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Relationship between Grain Size and Organic Carbon Content of Surface Sediments in the Major Estuarine Areas of Korea

국내 주요 하구역 표층퇴적물의 입도와 유기탄소 함량 관계

BOO-KEUN KHIM1*
,
JU-YEON YANG2
,
HYUK CHOI2
,
KWANGKYU PARK3
,
KYUNG HOON SHIN4
김 부근1*
,
양 주연2
,
최 혁2
,
박 광규3
,
신 경훈4
1Professor, Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
2Graduate Student, Division of Earth Environmental System, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
3Post-doc Researcher, Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
4Professor, Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
1부산대학교 해양학과 및 해양연구소 교수
2부산대학교 지구환경시스템학부 대학원생
3부산대학교 해양연구소 연수연구원
4한양대학교 해양융합공학과 교수
*Corresponding Author
30 November 2023. pp. 158-177
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Abstract

An estuary is a transitional water area that links the land and sea through rivers and streams, transporting various components from the land to the sea, which plays an important role in determining primary productivity in the coastal environment, and this coastal ecosystem captures a huge amount of carbon into biomass, known as blue carbon, which mitigates climate change as a potential carbon reservoir. This study examined the variation of mean grain size and organic carbon content of the surface sediments for 6 years and analyzed their relationship in the western and southern estuarine areas (Han River Estuary, Geum River Estuary, Yeongsan River Estuary, Seomjin River Estuary, and Nakdong River Estuary) and the East Sea upwelling area. During the sampling period (2015 to 2020), seasonal variation of both properties was not observed, because their variations might be controlled by diverse oceanographic environments and hydrographic conditions within each survey area. However, despite the synoptic problem of all samples, the positive relationship was obtained between the averages of mean grain size and organic carbon content, which clearly distinguishes each survey area. The unique positive relationship in all estuarine areas implies that the same process by sediment clay particles is important in the organic carbon accumulation. However, additional important factor may be expected in the organic carbon accumulation in the East Sea upwelling area. Further necessary data (sedimentation rate, dry bulk density etc) should be required for the estimation of carbon stock to evaluate the major estuaries in Korea as potential carbon reservoirs in the coastal environment.

Keywords
Estuary
Mean grain size
Organic carbon
Blue carbon
Korea

하구역은 강과 하천을 통해 육상과 해양을 연결하는 전이수역으로 해양으로 공급되는 많은 물질들은 연안환경의 일차 생산성을 결정하는 중요한 역할을 담당하며, 이러한 연안생태계는 생물량에 의해 제거되는 탄소인 블루카본의 탄소 저장소로서 기후변화를 완화시키는 역할을 한다. 우리나라의 서-남해 하구역(한강, 금강, 영산강, 섬진강, 낙동강)과 동해 용승해역에서 지난 6년간 표층퇴적물의 평균입도와 유기탄소 함량의 변화와 두 인자들 사이의 상관관계를 분석하였다. 조사기간(2015-2020년) 동안 서-남해 하구역과 동해 용승해역 표층퇴적물의 평균입도와 유기탄소 함량은 계절적 변화가 관찰되지 않았으며, 전반적으로 각 해역의 다양한 해양환경 및 수리역학적 조건에 의해 두 인자들이 조절되는 것으로 해석된다. 조사된 모든 시료채취의 동시성이 없는 문제점에도 불구하고 연구지역에서 분석된 모든 퇴적물 평균입도들의 평균값과 유기탄소 함량의 평균값은 양의 상관관계를 보이며 각 하구역과 동해 용승해역을 구분한다. 동일한 양의 상관관계를 보이는 각 하구역에서는 아마도 같은 과정에 의한 퇴적물 점토입자의 퇴적이 유기탄소 축적에 중요한 역할을 담당한다. 그러나 동해 용승해역은 하구역과 다르게 추가적인 유기탄소 축적의 요인이 나타난다. 국내 주요 하구역들이 연안환경에서 중요한 탄소저장소로서 평가되기 위해서는 탄소 저장량 계산을 위한 추가적인 자료(퇴적률, 전밀도 등)가 요구된다.

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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국해양학회
  • Journal Title :The Sea Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국해양학회지 바다
  • Volume : 28
  • No :4
  • Pages :158-177
  • Received Date : 2023-02-27
  • Revised Date : 2023-10-26
  • Accepted Date : 2023-10-27
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7850/jkso.2023.28.4.158
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