• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.138-150
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• 1997

The late Quaternary stratigraphy of the tidal deposits in the Hampyung Bay, southwestern coast of Korea comprises 1) Unit III (nonmarine fluvial coarse-grained sediments), 2) Unit II (late Pleistocene tidal deposits), and 3) Unit I (late Holocene fine-grained tidal deposits) in ascending order. The basements of the Hampyung Bay is composed of granitic rocks and basic dyke rocks. These three units are of unconformally bounded sedimentary sequences. The sequence boundary between Unit I and Unit II, in particular, seems to be significant suggesting erosional surface and exposed to the air under the cold climate during the LGM. The uppermost stratigraphic sequence (Unit I) is a common tidal deposit formed under the transgression to highstand sea-level during the middle to late Holocene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.2 s.177
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• pp.191-212
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• 2006

Placer gold deposits is mainly distributed in the Takaoi area. The alluvium is unconsolidated or semiconsolidated deposit consisting of gravel, sand, and soil beds in ascending order. They unconformably overlies the Carboniferous-Permian schist and Cretaceous granodiorite substratum. Based on detailed facies analysis, the alluvium can be interpreted as a typical fluvial deposits containing gravel and sand beds of channel-fill unit and soil deposit of floodplain. Gold grains are included mainly in the gravel bed and vein quartz is only contained gold among all kinds of gravels. These features indicates that the source rock of the gold grain is vein quartz and gold grains are separated from vein quartz during transport and abrasion. The reserves of gold in this area reach to at least 792 kg.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.243-251
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• 2024

In this study, a surface geological survey was first conducted to investigate aggregate resources in the Yeongam area of Jeollanam-do, and a drilling survey was conducted in the lower part of the surface, which was difficult to identify through a surface geological survey, to determine the spatial distribution of aggregates. Drilling sites were selected considering the topographical development and Quaternary alluvium characteristics of the study area, and river aggregate drilling surveys were conducted at a total of 5 points and land aggregate drilling surveys were conducted at a total of 28 points. Borehole core sediments were classified into seven sedimentary units to determine whether they could be used as aggregates, and optically stimulated luminescence dating was performed on representative boreholes to measure the depositional period for each sedimentary unit. As a result of the study, most of the Yeongam area had a very wide river basin, so it was estimated that there would be a large amount of aggregate, but the amount of aggregate was evaluated to be very small compared to other cities and counties. Most of the unconsolidated sedimentary layers in the Yeongam area are composed of blue-grey marine clay with a vertical thickness of more than 10 m. The sand-gravel layer corresponding to the aggregate section is distributed in the lower part of the marine clay, thinly covering the bedrock weathering zone. This is because the amount of aggregates themselves is small and most of the aggregates are distributed at a depth of 10 m below the surface, which is currently difficult to develop, so the possibility of developing aggregates is evaluated to be very low. As a result of dating, it can be seen that the blue-grey marine clay layer is an intertidal sedimentary layer formed as the sea level rose rapidly about 10,000 years ago. The deposition process continued from 10,000 years ago to the present, and as a result, a very thick clay layer was deposited. This clay layer was formed very dominantly for about 6,000 to 8,000 years, and the sand-gravel layer in the section where aggregates deposited in the Pleistocene period can exist was measured to have been deposited at about 13.0 to 19.0 ka, and about 50 ka, showing that it was deposited as paleo-fluvial deposits before the marine transgression process.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.533-541
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• 2004

A steadily consolidated conglomerate formation (CCF) is developed thickly around Tabjeong-ri and Janghang-ri to the east of Tohamsan, Gyeongju City. The CCF has been regarded to a basal conglomerate, Cheonbug Conglomerate, of the Yonil Group by Tateiwa (1924). Son et al. (2000) correlated the CCF to the Songjeon Formation, which occupies the southwestern block of Tertiary Waup Basin. However, the Songjeon Formation stratigraphically does not face to the extension of the CCF. OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) data on the reddish brown to bluish gray psammitic layers, which are intercalated in the CCF, yielded to 85∼92 ka. Therefore, the age of CCF constrains to the last interglacial stage (MIS 5c-5e) rather than the Early Miocene Cheonbug Conglomerate. The Late Pleistocene Tohamsan Formation (TF) is newly named to the CCF and is subdivided to megabreccias and boulders. A rectangular basin, in which the TF is accumulated, is bounded by Oedong and Yonil faults (segments of Yonil Tectonic Line) and is given a name of Toham Basin. Neotectonically, Pliocene EW-transpression gave an effect of the top-up-to-the-west reverse faulting and the accompanied normal fault movement during the last interglacial age (ca. 100 ka). The basin is graben type, in which basin fills are composed of collapsed colluvial deposits, TF.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.585-596
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• 2020

The 2017 Pohang Earthquakes occurred near a drill site in the Pohang Enhanced Geothermal System. Water injected for well stimulation was believed to have reactivated the buried near-critically stressed Miocene faults by the accumulation of the Quaternary tectonic strain. However, surface expressions of the Quaternary tectonic activity had not been reported near the epicenter of the earthquakes before the site construction. Unusual, large-scale water-escaped structures were identified 4 km away from the epicenter during a post-seismic investigation. The water-escaped structures comprise Miocene mudstones injected into overlying Pleistocene coastal sediments that formed during Marine Isotope Stage 5. This indicates the vulnerable state of the mudstones long after deposition, resulted from the combined effects of rapid tectonic uplift (before significant diagenesis) and the development of an aquifer at their unconformable interface of the mudstone. Based on the detailed field analysis and consideration of all possible endogenic triggers, we interpreted the structures to have been formed by elevated pore pressures in the mudstones (thixotropy), triggered by cyclic ground motion during the earthquakes. This interpretation is strengthened by the presence of faults 400 m from the study area, which cut unconsolidated coastal sediment deposited after Marine Isotope Stage 5. Geological context, including high rates of tectonic uplift in SE Korea, paleo-seismological research on Quaternary faults near the study area, and historical records of paleoearthquakes in SE Korea, also support the interpretation. Thus, epicenter and surrounding areas of the 2017 Pohang Earthquake are considered as a paleoseismologically active area, and the causative fault of the 2017 Pohang Earthquakes was expected to be nearly critical state.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.6 no.1_2 s.7
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• pp.8-19
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• 1998

In the Sinri area located at the mid western boundary of the Jinan basin, the Manduksan Formation which mainly consists of coarse sandstone narrowly intercalated with shale and the alternation of sand and shale and the Dalgil Formation mainly of shale are distributed. It consists of four lithofacies, such as coarse sandstone, interbedded sandstone/shale, shale and volcanic rock lithofacies. All sediments are interpreted to be deposited by turbidity currents and free fallouts in a lacustrine basin. In these rocks many penecontemporaneous defomation structures are observed such as fold and thrust fault at large scale, and swelling, boudin structure, flame structure, load structure, ptygmatic fold and convolute bedding at small scale. All these structures are developed between upper and lower undisturbed sedimentary strata. Two large folds are similar folds, but lower one gradually developed into concentric shape. The swelling structures by convergence of the sediments are observed in the hinge area and the boudin structures are developed in the limb. The thrust faults including minor folds and sandstone lobes show duplex structure with asymmetric and kink fold on and below in front of the detached sandstone layer. Development of the swellings, boudins and lobes indicates the flexbility of the sediments during deformational episodes. The folds and thrust faults rarely contain fractures relative their scales and lithologies. This feature also indicates the retrievability of sediments during deformation. At the flanks of the thrust faults the normal faults are formed contemporaneously. The deformation structures at small scale such as flame structures, load structures, ptygmatic folds and convolute beddings are syndepositional and penecontemporaneous, which show the effects of tectonic movements. All these deformed sedimentary structures of the Sinri area suggest the continuing tectonic movements during and/or after deposition.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.64-74
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• 2007

The marine seismic prospecting using a research vessel in the shallow sea near the coastal area has certain limits according to the water depth and survey environment. Also, for the electrical resistivity survey at seashore area, one may need a specially designed high-voltage source to penetrate the very conductive surface layer. Therefore, we have conducted a feasibility study on the application of magnetotelluric method (MT), a passive geophysical method, on investigating of shallow marine environment geology. Our study involves both theoretical modeling and field survey at the tidal flat area which represent the very shallow marine environment. We have applied the audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) method to the intertidal deposits of Gunhung Bay, west coast of Korea, and analysed the field data both qualitatively and quantitatively to investigate the morphology and sedimentary stratigraphy of the tidal flat. The inversion of AMT data well reveals the upper sedimentary layer of Holocene intertidal sediments having a range of 13-20 m thickness and the erosional patterns at the unconformable contact boundary. However, the AMT inversion results tend to overestimate the depth of basement (30-50 m) when compared with the seismic section (27-33 m). Since MT responses are not significantly sensitive to the resistivity of middle layer or the depth of basement, the AMT inversion result for basement may have to be adjusted using the comparison with other geophysical information like seismic section or logging data if possible. But, the AMT method can be an effective alternative choice for investigating the seashore area to get important basic informations such as the depositional environment of the tidal flat, sea-water intrusion and the basement structure near the sea shore.