Is the Parker Instability a Viable Mechanism for the Formation of Giant Molecular Clouds?

The stratified interstellar medium has been known to be subject to the Parker instability, and the instability has been considered as a plausible mechanism for the formation of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). By presenting our recent efforts to understand the instability through linear analyses and numerical simulations, we raise a negative point of view that the Parker instability alone could not form GMCs.     

Permo-Triassic high-pressure metamorphism in the central western Korean Peninsula,and its link to Paleo-Tethyan Ocean closure: Key issues revisited

Permo-Triassic high-pressure(HP) mafic granulites, together with the Bibong retrogressed eclogite,preserved along the central western Korean Peninsula provide important insights into the Late Permian to Triassic collisional orogeny in northeast Asia. The metamorphic pressureetemperatureetime(P-T-t)paths of these rocks, however, remain poorly constrained and even overestimated, owing to outdated geothermobarometers and inaccurate isopleth techniques. Here we evaluate the metamorphic Pe T conditions of Triassic HP mafic granulites including those in Baekdong, Sinri and Daepan and the Bibong Triassic retrogressed eclogite in the Hongseong area, and the Permo-Triassic Samgot mafic granulite in the Imjingang Belt of the central western Korean Peninsula through the application of modern phase equilibria techniques. The Baekdong and Samgot mafic granulites and the Bibong retrogressed eclogite yield a range of 12.0 -16.0 kbar and 800 -900℃, representing HP granulite facies conditions. The Sinri and Daepan granulites from the Hongseong area show relatively lower grade metamorphic conditions between HP granulite and normal granulite facies, and are characterized by sub-isothermal decompression during exhumation. The similarities in the metamorphic ages and the post-collisional igneous activity from the central western Korean Peninsula indicate that the Triassic ages represent the retrograde stage of the metamorphic Pe T paths. In contrast, the Late Permian metamorphic ages, which are older than protolith ages of the post-collisional igneous rocks, correspond to the possible prograde stage of metamorphism. The P-T-t paths presented in this paper, together with the metamorphic ages and post-orogenic igneous events reported from these areas suggest trace of the subduction, accretion and exhumation history, and indicate a tectonic linkage among the northeast Asian continents during the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean closure.     

Tidal Influences on Biotic and Abiotic Factors in the Seomjin River Estuary and Gwangyang Bay,Korea

To assess changes in abiotic and biotic factors between flood and ebb tides, we investigated the seasonal phytoplankton dynamics and environmental conditions along a salinity gradient at 14 stations in the Seomjin River estuary (SRE), Korea, and conducted bioassays to investigate the effect of nutrient addition (+N, +P, and +NP) on phytoplankton growth. Saltwater intrusion upstream was greatly dependent on the amount of freshwater discharge resulting from seasonal rainfall. There was a strong negative correlation between salinity and the nitrate+nitrite concentration (p?<?0.001), and between salinity and the silicate concentration (p?<?0.001), but no clear correlation between salinity and the ammonium concentration, or salinity and the phosphate concentration (p?>?0.01). This indicates that the N and Si loading increased as a result of freshwater input. The algal bioassays showed that high phytoplankton growth rates were usually recorded in response to the +NP treatment, but in the saltwater zone, the phytoplankton community also responded rapidly to the +N treatment, and to the +P treatment in the freshwater zone. The range of nutrient limitation depended on freshwater discharge. The seasonal and horizontal distribution of phytoplankton communities changed along the salinity gradient. The significant differences in abiotic factors between flood and ebb tides play important roles in controlling the biotic factors, including the occurrence of aquatic organisms including microalgae.     

Evaluation of drought and flood risks in a multipurpose dam under climate change: a case study of Chungju Dam in Korea

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of climate change on the drought and flood risks of a multipurpose dam. To achieve this, A2 climate change scenarios of RegCM3 were collected about Chungju Dam in Korea. To analyze drought risks, weather data obtained by the statistical downscaling method were entered to produce runoff series by runoff modeling and water balance was analyzed based on water use scenarios to review changes in the storage volume under climate change. To analyze flood risks, changes in water levels of the dam in future flood seasons were reviewed based on the current dam operation method. The results of the review indicated that both the drought and the flood risks of the dam would increase in the future. The reason was considered to be the movement of the flood season’s runoff characteristics from July and August to August and September because of climate change. Therefore, for climate change adaptation planning, not only quantitative changes in hydrologic values but also changes in temporal characteristics should be considered and given importance.     

An estimation of discharge using mean velocity derived through Chiu’s velocity equation

To estimate discharge through the year (dry season and flood season), a stage–discharge curve derived through monitoring discharge in about 20 rivers or channels every year has been generally used. As revealed in many studies, however, the stage–discharge curve is inevitably affected by their hydraulic characteristics. This suggests that the use of a stage–discharge curve derived without considering hydraulic characteristics unique to a river or channel may produce significant errors in estimating discharge at not only low stage (during dry seasons) but also high stage (during flood seasons). In this study, the authors proposed a method to calculate the mean velocity and to estimate the discharge considering the hydraulic characteristics of a river or channel (e.g. the bed slope, wetted perimeter, width, kinematic viscosity, etc.); the method was developed using Chiu’s velocity equation. With the proposed method, it is possible to calculate a maximum velocity that is difficult to measure in an open channel, derive an entropy function representing the equilibrium of the channel, and thereby, estimate reliable discharge even in a flood season. To comparatively verify the utility of the proposed method, relations between the results of analysis using Manning’s and Chezy’s mean velocity equations and the values of measured discharge were addressed together. The results of analysis using lab data sets and measured data sets revealed that the proposed method was significantly more accurate in estimating discharge, even in flood seasons, when compared with the conventional method.     

Entropic force and its cosmological implications

We investigate a possibility of realizing the entropic force into the cosmology. A main issue is how the holographic screen is implemented in the Newtonian cosmology. Contrary to the relativistic realization of Friedmann equations, we do not clarify the connection between Newtonian cosmology and entropic force because there is no way of implementing the holographic screen in the Newtonian cosmology.     

Tectonometamorphic evolution of the Permo-Triassic Songrim (Indosinian) orogeny: evidence from the late Paleozoic Pyeongan Supergroup in the northeastern Taebaeksan Basin,South Korea

The deformed and metamorphosed middle Pennsylvanian to Early Triassic (?) rocks of the Pyeongan Supergroup, occurring in northeastern flank of the Paleozoic Taebaeksan Basin, east central South Korea, record the impact of the Late Permian–Triassic Songrim (Indosinian) collisional orogeny in the eastern Eurasia margin. Analysis of meso- and microstructures and their relationship with porphyroblast growth has revealed that these metasedimentary rocks were affected by four deformation events (D₁–D₄). During the polyphase deformations, successive foliations with alternately steep (S₁ and S₃) and flat-lying (S₂ and S₄) orientations were produced with growth of chloritoid, andalusite and kyanite porphyroblasts during D₁ and D₂, and growth of garnet, staurolite and andalusite porphyroblasts during D₃ and D₄. SHRIMP U–Pb detrital zircon ages (330–310 Ma) from metapelites in the oldest unit of the Pyeongan Supergroup in the study area, combined with the previous data on sandstone compositions, indicate magmatic activity that was contemporaneous with the initial deposition of the Pyeongan Supergroup. This also suggests that the Pyeongan Supergroup was deposited in an arc-related foreland basin at an active continental margin during the Late Carboniferous and Permian time. Two contractional deformation events (D₁ and D₃) and two events related to gravitational flattening (D₂ and D₄), along with Barrovian-type medium-pressure regional metamorphism, may have resulted from the Late Permian–Triassic Songrim orogeny, related to collision between the North and South China blocks and/or collision between the Eastern Eurasia margin and the proto-Japan terrane.     

Arsenic contamination in agricultural soils surrounding mining sites in relation to geology and mineralization types

A national-scale survey of the environment in and around mines was conducted to evaluate the status of total As contamination in agricultural soils surrounding numerous abandoned metal mines in Korea. This survey aimed to compare As concentrations in soils in relation to geology and mineralization types of mines. A total of 16,386 surface soil (0–15 cm in depth) samples were taken from agricultural lands near 343 abandoned mines (within 2 km of each mine). These samples were decomposed by aqua regia and analyzed for As by AAS with a hydride-generation (HG) device. To compare As levels in soils meaningfully with geology and mineralization types, three sub-classification criteria were adapted: (1) five mineralization types, (2) four valuable ore mineral types, and (3) four parent rock types. The average concentration of As in all the soils was 11.6 mg kg⁻¹ with a range of 0.01–4230 mg kg⁻¹. Based on the mineralization types, average As concentrations (mg kg⁻¹) in the soils decreased in the order of pegmatite (18.2) > hydrothermal replacement (14.5) > sedimentary deposits (12.4) > hydrothermal vein (10.7) > skarn (4.08). In terms of the valuable ore mineral types, the concentrations decreased in the order of Sn, W, Mo, Fe and Mn mines > Au, Ag, and base metal mines > Au and Ag mines ≈ base metal mines. For parent rock types, soils from metamorphic rocks and heterogeneous rocks exhibited enhanced As levels related to both igneous and sedimentary rocks. Therefore, it can be concluded that soils from highly altered rocks subject to metamorphic and igneous activities contained relatively high concentrations of As in the surface environment.     

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.