• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.471-484
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• 2019

Liquefaction occurs by a temporal loss of sediment strength as a consequence of increased pore water pressure during the re-arrangement of unconsolidated, granular sediments. Liquefaction is dependent on the physical properties of the sediments and cause surface cracks, landslide, and the formation of soft-sediment deformation structures(SSDS). SSDS is formed by the combined action of the driving force and deformation mechanism(liquefaction, thixotropy, and fluidization) that is triggered by endogenic or exogenic triggers. So research on the SSDS can unravel syndepositional geological events. If detailed sedimentologic analysis together with surrounding geological context suggest SSDS formed by earthquakes, the SSDS provide a clue to unravel syndepositional tectonic activities and detailed paleoseismological information(> Mw 5) including earthquakes that leave no surface expression.

• 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.