• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2017

We have dated the K-Ar, Ar-Ar and U-Pb ages of the Masan hornblende-biotite granite in the southern Cretaceous Gyeongsang basin to constrain its emplacement age. The ~108 Ma hornblende K-Ar age obtained in the study is similar to the previously reported Rb-Sr age. However, the single grain total fusion $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ dating on hornblende failed to yield statistically meaningful ages because the isotopic system was open during its alteration. Thus the hornblende K-Ar age in the study is also unlikely to be reliable. The single grain total fusion $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ dating on biotite yielded an average age of $75.8{\pm}3.0Ma$. Apart from scattered data in the range of ~45-75 Ma, the average age increased to ~80 Ma. The SHRIMP and LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb isotopic compositions of zircon from the Masan hornblende-biotite granite yielded its emplacement age as $87.6{\pm}2.7Ma$ and $86.8{\pm}0.4Ma$, respectively. It is thus likely that the ~80 Ma $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ age of biotite might reflect the cooling age of Masan hornblende-biotite granite or the thermal influences from later intense igneous activities in the Gyeongsang basin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.323-335
• /
• 2015

Although the Daljeon Basalt in the Pohang Basin is important for interpreting the basin evolution, its relative chronology, stratigraphic position, and isotopic age still remain controversial. In order to clear up the controversies, this study carried out detailed field investigation to determine its distribution and occurrence together with reanalysis of its previous geochemical data and $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ age dating. Based upon the field investigation, the basalt occurring in the central part of the Pohang basin is composed of three main bodies and a dozen of minor dikes and sills that intruded into the Yeonil Group. Their mineral assemblages consist of phenocrysts such as olivine and clinopyroxene and fine groundmasses of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, and opaque oxide, impling the porphyritic texture of alkaline basalt. All their geochemical data also show the similar geochemical characteristics in TAS, Zr-Ti, and REE/trace elements distribution diagrams. The samples are plotted on alkalic field in the total alkali-versus-silica diagram and show similar patterns to enrichment oceanic basalt or within plate basalt in trace elements. In addition, $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ isochron age of 13.82Ma is obtained. These results indicate that the Daljeon Basalt is an alkaline intrusive rock belonging to the middle Miocene Yeonil Group.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.163-176
• /
• 2010

We report twenty data for early lavas erupted during the initial period of formation of Jeju Island on the basis of review on 539 data of whole-rock greochemistry and $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ age dating out of mainly core samples from 69 boreholes drilled in the lower land since 2001 and 66 outcrop sites. Out of 69 boreholes, the early lava flow units are identified from samples collected from Beophocheon (EL 235 m, 210 m deep), Donnaeko (EL 240 m, 230 deep), Donghong-S (EL 187 m, 340 m deep), 05Donghong (EL. 187.6 m, 340 m deep), Dosoon (EL 305 m, 287 m deep), Sangye (EL 230 m, 260 m deep), Mureung-1 (EL 10.2 m, 160 m deep), and Gapa (EL 17.5 m, 92 m deep), which are located in the southern and southwestern portion of Jeju Island. While, the well-known outcrops from Sanbangsan, Wolrabong, Wonmansa, and Kagsubawi are also reconfirmed. $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ age dating results of these lavas range from 1 Ma to 0.7 Ma, indicating that the data can be useful to constrain on age and geochemical characteristics of early lava effusion period in the formation of Jeju Island. Especially, samples with trachybasalt in composition collected from 143 m to 137 m, and from 135 m to 123 m below ground surface at 05Donghong hole have the oldest ages, $992\pm21$ Ka and $988\pm38$ Ka, respectively. This study suggests that in Jeju Island the first lava with trachybasalt in composition may have effused around 1 Ma ago, and the effusion style and chemical compositions of lavas must have changed to the formation of lava domes with trachyte-trachyandesite-basaltic trachyandesite and the eruption of lavas with alkali basalt and trachybasalt intermittently during the period from 0.9 Ma to 0.7 Ma ago. It also indicates that the initial lava flows below the ground are intercalated with or underlain by the Seoguipo Formation except for several exposed domal structure areas such as Sanbangsan and Kagsubawi, implying that the early lava effusion may have intermittently and sporadically occurred with nearby hydrovolcanism and sedimentation.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.14 no.3 s.41
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 2005

Ar-Ar, carbon AMS and OSL dating was carried out to clarify the age of the human footmarks on the Hamori Formation, Jeju Island, Korea. $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ ages of trachybasalt from the Songaksan Tuff, which is underlain by the Hamori Formation, range between $10.6{\pm}19.9\;Ka$ and $11.7{\pm}26.3\;Ka$. Radiocarbon AMS ages of humin fractions extracted from sediment samples yielded the maximum limit age of the Hamori Formation as $15,161{\pm}70\;yr$ B.P. The OSL dating of the top and bottom layers of the Hamori Formation gave $6.8{\pm}0.3\;ka$ and $7.6{\pm}0.5\;ka$, respectively, suggesting that timing of the human footmarks formation can be constrained as between ca 6,800 yr B.P. and 7,600 yr B.P.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.1-19
• /
• 2021

This study reports the Ar-Ar dating results for the volcanic rocks from small volcanoes(oreum) of the Hallasan Nature Reserve. According to the age of 40Ar/39Ar, the volcanic activity of the Hallasan Natural Reserve was started from about 192 ka ago. The basaltic trachyandesite and trachyte located in the Y valley near the Eorimok in the western part of the Hallasan Natural Reserve represent an age of about 191~192 ka, showing the oldest record of volcanic activity in the Hallasan Natural Reserve. In the Hallasan Natural Reserve, the small volcanoes older than 100 ka are Y Valley in Eorimok area (192±5 and 191±5 ka), Dongsu-Ak (184±19 ka), Mansedongsan (153±5 ka), Janggumok-Orum (135±6 ka), Eoseungsaengak (123±9 ka), Samgagbong (105±2 ka). And the small volcanoes younger than 100 ka are Witbangae-Oreum, Seongneol-Oreum, Muljangol, Yeongsil, Bori-Ak, Witsenueun-Oreum, Witsejokeun-Oreum, Heugbuleun-Oreum, Bangae-Oreum, Albangae-Oreum, Witsebuleun-Oreum, Baengnokdam, Nongo-Ak. According to the eruption of trachytes, the Hallasan Natural Reserve can be interpreted as having about 8 volcanic activities. Among them, 4 volcanic activities are related with the formation of trachyte dome, such as Wanggwanneung, Samgakbong, Yeongsil, and Baengnokdam, and 4 volcanic activities are related with flow or dyke of trachyte. The volcanic activity at the Hallasan Natural Reserve was started from northwest area, to in the southern area, and in the eastern area, and finally volcanic activity related to the formation of Baengnokdam.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.181-191
• /
• 2016

We estimate the eruption history and magmatic eruptive volumes of each rock units to evaluate the volcanic eruption scale and volcanic hazard of the Ulleung Island. Especially, Maljandeung Tuff represents about 19~5.6 ka B.P. from $^{14}C$ dating, and Albong Trachyandesite, about 0.005 Ma from K-Ar dating in recent age dating data. These ages reveal evidences of volcanic activities within the last 10,000 years, indicating that the Ulleung Island can classify as an active volcano with possibility of volcanic eruption near future. Accumulated DRE-corrected eruptive volume is calculated at $40.80km^3$, within only the island. The calculated volumes of each units are $3.71km^3$ in Sataegam Tuff, and $0.10km^3$ in Maljandeung Tuff but $12.39km^3$ in accounting the distal and medial part extended into southwestern Japan. Volcanic explosivity indices range 1 to 6, estimating from the volumes of each pyroclastic deposits. The colossal explosivity indices are 5 in Sataegam Tuff, and 6 in Maljandeung Tuff in accounting the distal and medial part. Therefore, it is necessary for appropriate researches regarding possibility of volcanic eruption of the island, and establishment system of the evaluation and preparation for volcanic hazard based on the researches is required.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.205-214
• /
• 2005

From ancient Antarctic glacier ice, we extracted total genomic DNA that was suitable for prokaryotic 16S rDNA gene cloning and sequencing, and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library and end-sequencing. The ice samples were from the Dry Valley region. Age dating by $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ analysis on the volcanic ashes deposited in situ indicated the ice samples are minimum 100,000-300,000 yr (sample DLE) and 8 million years (sample EME) old. Further assay proved the ice survived freeze-thaw cycles or other re-working processes. EME, which was from a small lobe of the basal Taylor glacier, is the oldest known ice on Earth. Microorganisms, preserved frozen in glacier ice and isolated from the rest of the world over a geological time scale, can provide valuable data or insight for the diversity, distribution, survival strategy, and evolutionary relationships to the extant relatives. From the 16S gene cloning study, we detected no PCR amplicons with Archaea-specific primers, however we found many phylotypes belonging to Bacteria divisions, such as Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria $({\alpha},\;{\beta},\;and\;{\gamma})$, Firmicutes, and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroid$. BAC cloning and sequencing revealed protein codings highly identical to phenylacetic acid degradation protein paaA, chromosome segregation ATPases, or cold shock protein B of present day bacteria. Throughput sequencing of the BAC clones is underway. Viable and culturable cells were recovered from the DLE sample, and characterized by their 16S rDNA sequences. Further investigation on the survivorship and functional genes from the past should help unveil the evolution of life on Earth, or elsewhere, if any.