东海陆架晚第四纪沉积硅藻及其古海洋学意义

本文对东海陆架DG9617岩芯沉积硅藻进行了研究，共分析鉴定出97种和变种，有近10种硅藻在岩芯中连续分布，且有较高的含量，而其余种类含量极低，仅零星检出。根据该岩芯中产出硅藻种类、含量及硅藻丰度变化特征自下而上共划分出3个硅藻组合带及5个亚带。结合孢粉资料，对产出3个不同硅藻带岩芯的地层年代进行了对比研究，表明该岩芯所代表的地层年代为中－晚全新世，硅藻I组合带大致为大西洋期的沉积，硅藻Ⅱ组合带应为亚北方期的产物，而硅藻Ⅲ组合带与亚大西洋期对应。文中并对不同硅藻组合带产出时的古海洋环境进行了初步探讨。     

广西钦州湾外湾表层沉积硅藻分布特征

本文对钦州湾外湾54个表层沉积物中硅藻进行分析,鉴定出硅藻153种,分属50属。其中Thalassionema nitzschioides是本区域内最为丰富的硅藻种类。对应分析结果表明,钦州湾表层沉积硅藻分布主要受到海水盐度的影响,其中淡水硅藻Achnanthes delicatula、A.hauckiana、A.levanderi和Cocconeis disculus可以作为低盐度海水环境的指示种,半咸水种Cyclotella striata/C.stylorum、Paralia sulcata与海洋中硅藻Thalassionema frauenfeldii、T.nitzschioides则可以很好的指示高盐度环境。钦州湾外湾54个表层沉积站位可划分为3个硅藻分布区,分别对应高低不同的海水盐度,与实际站位地理分布基本一致。     

厦门大嶝海域柱样沉积物中微体古生物特征及其地质意义

本文分析测定了福建厦门大嶝海域三个沉积物柱样中的了孢粉、硅藻、有孔虫和＾１４Ｃ年代，对其微体古生物组合特征，沉积环境和地层年代进行了初步的探讨。划分出两个孢粉带，即下部的栎属－蕨类带和上部的松属－蕨类－禾本科带，表明自下而上气候由热湿变为暖干。硅藻以柱状小环藻－具槽直链藻组合为代表，有孔虫组合则以毕克卷转虫占优势，表明为近岸浅水环境，但柱样上下有些差异。     

Water column and recent sediment data on diatoms and coccolithophorids,off Portugal,confirm sediment record of upwelling events

Diatom and coccolithophorid abundance and diatom assemblage composition found in the water column along the Portuguese margin, during upwelling and non-upwelling conditions, are compared to the distribution patterns observed in the recent sediments from the same area. The water column results indicate a one order of magnitude increase in phytoplankton biomass during upwelling conditions (summer), with diatoms being the most important contributors. Coccolithophorids, on the contrary, dominate the phytoplankton in winter (non-upwelling). The comparison of the upwelling and non-upwelling spatial distribution of these phytoplankton groups to their sedimentary record reveals the sediment record as a reflection of the upwelling situation, preserving most of its original spatial variability. The comparison between living and fossil diatom assemblages indicates that from the two genera which dominate the summer biological assemblage, Pseudo-nitzschia and Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia is not represented in the sediments, while Chaetoceros is the dominant form of the sediment. Thalassiosira, which occurs in the same abundance in both seasons, responding to both river and upwelling nutrient input, can not be a reliable indicator of any single process. However, this genus distribution in the sediments can be used as an indicator of continuous nutrient availability. Such results are of great importance for paleoceanographic reconstructions, since they constitute a good indication that the sediment record, even though somewhat altered with respect to assemblage composition, does reflect the water column characteristics.     

Water column and recent sediment data on diatoms and coccolithophorids,off Portugal,confirm sediment record of upwelling events

Diatom and coccolithophorid abundance and diatom assemblage composition found in the water column along the Portuguese margin, during upwelling and non-upwelling conditions, are compared to the distribution patterns observed in the recent sediments from the same area. The water column results indicate a one order of magnitude increase in phytoplankton biomass during upwelling conditions (summer), with diatoms being the most important contributors. Coccolithophorids, on the contrary, dominate the phytoplankton in winter (non-upwelling). The comparison of the upwelling and non-upwelling spatial distribution of these phytoplankton groups to their sedimentary record reveals the sediment record as a reflection of the upwelling situation, preserving most of its original spatial variability. The comparison between living and fossil diatom assemblages indicates that from the two genera which dominate the summer biologic assemblage, Pseudo-nitzschia and Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia is not represented in the sediments, while Chaetoceros is the dominant form of the sediment. Thalassiosira which occurs in the same abundance in both seasons, responding to both river and upwelling nutrient input, can not be a reliable indicator of any single process. However, this genus distribution in the sediments can be used as an indicator of continuous nutrient availability.Such results are of great importance for paleoceanographic reconstructions since they constitute a good indication that the sediment record, even though somewhat altered with respect to assemblage composition, does reflect the water column characteristics.     

我国典型潮间带底栖硅藻群落空间分布特征

底栖硅藻是河口、泥质海滩生态系统的重要生物类群,其数量与分布变化直接或间接地影响到多种海洋生物的饵料供给、海鸟的生存与迁徙。通过对我国从南到北14个典型潮间带表层沉积物中底栖硅藻的分析,共鉴定出硅藻153种,其物种多样性（Shannon-Weaver 指数范围:1.61~4.39）与生物量（范围:0.09×103 ~ 10×103个/g,干质量）在空间上存在显著差异;聚类分析与相似性分析检验（r=0.738,P=0.1%< 0.01）表明,14个调查区域的硅藻群落在空间上可分为4个大的组合,分别对应着渤、黄、东、南海4个区域,吻合了我国近海浮游植物的地理分布特征。与环境因素的相关性分析表明,底栖硅藻群落的物种多样性与生物量受沉积物类型与盐度的影响显著,泥质区域更有利于硅藻的保存,而生物多样性在泥砂质低盐区域相对较高。此外,底栖硅藻生物量与表层沉积物中TOC含量表现出显著正相关性;δ13C数值的空间变化范围为-25‰~-20‰,指示了有机质陆海混合的特征,其中,涧河河口、黄河口、大沽河口、苏北浅滩区域,δ13C数值明显偏正,表明底栖硅藻可能是这些区域沉积物中有机碳的重要贡献者。     

Diatom succession and silicon removal from freshwater in estuarine mixing zones: From experiment to modelling

Estuaries act as filters for land derived material reducing the river input to the coastal zone. Silicon (Si) removal from freshwater which is tightly linked to the growth of diatoms was studied in the estuarine mixing zone where the mixing of freshwater and seawater results in a salinity gradient. Three planktonic diatom species with different origin and salinity tolerance were grown in an artificial salinity gradient. Salinity stress and nutrient depletion led to a specific succession of the three diatoms along the salinity gradient. When available light was increased, diatoms reached higher biomass and the Si removal from water column was more efficient along the mixing. From this experiment, a conceptual model of Si transformations and removal from freshwater was build and applied to an idealized stratified estuary. Sensitivity analysis with varying initial conditions and parameter values pointed transit time of freshwater in the estuary, freshwater and seawater mixing rate and river turbidity as important interactive factors influencing Si removal from freshwater. Other factors like the total amount and the salinity tolerance of diatoms in the upstream river were shown to significantly affect riverine Si removal from the surface layer of an estuary. Finally it appears that Si removal from freshwater in estuarine mixing zones proceeds in two ways: a first rapid death and sedimentation of planktonic stenohaline diatoms imported from the river and second, the growth and subsequent settling of planktonic euryhaline diatoms of either freshwater or marine origin.     

Modern saltmarsh diatom distributions of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and the development of a transfer function for high resolution reconstructions of sea level

We collected modern diatom samples from Currituck Barrier Island, Oregon Inlet and Pea Island marshes, Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA, which have different salinity regimes due to their varying distances from a major barrier island inlet. Multivariate analyses separate the saltmarsh diatom assemblages into distinct elevational zones, dominated by differing abundances of polyhalobous, mesohalobous and oligohalobous taxa, suggesting that the distribution of saltmarsh diatoms is a direct function of elevation, with the most important controlling factors being the duration and frequency of subaerial exposure.We developed the first diatom-based transfer function for the east coast of North America to reconstruct former sea levels based upon the relationship between diatom assemblage and elevation. Results imply that this is possible to a precision of ±0.08 m, superior to most similar studies from temperate, mid-latitude environments. The transfer function is used to construct a relative sea-level curve from fossil assemblages from Salvo, North Carolina. These results suggest a sea-level rise of 0.7 m over the last c. 150 years, at an average of c. 3.7 mm year⁻¹. This is consistent with existing sea-level data, and illustrates the utility of the transfer function approach.     

Settling fluxes of diatoms to the interior of the Antarctic circumpolar current along 170 °W

An array of four sediment trap moorings recorded the particulate flux across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at 170 °W, between November 1996 and January 1998, as part of the US JGOFS-Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study (AESOPS) program. The trap locations represent sampling within the Polar Frontal Zone, the Antarctic Polar Front, the Antarctic Zone and the Southern Antarctic Zone. Here we report observations from 1000 m below the sea-surface compared to seafloor and surface water distributions. Sub-sample splits from each trap were obtained and total diatom flux and species composition were determined. The diatom fluxes were quantified using both a dilution and a ‘spike’ method to allow for the rapid repeatability of measurements. Diatom flux was found to be highly seasonal across the ACC particularly at higher latitudes. Marine snow aggregates of intact diatom cells and chains were the major components of the biogenic flux. Siliceous particle size was noted to decrease with increasing latitude, which could be aligned with a shift of the diatom assemblage to small-size species/sea-ice affiliated species. A ‘double-structured’ diatom flux was recorded at the location of the Antarctic Polar Front trap, with a shift in the diatom assemblage from larger to smaller diatoms in the second flux episode. The sediment trap assemblage shows deviations from the surface water assemblage, while surface sediment samples indicate that significant dissolution occurs after 1000 m and at the sediment–water interface. Estimation of diatom biovolumes across the ACC shows that large diatoms have the potential to greatly impact biogenic fluxes to the ocean interior despite their low fluxes. Small species of the genus Fragilariopsis could potentially export as much C_org as Fragilariopsis kerguelensis near the retreating ice edge. However, their low abundance in the surface sediments also suggests that these diatoms are a shallow export species.     

Selective preservation of upwelling-indicating diatoms in sediments off Somalia,NW Indian Ocean

The diatom species composition of settling biogenic silica particles collected in sediment traps was compared with the underlying sediment to determine the preservation of the various diatom species and to investigate the potential of biogenic silica as an indicator for changes in paleo-upwelling intensity. During the Netherlands Indian Ocean Programme (NIOP), settling particles were collected at two sampling sites off Somalia (NW Indian Ocean) for 9 months, from June 1992 to February 1993. One sediment trap array was deployed on the Somali slope directly below one of the main upwelling gyres, and a second array, meant as a reference site to reflect pelagic sedimentation, was moored in the Somali Basin away from direct coastal upwelling influence. At both sites diatoms represented over 90% of the total opal microorganisms. On the Somali slope, total annual diatom flux was 12.6×10⁹ valves m⁻², 76% of which was collected during the 112 d of the southwest monsoon, with peak fluxes in October, the end of the upwelling season. In the Somali Basin, the total annual flux was lower, 4.8×10⁹ valves m⁻², and only 39% was collected during the SW monsoon period (98 d). At both sampling sites, a distinct seasonal diatom species succession of ‘pre-upwellers’, ‘upwellers’ and ‘oceanic species’ was apparent. Although only a small part of the diatom assemblage escaped dissolution at the sediment–water interface, two species, Thalassionema nitzschioides and Chaetoceros resting spores, were preserved in the sediment, indicating that they are resistant to dissolution at the sediment–water interface. Eighty one percent of the deposition of Thalassionema nitzschioides and 78% of the deposition of Chaetoceros occurred during the upwelling period. Since these two species are the dominant component of the diatom assemblage in the sediments, and thus determine the biogenic silica content, we conclude that this preserved biogenic silica reflects the upwelling in the surface layer of the water column. On the Somali Margin, variations in biogenic silica flux as inferred from sedimentary records can therefore be used as an indicator for changes in paleo-upwelling intensity.     

海洋沉积硅藻研究进展

综述了国外近40 a海洋沉积硅藻表层组合及其在地层划分与对比、古地理环境重建、海平面升降和岸线变迁等方面的应用,以及硅藻休眠孢子化石的分类学、地层学和分子系统发育学研究的最新进展.对中国海洋沉积硅藻的研究进展作了概述,基本查明了渤海、黄海、东海、南海4大海区表层硅藻属种组成及表层硅藻组合面貌;利用硅藻组合进行了地层划分与对比、古海洋环境演变过程的研究;并将各种数理统计方法结合到硅藻分析中,使中国海洋沉积硅藻研究逐渐由定性或半定量向定量研究发展.但在利用硅藻进行古环境定量重建等方面,与国外的研究还存在一定差距.今后应加强建立现代硅藻-环境变量数据库、表层沉积生物硅的溶解、硅藻休眠孢子化石的分类学和地层学等方面的研究.     

从藻类化石的垂直分布探讨杭州西湖的演变历程

于１９９４年春在杭州西湖东北面,西面及湖中心小瀛洲３个钻孔共取了７０号岩芯样,经浮选,筛选,以显微镜检鉴定化石藻种,并分析其垂直分布,从而探讨西湖的形成历史,西湖自晚更新世以来的６个化石藻带由下而上依次为：轮藻带,微藻带,微红金颗藻－近缘针杆藻－条纹小环藻带,圆筛藻带,圆筛藻－近缘针杆藻－微红金颗藻桥穹藻－异极藻－短缝藻带和水花束丝藻带,从而反映了西湖的６个发育时期,淡水古湖沼期,淡咸水过渡期,海     

Large-scale depositional characteristics of the Ulleung Basin and its impact on electrical resistivity and Archie-parameters for gas hydrate saturation estimates

Gas hydrate saturation estimates were obtained from an Archie-analysis of the Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) electrical resistivity logs under consideration of the regional geological framework of sediment deposition in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, of Korea. Porosity was determined from the LWD bulk density log and core-derived values of grain density. In situ measurements of pore-fluid salinity as well as formation temperature define a background trend for pore-fluid resistivity at each drill site. The LWD data were used to define sets of empirical Archie-constants for different depth-intervals of the logged borehole at all sites drilled during the second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2). A clustering of data with distinctly different trend-lines is evident in the cross-plot of porosity and formation factor for all sites drilled during UBGH2. The reason for the clustering is related to the difference between hemipelagic sediments (mostly covering the top ∼100 mbsf) and mass-transport deposits (MTD) and/or the occurrence of biogenic opal. For sites located in the north-eastern portion of the Ulleung Basin a set of individual Archie-parameters for a shallow depth interval (hemipelagic) and a deeper MTD zone was achieved. The deeper zone shows typically higher resistivities for the same range of porosities seen in the upper zone, reflecting a shift in sediment properties. The presence of large amounts of biogenic opal (up to and often over 50% as defined by XRD data) was especially observed at Sites UBGH2-2_1 and UBGH2-2_2 (as well as UBGH1-9 from a previous drilling expedition in 2007). The boundary between these two zones can also easily be identified in gamma-ray logs, which also show unusually low readings in the opal-rich interval. Only by incorporating different Archie-parameters for the different zones a reasonable estimate of gas hydrate saturation was achieved that also matches results from other techniques such as pore-fluid freshening, velocity-based calculations, and pressure-core degassing experiments. Seismically, individual boundaries between zones were determined using a grid of regional 2D seismic data. Zoning from the Archie-analysis for sites in the south-western portion of the Ulleung Basin was also observed, but at these sites it is linked to individually stacked MTDs only and does not reflect a mineralogical occurrence of biogenic opal or hemipelagic sedimentation. The individual MTD events represent differently compacted material often associated with a strong decrease in porosity (and increase in density), warranting a separate set of empirical Archie-parameters.     

福建三沙湾表层沉积硅藻分布特征及其与环境因子的关系

通过对三沙湾24个站位表层沉积物样品进行硅藻分析,共鉴定硅藻31属84种（包括变种和变型）,其中夏季和冬季分别鉴定出31属71种和31属67种,主要属种以中心纲硅藻为主,如爱氏辐环藻（Actinocyclus ehrenbergii）、波状辐裥藻（Actinoptychus undulatus）、横滨盒形藻（Biddulphia grundleri）、中心圆筛藻（Coscinodiscus centralis）等.在生态习性上,底栖海水种占绝对优势.硅藻丰度从湾顶向湾外递减,夏季丰度高于冬季,平均丰度分别为9 003个/g和6477个/g.沉积物粒度分析显示,三沙湾表层沉积物以粉砂质粘土为主,研究表明三沙湾硅藻丰度与平均粒径存在一定相关性,夏季硅藻丰度变化范围为2 104～28 209个/g,粒径范围为5.26～7.36Φ,硅藻丰度与平均粒径变化范围都较大;而冬季硅藻丰度变化在1 929～14 372个/g之间,粒径范围为5.51～6.98Φ,相对夏季其变化较小,论证了水动力是影响硅藻沉积分布的一个重要因素.对影响三沙湾表层沉积硅藻分布的主要环境因子进行探讨,三沙湾表层沉积硅藻主要受潮流、深度和盐度等影响较大.     

3D gravity modelling for Anyongbok Seamount in the East Sea

A seamount chain with an approximately WNW trend is observed in the northeastern Ulleung Basin. It has been argued that these seamounts, including two islands called Ulleung and Dok islands, were formed by a hotspot process or by ridge related volcanism. Many geological and geophysical studies have been done for all the seamounts and islands in the chain except Anyongbok Seamount, which is close to the proposed spreading ridge. We first report morphological characteristics, sediment distribution patterns, and the crustal thickness of Anyongbok Seamount using multibeam bathymetry data, seismic reflection profiles, and 3D gravity modeling. The morphology of Anyongbok Seamount shows a cone shaped feature and is characterized by the development of many flank cones and flank rift zones. The estimated surface volume is about 60 km³, and implies that the seamount is smaller than the other seamounts in the chain. No sediments have been observed on the seamount except the lower slope, which is covered by more than 1,000 m of strata. The crustal structure obtained from a 3D gravity modeling (GFR = 3.11, SD 3.82 = mGal) suggests that the seamount was formed around the boundary of the Ulleung Plateau and the Ulleung Basin, and the estimated crustal thickness is about 20 km, which is a little thicker than other nearby seamounts distributed along the northeastern boundary of the Ulleung Basin. This significant crustal thickness also implies that Anyongbok Seamount might not be related to ridge volcanism.     

Geotechnical properties of deep oceanic sediments recovered from the hydrate occurrence regions in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, offshore Korea

This study presents comprehensive geotechnical data of the natural marine sediments cored from the hydrate occurrence regions during the Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Expedition 1 (UBGH1), East Sea, offshore Korea in 2007. Geotechnical soil index properties of the Ulleung Basin sediments, including grain size distribution, porosity, water content, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, and specific surface area, were experimentally determined. These soil index properties were correlated to geotechnical engineering parameters (e.g., shear strength and friction angle) by using well-known empirical relationships. By performing standard consolidation tests on both undisturbed specimens (as recovered from the original core liner after hydrate dissociation) and remolded specimens, stress-dependent mechanical and hydraulic properties (e.g., compressibility and hydraulic conductivity) were measured. The experimental results provide important engineering parameters, and demonstrate the effect of hydrate presence and consequential dissociation to index properties, engineering parameters, and innate sediment structures.     

Phytoplankton blooms in the Urdaibai estuary during summer: Physico-chemical conditions and taxa involved

In the Urdaibai estuary, despite its small volume in relation to the tidal prism, phytoplankton grows massively in the upper and intermediate zones of the estuary during summer when rainfall is low to moderate. Data obtained in 23 sampling transects along the longitudinal axis of the estuary, undertaken in July 1993 and August 1994, showed three distinct zones in terms of the phytoplankton species composition: in the upper zone the phytoplankton assemblage was dominated by the diatoms Cyclotella spp., the dinoflagellate Glenodinium foliaceum, cryptophytes and euglenophytes; in the intermediate zone the diatom Chaetoceros ceratosporus, the dinoflagellates Peridinium quinquecorne and Prorocentrum minimum and cryptophytes were the most abundant; in the lower zone diatoms such as Leptocylindricus danicus and Skeletonema costatum together with the dinoflagellates Prorocentrum spp. were dominant. The distribution and abundance of these phytoplankton forms is discussed in relation to variations in salinity, water column stratification, nutrients and temperature, which in turn vary mainly as a function of meteorological conditions (i.e. rainfall, irradiance) and tidal amplitude. The longitudinal distribution of phytoplankton cells suggests that the diatoms Cyclotella spp. and Chaetoceros ceratosporus undergo a greater dispersion along the estuary during rain events than the flagellates, thus contributing to the transport of silica to the outer areas of the estuary.     

Contribution of benthic and epiphytic diatoms to clam and oyster production in the Akkeshi-ko estuary

The species composition and dynamics of phytoplankton in the water column and its contribution to clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, and oyster, Crassostrea gigas, production were studied in the Akkeshi-ko estuary, eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. A total 128 taxa of diatoms were identified, with 103 and 102 species occurring on the surface sediments and in the water column, respectively. Amphora sp., Bacillaria paradoxa var paxilifer, Cocconeis scutellum, Navicula sp., Nitzschia sigma, Paralia sulcata, Rhoicosphenia curvata, Synedra ulna and Thalassiosira sp. were most common and dominant in all stations in both water column and surface sediment. Benthic diatoms were most dominant in both water column and surface sediment. The species composition of epiphytes was, in part, similar to diatom assemblage of the water column and also to that of the surface sediment. The benthic and pelagic ratio in the diatom assemblage of the water column was very high. Benthic diatoms were able to resuspend into water column by turbulence stimulated by wind. Chlorophyll a concentration in the water column increased as wind speed increased. Seventy and 67% of the gut contents oysters consisted of benthic diatoms in 2003 and 2004 and also 78 and 87% of clams in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The availability of benthic and epiphytic diatom assemblages contributes significantly to food resources for clam and oyster mariculture due to resuspension by disturbance in the Akkeshi-ko estuary.     

Depositional environment in the southern Ulleung Basin, East Sea (Sea of Japan), during the last 48 000 years

The present study is based on the sedimentological data from a piston core KCES1 off the southern Ulleung Basin margin, the East Sea (Sea of Japan). The data include sediment color (L^*), X-ray radiographs, grain size distribution and AMS¹⁴C date. Four kinds of sediments (homogeneous, laminated, crudely laminated and hybrid sediments) are identified according to the characters of the sedimentary structures that were considered to reflect changes in bottom-water oxygenation. Alternations of dark laminated/crudely laminated sediments and light homogeneous sediments represent millennial-scale variations that are possibly associated with the high-resolution changes in the East Asian monsoon (EAM). The relative contributions of the East China Sea Coastal Water (ECSCW) and the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) were likely the main reasons for the repetition of the anoxic and oxic depositional conditions in the East Sea since the last 48 ka BP. During the interstadial, the strengthen summer EAM was attributed to the expansion of the ECSCW because of more humid climate in central Asia, and then more strongly low-salinity, nutrient-enriched water was introduced into the East Sea. The ventilation of deep water was restricted and therefore the dark laminated layer deposited under the anoxic bottom water condition. During the lowest stand of sea level in the last glacial maximum (LGM), the isolated East Sea dominated by stratiˉed water masses and the euxinic depositional environment formed. The homogenous sediments have been predominating since 17.5 ka BP indicating that the TWC has intruded into the East Sea gradually with the stepwise rise of sea level and the bottom water oxygen level was high. During the late Younger Dryas (YD) period, the last dark laminated layer deposited because the ventilation of bottom water was restricted by stronger summer EAM. The TWC strengthened and the bottom water became oxic again from 10.5 ka BP.     

Crustal analysis of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from enhanced gravity mapping

To facilitate geological analyses of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) between Korea and Japan, shipborne and satellite altimetry-derived gravity data are combined to derive a regionally coherent anomaly field. The 2-min gridded satellite altimetry-based gravity predicted by Sandwell and Smith [Sandwell DT, Smith WHF (1997) J Geophys Res 102(B5):10,039–10,054] are used for making cross-over adjustments that reduce the errors between track segments and at the cross-over points of shipborne gravity profiles. Relative to the regionally more homogeneous satellite gravity anomalies, the longer wavelength components of the shipborne anomalies are significantly improved with minimal distortion of their shorter wavelength components. The resulting free-air gravity anomaly map yields a more coherent integration of short and long wavelength anomalies compared to that obtained from either the shipborne or satellite data sets separately. The derived free-air anomalies range over about 140 mGals or more in amplitude and regionally correspond with bathymetric undulations in the Ulleung Basin. The gravity lows and highs along the basin’s margin indicate the transition from continental to oceanic crust. However, in the northeastern and central Ulleung Basin, the negative regional correlation between the central gravity high and bathymetric low suggests the presence of shallow denser mantle beneath thinned oceanic crust. A series of gravity highs mark seamounts or volcanic terranes from the Korean Plateau to Oki Island. Gravity modeling suggests underplating by mafic igneous rocks of the northwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin and the transition between continental and oceanic crust. The crust of the central Ulleung Basin is about a 14–15 km thick with a 4–5 km thick sediment cover. It may also include a relatively weakly developed buried fossil spreading ridge with approximately 2 km of relief.