In order to evaluate the pollution of heavy metals in offshore surface sediments around shipyards in Korea, surface sediment samples were collected at eleven stations around four major shipyards located in the southeastern coast of Korea in summer 2010 and nine kinds of heavy metals such as copper(Cu), zinc(Zn), cadmium(Cd), lead(Pb), chrome(Cr), arsenic(As), mercury(Hg), iron(Fe) and aluminum(Al) in sediments were analyzed. The concentrations of Cu at all sampling stations were in the range of 47.10 ~ 414.96 mg/kg and exceeded TEL(Threshold Effects Level) 20.6 mg-Cu/kg of Korean marine environmental standards for offshore sediments and ERL(Effect Range-Low) 34.0 mg-Cu/kg . The concentrations of Cu at seven stations around four shipyards were 65.18 ~ 414.96 mg/kg and exceeded PEL(Probable Effects Level) 64.4 mg-Cu/kg of Korean marine environmental standards for offshore sediments. The concentration of Cu at one station around B-shipyard was 414.96 mg/kg and exceeded ERM(Effect Range-Median) 270.0 mg-Cu/kg . The concentrations of Zn at all stations were in the range of 135.09 ~ 388.79 mg/kg which exceeded ERL 150.0 mg-Zn/kg . The concentrations of Zn at seven stations around four shipyards were 157.57 ~ 388.79 mg/kg and exceeded PEL 157.0 mg-Zn/kg . The concentration of Zn at one station around B-shipyard was 388.79 mg/kg and was approaching ERM 410.0 mg-Zn/kg . The concentrations of Cd at all stations were in the range of 0.11 ~ 0.54 mg/kg and were below TEL 0.75 mg-Cd/kg and ERL 1.2 mg-Cd/kg . The concentrations of Pb at all stations were in the range of 18.04 ~ 105.62 mg/kg . The concentrations of Pb at two stations around B-shipyard were 73.87 ~ 105.62 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 44.0 mg-Pb/kg and ERL 46.7 mg-Pb/kg , and were below PEL 119.0 mg-Pb/kg and ERM 218.0 mg-Pb/kg . The concentrations of Cr at all stations were in the range of 51.26 ~ 85.39 mg/kg. The concentration of Cr at one station around B-shipyard was 85.39 mg/kg and exceeded ERL 81.0 mg-Cr/kg . The concentrations of As at all stations were in the range of 8.70 ~ 22.15 mg/kg which exceeded ERL 8.2 mg-As/kg and were below ERM 70.0 mg-As/kg . The concentrations of As at eight stations around A-shipyard, B-shipyard and D-shipyard were 14.93 ~ 22.15 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 14.5 mg-As/kg and were below PEL 75.5 mg-As/kg . The concentrations of Hg at all stations were in the range of 0.02 ~ 0.35 mg/kg. The concentrations of Hg at three stations around A-shipyard were 0.11 ~ 0.13 mg/kg which were almost equal to TEL 0.11 mg-Hg/kg . Those at two stations around B-shipyard were 0.27 ~ 0.35 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 0.11 mg-Hg/kg and ERL 0.15 mg-Hg/kg, and were below PEL 0.62 mg-Hg/kg and ERM 0.71 mg-Hg/kg. The concentrations of Fe and Al at all stations were in the range of 2.90 ~ 3.66 % and 3.12 ~ 6.80 %, respectively. These results imply that heavy metals such as copper, zinc, lead, arsenic and mercury were likely to be transferred to marine environment from shipyards, especially from B-shipyard.

사이드 스캔 소-나 시스템을 이용하여 태안반도 부근 신두리 해역에서 해저면 음향영상 자료를 획득하였다. 후방산란 음향강도와 해저퇴적물의 물성에 대한 상호관계를 연구하였다. 그리고 위의 두 자료 모두 해저수심과 각각 비교해석 하였다. 해저퇴적물의 물성 대부분은 음향강도와 좋은 상관관계를 보이고 있지만, 퇴적물의 분포양상은 암반노출지역을 제외하고는 해저면 음향영상과 정확하게 일치하지는 않았다. 해저수심은 해저면 음향영상의 분포형태에 영향을 미치고 있었을 뿐만 아니라, 해저퇴적물의 물성 분포에서도 선형적인 관계를 보이고 있었다.

한반도 서해 중부지역의 대륙붕과 연안의 경계인 근·외해의 퇴적환경과 퇴적작용을 연구하기 위하여 1996년 부터 1999년 사이에 연속적으로 84개의 표층퇴적물을 채취하여 분석하였다. 연구지역 표층퇴적물은 역질 사(gravelly Sand), 사(Sand), 실트질 사(silty Sand) 그리고 사질 실트(sandy Silt)의 퇴적상을 보이고 있다. 조직변수는 표준입도 -0.39∼7.82φ, 분급도 0.36∼4.68φ, 왜도 -0.38∼0.86, 첨도 -1.56∼3.43로서 다양한 분포를 보이며 중앙지역의 조립하고 분급도가 좋은 사질 퇴적물을 중심으로 연안, 북과 남쪽으로 갈수록 세립해지고 분급도가 나빠지는 경향을 나타내며, 조석우세환경을 나타내는 양의 왜도를 나타내고 있다. 퇴적기작은 3가지(밑짐이동, 점이부유, 지속적 부유) 양상에 의하여 3지역으로 구분된다. 파랑, 조류의 영향으로 밑짐이동(mode A)으로 운반, 재분포된 북부지역, 상대적으로 지속적 부유(mode C)에 의한 이동, 운반, 퇴적된 남부지역 그리고 3가지 양상이 복합(mode B)되어 나타나는 중앙지역으로 구분된다. 따라서, 연구지역인 근·외해지역 퇴적환경은 강의 공급, 잔류퇴적물 그리고 수리학적 작용에 의해서 중앙, 남, 북부 지역으로 구별된다. 결론적으로 서해 중부 근·외해지역은 복잡한 수리학적 작용에 의한 다양한 퇴적기작으로 재배치된 연안의 육성기원퇴적물과 대륙붕의 잔류퇴적물이 특징적이며, 이런 퇴적작용으로 인해 연안에서 대륙붕으로 연결시켜주는 전이지역으로서의 퇴적환경을 보여주고 있다.