• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2009

In order to assess the fault behavior by the geometric analysis of fault slip, the study area between Yangsan city and Shinkwang-myon, Pohang city along the strike of the Yangsan fault is divided into 5 domains($A{\sim}E$ domains) based on the strike change of main fault, the type of fault termination, the cyclic variation of fault zone width, deformation pattern of fault rocks and angular deviation of secondary shears. And, we would apply the relationship between the mode of fault sliding and the resultant deformation texture obtained from previous several experimental studies of simulated fault gouge to the study of the Yangsan fault. To understand sliding behavior of the fault we measured the data of fault attitude and fault slip, and analyzed relationships between the main fault and secondary Riedel shear along the Yangsan fault. The sliding behavioral patterns in each section were analyzed as followings; the straight sections of A, D and E domains were analyzed as the creeping section of stably sliding. In contrast, the curved section of B domain was analyzed as the locked section of stick-slip movement.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2015

In order to outline the kinematics and movement history of a new Quaternary fault, Jingwan Fault in Dangjin, West Korea, we analyzed the geometry of the fault zone composed of a few gouge zones, and made ESR dating for fault gouge materials. The $N55^{\circ}E$ striking Jingwan Fault is a normal fault and exhibits a gradual change in dip (gentle in the lower part, steep in the upper part), indicating a listric fault. As for the fault gouge zone, its thickness varies and reaches 2~3 cm in the lower part or between basement rocks, and 20~30 cm in the middle-upper part or between the basement and Quaternary deposit. It is observed in the latter case that more than three gouge zones develop with different colors, and branch out and re-merge, or they are partly superimposed, indicating different movement episodes. The cumulative displacement is estimated to be about 10 m using the geological cross-sections, from which it is inferred that the total length of fault may be about 2.5 km on the basis of the empirical relation between cumulative displacement and fault length. Therefore, a more study would be needed to verify the entire fault length. The results of ESR dating for three gouge samples at different spots along the fault yields ages of $651{\pm}47$, $649{\pm}96$, and $436{\pm}66ka$, indicating at least two movement episodes. Slickenlines observed on the fault planes indicate a pure dip slip (normal faulting), which suggests that the ENE-WSW trending Jingwan Fault was presumably moved under a NNW-SSE extensional environment.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.63-83
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• 2021

In the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, the Yangsan Fault, an active fault zone, has developed. Many earthquakes occur around these faults, and the possibility of earthquakes occurring along the branch faults is being discussed. On the other hand, the Yeongdeok Fault is reported in Yeongdeok-gun, which is the northern part of the Yangsan fault. In this study, goemorphic characteristics of a set faults found on the outcrop of the gentle slope of the coast of Byeonggok-myeon were analyzed and granulometric and geochemical characteristics of sediments and other materials, including fault gouges were analyzed. The outcrop of Byeonggok-myeon is the part of the fault core and can be divided into two parts. Theses fault are formed on the upper part of the Mesozoic bedrock and the tertiary sedimentary layer of red sand-supported clasts are covered in several sedimentary units. The faults were normal fault sets, and a number of vertical cracks were developed, and glossy surfaces were observed in the fault area. It appears that these faults have occurred after alluvial deposition had been formed. In the case of samples from fault gouges, there were differences in particle size and geochemical characteristics from the surrounding area.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2019

The main fault zone of the Yangsan Fault, located in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula, is newly found at the Cheonjin-ri, Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Korea. About 100 wide fault zone exposed along the Guryangcheon stream strikes N-S and dips over 70° toward east. The main fault zone is composed of N-S-striking gouge and breccia layers and enclosed lenses. Striations on the subvertical fault surfaces mainly indicate dextral slip, but moderate-angle minor reverse faults showing top-tothe-west shearing transect the foliated high-angle gouge and breccia layers. These indicate that the dextral slip along the fault, which is interpreted as the main movement of the fault, was followed by reverse slip. The fault zone is composed of N-S-striking gouge layers and enclosed, fractured lenses. Locally distributed NE-SW- to E-W-striking fault gouge layers with fractured lenses show asymmetric folds, indicating progressive dextral movement. Therefore, the exposed fault zone has a high internal complexity due to the combined effects of NNE-SSW-trending dextral shearing and E-W-trending shortening by compression. In addition, around main boundary fault between the western volcanic rocks and eastern sedimentary rocks offsets the overlying Quaternary fluvial conglomerate. This is a good example that understanding of internal structures of main fault zone (or fault core), such as the Yangsan Fault, plays an important role to study the Quaternary activity and to find the active fault.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.485-498
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• 2015

Structural analysis for a large-scale fault in Maegok-dong, Ulsan, was carried out based on filed-works to investigate the geometric and kinematic characteristics of the fault as well as its Quaternary slip. As results, a series of repeated stratigraphy, minor faults, fracture zones, and deformation band clusters are observed over a distance of about 100 m in the first studied site consisting of sedimentary rocks, which may indicate the damage zone of a large-scale fault in this site. In the second site, mainly composed of granitic clastic rocks, a large-scale thrust fault is expected based on low-angle dipping faults showing branched and/or merged patterns. Age of the last slip on this fault was restrained as after 33,275 ± 355 yr BP based on radiocarbon dating for organic material included in the gouge zone. Dimension of fault damage zone, dominant sense of slip, and age of the slip event associated with the fault suggest that these structures have a close relationship with the Ulsan Fault and/or Yeonil Tectonic Line, which are well-known large-scale neotectonic structural features around the study area. Therefore, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the faults in detail based on structural geology and paleoseismology in order to ensure seismic and geologic stability of the buildings under construction, and to prevent geologic hazards in this area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.645-654
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• 2020

We present the K-Ar age dating results of <0.1㎛ fraction of the selected fault rocks from the Yangsan fault in the Yeonghae area. Based on the mineralogical characterization, the <0.1㎛ fractions were mostly composed of 1Md illite polytype, or I-S interstratified mineral, which should be formed by fault activation. Therefore, we determined the timings of fault activation events by analyzing K-Ar age-dating for the <0.1㎛ fractions. Accordingly, the activation timings of Yangsan Fault in the Yeonghae area were determined as 45.5±1.1 Ma, 50.9±1.2 Ma, 58.2±1.3 Ma, 60.8±1.4 Ma, 65.3±1.6 Ma, 66.8±1.5 Ma, 67.1±1.5 Ma, and 75.1±1.7 Ma. These results indicate that at least 5-times of major fault events occurred in the Yangsan fault from late Mesozoic to Cenozoic Era. In the outcrop, age dating results tend to be younger age from the location of the oldest sample(75.1±1.7 Ma) toward to the both sides. From the results, it suggests that the fault activation extends from the location of oldest age saple to both sides. This geochronological research of the multiple fault activation ages for the Yangsan Fault will provide crucial information for establishing the tectonic evolution model in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2009

The main fault of Yangsan Fault Zone (YFZ) and Quaternary fault were found in a trench section with NW-SE direction at an entrance of the Sinheung village in the northern Eonyang, Ulsan, Korea. We interpreted the movement history of the southern part of the YFZ from the geometric and kinematic characteristics of basement rock's fault of the YFZ (Sinheung Fault) and Quaternary fault (Quaternary Sinheung Fault) investigated at the trench section. The trench outcrop consists mainly of Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of Hayang Group and volcanic rocks of Yucheon Group which lie in fault contact and Quaternary deposits which unconformably overlie these basement rocks. This study suggests that the movement history of the southern part of the YFZ can be explained at least by two different strike-slip movements, named as D1 and D2 events, and then two different dip-slip movements, named as D3 and D4 events. (1) D1 event: a sinistral strike-slip movement which caused the bedding of sedimentary rocks to be high-angled toward the main fault of the YFZ. (2) D2 event: a dextral strike-slip movement slipped along the high-angled beddings as fault surfaces. The main characteristic structural elements are predominant sub-horizontal slickenlines and sub-vertical fault foliations which show a NNE trend. The event formed the main fault rocks of the YFZ. (3) D3 event: a conjugate reverse-slip movement slipped along fault surfaces which trend (E)NE and moderately dip (S)SE or (N)NW. The slickenlines, which plunge in the dip direction of fault surfaces, overprint the previous sub-horizontal slickenlines. The fault is characterized by S-C fabrics superimposed on the D2 fault gouges, fault surfaces showing ramp and flat geometry, asymmetric and drag folds and collapse structures accompanied with it. The event dispersed the orientation of the main fault surface of the YFZ. (4) D4 event: a Quaternary reverse-slip movement showing a displacement of several centimeters with S-C fabrics on the Quternary deposits. The D4 fault surfaces are developed along the extensions of the D3 fault surfaces of basement rocks, like the other Quaternary faults within the YFZ. This indicates that these faults were formed under the same compression of (N)NW-(S)SE direction.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.487-502
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• 2012

This paper is focused on mineral compositions, microstructures and distributional characters of remained grains in the fault rocks collected from a fault developed in Yongdang-ri, Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju City, Korea, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscope, laser grain size analysis and fractal dimension analysis methods. The exposed fault core zone is about 1.5 meter thick. On the average, the breccia zone is 1.2 meter and the gouge zone is 20cm thick, respectively. XRD results show that the breccia zone consists predominantly of rock-forming minerals including quartz and feldspar, but the gouge zone consists of abundant clay minerals such as chlorite, illite and kaolinite. Mineral vein, pyrite and altered minerals commonly observed in the fault rock support evidence of fault activity associated with hydrothermal alteration. Fractal dimensions based on box counting, image analysis and laser particle analysis suggest that mineral grains in the fault rock underwent fracturing process as well as abrasion that gave rise to diminution of grains during the fault activity. Fractal dimensions(D-values) calculated by three methods gradually increase from the breccia zone to the gouge zone which has commonly high D-values. There are no noticeable changes in D-values in the gouge zone with trend being constant. It means that the bulk-crushing process of mineral grains in the breccia zone was predominant, whereas abrasion of mineral grains in the gouge zone took place by continuous fault activity. It means that the bulk-crushing process of mineral grains in the breccia zone was predominant, whereas abrasion of mineral grains in the gouge zone took place by continuous fault activity. Mineral compositions in the fault zone and peculiar trends in grain distribution indicate that multiple fault activity had a considerable influence on the evolution of fault zones, together with hydrothermal alteration. Meanwhile, fractal dimension values(D) in the fault rock should be used with caution because there is possibility that different values are unexpectedly obtained depending on the measurement methods available even in the same sample.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.489-500
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• 2017

It is not rare that pseudotachylite, dark colored rock with glassy texture, is recognizable in deep core samples drilled up to 900 m from the surface. Pseudotachylite with widths varying few to 20 cm is sharply contacted or interlayered with the host rocks composed of Jurassic granite and Precambrian amphibolite gneiss, showing moderately ductile deformation or slight folding. Pseudotachylite occurring at varying depths in the deep drill core are slightly different in texture and thickness. There is evidence of fault gouge at shallower depths, although brittle deformation is pervasive in most drill cores and pseudotachylite is identified at random depth intervals. Under scanning electron microscope (SEM), it is evident that the surface of pseudotachylite is characterized by a smooth, glassy matrix even at micrometer scale and there is little residual fragments in the glass matrix except microcrystals of quartz with embayed shape. Such textural evidence strongly supports the idea that the pseudotachylite was generated through the friction melting related to strong seismic events. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) quantitative analysis, it consists of primary minerals such as quartz, feldspars, biotite, amphibole and secondary minerals including clay minerals, calcite and glassy materials. Such mineralogical features of fractured materials including pseudotachylite indicate that the fractured zone might form at low temperatures possibly below $300^{\circ}C$, which implies that the seismic activity related to the formation of pseudotachylite took place at shallow depths, possibly at most 10 km. Identification and characterization of pseudotachylite provide insight into a better understanding of the paleoseismic activity of deep grounds and fundamental information on the stability of candidate disposal sites for high-level radioactive waste.