Study of Holocene paleo-environmental evolution using cores from the downstream area of the Nakdong River Delta, Korea

Abstract

Jeong, E.J.; Woo, H.J.; Kang, J.; Lee, J.-H., and Choi, J.U., 2018. Study of Holocene paleo-environmental evolution using cores from the downstream area of the Nakdong River Delta, Korea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 626–630. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The Nakdong River Delta in Korea consists of wide and thick sediments, which are excellent for undertaking highresolution investigations of paleo-environmental evolution. This study describes the horizontal evolution of the sediment environment during the Late Quaternary based on the KND-3 and ND-3 cores obtained from the downstream area of the Nakdong River Delta. The lowest sediments in these cores differ markedly, with KND-3 mainly being composed of olive gray coarse, sandy sediments with pebbles of c. 2-cm diameter, which are interpreted as representing a paleo-channel environment, and ND-3 mainly consisting of red silty sediments (paleosol), which are interpreted as representing alluvial deposits that were exposed to the atmosphere. By contrast, the upper sediments above 40.00 m in both cores were deposited when the sea level rose to a similar level as seen today, at which time both cores evolved through a succession of environments from estuary complex, through to shallow-marine, prodelta, delta front, and the present-day delta plain.