• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2010

Holocene vegetation and climate changes were assumed on the basis of pollen records from Wonpyeong Trench II-3 of the Osong archaeological site, Cheongju, Chungbuk Province, Korea. An organic matter beared in coarse sediments appeared to be low throughout the succession. Although an occurrence of pollen grains is not high, some dominant and principal taxa may indicate vegetation changes response to climate changes in central inland area of the Korean Peninsula. The age determination can be estimated with indirect way by comparing with previous age-controlled pollen studies. It is assumed that the former last glacial conifer forests had been changed into open mixed conifers and deciduous broadleaved forest during the early Holocene period. Warmer and more humid climate conditions, during the mid-Holocene, might have allowed the hardwoods including deciduous- and evergreen-broadleaved trees, and warm-preferring pine tree to flourish. Subsequently, the former forests were replaced by mixed of conifer and deciduous broadleaved forest owing to deterioration of climate conditions during the late Holocene. Human activity is also detected by agricultural indicators, such as buckwheat and large pollen grains comparable to corn, in upper most pollen profile. During this time, the forests in studied area were primarily affected by human disturbance rather than natural environment.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2001

The deep cored sediments of the beach spit deposit in the inlet of the Songji lagoon(lake) have been studied in terms of the late Quarternary stratigraphy and relationship of the Holocene sea-level curve. Furthermore, the total content of heavy mineral sands from the established stratigraphic units(Unit I, II and III) varies due to the changes of depositional environments from continental to marine condition.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.271-281
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• 2002

Interpretation of high-resolution seismic profiles collected from the inner shetf of the Korea Strait reveals that the shelf sequence in this area consists of three sedimentary units (I, II, and III in a descending order) formed after the last glacial maximum. Lower two units (II and III) represent the transgressive systems tract formed during the Holocene transgression, Unit III above the sequence boundary is interpreted to be the transgressive estuarine deposit, whereas Unit ll above the ravinement surface forms a thin transgressive sand which consists of the sediment produced through shoreface erosion and winnowing during the transgression. Unit I above the maximum flooding surface is the highstand systems tract consisting mainly of recent muds derived from the Nakdong River.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2002

We measured the alkenone concentration of bulk sediments from a piston core collected from the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea in order to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures (SST). Sediment ages are well constrained by AMS $^{14}C$ dates of the planktonic foraminifera Globigerina bulloides. Coretop alkenone SST calibration with modern surface temperatures and sediment trap dat (Hong et al., 1996) indicate that the SST estimated from alkenones most likely represent the temperatures of late fall. Downcore variations in the alkenone saturation index indicate that between 19 and 15 kyr BP the surface waters were about $3^{\circ}C$ warmer than today. Between 15 and 11 kyr BP, the temperatures were about $3^{\circ}C$ lower than today. A rapid SST increase of about $3^{\circ}C$ occurred at approximately 10 kyr BP. After considering the factors which might influence the SST reconstruction from the $U^{k'}_{37}$ values, we conclude that the alkenone temperature estimates are reliable. The reason for glacial warming in the East Sea is not clear, although there is a possibility that it could be caused by shift in the season of maximum alkenone production from summer during the last glaciation to late fall during the Holocene. Cooling between 15 and 11 kyr BP may be due to inflow of cold water into the East Sea such as via the Oyashio Current or ice-melt water. Warming at the early Holocene could be due to inflow of the Tsushima Current into the East Sea through the Korea Strait.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.541-552
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• 2010

Geochemical and physical investigations such as ${\delta}^{13}C$ isotope ratio, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, magnetic susceptibility (MS), and particle size analyses were carried out on the estuarine tidal flat sediments from the west coast of Korea in order to reconstruct the East Asian summer monsoon variability during the late Pleistocene and Holocene Our results indicated that the summer monsoon probably peaked around 7,700-7,800 yr BP and then started to decline about 7,400 yr BP in the Korean peninsular, and that the monsoon was relatively weak between 24,000-24,500 yr BP but relatively strong between 18,500-19,500 yr BP during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our estuarine geochemical data have proven to be valuable as a new proxy for detecting the shifts in monsoon strength. This new evidence will be helpful, especially for Korean paleoenvironmental studies with few proxy data archives.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.593-607
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• 2015

This study examined the Holocene environmental changes by OSL dating and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in 12 sediment cores from estuarine tidal flat, Mosan Bay Estuary, west coast of Korea. For the complexity of the geomorphic characteristics of estuaries, it is difficult to obtain a series of data. The following significant results were derived using relatively simple methods. First, MS data shows sensitive changes in pattern according to the precipitation change during mid to late Holocene. Second, MS data show periodicity of 250 yr. when they were wavelet transformed. This periodicity is related with the intensifying of solar intensity, the East Asian Summer Monsoon and ENSO. Thus, MS data from estuarine sediments are valuable data which can explain mechanism of climate change in East Asia and worthy as proxy data.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.185-195
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• 1998

Two piston cores (94PC-2 and 95PC-4) taken from the East Sea (Sea of Japan) are studied to evaluate the paleoceanographic changes and its interaction with climatic variation. The bulk geochemistry of the non-biogenic fractions of 54 sediment samples is determined using X-ray fluorescence. Four geochemical stratigraphic units at both core sediments are recognized based on the variations in major element concentration. These chemical stratigraphic units correspond well with the sedimentological and paleontological facies. Source materials are considered as basic and/or intermediate rocks judging from silica content. A distinctive boundary around 11 kyr may correspond to Younger Dryas event. The switch of most major elements at this level and the distinctive changes in concentration of typical terrigenous elements (TiO$_2$ and Al$_2$O$_3$) are the strong evidence for the difference in sources of terrigenous materials. The weathering indices exhibit high degree in Core 94PC-2 and low degree in Core 95PC-4. The changes in weathering degree can be distinguished by the lowest value occurred at 11 kyr in Core 94PC-2 and by a gradual decrease from top to bottom in Core 95PC-4. The profiles of potassium and sodium exhibit specific excursions between the Holocene and the late Pleistocene. This implies that sediments of the two cores originating from different sources with different weathering degrees. The distinct two-group distributions in K$_2$O/CaO vs. Na$_2$O/K$_2$O also support the difference in provenance of aluminosilicate materials at the boundary of 11 kyr. Thus, supply patterns of terrigenous materials are stable in Holocene and more complicated in the last glacial period.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.882-887
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• 2006

Sedimentological, geochemical, geophysical and micropaleontological analyses of 10 borehole cores were carried out to understand depositional environment and sequence stratigraphy of late Quaternary sedimentation in the estuary of the Nakdong River. Holocene Formation in study area is classified into five sedimentary units. Early Holocene freshwater lower pebbly sandy deposit(Unit I), lower muddy deposit(Unit II), middle thin sandy deposit(Unit III), upper muddy deposit(Unit VI), and upper sandy deposit(Unit V), in ascending order contolled by global sea-level change since interglacial period(about 15,000 yrs B.P.). Unit I deposited in erosional environments before marine trangression. Unit II and Unit VI composed of clay were deposited in cold and worm currents for marine trangression., respectively.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2017

Liao River with the largest basin area in the northeastern part of China has constructed huge floodplain along the lower reach. Especially a vast marsh was developed around estuaries and coastline near Liaodong Bay. The marsh was called as Yotaek(or Liaoze) before the modern time, which is meaningful for understanding human life since prehistorian times. By the analysis of historical documents and geomorphic data, it can be assumed that the height of Yotaek of landward boundary reached 20~30m from Heishan to Liaoyang during Han dynasty. The shoreline of 7,000 yr BP is estimated to coincide with the contour line between 20m and 30m at present. And the ancient shoreline during Christ era indicates 10m.a.s.l., which is corresponding to the seaside boundary of the Yotaek. The shoreline of Liaodong Bay was progressed seaward 30km/ka during 1000~1100 AD, while 10~40km/ka during late 19 century ~ early 20 century.