Postglacial marine environmental changes in Maxwell Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica

Sediment textural properties and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of three sediment cores from Maxwell Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica, record changes in Holocene glaciomarine sedimentary environments. The lower sedimentary unit is mostly composed of TOC-poor diamictons, indicating advanced coastal glacier margins and rapid iceberg discharge in proximal glaciomarine settings with limited productivity and meltwater supply. Fine-grained, TOC-rich sediments in the upper lithologic unit suggest more open water and warm conditions, leading to enhanced biological productivity due to increased nutrient-rich meltwater supply into the bay. The relationship between TOC and total sulfur (TS) indicates that the additional sulfur within the sediment has not originated from in situ pyrite formation under the reducing condition, but rather may be attributed to the detrital supply of sand-sized pyrite from the hydrothermal-origin, quartz-pyrite rocks widely distributed in King George Island. The evolution of bottom-water hydrography after deglaciation was recorded in the benthic foraminiferal stable-isotopic composition, corroborated by the TOC and lithologic changes. The ع⁸O values indicate that bottom-water in Maxwell Bay was probably mixed gradually with intruding ¹⁸O-rich seawater from Bransfield Strait. In addition, the ع³C values reflect a spatial variability in the carbon isotope distribution in Maxwell Bay, depending on marine productivity as well as terrestrial carbon fluxes by meltwater discharge. The distinct lithologic transition, dated to approximately 8000 yr BP (uncorrected) and characterized by textural and geochemical contrasts, highlights the postglacial environmental change by a major coastal glacier retreat in Maxwell Bay.     

Investigating the Effects of Different LED Wavelengths on Aggregation and Swimming Behavior of Chub Mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Ocean Science Journal - Efficient fish aggregation systems are essential for catching chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), which is a major target of purse seine fisheries in South Korea. To aid the...     

Numerical study on the interaction among a nonlinear wave,composite breakwater and sandy seabed

Most previous investigations related to composite breakwaters have focused on the wave forces acting on the structure itself from a hydrodynamic aspect. The foundational aspects of a composite breakwater under wave-induced cyclic loading are also important in studying the stability of a composite breakwater. In this study, numerical simulations were performed to investigate the wave-induced pore water pressure and flow changes inside the rubble mound of the composite breakwater and seabed foundation. The validity and applicability of the numerical model were demonstrated by comparing numerical results with existing experimental data. Moreover, the present model clearly has shown that the instantaneous directions of pore water flow motion inside the seabed induced by surface waves are in good agreement with the general wave-induced pore water flow inside the seabed. The model is further used to discuss the stability of a composite breakwater, i.e., the interaction among nonlinear waves, composite breakwater and seabed. Numerical results suggest that the stability of a composite breakwater is affected by not only downward shear flow generating on the seaward slope face of the rubble mound but, also, a high and dense pore water pressure gradient inside the rubble mound and seabed foundation.     

Core-based reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions in the southern Drake Passage (West Antarctica) over the last 150 ka

A deep-sea sediment core (GC98-06) from the southernmost Drake Passage, West Antarctica, shows late Quaternary depositional environments distinctly different from sedimentary drifts commonly found along the southwestern Pacific margin of the Drake Passage. The chronology of the core has been inferred using geochemical tracers of paleoproductivity and diatom biostratigraphy, and represents the paleoceanographic conditions in a continental rise setting during the last 150,000 years. Three dominant sediment types associated with distinct sedimentary processes have been identified using textural/compositional analyses: (1) hemipelagic mud (interglacial sediments) deposited from pelagic settling of bioclasts, meltwater plumes, and ice-rafted detritus; (2) terrigenous mud (glacial sediments) delivered by turbid meltwater plumes; and (3) massive muds marking the boundaries from interglacial to glacial periods. The succession of the sedimentary facies in core GC98-06 is interpreted to reflect temporal changes in environmental conditions prevailing on the continental rise of the southern Drake Passage in the course of successive climatic stages over the last 150 ka: from the bottom upward, these are glacial, interglacial, glaciation, glacial, and interglacial episodes. Variability in sediment flux and diatom abundance seem to have been related to changes in glacial advance, sea-ice extent, and specific sedimentary environments, collectively influenced by mid- to late Quaternary climatic changes.     

Modeling of the branches of the Tsushima Warm Current in the Eastern Japan Sea

The branches of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) are realistically reproduced using a three-dimensional ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Simulated structures of the First Branch and the Second Branch of the TWC (FBTWC and SBTWC) in the eastern Japan Sea are mainly addressed in this study, being compared with measurement in the period September–October 2000. This is the first numerical experiment so far in which the OGCM is laterally exerted by real volume transports measured by acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) through the Tsushima Straits and the Tsugaru Strait. In addition, sea level variation measured by tide-stations along the Japanese coast as well as satellite altimeters is assimilated into the OGCM through a sequential data assimilation method. It is demonstrated that the assimilation of sea level variation at the coastal tide-stations is useful in reproducing oceanic conditions in the nearshore region. We also examine the seasonal variation of the branches of the TWC in the eastern Japan Sea in 2000. It is suggested as a consequence that the FBTWC is continuous along northwestern Honshu Island in summertime, while it degenerates along the coast between the Sado Strait and the Oga Peninsula in other seasons. On the other hand, a mainstream of the SBTWC exists with meanders and eddies in the offshore region deeper than 1000 m to the north of the Sado Island throughout the year.     

Seasonal characteristics of the Tsushima Current in the Tsushima/Korea Strait obtained by a fine-resolution numerical model

The horizontal distribution of the Tsushima Current in the Tsushima/Korea Strait is assessed by a fine-resolution numerical experiment. The comparison of the model results with the observations along a section crossing the strait shows that the model represents relatively well, the general tendency of what was observed, such as the separation of the Tsushima Current into the western and eastern streams by the Tsushima Island. In summer, strong and relatively uniformly distributed surface currents enhance the formation of the wake downstream of the Tsushima Island. The axis of the countercurrent, embedded in the wake, is closer to the western stream. Anti-cyclonic eddies are shed near the downstream tip of the Tsushima Island and propagate along the boundary between the western stream and the wake. The exchange of water between the western stream and the wake takes place through the intermediation of these eddies. There is a net water supply from the western stream to the wake, which is then carried to the eastern stream by the countercurrent via the eastern coast of the Tsushima Island. In winter, currents, strongly barotropic, tend to have banded structures, especially in the region downstream of the western channel where isobaths converge in the downstream direction. The eddies found in this region in winter appear to be fundamentally different from those associated with the Tsushima Island wake. The necessary condition for barotropic instability is satisfied for the monthly mean currents in this region, suggesting that the currents are barotropically unstable in this region in winter.     

Water quality assessment at Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay,South Korea

A new water quality index for evaluating the water quality of Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay was developed. Four water quality parameters were selected as water quality indicators for the water quality index: dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and dissolved oxygen (DO). Reference levels of DIN, DIP, and Chl-a were determined as 6.22 μmol L^?1, 0.38 μmol L^?1, and 2.32 μmol L^?1, respectively, on the basis of a long-term dataset that was collected monthly in the Korea Strait over a period of seven years (2006–2012). The water quality index established for Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay is (bottom DO grade × 0.33) + (surface Chl-a grade × 0.33) + (surface DIN grade × 0.17) + (surface DIP grade × 0.17). On the basis of a three-year observation, the water quality of Jinhae Bay was classified as “good” in winter and spring, “poor” in summer, and “fair” in autumn and exhibited large spatial variation, with the lowest-quality water observed in Masan Bay. The water quality of Gwangyang Bay was classified as “good” in winter, “fair” in spring, “poor” in summer, and “fair” in autumn. Unlike Jinhae Bay, the water quality of Gwangyang Bay exhibited minimal spatial variation. In both bays, water quality among the four seasons was worse during summer. It is essential that a survey for water quality evaluation be conducted during summer.     

Stabilization of arsenic-contaminated mine tailings using natural and calcined oyster shells

Natural oyster shells (NOS) and calcined oyster shells (COS) were used to immobilize arsenic (As) from contaminated mine tailings. In addition, a blend of Portland cement (PC)/cement kiln dust (CKD) was used as a stabilizing agent. The Korean Standard Test (KST) method (1 N HCl extraction) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. The experimental results showed that COS effectively immobilized As in treated mine tailings. Specifically, an As concentration less than 1 mg L⁻¹ was obtained following COS treatment at 25 and 30 wt%. However, all the samples subjected to NOS treatments failed the Korean warning standard of 1.2 mg L⁻¹ after 28 days of curing. All of the COS-PC treatments were successful meeting the Korean warning standard after 7 days of curing. However, the PC-only treatment failed to meet the Korean warning standard. Similarly, the CKD-only treatment was failed to meet the Korean warning standard after 7 days of curing. However, the COS-CKD treatment showed that when the COS content was greater than 20 wt%, less than 1 mg L⁻¹ of As leachability was obtained. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) showed needle-like and torpedo-like Ca–As phases in the COS-treated samples suggesting that As was strongly associated with Ca and O. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analyses confirmed that As(V) was prevalent in the tailings and that there were no changes in As speciation following NOS or COS treatment.