were analyzed for Al,Mn, Fe,Cr,Ni,Cu,Zn and Pb in order to study geochemical behavior of the sediments in the study area. All data were normalized to Al to com,pensate the size effect of the sediments.In general,inner shelf sediments show slight enrichment compared to the outer shelf sediments.In particular,Pb and Zn show heavy enrichment in most of the sediments.to degrees comparable to those observed at the polluted Kwangyang and Masan Bay sediments.Thus,it is considered that rapid migration or movement of fine-grained sediments in the study area does exist. Three seismic stratigraphic units were analyzed based on the seismic records.The acoustic basement the lower sedimentary deposit(B)and the upper deposit(A)were observed.The strong reflectivity R,in particular, between unit A and B is considered to be an erosinal unconformity during the last Glacial time.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 1997

The southwestern continental shelf of the East Sea, Korea developed mud deposits as a belt in the inner shelf area from Pusan to Pohang. The general surface sediments consist of very poorly to poorly sorted muddy sediment. The differences of physical, geological and geomorphic conditions in the study area may control and produce distinctive foraminiferal populations. To establish a baseline of environment for the muddy sediments in the southwestern continental shelf of the East Sea, 17 stations were sampled and proved to contain 45 species of living benthic foraminifera. Analysis of the foraminiferal populations in cluster analysis recognized to five habitat zones. These habitat zones contain distinctive cooccurrences of the entire occurring species. Foraminiferal community composition appeared to be closely interrelated of water masses, depths, nutrients and sediment characters.