Freshwater supply by Korean rivers to the East Sea during the last glacial maximum: a review and new evidence from the Korea Strait region

Abstract

This study presents a review of extensive literature and reports new findings extracted from previously collected cores. Globally lowered sea level during the last glacial maximum (LGM) reduced the cross-sectional area in the Korea Strait, minimizing volume transport of the paleo-Tsushima Current and increasing freshwater input to the East Sea. The higher supply of freshwater played an important role in compositional changes of surface water in the sea, indicated by low sea surface salinity (down to about 20‰) and light δ18O of planktonic Foraminifera (lighter than 1‰) recorded in core sediments. The Korean fluvial systems (Nakdong and Seomjin rivers) emptying into the southeastern sea of Korea may have contributed substantially to freshwater supply to the surface layer of the LGM East Sea, although Chinese paleo-river (Huanghe and Yangtze rivers) waters, together with the paleo-Tsushima Current, also seem to have supplied some freshwater to the sea. The higher supply of river waters to the East Sea is strongly evidenced by the high amount of terrigenous material (quartz, feldspar and rock fragments) in core sediments. In addition, high magnetic susceptibility, high grain density, and high C/N ratios were documented in cores MB98PC-11 and 95PC-1. In contrast with earlier studies, we propose that Korean rivers played a more substantial role in supplying freshwater to the East Sea during the LGM than previously thought.