The Occurrence of Glauconite Grains on the Continental Shelves off the Korean Peninsula: Distribution, Morphology and Origin

Glauconite grains are widely distributed in the outer shelf surficial sandy sediments of the Korean continental shelves. Morphologically, these grains are characterized by ovoidal-shaped pellets with bulbous exterior, greenish color and moderately well polished surface. In thin sections, the glauconite grains are massive and contain numerous impurities composed mainly of quartz, feldspar and mica. The morphologies and microscopic examinations indicate mainly fecal pellet as a parent matierials for glauconite. SEM examination shows that glauconitic smectite crystals grow in pores and along fractures of the host grains, commonly as a boxwork arrangement or rosette clusters of blades. Bulbous external shape, high potassium content and rosette-shaped smectite structure, reflect the evolved stage (more than 10$^4$ years in age) of glauconite authigenesis. Moreover, the association of the glauconite grains with the relict sandy sediments on the outer shelf, impliesthat the glauconite grains are geologically old, or at least have formed under the environmental conditions different from the present shelf. The widespread occurrence of the glauconite grains, therefore, might be primarily related with redeposition of sediments transported from the outer shelf during Holocene transgression.