Late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary facies and evolution of the Jeju Strait shelf, southwest Korea

The depositional environments of the Jeju Strait shelf since the last interglacial period are analyzed using sedimentary structures, grain size textures, sediment color, and optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ages of vibro-cores. The shelf deposits can be divided into 12 sedimentary facies grouped into four depositional units: 1) shelf sand, 2) estuarine sand/mud, 3) fluvial sand/mud, and 4) shelf sand/mud. Each unit is separated by a sharp and unconformable erosion boundary. Unit 1 shows massive to slightly bedded sandy shells with oyster fragments, representing a shelf environment during sea-level highstand. The OSL date of the base of the unit is 124.4 +/- 10.0 ka. Unit 2 is characterized by thin periodic parallel laminated mud, suggesting tidal signatures in tidal flats. Sediments are typically moderate brownish, suggesting extreme weathering after deposition. The OSL dates of this unit range from 81.1 +/- 5.3 to 74.2 +/- 4.7. Unit 3 consists of lower cross-bedded sand and laminated mud with fining-upward successions. It is interpreted as the product of channel deposits in a fluvial environment during a sea-level falling. The OSL ages of Unit 3 range from 50.6 +/- 2.9 to 26.1 +/- 1.6 ka, belonging to the Weichselian glacial period. The uppermost unit (Unit 4) is composed of homogeneous mud and massive sand with molluscan shell fragments in the modern shelf environment during sea-level highstand. OSL and C-14-AMS ages range from 0.32 +/- 0.02 to 11.2 +/- 0.1 ka. Consequently, the late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary facies in this area consist of marine and non-marine environments, which mainly correspond to sea-level changes.