• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.35-60
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• 1987

The geochemical characteristics including minerals, major and trace elements chemistries of the Proterozoic, Jurassic and Cretaceous granites in Korea are systematically summarized and intended to decipher the origin and crystallization process in connection with the tectonic evolution. The granites in Korea are classified into three different ages of the granites with their own distinctive geochemical patterns: 1) Proterozoic granitoids; 2) Jurassic granites(cratonic and mobile belt); 3) Cretaceous-Tertiary granites. The Proterozoic granite gneisses (I-type and ilmenite-series) formed by metamorphism of the geochemically evolved granite protolith. The Proterozoic granites (S-type and ilmenite-series) produced by remobilization of sialic crust. The Jurassic granites (S-type and ilmenite-series) were mainly formed by partial melting of crustal materials, possibly metasedimentary rocks. The Cretaceous granites (I-type and magnetite-series) formed by fractional crystallization of parental magmas from the igneous protolith in the lower crust or upper mantle. The low temperature ($315{\sim}430^{\circ}C$) and small temperature variations (${\pm}20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$) in the cessation of exsolution of perthites for the Proterozoic and Jurassic granites might have been caused by slow cooling of the granites under regional metamorphic regime. The high ($520^{\circ}C$) and large temperature variations (${\pm}110^{\circ}C$) of perthites for the Cretaceous granites postulate that the rapid cooling of the granitic magma. In terms of the oxygen fugacity during the feldspar crystallization in the granite magmas, the Jurassic mobile belt granites were crystallized in the lowest oxygen fugacity condition among the Korean granites, whereas the Cretaceous granites in the Gyeongsang basin at the high oxygen fugacity condition. The Jurassic mobile belt granites are located at the Ogcheon Fold Belt, resulting by closing-collision situation such as compressional tectonic setting, and emplaced into a Kata-Mesozonal ductile crust. The Jurassic cratonic granites might be more evolved either during intrusion through thick crust or owing to lower degree of partial melting in comparison with the mobile belt granites. The Cretaceous granites are possibly comparable with a continental margin of Andinotype. Subduction of the Kula-Pacific ridge provided sufficient heat and water to trigger remelting at various subcrustal and lower crustal igneous protoliths.