Geosciences Journal

, Volume 13, Issue 2, pp 113–120 | Cite as

Correlation of TL layers for the synchronous paleoceanographic events in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) during the Late Quaternary

  • Boo-Keun Khim
  • Ryuji Tada
  • Yu Hyeon Park
  • Jang Jun Bahk
  • Yoshiki Kido
  • Takuya Itaki
  • Ken Ikehara
Article
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Abstract

TL layers (i.e., dark mud layers), either thin or thick, as determined by the L* values with lithologic observation, are distinct paleoceanographic signatures in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), which were formed in response to the global eustatic sealevel fluctuations between interglacials and glacials during the Late Quaternary. These lithologic markers were consistently correlated among the three sediment cores (MD01-2407, 05GCRP21, and KR05-09PC1) collected from the Oki Ridge of the southern Yamato Basin, the South Korea Plateau of the northern Ulleung Basin, and the Matsumae Plateau of the northeastern Japan Basin, respectively. Reconstruction of age models for cores 05GCRP and KR05-09PC1 was aided in a good way by the AMS 14C ages of planktonic foraminifera and identification of the tephra layers, and mainly by lithostratigraphic correlation with TL layers of well-dated core MD01-2407, based on the L* values. The correlation of TL layers among the three sediment cores was remarkable, indicating that the East Sea (Sea of Japan) experienced the synchronous and basin-wide scale paleoceanographic events during the Late Quaternary. Our study exemplifies the significant usefulness of these lithologic markers for further Late Quaternary paleoceanographic investigation.

Key words

TL layers paleoceanography correlation sea level Late Quaternary East Sea Sea of Japan 
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Copyright information

© The Association of Korean Geoscience Societies 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Boo-Keun Khim
    • 1
  • Ryuji Tada
    • 2
  • Yu Hyeon Park
    • 3
  • Jang Jun Bahk
    • 4
  • Yoshiki Kido
    • 5
  • Takuya Itaki
    • 6
  • Ken Ikehara
    • 6
  1. 1.Division of Earth Environmental SystemPusan National UniversityBusanKorea
  2. 2.Department of Earth and Planetary ScienceUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
  3. 3.Division of Marine GeologySouth Sea Institute, KORDIGeojeKorea
  4. 4.Petroleum and Marine Resources DivisionKorea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral ResourcesDeajeonKorea
  5. 5.OD Science Technical Support Section #1Marine Works Japan Ltd.KanagawaJapan
  6. 6.Institute of Geology and GeoinformationGeological Survey of Japan, AISTTsukubaJapan

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