RESEARCH INTERESTS

We are interested in exploring the global geochemical cycle of trace elements and developing isotopic proxies for continental weathering in the geologic past.

우리 연구실에서는 주기율표에 등장하는 다양한 원소들이 전 지구적인 규모에서 어떻게 순환하는지 연구하고 있습니다. 과거 해수의 산성도를 지시하는 붕소 동위원소 비, 과거 대륙의 풍화를 기록하는 리튬 동위원소 비 등 다양한 동위원소 지시자(proxy)의 개발과 분석을 목표로 하고 있습니다.

Prof. Youngsook Huh

Youngsook Huh

Professor

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Seoul National University

E-mail : yhuh@snu.ac.kr
Address
Bldg. 25-1, Rm. 608
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Seoul National University
Seoul, 151-747, Korea
08826
Phone : +82-2-880-9167

Specialization and Research Interests

Isotope and Trace Element Geochemistry

Education

  • Ph.D., Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA, 1998
  • M.S., Physical Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, Korea, 1994
  • B.S., Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, Korea, 1992

Professional Experience

  • Professor, 2012 -
    School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
  • Assistant & Associate Professor, 2004-2012
    School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
  • Assistant Professor,2000-2004
    Department of Geological Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
  • Invited Adjunct Researcher, 1999-2000
    Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France

Completed & Ongoing research

By studying isotope proxies specialized for each research topic, it is possible to restore the past environment from a wide variety of environments and materials and understand the mechanism.

Paleoceanography

  • Deglacial pCO2 in the northwest Pacific using the boron isotope pH proxy
  • Lithium and boron isotope reconstruction of the Early Paleozoic of the Korean peninsula
  • Deepwater circulation in the equatorial Indian Ocean using authigenic neodymium isotopes

Frost weathering

  • Lithium isotope fractionation during differential weathering of mineral

Riverine geochemistry

  • Silicon cycling in river basins using Ge/Si and silicon isotope ratios
  • Trace elements and redox-sensitive elements in river waters: Cu, Zn, As, Re, Mo, U

Publications

Lithium isotopes
  • Huh, Y.*, Chan, L.-H., Chadwick, O.A., 2004. Behaviour of lithium and its isotopes during weathering of Hawaiian basalt. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 5: doi:10.1029/2004GC000729.
  • Huh, Y.*, Chan, L.-H., Edmond, J.M., 2001. Lithium isotopes as a probe of weathering processes: Orinoco River. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 194: 189-199.
  • Huh, Y.*, Chan, L.-H., Zhang, L., Edmond, J.M., 1998. Lithium and its isotopes in major world rivers: implications for weathering and the oceanic budget. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 62: 2039-2051.
Germanium (Ge)
  • Han, Y., Huh, Y.*, Derry, L., 2015. Ge/Si ratios indicating hydrothermal and sulfide weathering input to rivers of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau and Mt. Baekdu. Chem. Geol., 410: 40-52.
Neodymium isotopes (εNd)
  • Jang, K., Huh, Y.*, & Han, Y., 2018. Diagenetic overprint on authigenic Nd isotope records: A case study of the Bering Slope. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 498, 247-256.
  • Jang, K., Huh, Y.*, Han, Y., 2017. Authigenic Nd isotope record of North Pacific Intermediate Water formation and boundary exchange on the Bering Slope. Quat. Sci. Rev., 156: 150-163.
  • Jang, K., Huh, Y.*, Nam, S.-I., Stein, R., Mackensen, A., Matthiessen, J., 2013. Glacial freshwater discharge events recorded by authigenic neodymium isotopes in sediments from the Mendeleev Ridge, western Arctic Ocean. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 369-370: 148-157
Mercury (Hg)
  • Han, Y.*, Huh, Y., Hur, S.D., Hong, S., Chung, J.W., Motoyama, H., 2017. Net deposition of mercury to the Antarctic Plateau enhanced by sea salt. Sci. Tot. Env., 583, 81-87.
  • Han, Y., Huh, Y., Hong, S., Hur, S.D.*, Motoyama, H., 2014. Evidence of air-snow mercury exchange recorded in the snowpack at Dome Fuji, Antarctica. Geosci. J.: doi:10.1007/s12303-013-0054-7.
  • Han, Y., Huh, Y.*, Hong, S., Hur, S.D., Motoyama, H., Fujita, S., Nakazawa, F., Fukui, K., 2011. Quantification of total mercury in Antarctic surface snow using ICP-SF-MS: spatial variation from the coast to Dome Fuji. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc., 32: 4258-4264.
Rare earth elements (REE) & Platinium group elements (PGE)
  • Soyol-Erdene, T.-O., Huh, Y.*, 2013. Rare earth element cycling in the pore waters of the Bering Sea Slope (IODP Exp. 323). Chem. Geol., 358: 75-89.
  • Soyol-Erdene, T.-O., Huh, Y.*, 2012. Dissolved platinum in major rivers of East Asia: Implications for the oceanic budget. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 13: doi:/10.1029/2012GC004102.
  • Soyol-Erdene, T.-O., Huh, Y.*, Hong, S., Hur, S.D., 2011. A 50-year record of platinum, iridium and rhodium in Antarctic snow: volcanic and anthropogenic sources. Environ. Sci. Technol., 45: 5929-5935.
  • Soyol-Erdene, T.-O., Huh, Y.*, Hong, S., Hwang, H.J., Hur, S.D., 2011. Quantification of ultra-trace levels of Pt, Ir and Rh in polar snow and ice using ICP-SFMS coupled with a pre-concentration and desolvation nebulization system. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc., 32: 2105-2108.
  • Soyol-Erdene, T.-O., Han, Y., Lee, B., Huh, Y.*, 2011. Sources and fluxes of Pt, Ir and REE in the Seoul metropolitan area through wet scavenging processes. Atm. Env., 45: 1970-1978.
Uranium series isotopes (230Th-234U-238U), Berilium isotope from cosmic ray (Be-10)
  • Lee, B., Han, Y., Huh, Y.*, Lundstrom, C., Siame, L.L., Lee, J.I., Park, B.-K., ASTER Team, 2013. Chemical and physical weathering in south Patagonian rivers: A combined Sr-U-Be isotope approach. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 101: 173-190.
Strontium, Carbon, Oxygen and Sulfur isotopes
  • Han, Y., Huh, Y.*, 2009. A geochemical reconnaissance of the Duman (Tumen) River and the hot springs of Mt. Baekdu (Changbai): Weathering of volcanic rocks in mid-latitude setting. Chem. Geol., 264: 162-172.
  • Moon, S., Huh, Y.*, Zaitsev, A., 2009. Hydrochemistry of the Amur River: Weathering in a northern temperate basin. Aquatic Geochem., 15: 497-527.
  • Yoon, J., Huh, Y.*, Lee, I., Moon, S., Noh, H., Qin, J., 2008. Weathering processes in the Min Jiang: major elements, 87Sr/86Sr; δ34SSO4 ; and δ18OSO4. Aquatic Geochem., 14: 147-170.
  • Huh, Y., Edmond, J.M., 1998. On the interpretation of the oceanic variations in 87Sr/86Sr as recorded in marine limestones. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth Planet. Sci.), 107: 293-305.
Osmium isotopes
  • Huh, Y.*, Birck, J.-L., Allègre, C.J., 2004. Osmium isotope geochemistry in the Mackenzie River basin. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 222: 115-129.

Members

Graduate Students

Sunhwa Bang

Ph.D. Candidate
Reconstruction of paleo-ocean pH using boron isotopes (foraminifera, rock)
diemist4@snu.ac.kr

Seungsoo Lee

M.S. Candidate
Li isotopes fractionation during Frost weathering
terralibre213@gmail.com

Jena Jeong

M.S. Relationship
Correlation between weathering and climate using lithium isotope of carbonate rock
jena.jeong13@gmail.com

Alumni

Kwangchul Jang

Ph.D. Thesis
"Change in the bottom water composition and lithological sediment provenance of the Bering Sea during the Pleistocene : Insights from neodymium isotopes and NGR-based K, Th and U concentrations"
M.S. Thesis
"Source change of surface water in the western Arctic Ocean recorded by neodymium isotopes since 76 kyr BP"
Present Position : Korea Polar Research Institute

Yeongcheol Han

Ph.D. Thesis
"I and II. Evaluation of the atmospheric deposition using dissolved components in rainwater and mercury in Antarctic snow. III. Provenance and environmental change recorded in authigenic beryllium and detrital hafnium isotopes in marine sediment of the Bering Sea"
M.S. Thesis
"A geochemical reconnaissance of the Duman (Tumen) River and the hot springs of Mt. Baekdu (Changbai): Weathering of volcanic rocks in mid-latitude setting."
Present Position: Korea Polar Research Institute / Senior Research Scientist

Seulgi Moon

M.S. Thesis
"Chemical weathering in the Hong (Red) and Amur river basins"
Present Position: University of California Los Angeles/ Assistant Professor

Hyon-Jeong Noh

M.S. Thesis
"The role of the Three Rivers region of eastern Tibet in the global carbon cycle"
Present Position: Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering / Research Scientist

Tseren-Ochir Soyol-Erdene

Ph.D. Thesis
"The geochemical cycle of platinum group and rare earth elements in the earth surface environment"
Present Position: National University of Mongolia / Professor

Junyeon Yoon

M.S. Thesis
"Weathering processes in the Min Jiang and lithium isotopes in Siberian rivers"
Students interested in our research,
please contact the professor.
연구에 관심있는 학생들은 교수님께 연락주십시오.
yhuh@snu.ac.kr