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Seismic stratigraphy of the Heuksan mud belt in the southeastern Yellow Sea, Korea

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Abstract

To establish the seismic stratigraphy of the Heuksan mud belt (HMB) and reconstruct its depositional history, approximately 1,600 km of high-resolution seismic data were newly obtained using chirp acoustic sub-bottom profiler, sparker, and air-gun seismic systems. Based on seismic stratigraphic analysis, the HMB can be divided into three major seismic units (I, II, and III, from top to bottom) and four subunits (II-a, II-b, III-a, and III-b) overlying transgressive sands, pre-last glacial maximum (LGM) deposits, and the acoustic basement. Each unit and subunit show different seismic facies and geometry, being clearly separated from each other by bounding surfaces formed since the LGM. The spatial distribution, thicknesses and volumes of the seismic units were determined and plotted to document the sequential formation of the HMB. The correlation between deep drill core data (HMB-101, HMB-102, HMB-103, YSDP-101, and YSDP-102) and the seismic data suggests that subunits III-b and III-a were formed by the continuous accumulation of fine-grained sediment with partial sandy sediment in an estuarine/deltaic environment during the early to middle transgressive stage, accompanied by landward migration of the shoreline. Subunits II-b and II-a were probably formed by re-deposition of large volumes of sediment eroded from unit III during the middle transgressive to early highstand stage. Unit I is interpreted as the most recent mud deposit representing the highstand systems tract when sea-level rise terminated. The careful definition of seismic units and their interpretation proposed in this study, on the basis of the large and partly new seismic dataset covering the entire HMB together with deep drill core data, have been instrumental in reconstructing the depositional environment and formation mechanisms of the HMB.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted within the framework of the government project Study on marine geology and mineral resource in buried paleochannel of Seomjin River, South Sea (GP2015-040). The authors are grateful to the scientists and crews onboard the R/V Tamhae2 during the 2012 and 2014 offshore surveys. Also acknowledged are constructive comments from two reviewers and the editors.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest with third parties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Petroleum and Marine Resources Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea

    Gwang-Soo Lee, Dong Geun Yoo, Sung Ho Bae, Gun-Hong Min, Seong-Pil Kim & Hunsoo Choi

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  1. Gwang-Soo Lee
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  2. Dong Geun Yoo
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Correspondence to Gwang-Soo Lee.

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Responsible guest editor: Tae Soo Chang

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Lee, GS., Yoo, D.G., Bae, S.H. et al. Seismic stratigraphy of the Heuksan mud belt in the southeastern Yellow Sea, Korea. Geo-Mar Lett 35, 433–446 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-015-0420-8

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