Geological consequences of the Saemangeum Dyke, mid-west coast of korea: A review

The Saemangeum Dyke is located in an estuarine setting, regulated in a complicated manner by a macrotidal regime, rivers, and winter monsoon. Accordingly, the constructed dyke resulted in a variety of artificial changes in geological characteristics in the estuary and its vicinity. To investigate those dyke-induced changes, the KORDI (Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute) performed sedimentological and sediment-dynamical observations from 2002 to 2010. On the basis of the KORDI results, the major geological changes and associated dynamical processes are reviewed. Five phenomena, among others, are focused on: depositional-channel creation; gap-related erosion; forced movements of surface sands; tidal-flat growth inside the dyke; and blanketing of mud over the sandy seafloor. These phenomena were unforeseen before the dyke construction, and reflect that the dyke could cause both erosion and deposition on an estuarine scale. The investigations conclude that the sediments in the dyke-influenced region were derived from the two rivers, Mangyeong and Dongjin, of the estuary. This is completely contrary to the offshore origin proposed before the dyke construction. As a result, the review supports the proposal that a thorough geological investigation and rational forecast is necessary prior to dyke construction to avoid economic loss and a fractious environmental debate.     

Retrieval of suspended sediment concentrations in large turbid rivers using Landsat ETM+: an example from the Yangtze River,China

Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is a critical parameter in the study of river sediment transport and water quality variation, but traditional measurement methods are costly and time‐consuming. This paper is focused on presenting a methodology that may be useful in estimating SSC which is of key importance in process geomorphology and hydrology. In previous studies, remote sensing has been applied to estimate the SSC of sea waters as well as low turbid inland waters like lakes, reservoirs and short river reaches visible within a single Landsat satellite image coverage. Rivers, especially highly turbid large rivers, have largely been ignored. The dataset used in this paper includes measured SSC and multi‐temporal Landsat ETM+ images covering most part of the Yangtze River. Using an effective easy‐to‐use atmospheric correction method that does not require in situ atmospheric conditions, retrieved water reflectance of Band 4 was found to be a good SSC indicator within the large SSC range 22–2610 mg l^–1. The newly developed regression relation between SSC and water reflectance of Band 4 appears to be able to provide a relatively accurate SSC estimate directly from Landsat ETM+ images for the Yangtze River from the upper, the middle to the lower reaches. With the relation it is possible to estimate or map out SSC dynamics of large rivers which lack SSC data due to constraints of conventional measurements. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative analysis of four stem taper models for Quercus glauca in Mount Halla,Jeju Island,South Korea

This study was conducted to fit the diameter-height data of Quercusglaucain Jeju Island, South Korea to the four commonly used stem taper equations andto evaluate the performance of the four stem taper models using four statistical criteria： Fit index （FI）, root mean square error （RMSE）, bias （）,and absolute mean difference （AMD）. Results showed that the Kozak02stem taper equation provided the best FI（0.9847）, RMSE（1.5745）,（-0.0030 cm） and AMD （1.0990 cm） whileMax and Burkhart model had the poorest performance among the four stem taper models based on the four evaluation statistics （FI ： 0.9793,RMSE ： 1.8272, ： 0.3040 cm and AMD ： 1.3060 cm）. These stem taper equations can serve as a useful tool for forest managers in estimating the diameter outside bark at any given height, merchantable stem volumes and total stem volumesof the standing trees of Quercusglaucain theGotjawal forests located in Mount Halla, Jeju Island, South Korea.     

Imaging the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water from multichannel seismic data

The Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water (YSBCW) is a large cold water mass lying in the deep part of the Yellow Sea during the warm season. We acquired multichannel seismic (MCS) data using an air gun source to image the structure of the YSBCW. The MCS data recorded reflections from sea water. The recognition of these reflections was confirmed by finite-difference seismic modeling in the frequency-domain. The seismic section from MCS data enabled discrimination of water masses distinctly separated by reflecting horizons. The structure of the water masses is fairly consistent with temperature-depth variations obtained using expandable bathythermograph (XBT) casts. The YSBCW is imaged as the lowermost water mass, maximally 40 m thick, that extends as a lens-like form along the sea bottom under the warm mixed layer. The correlation of XBT measurements and the seismic section indicates a rapid decrease in temperature from around 11 to 8 °C in the uppermost part of the YSBCW. A transition zone between the mixed layer and the underlying YSBCW is also defined. This transition zone has fairly uniform thickness of 14–18 m and marks an interval of rapid temperature drop, indicating vigorous thermal mixing. Our study demonstrates that MCS profiling is a useful and reliable tool for imaging fine structures in the shallow Yellow Sea.     

The reproductive cycle of the humbug damselfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dascyllus aruanus</Emphasis> according to the changes in lunar phase in Micronesia

The moon is known to be an environmental factor that controls the reproductive cycle of fish, and fish have evolved a variety of reproduction patterns depending on the lunar phase. In this study, we examined the relationship between lunar phases and the reproductive cycle of the humbug damselfish Dascyllus aruanus inhabiting Weno Island, Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia. We divided the one-month lunar cycle into eight phases, and measured the features of moonlight (peak wavelength and intensity) and indicators of fish maturity [gonadosomatic index (GSI) and sex hormones] in relation to the eight lunar phases. In addition, we investigated the daily rhythms of sex hormones in fish ovaries during the full moon phase. The results showed that the peak wavelength of moonlight was 430 nm (blue wavelength region) regardless of the lunar phase, and that moonlight intensity was highest during a full moon at 02:00. Furthermore, the GSI and sex hormones were both higher around the full moon phase. These findings support the hypothesis that humbug damselfish spawn once a month and that this event occurs at full moon, which is the phase of the moon with the strongest intensity. Based on these findings, we predict that blue wavelength, the dominant wavelength of moonlight, is one of the environmental factors influencing the monthly spawning of D. aruanus.     

Effect of different wavelengths of light on the antioxidant and immunity status of juvenile rock bream, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oplegnathus fasciatus</Emphasis>, exposed to thermal stress

We investigated the effect of light wavelengths on antioxidant and immunity parameters in juvenile rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, exposed to thermal stress (25 and 30°C). We exposed the fish to light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting green (520 nm) and red light (630 nm) of 0.25 and 0.5 W/m² intensity, and measured the activity, and mRNA and protein expression levels of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. We also determined the levels of plasma hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), melatonin, and lysozyme. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of caspase-3 were measured and terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays were performed. We observed that mRNA expression and activities of antioxidant enzymes and plasma H₂O₂ levels were significantly higher after exposure to high temperatures. However, increases in these parameters were significantly lower after exposure to green LED light. The plasma melatonin and lysozyme levels were significantly lower in the different groups after exposure to high temperatures; however, in groups exposed to green LED light, their levels were significantly higher than those in the control group. The expression pattern of caspase-3 mRNA was similar to that of H₂O₂. The TUNEL assay showed that apoptosis was markedly higher at higher water temperatures than that at 20°C. These results indicate that high water temperatures induce oxidative stress and decrease the immunity in juvenile rock bream but green LED light inhibits the rise in oxidative stress and combats the decrease in immunity and should, thus, be useful in the culture of rock bream.     

Changes and development plans in the mountain villages of South Korea: Comparison of the first and second national surveys

Owing to the geographic disadvantages of mountain villages, the social, cultural, and economic conditions of mountain villagers are inferior to those of urban dwellers in South Korea. Thus, in 1995, the The government of South Korea launched a mountain village development support program to promote agriculture and forestry, balance national land development, and preserve cultural heritage. The program was effectively implemented, improving the income, population size, and living conditions of villagers in addition to setting up a system for stable project implementation. However, concerns were raised about long-term development planning, the creation and marketing of specialty brands, facility management/operation, and follow-up support. The government conducted surveys of mountain villagers in 2003 and 2014, obtaining basic data to address these issues. This study evaluates the outcomes of these two surveys, suggesting areas requiring focused action, concentrating on village development projects, forest resource distribution and use, demographic trends, the economy, exchange with urban areas, green tourism, and master planning. We find that despite growth in the forest labor force, forest ownership is diminishing in terms of the number and scale of holdings. Consequently, it is necessary to commercialize forest resources, establish favorable settlement conditions, and expand government support for village-run projects. In addition, systematic forest management for older tree age classes would benefit the public and provide assets for future mountain village development. Our results are expected to provide baseline information for the establishment and efficient implementation of mountain village development policy.     

The GEF/UNDP/IMO Malacca Straits Demonstration Project: Sources of Pollution

The Straits of Malacca is subjected to a great variety of environmental stresses due to its strategic location as a major international shipping lane and the concentration of agriculture, industry and urbanisation which predominate on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This paper gives an overview of the study conducted in the Malacca Straits as part of the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme on the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas, in particular pertaining to the identification of land and sea-based sources of pollution in Malaysia which contributes to the pollution load in the Straits, as well as the assessment of the relative contribution of each source.     

Investigation of the dynamic behaviour of a storage tank with different foundation types focusing on the soil‐foundation‐structure interactions using centrifuge model tests

This paper proposes a dynamic centrifuge model test method for the accurate simulation of the behaviours of a liquid storage tank with different types of foundations during earthquakes. The method can be used to determine the actual stress conditions of a prototype storage‐tank structure. It was used in the present study to investigate the soil‐foundation‐structure interactions of a simplified storage tank under two different earthquake motions, which were simulated using a shaking table installed in a centrifuge basket. Three different types of foundations were considered, namely, a shallow foundation, a slab on the surface of the ground connected to piles and a slab with disconnected piles. The test results were organised to compare the ground surface and foundation motions, the slab of foundation and top of structure motions and the horizontal and vertical motions of the slab, respectively. These were used to establish the complex dynamic behaviours of tank models with different foundations. The effects of soil–foundation–structure interaction with three foundation conditions and two different earthquake motions are focused and some important factors, that should be considered for future designs are also discussed in this research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.