Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Factors controlling mud accumulation in the Heuksan mud belt off southwestern Korea

  • Original
  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Heuksan mud belt (hereafter HMB) is 20~50 km wide, ~200 km long, and ~50 m thick, having accumulated in the course of the Holocene transgression on the tide-dominated epicontinental shelf southwest of Korea. The internal architecture of the HMB is characterized by offshore prograding clinoforms. Of particular interest are the depositional processes responsible for this anomalously thick mud accumulation within a relatively short period of time. Tidal currents are important in the dispersal of mud in the HMB, although these alone cannot explain such an enormous mud deposit. In order to understand the formative processes of the HMB, a detailed sedimentary facies analysis, including high-resolution grain-size measurements, has been conducted on more than 30 short cores and three long drill cores recovered from the mud belt. Five major mud facies were identified. Of these, mud sequences showing a thickening–thinning trend of alternating silt and clay laminae suggestive of a tidal origin occur dominantly at inner to mid shelf locations. By contrast, internally structureless muds with sharp bases and no bioturbation, which are interpreted of representing fluid-mud deposits, are widespread at mid to outer shelf locations. Wave-generated mud ripples and storm beds on the inner shelf suggest that storm waves in winter resuspend previously deposited mud to form near-bed fluid-mud suspensions with resulting gravity-driven mud transport across the low-gradient outer shelf. This previously not recognized process is probably a major factor controlling depositional processes on the giant mud belt, enabling rapid accumulation and offshore progradation even during transgression, i.e., at times of sea-level rise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander CR, DeMaster DJ, Nittrouer CA (1991) Sediment accumulation in a modern epicontinental-shelf setting: the Yellow Sea. Mar Geol 98:51–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aplin AC, Macquaker JHS (2011) Mudstone diversity: origin and implications for source, seal and reservoir properties in petroleum systems. Am Assoc Petrol Geol Bull 95:2031–2059

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayranci K, Lintern DG, Hill PR, Dashtgard SE (2012) Tide-supported gravity flows on the upper delta front, Fraser River delta, Canada. Mar Geol 326–328:166–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baas JH, Best JL, Peakall J, Wang M (2009) A phase diagram from turbulent, transitional, and laminar clay suspension flows. J Sediment Res 79:162–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baas JH, Best JL, Peakall J (2011) Depositional processes, bedform development and hybrid bed formation in rapidly decelerated cohesive (mud-sand) sediment flows. Sedimentology 58:1953–1987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker EK, Harris PT, Short SA, Keene JB (1995) Patterns of sedimentation in the Fly River Delta. In: Flemming BW, Bartholomä A (eds) Tidal signatures in modern and ancient sediments. IAS Spec Publ 24, pp 193–211

  • Blott SJ, Pye K (2001) GRADISTAT: a grain size distribution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments. Earth Surf Proc Landf 26:1237–1248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buatois LA, Mangano MG (2011) Ichnology – Organism-substrate interactions in space and time. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Burchette TP, Wright VP (1992) Carbonate ramp depositional systems. Sediment Geol 79:3–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cattaneo A, Trincardi F, Asioli A, Correggiari A (2007) The Western Adriatic shelf clinoform: energy-limited bottomset. Cont Shelf Res 27:506–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang TS, Flemming BW, Bartholomä A (2007) Distinction between sortable silts and aggregated particles in muddy intertidal sediments of the East Frisian Wadden Sea, southern North Sea. Sediment Geol 202:453–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chough SK, Lee HJ, Yoon SH (2000) Marine geology of Korean seas, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings DI, Arnott RWC, Hart BS (2006) Tidal signatures in a shelf-margin delta. Geology 34:249–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple RW, Baker EK, Harris PT, Hughes MG (2003) Sedimentology and stratigraphy of a tide-dominated, foreland-basin delta (Fly River, Papua New Guinea). In: Hasan Sidi F, Nummedal D, Imbert P, Darman H, Posamentier HW (eds) Tropical deltas of southeast Asia - sedimentology, stratigraphy, and petroleum geology. SEPM Spec Publ 76, pp 147–173

  • Faas RW (1986) Mass-physical and geotechnical properties of surficial sediments and dense nearbed sediment suspensions on Amazon continental shelf. Cont Shelf Res 6:189–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falcini F, Fagherazzi S, Jerolmack DJ (2012) Wave-supported sediment gravity flow currents: effects of fluid-induced pressure gradients and flow width spreading. Cont Shelf Res 33:37–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan D, Li C (2002) Rhythmic deposition on mudflats in the mesotidal Changjiang Estuary, China. J Sediment Res 72:543–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flemming BW (2003) Tidal flats. In: Middleton GV (ed) Encyclopedia of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 734–737

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk RL, Ward WC (1957) Brazos river bar: a study in the significance of grain size parameters. J Sediment Petrol 27:3–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan BX (1994) Patterns and structures of the currents in Bohai, Huanghai and East China Sea. In: Zhou D (ed) Oceanology of China seas. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 3–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovikoski J, Rasanen M, Gingras M, Roddaz M, Ranzi A, Melo J (2008) Tidal and seasonal controls in the formation of late Miocene inclined heterolithic stratification deposits, western Amazonian foreland basin. Sedimentology 55:499–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard JD, Reineck HE (1981) Depositional facies of high-energy beach to offshore sequence: comparison with low-energy sequence. AAPG Bull 65:807–830

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsueh Y (1988) Recent current observations in the eastern Yellow Sea. J Geophys Res 93:6875–6884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichaso AA, Dalrymple RW (2009) Tide- and wave-generated fluid mud deposits in the Tilje Formation (Jurassic), offshore Norway. Geology 37:539–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa H, Beardsley RC (2002) Current system in the Yellow and East China Seas. J Oceanogr 58:77–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaeger JM, Nittrouer CA (1995) Tidal controls on the formation of fine-scale sedimentary strata near the Amazon river mouth. Mar Geol 125:259–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong DU, Choi JY, Lee YG (2011) The effects of depositional processes on benthic foraminiferal taphonomy in the southeastern Yellow Sea of Korea. Geosci J 15:237–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin JH, Chough SK (1998) Partitioning of transgressive deposits in the southeastern Yellow Sea: a sequence stratigraphic interpretation. Mar Geol 149:79–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson HD, Baldwin CT (1996) Shallow clastic seas. In: Reading HG (ed) Sedimentary environments: processes, facies and stratigraphy. Blackwell Science, Oxford, pp 232–280

    Google Scholar 

  • KIGAM (1996) Yellow Sea drilling program for studies on Quaternary geology. KIGAM Research Report KR-96(T)-18, Daejeon, Korea

  • KIGAM (2014) Geological characterization of recent muddy sediment for reservoir potential, and in-situ analysis of shallow gas. KIGAM Research Report GP2014-005-2014(3), Daejeon, Korea

  • Kineke GC, Sternberg RW (1995) Distribution of fluid muds on the Amazon continental shelf. Mar Geol 125:193–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kineke GC, Sternberg RW, Trowbridge JH, Geyer WR (1996) Fluid-mud processes on the Amazon continental shelf. Cont Shelf Res 16:667–696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby R, Parker WR (1983) Distribution and behavior of fine sediment in the Severn Estuary and Inner Bristol Channel, UK. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40:83–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kniskern TA, Kuehl SA, Harris CK, Carter L (2010) Sediment accumulation patterns and fine-scale strata formation on the Waiapu River shelf, New Zealand. Mar Geol 270:188–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuehl SA, Nittrouer CA, DeMaster DJ (1986) Distribution of sedimentary structures in the Amazon subaqueous delta. Cont Shelf Res 6:311–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kvale EP, Archer AW, Johnson HR (1989) Daily, monthly, and yearly tidal cycles within laminated siltstones of the Mansfield Formation (Pennsylvanian) of Indiana. Geology 17:365–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lantzsch H, Hanebuth TJJ, Chiessi CM, Schwenk T, Violante RA (2014) The high-supply, current-dominated continental margin of southeastern South America during the late Quaternary. Quat Res 81:339–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee HJ, Chu YS (2001) Origin of inner-shelf mud deposit in the southeastern Yellow Sea: Huksan Mud Belt. J Sediment Res 71:144–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee G-S, Kim D-C, Yoo D-G, Yi H-I (2014) Stratigraphy of late Quaternary deposits using high resolution seismic profile in the southeastern Yellow Sea. Quat Int 344:109–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lie H-J, Cho C-H, Lee S (2009) Tongue-shaped frontal structure and warm water intrusion in the southern Yellow Sea in winter. J Geophys Res 114, C01003. doi:10.1029/2007JC004683

    Google Scholar 

  • Lie H-J, Cho C-H, Lee S (2013) Frontal circulation and westward transversal current at the Yellow Sea entrance in winter. J Geophys Res Oceans 118:3851–3870. doi:10.1002/jgrc.20280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Saito Y, Wang H, Yang Z, Nakashima R (2007) Sedimentary evolution of the Holocene subaqueous clinoform off the Shandong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea. Mar Geol 236:165–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKay DA, Dalrymple RW (2011) Dynamic mud deposition in a tidal environment: the record of fluid-mud deposition in the Cretaceous Bluesky Formation, Alberta, Canada. J Sediment Res 81:901–920

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macquaker JHS, Bentley SJ, Bohacs KM (2010) Wave-enhanced sediment-gravity flows and mud dispersal across continental shelves: reappraising sediment transport processes operating in ancient mudstone successions. Geology 38:947–950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehta AJ (1991) Understanding fluid mud in a dynamic environment. Geo-Mar Lett 11:113–118. doi:10.1007/BF02430995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore DG, Scruton PC (1957) Minor internal structures of some recent unconsolidated sediments. AAPG Bull 41:2723–2751

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton RA (1981) Formation of storm deposits by wind-forced currents in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. In: Nio SD, Schuettenhelm RTE, van Weering TjCE (eds) Holocene marine sedimentation in the North Sea basin. IAS Spec Publ 5, pp 385–396

  • Myrow PM (1992) Bypass-zone tempestite facies model and proximality trends for an ancient muddy shoreline and shelf. J Sediment Petrol 62:99–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myrow PM, Southard JB (1996) Tempestite deposition. J Sediment Res 66:875–888

    Google Scholar 

  • Naimie CE, Blain CA, Lynch R (2001) Seasonal mean circulation in the Yellow Sea - a model-generated climatology. Cont Shelf Res 21:667–695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narantsetseg B, Kim GY, Kim J-W, Chang TS, Lee GS, Choi H, Kim S-P (2014) Physical property variations related to seismic units in the offshore sediments of the Heuksan Mud Belt, southeastern Yellow Sea, Korea. Quat Int 344:97–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nio SD, Yang CS (1991) Diagnostic attributes of clastic tidal deposits: a review. In: Smith DG, Reinson GE, Zaitlin BA, Rahmani RA (eds) Clastic tidal sedimentology. Can Soc Petrol Geol Mem 16, pp 3–28

  • Ogston AS, Cacchione DA, Sternberg RW, Kineke GC (2000) Observations of storm and river flood-driven sediment transport on the northern California continental shelf. Cont Shelf Res 20:2141–2162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogston AS, Sternberg RW, Nittrouer CA, Martin DP, Goni MA, Crockett JS (2008) Sediment delivery from the Fly River tidally dominated delta to the nearshore marine environment and the impact of El Nino. J Geophys Res 113, F01S11. doi:10.1029/2006JF000669

    Google Scholar 

  • Palinkas CM, Nittrouer CA (2006) Clinoform sedimentation along the Apennine shelf, Adriatic Sea. Mar Geol 234:245–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palinkas CM, Nittrouer CA, Walsh JP (2006) Inner-shelf sedimentation in the Gulf of Papua, New Guinea: a mud-rich shallow shelf setting. J Coast Res 22:760–772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park SC, Lee HH, Han HS, Lee GH, Kim DC, Yoo DG (2000) Evolution of late Quaternary mud deposits and recent sediment budget in the southeastern Yellow Sea. Mar Geol 170:271–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pemberton SG, Spila M, Pulham AJ, Saunders T, MacEachern JA, Sinclair I (2001) Ichnology and sedimentology of shallow to marginal marine systems, Ben Nevis and Avalon reservoirs, Jeanne D’Arc basin. Geol Assoc Canada, Short Course Notes 15

  • Reineck HE, Singh IB (1980) Depositional sedimentary environments, 2nd edn. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reineck HE, Wunderlich F (1968) Classification and origin of flaser and lenticular bedding. Sedimentology 11:99–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rine JM, Ginsburg RN (1985) Depositional facies of a mud shoreface in Suriname, South America – a mud analogue to sandy, shallow-marine deposits. J Sediment Petrol 55:633–652

    Google Scholar 

  • Schieber J, Southard JB (2009) Bedload transport of mud by floccule ripples—direct observation of ripple migration processes and their implications. Geology 37:483–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schrottke K, Becker M, Bartholomä A, Flemming BW, Hebbeln D (2006) Fluid mud dynamics in the Weser estuary turbidity zone tracked by high-resolution side-scan sonar and parametric sub-bottom profiler. Geo-Mar Lett 26:185–198. doi:10.1007/s00367-006-0027-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slingerland R, Selover RW, Ogston AS, Keen TR, Driscoll NW, Milliman JD (2008) Building the Holocene clinothem in the Gulf of Papua: an ocean circulation study. J Geophys Res 113, F01S14. doi:10.1029/2006JF000680

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith ND, Phillips AC, Powell RD (1990) Tidal drawdown: a mechanism for producing cyclic sediment laminations in glaciomarine deltas. Geology 18:10–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stow DAV, Piper DJW (1984) Deep-water fine-grained sediments: facies models. In: Stow DAV, Piper DJW (eds) Fine-grained sediments: Deep-water processes and facies. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 15, pp 611–646

  • Stupples P (2002) Tidal cycles preserved in late Holocene tidal rhythmites, the Wainway Channel, Romney Marsh, southeast England. Mar Geol 182:231–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traykovski P, Geyer WR, Irish JD, Lynch JF (2000) The role of wave-induced density-driven fluid mud flows for cross-shelf transport on the Eel River continental shelf. Cont Shelf Res 20:2113–2140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh JP, Nittrouer CA (2003) Contrasting style of off-shelf sediment accumulation in New Guinea. Mar Geol 196:105–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh JP, Nittrouer CA, Palinkas CM, Ogston AS, Sternberg RW, Brunskill GJ (2004) Clinoform mechanics in the Gulf of Papua, New Guinea. Cont Shelf Res 24:2487–2510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Bi N, Wang Y, Saito Y, Yang Z (2010) Tide-modulated hyperpycnal flows off the Huanghe (Yellow River) mouth, China. Earth Surf Proc Landf 35:1315–1329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells JT, Park YA, Choi JH (1984) Storm-induced fine-sediment transport, west coast of south Korea. Geo-Mar Lett 4:177–180. doi:10.1007/BF02281701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright LD, Friedrichs CT (2006) Gravity-driven sediment transport on continental shelves: a status report. Cont Shelf Res 26:2092–2107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SY, Jung HS, Lim DI, Li CX (2003) A review on the provenance discrimination of sediments in the Yellow Sea. Earth-Sci Rev 63:93–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang BC, Dalrymple RW, Chun SS (2005) Sedimentation on a wave-dominated, open-coast tidal flat, southwestern Korea: summer tidal flat-winter shoreface. Sedimentology 52:235–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is part of the MSc thesis of the co-author Hun Jun Ha, which was financially supported by the KIGAM basic research program (GP2015-040). We are grateful to Young Sook Baek for the identification of ichnofabrics. We also wish to thank the crew of the research vessel Tamhae II for logistic support during the survey. We acknowledge Burg W. Flemming for his review and language corrections of an earlier draft, and Steve A. Kuehl for additional comments.

Conflict of interest

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

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 305-350, Republic of Korea

    Tae Soo Chang & Hun Jun Ha

  2. Faculty of Earth Systems & Environmental Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 500-757, Republic of Korea

    Hun Jun Ha & Seung Soo Chun

Authors
  1. Tae Soo Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hun Jun Ha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seung Soo Chun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tae Soo Chang.

Additional information

Responsible guest editor: Dong-Geun Yoo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chang, T.S., Ha, H.J. & Chun, S.S. Factors controlling mud accumulation in the Heuksan mud belt off southwestern Korea. Geo-Mar Lett 35, 461–473 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-015-0421-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-015-0421-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation