Analysis on the cause-and-effect of the morphological change in the Gomso-bay tidal flat induced by the Saemangeum reclamation project

Abstract

Land reclamation conducted on a large scale has accelerated environmental changes in the tidal flats. The total area of tidal flats in south Korea decreased from approximately 2,800 km2 in 1990 to 2,393 km2 in 2005 due to the land reclamation and dredging. Due to the position of tidal flats located at the interface between marine and terrestrial environment, morphological change of tidal flats should be considered accompany with the balance and relationship between the supply of sediments from the sea or rivers and erosion by tidal or wave-induces currents. However, most of studies focused on morphological change over tidal flats or suspended sediment change in coastal area individually. The aim of this study was to investigate the cause-and-effect of morphological change on the vicinity tidal flat by the reclamation project with hydrodynamic approaches. This study examined the impact of Saemangeum dyke on the morphological change of Gomso-bay tidal flats and marine environmental changes around Gomso-bay located 15 km south from the dyke. Levelling data was conducted since 1991, 2000 and 2010 by K-H and K-M. A shipboard grab sampler acquired grain samples. The total of 171 in-situ SSC samples was collected to establish the empirical SS algorithm. The optical characteristics of the surface water were measured using a Field Spec Dual VNIR spectroradiometer. In this study, morphological change in Gomso bay tidal flat on and dredging. Due to the position of tidal flats located at the interface between marine and terrestrial environment, morphological change of tidal flats should be considered accompany with the balance and relationship between the supply of sediments from the sea or rivers and erosion by tidal or wave-induces currents. However, most of studies focused on morphological change over tidal flats or suspended sediment change in coastal area individually. The aim of this study was to investigate the cause-and-effect of morphological change on the vicinity tidal flat by the reclamation project with hydrodynamic approaches. This study examined the impact of Saemangeum dyke on the morphological change of Gomso-bay tidal flats and marine environmental changes around Gomso-bay located 15 km south from the dyke. Levelling data was conducted since 1991, 2000 and 2010 by K-H and K-M. A shipboard grab sampler acquired grain samples. The total of 171 in-situ SSC samples was collected to establish the empirical SS algorithm. The optical characteristics of the surface water were measured using a Field Spec Dual VNIR spectroradiometer. In this study, morphological change in Gomso bay tidal flat