Variability in Late Holocene typhoon activity in the Korea Strait: Insights from marine core records

The Korea Strait, located along the pathway of Pacific typhoons, contains well-preserved storm surge deposits that provide critical insights into past typhoon activity and climate variability. This study investigates Late Holocene typhoon dynamics through the analysis of sediment facies and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) AMS-dated piston core sediments from the Korea Strait Shelf Mud (KSSM) deposit off southeastern Korea. Significant changes in storm surge deposit characteristics are observed approximately 400 cal yr BP, with younger deposits containing thicker layers of sand or shell fragments. Deposits from deeper water cores are notably thicker than those from shallower coastal cores, indicating variations in sedimentation processes linked to typhoon events. These changes suggest variations in typhoon strength or riverine sediment input, possibly linked to typhoon-driven heavy rainfall. These findings contribute to our understanding of typhoon variability and climate dynamics in the Korea Strait region over the past 600 years during the late Holocene.