• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2011

We acquired and interpreted more than 650 km of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles in the Hupo Basin, offshore east coast of Korea at $37^{\circ}N$ in the East Sea (Japan Sea) to image shallow and basement deformation. The seismic profiles reveal that the main depocenter of the Hupo Basin in the study area is bounded by the large offset Hupo Fault on the east and an antithetic fault on the west; however, the antithetic fault is much smaller both in horizontal extension and in vertical displacement than the Hupo Fault. Sediment infill in the Hupo Basin consists of syn-rift (late Oligocene. early Miocene) and post-rift (middle Miocene.Holocene) units. The Hupo Fault and other faults newly defined in the Hupo Basin strike dominantly north and show a sense of normal displacement. Considering that the East Sea has been subjected to compression since the middle Miocene, we interpret that these normal faults were created during continental rifting in late Oligocene to early Miocene times. We suggest that the current ENE direction of maximum principal compressive stress observed in and around the Korean peninsula associated with the motion of the Amurian Plate induces the faults in the Hupo Basin to have reverse and right-lateral, strike-slip motion, when reactivated. A recent earthquake positioned on the Hupo Fault indicates that in the study area and possibly further in the eastern Korean margin, earthquakes would occur on the faults created during continental rifting in the Tertiary.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.5 no.1_2 s.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 1997

Seismic stratigraphic analysis of the high resolution profiles obtained from the southeastern shelf of Korea divided the deposits into 4 sequences; 1) sequence D, 2) sequence C, 3) sequence B and 4) sequence A (Holocene sediments). Sequence D was deposited in shallow-water environment at west of the Yangsan Fault as the basin subsided. On the other hand, the eastern part was formed at the slope front. Landward part of the slope-front fill sediments were eroded and redeposited nearby slope due to the syndepositional tilting of the basin. This tilting probably resulted from the continuous closing of the Ulleung Basin. Sequence C is made of stacked successions of the lowstand fluvial sediments, transgressive sediments and marine highstand sediments derived from the paleo-river in the western part of the Yangsan Fault. Sequence C in the eastern part of the Yanshan Fault was formed at the shelf break. Progradation of the lowstand sediments resulted in broadening of the shelf. Sequence C in the eastern part was also tilted but the tilting was weaker than in Sequence D. During the formation of sequence B the tilting stopped and the point source instead of the line source started in both sides of the Yangsan Fault. Sequence B was composed of the highstand systems tract partially preserved around the Yokji island, lowstand systems tract mainly preserved in the Korea Trough and transgressive systems tract. After the stop of the tilting, the force of compression due to the closing of the Ulleung Basin may be released by the strike-slip faults instead of tilting.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 1993

Seismic reflection profiles from the eastern continental margin of Korea delineate three major Neogene sedimentary basins perched on the shelf and slope regions: Pohang-Youngduk, Mukho and Hupo basins. The stratigraphic and structural analyses demonstrate that the formation and filling of these basins were intimately controlled by two phases of regional tectonism: transtensional and subsequent contractional deformations. In the Oligocene to Early Miocene, back-arc opening of the East Sea induced extensional shear deformation with dextral strike-slip movement along right-stepping Hupo and Yangsan faults. During the transtensional deformation, the Pohang-Youngduk Basin was formed by pull-apart opening between two strike-slip faults; in the northern part, block faulting caused to form the Mukho Basin between basement highs. As a result of the back-arc closure, the stress field was inverted into compression at the end of the Middle Miocene. Under the compressive regime, two episodes (Late Miocene and Early Pliocene) of regional deformation led to the destruction and partial uplift of the basin-filling sequences. In particular, during the second episode of compressive deformation, the Hupo fault was reactivated with an oblique-slip sense, which resulted in an opening of the Hupo Basin as a half-graben on the downthrown fault block.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.75-103
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• 2014

The Quaternary faults are extensively observed along major inherited fault zones (i.e. Yangsan Fault System, Ulsan Fault, Yeonil Tectonic Line, Ocheon Fault System) in SE Korea. Their geometry and kinematics provide a very useful piece of information about the Quaternary crustal deformation and stress field in and around Korean Peninsula. Using magnetic fabrics (AMS), we attempted to determine the slip senses of Jinti, Mohwa, Suseongji2, and Wangsan faults and then interpreted the fabric development process of fault gouge and the characteristics of stress field during the Quaternary. All the magnetic fabrics of the faults, except the Wangsan Fault, consistently indicate a dominant reverse-slip sense with weak strike-slip component. Most of the oblate fabrics are nearly parallel to the fault surface and the anisotropy degrees generally increase in proportion to the oblatenesses. These results suggest that the fabrics of the fault gouges resulted from a progressive deformation due to continuous simple shear during the last reactivation stage as reverse faulting. It is also interpreted that the pre-existing fabrics were overwhelmed and obliterated by the re-activated faulting. Paleostress field calculated from the fault slip data indicates an ENE-WNW compressive stress, which is in accord with those determined from previous fault tectonic analysis, focal mechanism solution, and hydraulic fracturing test in and around Korean Peninsula.