Evidence for significant clockwise rotations of the Korean Peninsula during Cretaceous

In an effort to evaluate the Cretaceous magnetostratigraphy for the Korean Peninsula and to establish the tectonic coherence of its various elements, we collected paleomagnetic data from 121 samples from 20 sites within the Chilgok Formation (108.3–109.9 Ma) in the Gyeongsang Basin. Together with previously published data, we evaluate the results from a total of 163 sites in the basin.We combine our age model with results from recent stratigraphic, paleomagnetic and radiometric geochemical studies. In this study, we found that two distinct declination shifts decrease with younging direction, indicating two clockwise rotational events of the Korean Peninsula with respect to the Eurasia continent. The earlier event took place during 130–100 Ma (Phase I, newly termed “Goguryeo Disturbance”) and a later one during 80–50 Ma (Phase III, belonging to “Bulguksa Orogeny”). The mean rotation rate in the interval from 115.2 to 103.8 Ma (Phase I) is about 0.74°/Ma, while the rate from 90.9 to 79.8 Ma (Phase II) is 0.19°/Ma. Based on paleolatitude change during Phase I, we infer that the Korean Peninsula (eastern part of the Sino-Korea Block) migrated southward about 300 km after the complete amalgamation of the Sino-Korea Block into the Eurasian continent resulting in N–S compression within the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Large-scale strike-slip faults (e.g., Tan-Lu Fault, Okcheon Boundary Fault) were probably rejuvenated in the Sino-Korea Block during Phase I.     

Environmentally associated spatial changes of a macrozoobenthic community in the Saemangeum tidal flat,Korea

Estuarine tidal flats are both ecologically and economically important, hence developing methods to reliably measure ecosystem health is essential. Because benthic fauna play a central role in the food web of tidal flats, in this study we set out to quantitatively describe the intertidal zonation of macro-invertebrates and their associations with specific environmental parameters along three transects in the Saemangeum tidal flat, Korea. The abundance and biomass of intertidal fauna with respect to five environmental parameters (i.e., shore level, mud content, coarse sand content, water content, and organic content) were measured, to identify environmental factors that influence macrofaunal distribution in intertidal soft bottom habitats. A total of 75 species were identified, with dominant species showing distinct zones of distribution along all transects. The number of species recorded in each transect was found to be dependent on sediment characteristics and salinity. Cluster analysis classified the entire study area into three faunal assemblages (i.e., location groups), which were delineated by characteristic species, including (A) ‘Periserrula–Macrophthalmus’, (B) ‘Umbonium–Meretrix’, and (C) ‘Prionospio–Potamocorbula’. Four environmental variables (i.e., shore level, water content, mud content, and organic content) appeared to determine factors that distinguished the three faunal assemblages, based on the discriminant analysis. The faunal assemblage types of the sampled locations were accurately predicted from environmental variables in two discriminant functions, with a prediction accuracy of 98%. It should be noted that the zonation of benthos in the lower section (C) of Sandong had been affected by the construction of a nearby dike, while this parameter had remained essentially unchanged at the other two location groups (A–B). Overall, the zonation of benthos from the Saemangeum tidal flat was explained adequately by the measured environmental variables, implying that faunal assemblages are closely associated with certain combinations of abiotic factors. The identification of such reliable associations may facilitate the development of statistical models to predict faunal distributions based on environmental variables at both local and regional scales. The entire study area was embanked in 2006 (one year after this study), and an integrated plan was set into force to develop claimed land into industrial, residential and agricultural districts, which also included a partial restoration program of the tidal flats located near to the study area.     

Comparison of radiocarbon and OSL dating methods for a Late Quaternary sediment core from Lake Ulaan,Mongolia

Both radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods were applied to test their suitability for establishing a chronology of arid-zone lacustrine sediments using a 5.88-m-long core drilled from Lake Ulaan, southern Mongolia. Although the radiocarbon and OSL ages agree in some samples, the radiocarbon ages are older than the corresponding OSL ages at the 550-cm depth horizon (late Pleistocene) and in the 100–300-cm interval (early to late Holocene). In the early to late Holocene, radiocarbon ages are consistently older than OSL ages by 4,100–5,800 years, and in the late Pleistocene by 2,700–3,000 years. Grain-size analysis of early to late Holocene sediments and one late Pleistocene sediment sample (550-cm depth) indicates that eolian processes were the dominant sediment-transport mechanism. Also, two late Pleistocene sediments samples (from 400- to 500-cm depths) are interpreted to have been deposited by both eolian and glaciofluvial processes. Accordingly, the radiocarbon ages that were older than the corresponding OSL ages during the Holocene seem to have been a consequence of the influx of ¹⁴C-deficient carbon delivered from adjacent soils and Paleozoic carbonate rocks by the westerly winds, a process that is also active today. In addition to the input of old reworked carbon by eolian processes, the late Pleistocene sediments were also influenced by old carbon delivered by deglacial meltwater. The results of this study suggest that when eolian sediment transport is suspected, especially in lakes of arid environments, the OSL dating method is superior to the radiocarbon dating method, as it eliminates a common ‘old-carbon’ error problem.     

Effects of natural and calcined poultry waste on Cd, Pb and As mobility in contaminated soil

The reuse of waste materials as soil additives could be a welcome development in soil remediation. The mobility of Cd, Pb and As in a contaminated soil was investigated using natural and calcined poultry wastes (eggshell and chicken bone), CaCO₃ and CaO at different application rates (0, 1, 3 and 5 %). The chemical composition accompanied with mineralogical composition indicated that CaCO₃ and CaO were the major components in natural and calcined eggshells, respectively, while hydroxyapatite (HAP) dominated the natural and calcined chicken bones. The results showed that soil pH tended to increase in response to increasing application rates of all soil additives. The effectiveness of the additives in reducing Cd, Pb and As mobility was assessed by means of chemical extractions with 0.1 N HCl for Cd and Pb or 1 N HCl for As, according to Korean Standard Test (KST) method. Both calcined eggshell and chicken bone were equally effective with CaO or CaCO₃ in reducing the concentration of 0.1 N HCl-extractable Cd from 6.17 mg kg^?1 to below warning level of 1.5 mg kg^?1, especially at the highest application rate. The application of calcined eggshell, CaO and CaCO₃ also decreased the concentration of 0.1 N HCl-extractable Pb from 1,012 mg kg^?1 to below warning level of 100 mg kg^?1. The Pb concentration decreased significantly with an increasing application rate of chicken bone, but remained above warning level even at the highest application rate. On the contrary, natural and calcined chicken bones led to a significant increase in the mobility of As when compared with the control soil. These findings illustrate that calcined eggshell in particular is equally effective as pure chemical additives in stabilizing Cd and Pb in a contaminated agricultural soil. The presence of As in metal-contaminated soils should be taken into consideration when applying phosphate-containing materials as soil additives, because phosphate can compete with arsenate on adsorption sites and result in As mobilization.     

Characteristics and Ecosystem Changes of Marine Algal Communities in Wangdol-cho on the East Coast of Korea

Ocean Science Journal - This study sought to examine the characteristics and patterns of marine algae community changes in Wangdol-cho in order to establish a theoretical basis for the development...     

Chemical weathering of granite under acid rainfall environment, Korea

Chemical weathering was investigated by collecting samples from five selected weathering profiles in a high elevation granitic environment located in Seoul, Korea. The overall changes of chemistry and mineralogical textures were examined reflecting weathering degrees of the samples, using polarization microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy (ICP–MS). The chemical distribution in the weathering profiles shows that few trace elements are slightly immobile, whereas most major (particularly Ca and Na) and trace elements are mobile from the beginning of the granite weathering. On the other hand, there were mineralogical changes initiated from a plagioclase breakdown, which shows a characteristic circular dissolved pattern caused by a preferential leaching of Ca cation along grain boundaries and zoning. The biotite in that region is also supposed to be sensitive to exterior environmental condition and may be easily dissolved by acidic percolated water. As a result, it seems that some rock-forming minerals in the granitic rock located in Seoul are significantly unstable due to the environmental condition of acidic rainfall and steep slopes, where they are susceptible to be dissolved incongruently leading some elements to be highly depleted.     

Water surface resonance in the L-shaped channel of seawater exchange breakwater

The resonance period of the L-shaped channel in the caisson is predicted analytically for the seawater exchange breakwater of “Applicability Study of the Seawater Exchange Breakwater (1). Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (in Korean) (1999a)”. Hydraulic experiments are conducted for a composite breakwater with a rear reservoir that is one of the seawater exchange breakwaters developed by them. For regular waves, the water surface elevation in the channel and the flow rate through the breakwater are measured. For irregular waves, the flow rate through the breakwater and the reflection coefficient on the breakwater are measured. The resonant maximum values in both the surface elevation and the flow rate, and the resonant minimum values in the reflection coefficient are all at wave periods slightly longer than analytically predicted ones. The measured resonance period for irregular waves is closer to the predicted one than for regular waves. If the resonance period of the L-shaped channel is fitted to the dominant period of incident waves, there would be high efficiency of seawater exchange between inside and outside the harbor.