LATE QUATERNARY SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS THE SOUTHERN CONTINENTAL SHELF OF KOREA

High-resolution seismic profiles and a number of sediment cores were analyzed to reconstruct the sequence stratigraphy of late Quaternary deposits in the southern continental shelf of Korea. The late Quaternary sequence above the unconformity can be divided into transgressive systems tract and highstand systems tract according to acoustic characteristics and external geometry. These systmes tracts comprise five depositional systems which show a different seismic facies and lithofacies association. Between the transgressive surface and the maximum flooding surface, four depositional systems (incised-channel fill, transgressive estuarine/deltaic complex, transgressive sand sheet, and transgressive sand ridge) constitute the transgressive systems tract. Incised-valley fill depositional systems occur across the shelf from the present river mouth to the shelf margin. Trnasgressive sand sheet and sand ridge depositional systems are present over a wide area of mid-shelf, whereas transgressive estuarine/deltaic complex depositional systems occurr on the inner shelf. The topmost depositional system (recent mud) above the maximum flooding surface represents the highstand systems tract formed during the recent highstand of sea-level.