Abstract
This paper describes mean grain-size data from the 137Cs- and 210Pb-dated sediment core BS-3 (33-cm long) recovered from Jinheung Pond, located in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. Grain-size analysis of the Jinheung Pond sediments shows a clear signal for changes in annual precipitation over the past 60 years. Instrumental records of annual precipitation (AP) and the annual summation of the precipitation of >50 mm per day (AP50), which reflects the energy available for sediment transport, correlate well with the mean grain-size distributions measured in the core. The most plausible mechanism for this response in mean grain size is variations in the annual amount and intensity of precipitation. Heavy precipitation enhances soil erosion over the catchment area and increases the transport capacity of streams and rivers. Thus, coarser mean grain size should reflect higher precipitation, and smaller mean grain size should reflect lower rainfall. In the data from core BS-3, however, grain-size peaks attributed to increased annual precipitation are not prominent. This is because a dam prevents removal of fine particles from the pond via the outflow. Therefore, the mean grain-size value represents somewhat larger sediments together with fine clays. The results of this study show that sediments of dammed lakes and ponds are well suited for high-resolution environmental investigations, especially for records of changes in precipitation over time.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Kue-Young Kim, Dr. Jin-Kwan Kim and Mr. Min-Seok Kim of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) for their assistance in laboratory work. We also thank the Journal of Paleolimnology Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Mark Brenner, and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on the original manuscript. This research was supported by the Basic Research Project of KIGAM funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy of Korea.
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Nahm, WH., Lee, G.H., Yang, DY. et al. A 60-year record of rainfall from the sediments of Jinheung Pond, Jeongeup, Korea. J Paleolimnol 43, 489–498 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9345-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9345-4