• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.235-258
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• 2022

We interpreted the evolutionary history of the southwestern part of the Pohang Basin, the largest Miocene basin in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, based on the detailed geological mapping and analysis of the geological structures. The southwestern part of the Pohang Basin can be divided into the Bomun Domain in the west and Ocheon Domain in the east by an NNE-trending horst-in-graben. These two domains have different geometries and deformation histories. The Bomun Domain was rarely deformed after the incipient extension of the basin, whereas the Ocheon Domain is an area where continued and overlapped deformations occurred after the basin fill deposition. Therefore, the Bomun Domain provides critical information on the initial extension mode of the Pohang Basin. The subsidence of the Bomun Domain was led by the zigzag-shaped western border fault that consists of NNE-striking normal and NNW-striking dextral strike-slip fault segments. This border fault is connected to the Yeonil Tectonic Line (YTL), a regional dextral principal displacement zone and the westernmost limit of Miocene crustal deformation in SE Korea. Therefore, it is interpreted that the Pohang Basin was initially extended in WNW-ESE direction as a transtensional fault-termination basin resulting from the movement of NNE-striking normal and/or oblique-slip faults formed as right-stepover in the northern termination of the YTL activated since approximately 17-16.5 Ma. As a result, an NNE-trending asymmetric graben or half-graben exhibiting an westward deepening of basin depth was formed in the Bomun Domain. Afterward, crustal extension and deformation were migrated to the east, including the Ocheon Domain.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.635-643
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• 2009

In this paper, a Quaternary fault is described, which is developed in the mid-eastern part of Ulsan Fault Zone, near the southern Gaegok-ri, Oedong-eub, Gyeongju, Korea. The Gaegok 6 fault is developed along the contact between Early Tertiary granite and Quaternary gravel deposit overlying unconformably the granite. The fault strikes $N02^{\circ}{\sim}22^{\circ}E$ and dips $45^{\circ}{\sim}80^{\circ}$ to the west. This fault has a 30~50 cm wide cataclastic shear zone with gouge zone, mixed with Quaternary sediments and fault breccia of granite. In the main Quaternary fault plane, the orientation of striation is $17^{\circ}$, $356^{\circ}$, indicating a dextral strike-slip faulting with some normal component. There is another striation ($78^{\circ}$, $278^{\circ}$ and $43^{\circ}$, $270^{\circ}$) with reverse-slip sense, developed on the subsidiary plane which cuts the main Quaternary fault plane. In brief, the fault has been developed between the granite in the western part and the Quaternary gravel deposit in the eastern part. The western block of fault is uplifted. The striations and movement senses of faults indicate multiple compressional stages in this region. The fault has a similar orientation, westward dipping geometric pattern, and reverse sensed kinematic pattern with Gaegok 1 fault developed in the north. Thus, the Gaegok 6 fault is probably a southern extension of Gaegok 1 fault.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2007

The southeastern Korean Peninsula has experienced crustal multi-deformations according to changes of global tectonic setting during the Cenozoic. Characteristic features of the crustal deformations in relation to major Cenozoic tectonic events are summarized as follows. (1) Collision of Indian and Eurasian continents and abrupt change of movement direction of the Pacific plate (50${\sim}$43 Ma): The collision of Indian and Eurasian continents caused the eastward extrusion of East Asia block as a trench-rollback, and then the movement direction of the Pacific plate was abruptly changed from NNW to WNW. As a result, the strong suction-force along the plate boundary produced a tensional stress field trending EW or WNW-ESE in southeastern Korea, which resultantly induced the passive intrusion of NS or NNE trending mafic dike swarm. (2) Opening of the East Sea (25${\sim}$16 Ma): The NS or NNW-SSE trending opening of the East Sea generated a dextral shear stress regime trending NNW-SSE along the eastern coast line of the Korean Peninsula. As a result, pull-apart basins were developed in right bending and overstepping parts along major dextral strike slip faults trending NNW-SSE in southeastern Korea. The basins can be divided into two types on the basis of geometry and kinematics: Parallelogram-shaped basin (rhombochasm) and wedged-shaped basin (sphenochasm), respectively. In those times, the basins and adjacent basement blocks experienced clockwise rotation and northwestward tilting contemporaneously, and the basins often experienced a kind of propagating rifting from NE toward SE. At about 17Ma, the Yonil Tectonic Line, which is the westernmost border fault of the Miocene crustal deformation in southeastern Korea, began to move as a major dextral strike slip fault. (3) Clockwise rotation of southeastern Japan Island (about 15 Ma): The collision of the Izu-Bonin Arc and southeastern Japan Island, as a result of northward movement of the Philippine sea-plate, induced the clockwise rotation of southeastern Japan Island. The event caused the NW-SE compression in the Korea Strait as a tectonic inversion, which resultantly tenninated the basin extension and caused local counterclockwise rotation of blocks in southeastern Korea. (4) E-W compression in the East Asia (after about 5 Ma): Decreasing subduction angle of the Pacific plate and eastward movement of the Amurian plate have constructed the-top-to-west thrusts and become a major cause for earthquakes in southeastern Korea until the present time.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2009

Fractures and segmentation in association with the activities of the Yangsan fault are studied around Mt. Namsan, Gyengju city in the southeastern part of Korea. It is believed that the higher values of joint density and fractal dimension with the approach of the center of the Yangsan fault mean intense fracturing due to the fault activity. The boundary between fault damage zone and host rock is inferred to be placed at about 2.7 km from the center of the Yangsan fault where the values of joint density and fractal dimension abruptly decrease and the orientations of joint are also much dispersed. The small faults within the damage zone of the Yangsan fault are definitely divided into right-lateral and left-lateral strike-slip faults. The former is considered to be formed during the right-lateral movement of the Yangsan fault and the latter during the left-lateral movement. The Yangsan fault is segmented in the study area with obvious evidences as follows: (1) the difference of fault strike between northern and southern segments, (2) The geometry of contractional imbricate fans and syncline plunging $9^{\circ}$, $S85^{\circ}E$ at the end of northern segment, and (3) anticline plunging $28^{\circ}$, $N4^{\circ}W$ at the end of southern segment.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.637-648
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• 2010

The Songbong Formation (so-called Bangrim Group), correated to the lower part of Choseon Supergroup, unconformably overlies the Precambrian Gyeonggi massif at northeastem tip of the Ogcheon belt The contact relationship between the Choseon Supergroup and the Yeongnam massif is also known as an unconformity at northeastem part of the Ogcheon belt. lt implies that the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs were probably connected each other before the Early Paleozoic. Three deformational phases are recognized in the study area, The first phase is the north-northeastward ductile thrusting, which places Precambrian granite of the Gyeonggi massif over the Paleozoic rocks of the Ogcheon belt. The second phase is characterized by the southeastward thrusting and deformation partitioning along the Nuruhaji compartment fault. The third phase is the reactivation of the Nuruhaji Fault into dextral strike-slip fault with over a few kilometers displacement.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 2001

Structural and geological engineering properties of the rock mass distributed in the Yokmang mountain area were investigated to detenninc the usable cut-out volume and quarrying efficiency. The study area is located in the southern tip of the Yangsan fault system which controls the geological structure of the Kvungsang basin. As a result, the study area is mainly composed of andesicic. rhyolitic. and granitic rocks of the Cretaceous Kyungsang Supergroup and a series of right-handed strike-slip faults is developed along NNE-SSW direction. These regional faults significantly affect the spatial and meclwnical characteristics of joints such as spacing, frequency, and compressive strength. The joint frequency is highest along the fault zones and decreases toward the remote region. Based on the geological information obtained from the field survey, the detailed structure of the Yokmang mountain was analyzed and the volume of the rock mass was assessed. Considering the minimum rock block size required for the construction of a coastal dumping site, potential cut-out volume is then estimated to be 4,018,000m$^3$ the volume % of which is 48% of Yokmang mountain including the soil and weathered rock and 61% of the unweathered rock mass.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.211-230
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• 2016

Detailed mapping along the Keumwang fault reveals a complex history of multiple brittle reactivations following late Jurassic and early Cretaceous ductile shearing. The fault core consists of a 10~50 m thick fault gouge layer bounded by a 30~100 m thick damaged zone. The Pre-cambrian gneiss and Jurassic granite underwent at least six distinct stages of fault movements based on deformation environment, time and mechanism. Each stage characterized by fault kinematics and dynamics at different deformation environment. Stage 1 generated mylonite series along the Keumwang shear zone by sinistral ductile shearing during late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. Stage 2 was a mostly brittle event generating cataclasite series superimposed on the mylonite series of the Keumwang shear zone. The roundness of pophyroclastes and the amount of matrix increase from host rocks to ultracataclasite indicating stronger cataclastic flow toward the fault core. At stage 3, fault gouge layer superimposed on the cataclasite generated during stage 2 and the sedimentary basins (Umsung and Pungam) formed along the fault by sinistral strike-slip movement. Fragments of older cataclasite suspended in the fault gouge suggest extensive reworking of fault rocks at brittle deformation environments. At stage 4, systematic en-echelon folds, joints and faults were formed in the sedimentary basins by sinistral strike-slip reactivation of the Keumwang fault. Most of the shearing is accommodated by slip along foliations and on discrete shear surfaces, while shear deformation tends to be relatively uniformly distributed within the fault damage zone developed in the mudrocks in the sedimentary basins. Fine-grained andesitic rocks intruded during stage 4. Stage 5 dextral strike-slip activity produced shear planes and bands in the andesitic rocks. ESR(Electron Spin Resonance) dates of fault gouge show temporal clustering within active period and migrating along the strike of the Keumwang fault during the stage 6 at the Quaternary period.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.473-490
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• 2007

Strata of the Kachi-1 well, Kunsan Basin, offshore western Korea, were analyzed by using integrated stratigraphy approach. As a result, five distinct unconformity-bounded units are recognized in the well: Triassic, Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, and Middle Miocene units. Each unit represents a tectono-stratigraphic unit that provides time-sliced information on basin-forming tectonics, sedimentation, and basin-modifying tectonics of the Kunsan Basin. In the late Late Jurassic, development of second- or third-order wrench faults along the Tan-Lu fault system probably initiated a series of small-scale strike-slip extensional basins. Continued sinistral movement of these wrench faults until the Late Cretaceous caused a mega-shear in the basin, forming a large-scale pull-apart basin. However, in the Early Tertiary, the Indian Plate began to collide with the Eurasian Plate, forming a mega-suture zone. This orogenic event, namely the Himalayan Orogeny, continued by late Eocene and was probably responsible for initiation of right-lateral motion of the Tan-Lu fault system. The right-lateral strike-slip movement of the Tan-Lu fault caused the tectonic inversion of the Kunsan Basin. Thus, the late Eocene to Oligocene was the main period of severe tectonic modification of the basin. After the Oligocene, the Kunsan Basin has maintained thermal subsidence up to the present with short periods of marine transgressions extending into the land part of the present basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.615-627
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• 2021

The Baekildo fault, a dextral strike-slip fault developed in Baekil Island, Goheung-gun, controls the distribution of tuffaceous sandstone and lapilli tuff and shows a complex fracture system around it. In this study, we examined the spatial variation in the geometry and connectivity of the fracture system by using circular sampling and topological analysis based on a detailed fracture trace map. As a result, both intensity and connectivity of the fracture system are higher in tuffaceous sandstone than in lapilli tuff. Furthermore, the degree of the orientation dispersion, intensity, and average length of fracture sets vary depending on the along-strike variation in structural position in the tuffaceous sandstone. Notably, curved fractures abutting the fault at a high angle occur at a fault bend. Based on the detailed observation and analyses of the fracture system, we conclude as follows: (1) the high intensity of the fracture system in the tuffaceous sandstone is caused by the higher content of brittle minerals such as quartz and feldspar. (2) the connectivity of the fracture system gets higher with the increase in the diversity and average length of the fracture sets. Finally, (3) the fault bend with geometric irregularity is interpreted to concentrate and disturb the local stress leading to the curved fractures abutting the fault at a high angle. This contribution will provide important insight into various geologic and structural factors that control the development of fracture systems around faults.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.579-585
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• 1995

The Samkwang mine is Cretaceous gold-silver-bearing deposits located in the western part of the Ogcheon belt The ore deposits have been emplaced within granite gneiss of the Precambrian age. The Au-Ag deposits are hydrothermal-vein type, characterized by arsenic-, gold- and silver-bearing sulphides, in addition to the principal ore-forming sulphides arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Their proven reserves are 355,000 MT, and grades are 8.4 g Au/t and 13.6 g Ag/t. On the basis of their structural characters, the Au-Ag-bearing quartz veins are classified into three types of ore veins; (1) The Main vein shows $N40^{\circ}-80^{\circ}E$ strike and $55^{\circ}-90^{\circ}SE$ dip, (2) the Sangban vein shows E-W strike and $30^{\circ}-40^{\circ}S$ dip, and (3) the Gukseong vein has $N25^{\circ}-40^{\circ}W$strike and $65^{\circ}-80^{\circ}SW$ dip. The emplacements of the ore veins are closely related to the minimum stress axis $({\sigma}_3)$ during the strike-slip movement of the study area. The ore-bearing veins filled with extension fractures during strike-slip movements were sequentially emplaced as follows: I) When ${\sigma}_1$ operates obliquely to NE-series discontinous surface, the Main fault zone $(F_1)$ developes. 2) During the same time, extension fractures ($T_1$ Gukseong veins) take place. 3) When the fault progress continuously, the existing $T_1$, may be high angle and $T_2$ (Daehung vein) developes continuously. 4) When ${\sigma}_1$ changes to sinistral sense, $T_3$ (basic dyke) occurs. 5) When a reverse fault becomes active, the Sangban vein is branched from the Guksabong vein.