Characteristics of Subsurface Distributions of the Seoguipo Formation in Cheju Island

제주도 서귀포층의 지하분포상태

The Seoguipo Formation occurs only in a small exposure along the coast of the Seoguipo City, but in the subsurface, underlies tile western part of the Bugcheon-Pyoseon Line in the northeastern part of tile island. The Bugcheon-Pyoseon Line is presumed to be a facies boundary that reflects tile distribution of hyaloclastites resulted from submarine volcanic activity. The Seoguipo Formation is distributed in the subsurface along the part which is lower than 400m in average altitude, and occurs at El. -5.76∼-46.63m in tile southern area, El. -41.89∼-57.97m in the western area, El. -13.15∼-50.59m in the northern area. Therefore, the southern area was uplifted after the deposition of the Seoguipo Formation. In the subsurface, the vertical depth of the volcanic rocks of the Cheju Volcanic Edifice is El. -40.6m in the southern area, El. -111.3m in the western area, El. -81.5m in the northern area and El. -134.7m in the eastern area. The unconsolidated U Formation, which is, overlying the basement and about 70∼250m thickness underlies the whole island. There is a positive correlation between tile groundwater level and the depth of the subsurface distribution of the Seoguipo Formation. Consequently, it is conformed that the subsurface distribution of the Seoguipo Formation plays important role for controlling the characteristics of the reservoir of tile groundwater in Cheju Island.