• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.85-88
• /
• 2016

The new rocks of the oceanic crust, like basalt, are created in the mid-oceanic ridge, and the magnetic polarities of the rocks are supposed to be oriented as following the Earth's magnetic field. An extensive magnetic survey of total field at sea level reveals mainly unusual north-south magnetic stripes parallel to the axis of the mid-oceanic ridge, especially in the Atlantic Ocean. From this stripes the Earth's magnetic field is considered as repeatedly 'flipped'(the N pole becoming the S pole, and vice versa) and many times over geological time. The discovery of stripes of alternately normal and reversed-magnetized rocks forming the ocean floor has been a key evidence for the sea-floor spreading, continental drift, and plate tectonics. This study introduces a simple apparatus to explain a possible mechanism of the magnetic reversal in the new oceanic crust, which makes a magnetic stripe adjacent to the mid-oceanic ridge. The apparatus shows a bar magnet effect of adjoined stripes to have a special magnetic polarity on the rocks in the center of the mid-oceanic ridge. The new magnetic stripe seems to be generated not only by Earth's magnetic field, but also by neighbored stripes in the mid-oceanic ridge, acting as a bar magnet.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.175-183
• /
• 2006

The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and their ecosystems is a monumental landmark in the history of Ocean Sciences. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are scattered along the global mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins. Under sea volcanic phenomena related to underlying magma activities along mid-ocean ridges generate extreme habitats for highly specialized communities of animals. Multidisciplinary research efforts during past three decades since the first discovery of hydrothermal vents along the Galapagos Rift in 1977 revealed fundamental components of physiology, ecology, and evolution of specialized vent communities of micro and macro fauna. Heterogeneous regional geological settings and tectonic plate history have been considered as important geophysical and evolutionary factors for current patterns of taxonomic composition and distribution of vent faunas among venting sites in the World Ocean basins. It was found that these communities are based on primary production of chemosynthetic bacteria which directly utilize reduced compounds, mostly $H_2S$ and $CH_4$, mixed in vent fluids. Symbioses between these bacteria and their hosts, vent invertebrates, are foundation of the vent ecosystem. Gene flow and population genetic studies in parallel with larval biology began to unveil hidden dispersal barrier under deep sea as well as various dispersal characteristics cross taxa. Comparative molecular phylogenetics of vent animals revealed that vent faunas are closely related to those of cold-water seeps in general. In perspective additional interesting discoveries are anticipated particularly with further refined and expanded studies aided by new instrumental technologies.

• International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Korean Journal of Geophysical Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.39-51
• /
• 1995

Bidirectional transport trend using the sediment-transport path model was identified in the two areas, sand ridge area and tidal mudflat in Garolim Bay, which is located in the mid-western coast of Korean Peninsular. This model exhibits the two-dimensional view of clear sediment transport trend based on data of changes in sediment statistics such as mean, sorting, and skewness, Garolim Bay was selected to test for the sediment-transport path model developed by McLaren and Bowles [1985]. Line-S, a typical tidal mudflat and representative of the Garolim Bay tidal flats, is well tested by this model, showing a clear seasonal change and coarsening-trend seaward (case C). This indicates that strong ebb currents carried relatively coarser sediments seaward with respect to high energy regime. Seasonally, this energy regime slowly decreases toward the summer in contrast with an increase of energy regime of flood tides, carrying coarser sediments landward (case C) in the summer. However, the Line-D area does not show consistent transport trend with respect to time-series. Separated and scattered events show fining trend landward (case B) in the sand ridge itself. The finining-trend (case B) either seaward and landward is not chiefly important in both the entire Line-D area and sand ridge itself. Also, the coarsening-Trend (case C) landward is not significant in the sand ridge itself. Consequently, in reality, the selection of suitable and representative locations are very important to fit with this model.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.765-779
• /
• 2023

The Daum Vent Field (DVF) was newly discovered in the Central Indian Ridge during the hydrothermal expedition by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) in 2021. In this paper, we describe the detailed mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermal chimney and mound to understand the nature of hydrothermal mineralization in the DVF. The mineral assemblages (pyrite±sphalerite±chalcopyrite) of dominant sulfides, FeS contents (mostly <20 mole %) of sphalerite, and (Cu+Zn)/Fe values (0.001-0.22) of bulk compositions indicate that the DVF has an strong affinity with basaltic-hosted seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposit along the oceanic ridge. Combined with the predominance of colloform and/or dendritic-textured pyrite and relatively Fe-poor sphalerite in chimneys, the fluid-temperature dependency of trace element systematics (Co, Mn, and Tl) between chimney and mound indicates that the formation of mound was controlled by relatively reducing and high-temperature fluids compared to chimney. The δ³⁴S values (+8.31 to +10.52‰) of pyrite reflect that sulfur and metals were mainly leached from the associated basement rocks (50.6-61.3%) with a contribution from reduced seawater sulfur (38.7-49.4%). This suggests that the fluid-rock interaction, with little effect of magmatic volatile influx, is an important metal source for the sulfide mineralization in the DVF.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.465-475
• /
• 2022

The seafloor massive sulfide deposits are important mineral resources for base and precious metals, and their ore genesis and metal contents are mainly controlled by wall-rock leaching process and/or magmatic volatile input from the underlying magma chamber. However, the contribution of two different metal sources to the seafloor hydrothermal mineralization significantly varies in diverse geological settings and thus still remains controversial. In this review, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of SMS deposits from mid-ocean ridges (MORs) and volcanic arcs were investigated to understand the contribution from different metal sources and to suggest future challenges that need to be addressed. As a result, the genetic occurrences of enargite and cubanite, galena and barite indicate the effects of magmatic input and water-rock interaction, respectively. Also, the distributional behaviors of Co, As, and Hg in pyrite and FeS content of sphalerite could be useful empirical indicators to discriminate the significant roles of different metal sources between MOR and Arc settings. To date, as most studies have focused on sulfide samples recovered from the seabed, further studies on magmatic sulfides and sulfate minerals are required to fully understand the genetic history of SMS deposits.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.201-213
• /
• 2004

The Precambrian amphibolites in the central Gyeonggi massif, Yangsuri, Gyeonggido and southeastern Okcheon metamophic belt, Mungyeonggun, Gyeongsangbukdo, Korea, were studied on the geochemical characteristics of major and trace elements, and discussed petrogenetically and geotectonically. The characteristics of major elements of the amphibolites in these study areas are igeous origin such as tholeiitic-, subalkaline and alkaline basalt. Geotectonic distinction diagrams of trace elements such as Ti-Zr-Y and Zr-Nb-Y show basaltic igneous activity of island arc and mid ocean ridge environment at central Gyunggi massif, and within plate environment at southeastern Okcheon metamorphic belt. This result shows that genetic environments of study areas are different. Especially, origin of amphibolites in central Gyeonggi massif is similar with that of western Gyeonggi massif but different with the amphibolites of Chuncheon area. Genetic environment estimated of fractional crystallization of plagioclase has no particular effect on the origin of magma because value of LREE is higher than that of HREE and Eu anomaly definitely don't be exposed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.89-102
• /
• 2023

Climate and environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean due to global warming have been linked to extreme climate change in mid-latitude regions, including the Korean Peninsula, requiring a better understanding of the Arctic climate system based on the paleo-analog. This review introduces three paleoenvironmental research cases using neodymium isotopes (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, ε_Nd) measured on two different fractions of marine sediments: silicate-bound 'detrital' and Fe-Mn oxide-dominated 'authigenic' fractions. In the first case, detrital ε_Nd in core HH17-1085-GC on the continental shelf off northern Svalbard was used for tracing changes in sediment provenance and associated glacier behavior over the last 16.3 ka. The second case showed the potential use of authigenic ε_Nd as a quasi-conservative water mass tracer. Three prominent ε_Nd peaks and troughs observed in core PS72/410-1 from the Mendeleev Ridge in the western Arctic Ocean over the past 76 ka suggested episodic meltwater discharge events during 51~46, 39~35 and 21~13 ka BP. The last case proposed the use of the difference between authigenic and detrital ε_Nd as a proxy for reconstructing glacier fluctuation. The idea is based on the assumption that enhanced glacial erosion during glacier advances can supply sufficient freshly-exposed rock substrate for incongruent weathering, potentially leading to greater isotopic decoupling between bedrock and dissolved weathering products as recorded in detrital and authigenic ε_Nd, respectively. Thus, it would be worthwhile to take advantage of sedimentary ε_Nd to improve our understanding of past environmental changes in polar regions.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.14-27
• /
• 2024

Unlike the shelf sand ridges moribund in motion, nearshore sand ridges are highly mobile, sensitive to changes in ocean environments, thereby becoming of particular interest with respect to morphological changes. About 5 km off the Daesan port, the Jangan Sand Ridge has been undergoing severe subsea morphological change over the past two decades. Understanding the nature of sand ridges is critical to elucidate the causes of morphological changes. In this context, this study aims at understanding the characteristics and distribution patterns of surface sediments of the ridge and its vicinity. For this purpose, 227 sediment samples were acquired using a grab-sampler, the grain sizes being analysed by the sieve-pipette method. In addition, comparison of grain sizes in sediments between 1997 and 2021 was made in order to investigate the 25-years change in sediment composition. Surface sediments along the ridge axis are fine to medium sands with 2-3 phi in mean grain size, whereas, in the trough of ridge, the sediments are composed of gravels and muddy sandy gravels with mean sizes of -2 to -6 phi. Sediments in the crest of the ridge are well-sorted with normal distribution, on the other hand, the basal sediments are poorly-sorted and positively skewed. Along the ridge crest, the sediments are negatively skewed. From 1997 to 2021, the ridge sediments became largely coarser about 0.5 phi. Such coarsening trend in mean grain size can be explained either by elimination of fine sediments during high waves in winter or elimination of fines suspended during sand mining activities in the past. Spatial distribution pattern of surface sediments shows that ca. 30 m thick of the sand ridge itself overlies the thin relict gravels. The strong asymmetry of sand ridge, the exposure of ridge base, and reworked gravel lags suggest that Jangan sand ridge is probably sediment-deficit and hence erosive in nature at present.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2013

Acoustic backscatter profiles were measured by Eco-sounder along an east-west section in the mid-eastern Yellow Sea and at an anchoring station in the low salinity region off the Keum River estuary in September 2012, with observing physical water property structure by CTD. Tidal front was established around the sand ridge developed in 50 m depth region. Internal waves measured by Eco-sounder during low tide period in the eastern side of the sand ridge were nonlinear depression waves with wave height of 15 m and mean wavelength of 500 m. These waves were interpreted into tidal internal waves that were produced by tidal current flowing over the sand ridge to the southeast. When weakly non-linear soliton model was applied, propagation speed and period of these internal depression wave were 50 m/s and 16~18 min. Red tides by Dinoflagelates Cochlodinium were observed in the sea surface where strong acoustic scattering layer was raised up to 7 m. Hourly CTD profiles taken at the anchoring station off the Keum River estuary showed the halocline depth change by tidal current and land-sea breeze. When tidal current flowed strongly to the northeast during flood period and land-breeze of 7 m/s blew to the west, the halocline was temporally raised up as much as 2 m and acoustic profile images showed a complex structure in the surface layer within 5-m depth: in tens of seconds the declined acoustic structure of strong and weak scattering signals alternatively appeared with entrainment and intrusion shape. These acoustic profile structures in the surface mixed layer were observed for the first time in the coastal sea of the mid-eastern Yellow Sea. The acoustic profile images and turbidity data suggest that relatively transparent low-layer water be intruded or entrained into the turbid upper-layer water by vertical shear between flood current and land breeze-induced surface current.

• Journal of the Geological Society of Korea
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.677-682
• /
• 2018

Magnetic anomalies are sensitive to magnetic properties present in deep Earth and near surface structures. Such geophysical characteristics often can be quantified by numerical analyses. In this study, we developed a finite element method (FEM) approach to compute magnetic anomalies using COMOL $Multiphysics^{(R)}$. This FEM approach was verified by comparing its numerical results with the previously known analytic solution for a uniformly magnetized sphere. Then, we used the method to compute magnetic reversal patterns near mid-ocean ridge with various faulting scenarios. This COMSOL-based approach can be incorporated into advanced multi-physical numerical models to understand the Earth.