Transgressive sedimentation and stratigraphic evolution of a wave-dominated macrotidal coast, western Korea

摘要: Abstract The entire west coast of Korea is macrotidal. However, unlike the embayed tide-dominated coasts to north and south, central relatively straight wave-dominated. It has developed a retrogradational, coarsening-upward succession as result barrier-island retreat during later stages Holocene transgression; within embayments, transgressive overlain by fining-upward progradational indicating onset highstand conditions. A environment may have existed early transgression shoreline traversed flat-floored Yellow Sea, but coastal zone western became wave-dominated sea level neared current encountered steeper portion pre-transgression surface. resultant small, coast-normal tidal prism produced weak currents, which allowed for development barrier islands, except at mouths large embayments. With continued transgression, former barriers retreated landward over their back-barrier flats, producing thick deposits (> 8 m) that were preserved because vector had significant vertical component. Remnants islands are present only in isolated small embayments; elsewhere areas over-ridden attached pre-existing cliffs. sand then dispersed form modern, wave-dominated, open-coast flats. Conditions study area lie transition between wave- sedimentation, slight spatial or temporal changes relative important waves currents cause morphology facies. This confirms earlier work showed range 4 m not upper limit Tidal more direct control on dynamics than range.