• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 2006

Ichnology is the study of traces made by various organisms, which includes classification and description of traces, and interpretation of sedimentary process, behavior of organism and depositional environment based on traces and organism behavior. Ichnofacies, which is defined as the association of several traces related together with substrate characteristics and sedimentary processes, is closely related to depositional environment. Ichnology has been applied to sedimentology (to understand physical characteristics of depositional environment, sedimentation pattern and event bed), sequence stratigraphy (to recognize sequence boundaries and biostratigraphic discontinuities such as MFS, TSE and RSE), oil exploration (providing of many information without big cost) and palaeocology. Preliminary ichnological study on the Ganghwa intertidal flat shows that dominant ichofacies are changing with season and location, suggesting that their seasonal variation would be a good indicator to understand the seasonal change of sedimentary processes, the small- scale change of sedimentary environment and the preservation potential of such units. Ichnology on intertidal flat in western coast of Korea has a great potential to apply its results to petroleum geology as well as sedimentology.

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.27-40
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.46-67
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• 2014

The Dinosaur track-bearing deposits recently found at Bangudae Petroglyph site in Ulju (National Treasure No. 285) have been studied in the aspects of sedimentology, paleoenvironments, and significance in natural history. The dinosaur tracks occur in the Daegu Formation (late Early Cretaceous), and over 80 footprints including 43 ornithopod footprints, 36 sauropod footprints, and 2 theropod footprints are preserved in this tracksite. The track-bearing deposits consist of irregularly interlaminated siltstone and mudstone, calcareous sandy to silty mudstone, thin-bedded tuffaceous sandstone, planar- to cross-laminated sandstone, and thin- to medium-bedded graded sandstone, and they are interpreted to be sheetflood deposits on an alluvial plain. Diverse types of ripples and mudcracks, rainprints, and invertebrate trace fossils are observed in these deposits, and the crest-lines of wave ripples do not show preferred orientation. Dinosaur footprints occur as true prints, underprints, overtracks, and casts on the bedding surfaces, and the orientation of trackways are scattered. It is interpreted that paleoclimatic condition of the track-bearing deposits were semiarid with alternation of wetting and drying periods, and that dinosaurs frequented small and shallow ponds during wetting periods and recorded their tracks on an alluvial plain. The frequent occurrence of dinosaur tracks in study area indicates that the Cretaceous deposits around Daegokcheon Stream are very useful sedimentological and paleontological records to understand the paleoecology and paleoenvironments during the dinosaur age in Korean Peninsula. Consequently the dinosaur track-bearing deposits around Daegokcheon Stream should be further studied in sedimentary geology and paleontology in order to enhance cultural heritage value of the Petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace as the World Heritage.