Outstanding geoheritage values of the Korean tidal flats (Getbol) for World Heritage Nomination
Abstract
Island-type Korean tidal flats are located along the west and south coast of the Korean Peninsula on the east of the Yellow Sea. The area hosts the most complex coastal sedimentary system and diverse ecosystem in the world due to the dynamic and complicated combination of geological, oceanographic and climatic conditions. Thousands of islands are scattered around a vast area adjacent to land. Rapid macrotidal currents run between these islands through tidal channels that are narrow or wide, short or long, shallow or deep, changing its flow directions every 6 hours. This creates one of nature's most spectacular phenomena along the coast. In addition to geological and oceanographic complexity, tidal sedimentation is also deeply influenced by the seasonal changes of Asian Monsoon climate, resulting in complicated tidal-flat sedimentary system with high geodiversity as well as hydrologic changes and sediment supply. At the same time, the system has maintained complicated, but sustainable sedimentation equilibrium, resulting in the world's thickest Holocene intertidal mud sediments for stable coastal ecosystem. The nominated property has four different serial sites, each with different geological and geomorphic features. It also forms a single sedimentary circulation system that starts with a source of the sediments to one of the final sinks. Therefore, it is claimed that the proposed property displays an outstanding and unique example that demonstrates the ongoing dynamic and sustainable coastal process under special combination of tectonic-oceanographic-climatic conditions in the world, which is worth being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Publication:
-
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- April 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019EGUGA..21.3831W