• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.477-494
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• 2008

Stable isotope analyses on lake or wetland sediments are useful to reconstruct paleoclimate. Organic and inorganic carbonates obtained from lake sediment are isotopically analyzed to get oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios. Oxygen isotope ratios can be used to quantitatively and qualitatively reconstruct paleo-temperature or humidity while carbon isotope ratios be used to reveal environmental changes around the lake or human impacts on the area. Peat mosses in peat bogs are nice samples for the carbon isotope analysis, which derives paleo-temperature and paleo-atmospheric $CO_2$ changes. In coastal area, the reconstruction of past sea-level is possible because terrestrial originated organic matter is carbon isotopically different from marine originated organic matter. Also, scientists can do research on Asian Monsoon based on the fact that $\delta^{13}C$ of C3 plants and C4 plants are consistently different each other and that they are distributed differently with respect to salinity. In Korea, paleoenvironmental studies using stable isotopes are not popular yet because of low academic interests on the methodology and difficulties of obtaining proper sediment samples. Interesting results can be produced to answer paleoenvironmental questions of Korea if scientists isotopically analyze sediment cores from a paleo-lake such as Hanon in Jeju island, peat bogs such as Mujechi-Neup and Yong-Neup, and coastal wetlands.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.361-370
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• 2016

It is well known that the inflow of rainwater and the infiltration of groundwater to sewerage (I/I) increase the sewage and burden sewage treatment plants and lower their treatment efficiency. Therefore, it is important to estimate the amount of I/I. In this study, well groundwaters, public water supplies (PWSs), and sewage and rainwater channels were investigated to check whether oxygen and deuterium isotopes could be used as a tool for I/I estimation. This study shows that the isotopic composition of PWS in Jeonju area is very consistent over time and distinctly lighter than the circulating local rainwater (CLR) because it is supplied from Yongdam Dam, which is located about 40 km inland to the east in the mountainous area. Considering the fact that sewage mostly originates from the PWS, we could calculate the amounts of CLR in the sewerage from a monitoring station using unaffected rainwater and tap water as mixing end members. The calculation revealed that the CLR fraction ranged from 50% to 90% depending on observation time. This is well supported by the dilute natures of the sewages at the station. The fraction of PWS in investigated well waters were about 46%, indicating that leaking of PWS is very serious and is an important groundwater source in the study area. Since the infiltration of such groundwater may not alter the isotopic composition of sewage significantly, the actual I/I would be much greater than the calculated ones.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2014

We established the first complete ice core processing method and analytical procedures for fundamental proxies, using a 40.2 m long ice core drilled on the Mt. Tsambagarav glacier in the Mongolian Altai mountains in July 2008. The whole core was first divided into two sub ice core sections and the measurements of the visual stratigraphy and electrical conductivity were performed on the surface of these sub core sections. A continuous sequence of samples was then prepared for chemical analyses (stable isotope ratios of oxygen ($^{18}O/^{16}O$) and hydrogen ($^2H/^1H$), soluble ions and trace elements). A total of 29 insoluble dust layers were identified from the measurement of visual stratigraphy. The electrical conductivity measurement (ECM) shows 11 peaks with the current more than 0.8 ${\mu}A$ Comparing the profiles of $SO_4{^{2-}}$ and $Cl^-$ concentrations to correlate with known volcanic eruptions, the first two ECM peaks appear to be linked to the eruptions (January and June 2007) of Kliuchevskoi volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, which supports the reliability of our ECM data. Finally, the composition of stable isotopes (${\delta}^{18}O$ and ${\delta}D$) shows a well-defined seasonal variation, suggesting that various chemical proxies may have been well preserved in the successive ice layers of Tsambagarav ice core. Our ice core processing method and analytical procedures for fundamental proxies are expected to be used for paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental studies from polar and alpine ice cores.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.105-120
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• 2016

Most of riverside in Korea, in case of application of water curtain cultivation (WCC) technique, has been inveterately suffering from the gradual drawdown of groundwater level and related shortage of water resources during the WCC peak time. We believe that the water resources issue in these riverside areas can be effectively solved when the interaction between groundwater and nearby surface water is well understood. To investigate the connection between stream and ground water, and the influence of stream water on the nearby aquifer, this study examined the water temperature and oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopic compositions. The study area is well-known strawberry field applying the WCC technique in Sangdae-ri, Gadeok-myon, Cheongju City, and the sampling was done from February 2012 through June 2014 for stream and ground water. Some groundwater wells near stream showed big temporal variations in water temperature, and their oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes showed similar compositions to those of adjacent stream water. This indicates that the influence of stream water is highly reflected in the stable isotopic composition of groundwater. Four cross-sectional lines from stream to hillside were established in the study area to determine the spatial differences in water quality of wells. At the late stage of WCC in February to March, groundwater of wells in line with short cross-sectional length showed the narrow range of isotopic compositions; however, those in the long cross-sectional line showed a wide compositional range. It was shown that the influence of the stream water at the late WCC stage have reached to the distance of 160 to 165 m from stream line, which is equivalent to the whole length and one-third point in each short and long cross-sectional line, respectively. Therefore, the wide compositional range in the long cross-sectional lines was not only due to the influence of stream water, but apparently resulted from the change of relative impact of each groundwater supplying from two or more aquifers. In view of stable isotopic compositions, there seems to be three different aquifers in this study area, which is competing for dominance of water quality in wells at each period of WCC.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.510-519
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• 2019

The 'Stable Isotope Analysis in R' (SIAR), one of the Bayesian mixing models for stable isotopes, has been proven to be useful for source apportionment of nitrates in rivers. In this study, the contribution ratios of nitrate sources were quantified by using the SIAR based on nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope measurements in the Yeongsan River. From the measurements, it was found that the values of δ¹⁵N-NO₃ and δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ranged from -8.2 ‰ to +13.4 ‰ and from +2.2 ‰ to +9.8 ‰, respectively. We further analyzed the contribution ratios of the five nitrate sources by using the SIAR. From the modeling results, the main nitrate source was found to be soil N (29.3 %), followed by sewage (26.7 %), manure (19.6 %), chemical fertilizer (17.9 %) and precipitation (6.3 %). From the results, it was found that the anthropogenic sources, i.e., sewage, manure and chemical fertilizer contribute 64.2% of the total nitrate inflow from the watershed. Due to the significant correlation of δ¹⁵N-NO₃ and lnNO₃^- in this study, the fractionation factors reflecting the biogeochemical processes of stable isotope ratios could be directly obtained. This may make the contribution ratios obtained in this study more precise. The fractionation factors were identified as +3.64 ± 0.91 ‰ for δ¹⁵N-NO₃ (p<0.01) and -5.67 ± 1.73 ‰ for δ¹⁸O-NO₃(p<0.01), respectively, and were applied in using the SIAR. The study showed that the stable isotope method using the SIAR could be applied to quantitatively calculate the contribution ratios of nitrate sources in the Yeongsan River.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2004

Deep Ocean Water (DOW) is formed within restricted area including polar sea (high latitude) by cooling of surface seawater and globally circulating in the state of isolation from surface seawater. Although it is not as obvious as estuaries mixing, brine ground water is mixture of recirculated seawater and ground water. Seawater having high osmotic pressure infiltrates into an aquifer which is connected to the sea. In order to clarify the characteristics of deep ocean water and brine ground water, we investigated their origins, chemical compositions, water qualities and resources stabilities. While concentrations of stable isotopes (/sup 18/O and ²H) in seawater is 0‰, those in brine ground water is on meteoric water line or shifted toward oxygen line. It means that origin of brine ground water is different than that of deep ocean water. The ions dissolved in seawater (Na, Ca, Mg, K) are present in constant proportions to each other and to the total salt content of seawater. However deviations in ion proportions have been observed in some brine ground water. Some causes of these exception to the rule of constant proportions are due to many chemical reactions between periphery soil and ground water. While DOW has a large quantity of functional trace metals and biological affinity relative to brine ground water, DOW has relatively small amount of harmful bacteria and artificial pollutants.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.165-165
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• 2003

A borehole core ECSDP-102 (about 68.5 m long) has been investigated to get information on paleoenvironmental changes in response to the sea-level fluctuations during the period of late Quaternary. Several AMS $\^$14/C ages show that the core ECSDP-102 recorded the depositional environments of the northern East China Sea for approximately 60 ka. The Yangtze River discharged huge amounts of sediment into the northern East China Sea during the marine isotope stage (MIS) 3. In particular, $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values reveal that the sedimentary environments of the northern East China Sea, which is similar to the Holocene conditions, have taken place three times during the MIS 3. It is supported by the relatively enriched $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values of -23 to -21$\textperthousand$ during the marine settings of MIS 3 that are characterized by the predominance of marine organic matter akin to the Holocene. Furthermore, we investigated the three Holocene sediment cores, ECSDP-101, ECSDP-101 and YMGR-102, taken from the northern East China Sea off the mouth of the Yangtze River and from the southern Yellow Sea, respectively. Our study was focused primarily on the onset of the post-glacial marine transgression and the reconstructing of paleoenvironmental changes in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea during the Holocene. AMS $\^$14/C ages indicate that the northern East China Sea and the southern Yellow Sea began to have been flooded at about 13.2 ka BP which is in agreement with the initial marine transgression of the central Yellow Sea (core CC-02). $\delta$$\^$18/O and $\delta$$\^$13/C records of benthic foraminifera Ammonia ketienziensis and $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values provide information on paleoenvironmental changes from brackish (estuarine) to modem marine conditions caused by globally rapid sea-level rise since the last deglaciation. Termination 1 (T1) ended at about 9.0-8.7 ka BP in the southern and central Yellow Sea, whereas T1 lasted until about 6.8 ka BP in the northern East China Sea. This time lag between the two seas indicates that the timing of the post-glacial marine transgression seems to have been primarily influenced by the bathymetry. The present marine regimes in the northern East China Sea and the whole Yellow Sea have been contemporaneously established at about 6.0 ka BP. This is strongly supported by remarkably changes in occurrence of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, $\delta$$\^$18/O and $\delta$$\^$13/C compositions of A. ketienziensis, TOC content and $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values. The $\delta$$\^$18/O values of A. ketienziensis show a distinct shift to heavier values of about 1$\textperthousand$ from the northern East China Sea through the southern to central Yellow Sea. The northward shift of $\^$18/O enrichment may reflect gradually decrease of the bottom water temperature in the northern East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.71-88
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• 2001

The Geochemica] and isotope studies on the $CO_2$-rich water from the Shinchon area were carried out. The Shinchon $CO_2$-rich water belongs to Ca(Na)-$HCO_3$ type showing very high $P_{CO_{2}}$ ( $10^{-0.35}$ ~ $10^{0.29}$ atm) and TDS (835-3,144 mg/L). The results of geochemical and isotope analysis indicate that $CO_2$ gas is originated from the deep seated source such as mantle or magmatic gases. The $CO_2$-rich water was evolved by interaction with deep-seated granite and major water-rock interaction was dissolution of p]agioclase resulting high Na content of $CO_2$-rich water. Precipitation and dissolution of secondary calcite might be accompanied with the dissolution of plagioclase maintaining Na/Ca ratio. High contents of K and $SO_4$ indicate that the geochemical characteristics of $CO_2$-rich water were partially affected by interaction with upper sedimentary rock during uprising to surface. N03 and tritium contents suggest that the $CO_2$-rich water was mixed with low $CO_2$ groundwater at some locations. The oxygen-hydrogen isotopes show that all water samples were derived from meteoric waters and the $CO_2$-rich water was isotopically re-equilibrated with lighter $CO_2$ gas. Although some carbon isotope data show isotopically heavy values, carbon isotope data indicate that the $CO_2$ gas was possib]y derived by deep source.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.469-483
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• 1999

Two different types of deep groundwaters occur together in the Jungwon area: $CO_2$-rich water and alkali water. Each water shows distrinct hydrogeochemical and environmental isotopic characteristics. The $CO_2$-rich waters are characterized by lower pH(6.0~6.4), higher Eh (25~85mV) and higher TDS content (up to 3,300 mg/l), whereas the alkali type waters have higher pH (9.1~9.5), lower Eh (-136~-128mV) and lower TDS content (168~254 mg/l). The CO2-rich waters ($Pco_2$=up to 1atm) were probably evolved by the local supply of deep $CO_2$ during the deep circulation, resulting in enhanced dissolution of surrounding rocks to yield high concentrations of $Ca^{2+}, Na^+, Mg^{2+}, K^+\; and \;HCO_3\;^-$ under low pH conditions. On the other hand, the alkali type waters ($Pco_2$=about 10-4.6 atm) were evolved through lesser degrees of simple wate/rock (granite) interaction under the limited suppy of $CO_2$. The alkali waters are relatively enriched in F- (up to 14mg/l), whereas the F- concentration of$CO_2$-rich water is lower (2.2~4.8 mg/l) due to the buffering by precipitation of fluorite. The oxygen-hydrogen isotopes and tritium data indicate that compared to shaltion ($\delta$18O=-9.5~-7.8$\textperthousand$),two different types fo deep groudwaters (<1.0TU)were both derived from pre-thermonuclear (more than 40 years old) meteoric waters with lighter O-H isotopic composition ($\delta$18O=-9.5~-7.8$\textperthousand$) and have evolved through prolonged water/rock interaction. The $CO_2$-rich waters also show some degrees of isotopic re-equilibration with $CO_2$ gas. The $\delta^{34}S$ values of dissolved sulfates (+24.2~+27.6$\textperthousand$) in the $CO_2$-rich waters suggest the reduction of sulfate by organic activity at depths. The carbon isotope data show that dissolved carbon in the $CO_2$-rich waters were possibly derived either from dissolution of calcite or from deep $CO_2$ gas. However, strontium isotope data indicate Ca in the $CO_2$-rich waters were derived mainly from plagioclase in granite, not from hydrothermal calcites.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.4 s.41
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• pp.469-485
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Umsung area, and to elucidate the effect of host rock type, well depth and mineralization zone on the groundwater chemistry. The geology of the study area consists of Jurassic granite and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, which are bounded by a fault. Most of shallow groundwaters exploited in the Jurassic granite area are used for agricultural purpose, whereas the deep groundwaters in the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks are used for a drinking water. The shallow groundwater shows weak acidic pH, the electrical conductivity ranging from $142\;to\;903\;{\mu}S/cm$, and the chemical type of $Ca-HCO_3\;to\;Ca-Cl(SO_4,\;NO_3)$. A few of shallow groundwaters are contaminated by nitrate, and show high concentration of Fe, Mn and Zn, that reflects the effect of a mineralization zone. The deep groundwater shows neutral to weak alkaline pH, higher electrical conductivity than that of shallow groundwater, and the chemical type of $Ca-HCO_3$. The seepage water from the abandoned mines does not have the characteristics such as acidic pH, high concentration of heavy metals and high sulfate content. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of groundwater indicates an altitude effect of the recharge area between deep groundwater and shallow groundwater. In conclusion, the chemical composition of groundwater complicately reflects the effects of their host rocks, well depth, agricultural activity and mineralization zone in the study area.