Organic Chemical Characteristics and Its Paleoceanographic Implications of the Holocene Sediments on the Continental Shelves Off the Southern Coast of Korea

Spacial variation in organic components and temporal variation in the origin was examined through the organic geochemical (TC, TN, TS, , TOC, C/N, and ) and pyrolysis analysis (HI, OI, and Tmax) in the core sediments which were acquired in the continental shelf of the South Sea close to Seomjin River. Levels of TC, TN, and TS show relatively low and constant in the core SJ03 located close to the Seomjin River mouth, while those are increased a little with being varied with low amplitude in the core SJ02 and SJ04 acquired at the middle of inner shelf area. They fluctuated with high amplitude in the core SJ01 and SJ05 near to the outer boundary of inner shelf. The vertical characteristics of organic components in the core SJ01 acquired at the outer boundary show that the area has undergone distinctly the environmental change at 9.0 kyr B.P. After 9.0 kyr B.P., Levels of TC, TOC, TN, , , HI, and Tmax are rapidly increased, while C/N and or are significantly decreased. Even though the contents of organic components are not high, such a changes reflect that the terrigenous organic matters were predominant before 9.0 kyr B.P due to the influence of Seomjin River, but after then, the marine organic matters have dominated due to the inflow of the Tshusima current.