• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2014

The Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange is one of the youngest syn-collisional m$\acute{e}$langes, located between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates. The m$\acute{e}$lange has formed in association with a collision between the Australian continental margin and the Banda arc initiated in Neogene. The Suai area at the southern part of Timor is a good place to examine the genetic relationship between the m$\acute{e}$lange and other rock sequences because various tectonostratigraphic units coexist in the area. In this study, we present the structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange investigated as a part of 1:25K scale geologic mapping in the area, and discuss on the origin of the m$\acute{e}$lange. The Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange in the Suai area is composed of unmetamorphosed clay matrix and blocks of various lithologies. The clay matrix mainly is reddish brown or greenish gray in colour, and has scaly texture. Most blocks are allochthonous, but mostly derived from nearby formations. Based on the internal structure and relationship with surrounding rocks, the Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange is genetically classified into 1) diapiric m$\acute{e}$lange; 2) tectonic m$\acute{e}$lange; and 3) broken formation. The spatial distribution of the Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange indicates that it intruded all pre-collisional units including the lower Australian continental margin unit(Gondwana megasequence) and the Banda arc unit. Taking the field evidences and previous genetic models into consideration, the Bobonaro m$\acute{e}$lange is interpreted to be mainly formed as a diapiric m$\acute{e}$lange originated from Gondwana megasequence, consistently effected by faulting events. This study reflects that diapiric m$\acute{e}$lange is a significant component in recent accretionay-collision belts. It suggests that diapiric process should be considered as a main genetic factor even in ancient m$\acute{e}$lange.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.10 no.1_2 s.11
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• pp.23-33
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• 2004

The Lago Sofia conglomerate in southern Chile is a lenticular unit encased within mudstone-dominated, deep-sea successions (Cerro Toro Formation, upper Cretaceous), extending from north to south for more than $120{\cal}km$. The Lago Sofia conglomerate is a unique example of long, gravelly deep-sea channels, which are rare in the modern environments. In the northern part (areas of Lago Pehoe and Laguna Goic), the conglomerate unit consists of 3-5 conglomerate bodies intervened by mudstone sequences. Paleocurrent data from these bodies indicate sediment transport to the east, south, and southeart. The conglomerate bodies in the northern Part are interpreted as the tributary channels that drained down the Paleoslope and converged to form N-S-trending trunk channels. In the southern part (Lago Sofia section), the conglomerate unit comprises a thick (> 300 m) conglomerate body, which probably formed in axial trunk channels of the N-5-trending foredeep trough. The well-exposed Lago Sofia section allowed for detailed investigation of sedimentary facies and large-scale architecture of the deepsea channel conglomerate. The conglomerate in Lago Sofia section comprises stratified conglomerate, massive-to-graded conglomerate, and diamictite, which represent bedload deposition under turbidity currents, deposition by high-density turbidity currents, and muddy debris flows, respectively. Paleocurrent data suggest that the debris flows originated from the failure of nearby channel banks or slopes flanking the channel system, whereas the turbidity currents flowed parallel to the orientation of the overall channel system. Architectural elements produced by turbidity currents represent vertical stacking of gravel sheets, lateral accretion of gravel bars, migration of gravel dunes, and filling of channel thalwegs and scoured hollows, similar to those in terrestrial gravel-bed braided rivers. Observations of large-scale stratal pattern reveal that the channel bodies are offset stacked toward the east, suggestive of an eastward migration of the axial trunk channel. The eastward channel migration is probably due to tectonic tilting related to the uplift of the Andean protocordillera just west of the Lago Sofia deep-sea channel system.

• Journal of the Geological Society of Korea
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.477-488
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• 2018

Fluid muds commonly occur in estuarine environments, but their ancient examples have rarely been studied in terms of depositional characteristics and processes. Cores of estuarine channel deposits of the Early Cretaceous McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada show various mudstone layers that possess depositional characteristics of high clay-concentration flows. These mudstone layers are examined in detail through microscopic observation of thin sections and classified into three microfacies (<1 to 25 mm thick) on the basis of sedimentary texture and structures. Structureless mudstone (Microfacies 1) consists mainly of clay particles and contains randomly dispersed coarser grains (coarse silt to fine sand). This microfacies is interpreted as being deposited by cohesive mud flows, i.e., fluid muds, which possessed sufficient strength to support suspended coarser grains (quasi-laminar plug flow). Silt-streaked mudstone (Microfacies 2) mainly comprises mudstone with dispersed coarse grains and includes very thin, discontinuous silt streaks of coarse-silt to very-fine-sand grains. The texture similar to Microfacies 1 indicates that Microfacies 2 was also deposited by cohesive fluid muds. The silt streaks are, however, suggestive of the presence of intermittent weak turbulence under the plug (upper transitional plug flow). Heterolithic laminated mudstone (Microfacies 3) is characterized by alternation of relatively thick silt laminae and much thinner clay laminae. It is either parallel-laminated or low-angle cross-laminated, occasionally showing low-amplitude ripple forms. The heterolithic laminae are interpreted as the results of shear sorting in the basal turbulent zone under a cohesive plug. They may represent low-amplitude bed-waves formed under lower transitional plug flows. These three microfacies reflect a range of flow phases of fluid muds, which change with flow velocities and suspended mud concentrations. The results of this study provide important knowledge to recognize fluid-mud deposits in ancient sequences and to better understand depositional processes of mudstones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2019

The western Gyeonggi Massif, where records evidence of Phanerozoic subduction/collision tectonics, is an important area to understand the crustal evolutionary history of the Korean Peninsula. This study presents geometric and kinematic characteristics of the geological structures of the Taean Formation in the Gomseom area, southwestern Gyeonggi Massif. We interpreted the geometric relationships between structural elements, and conducted stereographic and down-plunge projections for structural domains. As a result, at least three different deformational events ($D_1$, $D_2$ and $D_3$) are recognized in the study area. In the first deformational event ($D_1$), regional foliations being well defined by the preferred orientation of muscovite and biotite were formed. In the second deformational event ($D_2$), NNE-trending low-angle contractional faults and related crenulation lineations/cleavages were formed. The crenulation lineations shallowly plunge toward SSW~SSE or NNW~NNE. In the third deformational event ($D_3$), SE-plunging folds and NE-trending high-angle faults were formed as 'fault-related fold' and 'fold-accommodation fault', indicating that the $D_3$ folds and faults are genetically linked to each other. This contribution provides important insights into the structural evolution of the Taean Formation along western Gyeonggi Massif, where had evolved as subduction/collisional orogenic belts in the East Asia.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.8-31
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• 2023

To understand the distribution and formation mechanism of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, grain size analysis, ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating, and benthic foraminifera analysis were conducted on thirty-two surface sediments collected from the continental shelf of the northern East China Sea, respectively. Surface sediment was composed of sandy mud~muddy sand facies with an average of 52.04% of sand, 13.72% of silt, and 34.20% of clay. These sedimentary facies are palimpsest sediment. Benthic foraminifera was classified into a total of 48 genera and 104 species, including agglutinated foraminifera, calcareous-hyaline, and calcareous-porcelaneous foraminifera. The production rate of agglutinated foraminifera increased toward the Yangtze River area while that of planktonic foraminifera increased toward Jeju Island. Dominant species are Ammonia ketienziensis, Bolivina robusta, Eggella advena, Eilohedra nipponica, Pseudorotalia gamardii, Pseudoparrella naraensis. ¹⁴C radiocarbon datings of Bolivina robusta and Pseudorotalia gamardii with the highest production rate were 2,360±40 yr B.P. and 2,450±40 yr B.P., respectively. In the result of cluster analysis, three assemblages composed of P. gaimardii, B. robusta, and A. ketienziensis-P. naraensis were classified broadly. P. gaimardii assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. at the sea area of the Yangtze River to 50 m in water depth affected by fresh water. B. robusta assemblage is thought to be formed from about 2.4 yr B.P. at the sea area of Jeju Island to 50~100 m affected by offshore water. And then, A. ketienziensisP. naraensis assemblage was formed in the northwest sea area (Central Yellow Sea Mud). These distributions and composition of benthic foraminiferal assemblages formed from about 2.5 yr B.P. in the northern East China Sea are thought to be due to the change of benthic ecology environment that occurred by the sea level increase during the late Holocene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.73-87
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• 1975

Regional unconformities have been used as boundaries of major stratigraphic units in Korea. The term "synthem" has already been propsed for formal unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units of maximum magnitude (ISSC, 1974). The unconformity-based classification of the strata in the cratonic area in Korea comprises in ascending order the Kyerim, $Sangw{\check{o}}n$, $Jos{\check{o}}n$, $Py{\check{o}}ngan$, Daedong, and $Ky{\check{o}}ngsang$ Synthems, and the Cenozoic Erathem. The unconformites separating them from each other are either orogenic or epeirogenic (and vertical tectonic). The sub-$Sangw{\check{o}}n$ unconformity is a non-conformity above the basement complex in Korea. The unconformities between the $Sangw{\check{o}}n$, $Jos{\check{o}}n$, and $Py{\check{o}}ngan$ Synthems are disconformities denoting late Precambrian and Paleozoic crustal quiescence in Korea. The unconformities between the $Py{\check{o}}ngan$, Daedong, and $Ky{\check{o}}ngsang$ Synthems are angular unconformities representing Mesozoic orogenies. The bounding unconformities of the $Ky{\check{o}}ngsang$ Synthem involve non-conformable parts overlying the Jurassic and late Cretaceous granitic rocks.