• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.249-259
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• 2014

Proxies for paleo-circulation are drawing much interest with the recognition that ocean circulation plays an important part in the redistribution of heat and climate change on orbital and millennial timescales. In this review, we will introduce how neodymium isotope ratios of the authigenic fraction of marine sediments can be used as a proxy for ocean circulation along with analytical methods and two case studies. The first case study shows how the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) has varied over the glacial-interglacial and stadial-interstadial periods. The second case study shows how the freshwater budget and water circulation within the Arctic Ocean can be reconstructed for the last glacial period.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.57-70
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• 2018

This study restores onshore paleo-shoreline records and establishes the nature and strain rate of neotectonism by investigating the existence and formative age of paleo-coastal sediments emerged around Sacheon-si in the Southern part of the Korean peninsula. As a result, paleo-sand bars representing 5m of the paleo-shoreline from high tide level are formed in Sacheon-si, and the formation age of these is confirmed as MIS 5c at approximately 100,000 year BP through rock surface luminescence dating to rounded gravels in paleo-sand bars. Although it is difficult to establish the uplift rate of crust precisely due to incomplete restoration of sea level records during the last interglacial stage, the uplift rate along the Southern coast of the peninsula was assumed approximately 0.72 lower than the Eastern coast during the late Quaternary in comparison to the 1st marine terrace along the Eastern coast.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.55-67
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• 2019

This study tries to reveal and compare uplift rates in the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, based on absolute ages from coastal terrace on the coast. The uplift rate in the East Coast from previous study ranges from 0.258 to 0.357 m/ka with a median rate of 0.262 m/ka and shows an increase trend from north to south. Median uplift rate of 0.082 m/ka with minimum and maximum rates of 0.053 m/ka and 0.127 m/ka, respectively, is calculated in the South Coast from previous and this studies. The uplift rate in the West Coast from 3 absolute ages in this study is 0.082~0.112 m/ka with a median rate of 0.090 m/ka. Based on these uplift rates in the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, it can be concluded that since MIS 5, the East Coast has experienced 3 to 4 times faster uplift rate than the West and South Coasts. However, this study suggests that more discussion on whether these uplift rates are long-term tectonic movement associated with tilted warping movement since the Tertiary or short-term tectonic movement associated with isostatic rebound due to sea level change since the Last Interglacial is needed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.249-261
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• 2020

This study details grain-size distributions (GSDs) of carbonate and biogenic opal fractions of the sediments retrieved from the South Korea Plateau in the East Sea and draws paleocanographic implications from them. The opal-fraction GSDs show fine modes of 10.3 ㎛ and coarse modes of 102.5 ㎛ on average. The fine-mode grains of opal fractions mainly consist of small diatoms and radiolarians including their broken frustules, while the coarse-mode grains are mostly comprised of large warm-water diatoms and radiolarians. Significant positive correlation between opal contents and abundances of the coarse-mode GSDs in the total GSDs suggests that the abundances of the coarse-mode GSDs were controlled by the increased surface productivity of warm-water diatoms during interglacial stages. The carbonate-fraction GSDs show fine modes of 2.4 ㎛ and coarse modes of 99.1 ㎛ on average. The fine-mode grains mainly consist of coccolithophores, while the coarse-mode grains are mostly comprised of intact or broken planktonic foraminifera. The abundances of coarse-mode and fine-mode GSDs were not correlated with carbonate contents, suggesting a complex control exerted by both the degree of carbonate dissolution and the productivity of coccolithophores on the carbonate-fraction GSDs.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.56-69
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• 2004

We investigated the distribution and geomorphic development of alluvial fan in Gyeongju City including Cheonbuk area. According to a relative height to a river bed, alluvial fans of this area are divided into Higher surface, Middle surface, and Lower surface. As alluvial fans of Bulguk temple∼Ulsan bay area, the confluent fans in Cheonbuk and Gyeongju areas were formed by the Quaternary climatic change alternating glacial and interglacial stages, and the development of N-S and NW-SE fault lines. The Gyeongju alluvial fan, the largest in Korea, has been provided as the significant space for human activity since the prehistoric age. Bukcheon river formed the Gyeongju alluvial fan had not flowed over during the prehistoric and the ancient times. In contrast with general geomorphic characteristics, many springs in the Gyeongju alluvial fan are located in the middle part of the fan because ground water reaches to the surface. It is supposed that sedimental materials were not sufficiently piled up at lower reach of Bukcheon river due to the large deposits at upper and middle reach of the basin.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.18 no.2 s.23
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• pp.3-3
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• 2004

One short core with length of 146cm(HB-107, at coordinates of $N51^{\circ}$11'37.5";$E100^{\circ}$24'45.6", from 229m water depth was subject of the present study. The sub-samples of the core were analyzed for the water contents (WC%), biogenic silica, identification of the main phases, grain size distribution, geochemistry and some physical properties of sediment(Wet density and Magnetic susceptibility) with aims of recording palaeo-environmental changes in Northem Mongolia. The evaluation of the geochemical and mineralogical proxies on palaeo-climated and palaeo-environmental changes are based on comparison to the behvior of biogenic silica through core, as later one had been showed itself, as good indicator of the climate and environmental fluctuation. Age model of the investigating core based on previously C 14 dated core HB105 taken from the central part of the Hobsgol Lake and the result had been published elsewhere. The core consists of two litological varieties : upper diatomaceous silt, lower clay. According to the age model the upper diatomaceous silt formed during the Holocene, lower caly-during the late Pleistocene glacial period. The geochemistry and phase identification analysis on the core samples are resulted in determining main minerals that form the bottom sediments and their geochemistry. The main include quartz, felspar, muscovite, clinochlore, amphibole and carbonate phase(dolomite and calcite). Through the core not only occur the relative quantitative changes of the main phases, but also happen that the carbonate phase completely disappear in diatomaceous silt. This is believed to be related to the lake water salinity changes, which occurred during the trassition period from Pleistocene glacial-to the Holocene interglacial. These abrupt changes of the mineralogy have been clearly traced in geochemistry of sediments, specially in calcium concentration, which is high in lower clay and low in upper diatomaceous silt. That means, geochemistry and mineralogy of the bottom sediments can be used as proxy data on palaeo-climate and palaeo-environmental changes.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.514-527
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• 2004

We investigated the distribution and geomorphic development of alluvial fans at Cheongdo- and Hweyang-eup(town) in the Cheongdo Basin, Gyeongsangbuk-do(Province) of Korea. The alluvial fans of study area are formed confluently to the E-W direction at the northern slope of the Mt. Namsan(840 m). They are classified into Higher surface, Middle surface, and Lower surface according to a relative height to a river bed. And the older alluvial fan is, the deeper gravel in the stream deposits is weathered. The magnitude of each surface composing of confluent fans is related to that of the drainage basin. So called fan-basin system of magnitude on the study area is on the positive(+) relation in the study area. The large fans over 1km in radius are found on the basin of andesite rock which is resistant to the weathering and erosion. Moreover there is no tectonic movement in the basin. It means the most important element influenced on the fan formation is not tectonic movement, but the Quaternary climatic change, which is the periglacial climate alternating glacial and interglacial stages during the Quaternary. Therefore alluvial fans would distribute in Korea overall influenced by the Quaternary climatic change.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.1 s.176
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• pp.53-61
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• 2006

Geochemical and sedimentological analyses of sediment piston core were used to trace paleoceanographic environmental changes in the East China Sea. The analytical results revealed three lithostratigraphic units (I, II, and III) corresponding to a highstand stage, a transgressive stage, and a lowstand stage, respectively. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) $^{14}C$ dated the boundaries between the units as 7 ka and II ka. That is, Unit I extended from the present to 7 ka, Unit II occupied a transitional episode from 7 to 11 ka, and Unit III was older than 11 ka. The transitional episode was characterized by sudden fluctuations in various geochemical proxies. Most strikingly, there was a gradual upward increase in both carbonate and total organic carbon (TOe) contents post-7 ka, during which time the ${\delta}^{l3}C$ values of organic material increased to a constant value. The gradual upward increase in the TOC and $CaCO_3$ contents in Unit I were accompanied by slight variations in grain size that probably reflect a stable modern oceanographic environment. Within Unit II (7 to 11 ka), the geochemical signals were characterized by abrupt and steep fluctuations, typical of a transgressive stage. Vertical mixing may have provoked an increase in productivity during this interval, with large amounts of terrigenous organic matter and/or freshwater being supplied by neighboring rivers. The geochemical signals remained stable throughout Unit III but exhibited different patterns than signals in Unit I. The high terrigenous organic matter content of Unit III suggests correspondence to a lowstand stage.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.222-236
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• 2002

The Osip-cheon river flowing on the east side of the Taeback mts. has formed river terraces on the several heights along the middle- and downstream. The river terraces are classified into 5 climatic ones and 7 thalassostatic ones. The thalassostatic ones are found to the height of 145-l50m level at 20-30m intervals. These vertical distribution is caused by the continuous uplift and periodical rise and fall of the sea-level. The high higher surfaces among the thalassostatic ones are the highest among those of Korea. The chronologies of the terraces are correlated to the marine oxygen isotope stages : The thalassostatic terraces on the level of 40 m.a.s.l. are to the stage 7, 70 m.a.s.l.. to the stage 9, 90 m.a.s.l. to the stage 9, 110 m.a.s.1. to the stage 11 and those of 150 m.a.s.1. to the stage 15 among the Interglacial Ages. The landuses and geomorphic landscapes of the Samchok area are chracteristic, because the karst landforms, such as doline and uvala, are developed on the surfaces of the middle-, the higher- and the high higher surfaces of river terrace.

• 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.