• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2017

The geology of Saok island area in Jeollanam-do can be divided into 4 lithologic types: Jurassic granite, Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, acidic tuff and acidic dikes. In the Saok island area, dinosaur and web-footed bird footprints, arthropod trackway and silicified wood were found recently in the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks which composed of alternating light grey sandstone, shale and mudrock. The fossil-bearing sedimentary rock is overlain by an acidic tuff, and the sedimentary rock and acidic tuff are cut by acidic dykes. In order to constrain the depositional age of the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in Saok island area, SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages were determined in the tuffaceous sandstone and overlying acidic tuff. Zircon U-Pb ages of the sandstone and tuff are $83.58{\pm}0.86$ and $79.80{\pm}0.75Ma$, respectively, which belong to the Campanian of the Late Cretaceous. The U-Pb age of the acidic tuff indicates the eruption time of acidic tuff and thus the minimum age of the fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks in this area. Therefore, the formation age of the dinosaur and web-footed bird footprints can be constrained between 83.6 and 79.8 Ma.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.123-154
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• 1982

Petrochemical, K-Ar dating, Sand Rb/Sr isotopes, metallogenic zoning, paleomagnetic and geotectonic studies of the Gyongsang basin were carried out to examine applicability of plate tectonics to the post-late Cretaceous igneous activity and metallogeny in the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Bulgugsa granitic rocks range from granite to adamellite, whose Q-Ab-Or triangular diagram indicates that the depth and pressure at which the magma consolidated increase from coast to inland varying from 6 km, 0.5-3.3 kb in the coastal area to 17 km, 0.5-10 kb in the inland area. 2. The volcanic rocks in Gyongsang basin range from andesitic to basaltic rocks, and the basaltic rocks are generally tholeiitic in the coastal area and alkali basalt in the inland area. 3. The volcanic rocks of the area have the initial ratio of Sr^{87}/Sr^{86} varying from 0.706 to 0.707 which suggests a continental origin; the ratio of Rb/Sr changing from 0.079-0.157 in the coastal area to 0.021-0.034 in the inland area suggests that the volcanism is getting younger toward coastal side, which may indicate a retreat in stage of differentiation if they were derived from a same magma. The K_2O/SiO_2 (60%) increases from about 1.0 in the coastal area to about 3.0 in the inland area, which may suggest an increase indepth of the Benioff zone, if existed, toward inland side. 4. The K-Ar ages of volcanic rocks were measured to be 79.4 m.y. near Daegu, and 61.7 m.y. near Busan indicating a southeastward decrease in age. The ages of plutonic rocks also decrease toward the same direction with 73 m.y. near Daegu, and 58 m.y. near Busan, so that the volcanism predated the plutonism by 6 m.y. in the continental interior and 4 m.y. along the coast. Such igneous activities provide a positive evidence for an applicability of plate tectonics to this area. 5. Sulfur isotope analyses of sulfide minerals from 8 mines revealed that these deposits were genetically connected with the spacially associated ingeous rocks showing relatively narrow range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values (-0.9‰ to +7.5‰ except for +13.3 from Mulgum Mine). A sequence of metallogenic zones from the coast to the inland is delineated to be in the order of Fe-Cu zone, Cu-Pb-Zn zone, and W-Mo zone. A few porphyry type copper deposits are found in the Fe-Cu zone. These two facts enable the sequence to be comparable with that of Andean type in South America. 6. The VGP's of Cretaceous and post Cretaceous rocks from Korea are located near the ones($71^{\circ}N$, $180^{\circ}E$ and $90^{\circ}N$, $110^{\circ}E$) obtained from continents of northern hemisphere. This suggests that the Korean peninsula has been stable tectonically since Cretaceous, belonging to the Eurasian continent. 7. Different polar wandering path between Korean peninsula and Japanese islands delineates that there has been some relative movement between them. 8. The variational feature of declination of NRM toward northwestern inland side from southeastern extremity of Korean peninsula suggests that the age of rocks becomes older toward inland side. 9. The geological structure(mainly faults) and trends of lineaments interpreted from the Landsat imagery reveal that NNE-, NWW- and NEE-trends are predominant in the decreasing order of intensity. 10. The NNE-trending structures were originated by tensional and/or compressional forces, the directions of which were parallel and perpendicular respectively to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 90 m.y. B.P. The NWW-trending structures were originated as shear fractures by the same compressional forces. The NEE-trending structures are considered to be priginated as tension fractures parallel to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 70 m.y. B.P. when Japanese islands had drifted toward southeast leaving the Sea of Japan behind. It was clearly demonstrated by many authors that the drifting of Japanese islands was accompanied with a rotational movement of a clock-wise direction, so that it is inferred that subduction boundary had changed from NNE- to NEE-direction. A number of facts and features mentioned above provide a suite of positive evidences enabling application of plate tectonics to the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary igneous activity and metallogeny in the area. Synthesizing these facts, an arc-trench system of continental margin-type is adopted by reconstructing paleogeographic models for the evolution of Korean peninsula and Japan islands. The models involve an extention mechanism behind the are(proto-Japan), by which proto-Japan as of northeastern continuation of Gyongsang zone has been drifted rotationally toward southeast. The zone of igneous activity has also been migrated from the inland in late-Cretaceous to the peninsula margin and southwestern Japan in Tertiary.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.405-429
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• 2022

Detrital zircon LA-MC-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of the Cretaceous Gurye Group, Gurye Basin, was carried out. Gurye Group consists of Supyeongri, Geumjeongri, Togeum, and Obongsan formations in ascending order, and five samples were collected for age dating. Based on the dating results, the lowermost Supyeongri and the uppermost Obongsan formations show narrow age ranges. Only Precambrian and Late Cretaceous zircons were found in the Supyeongri and Obongsan formations, respectively. However, the upper and lower Geumjeongri, and Togeum formations show wide age ranges from the Precambrian to Cretaceous. The youngest detrital zircon U-Pb ages of each formation except the Supyeongri Formation, which lacks Cretaceous zircon, were calculated to be ca. 107.4 Ma in the lower Geumjeongri Formation, ca. 104.6 Ma in the upper Geumjeongri Formation, ca. 97.7 Ma in the Togeum Formation, and ca. 88.5 Ma in the Obongsan Formation. Such results indicate that the depositional age of the Gurye Group can be constrained from the Lower Cretaceous Albian to the Upper Cretaceous Coniacian. Based on the distribution of the detrital zircon ages from each formation, the source area of the Gurye Group is interpreted to have been extended from the adjacent Youngnam Massif to the Okcheon Belt throughout the basin evolution. The increase of the Cretaceous zircon with time is thought to reflect the slab roll-back of the proto-Pacific plate during the Cretaceous.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-202
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• 2012

There were three cycles of igneous activities from the late Paleozoic to early Cenozoic; Permian to Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous to Paleogene. After the beginning of each igneous activity cycle, igneous activity became more frequent until its climax. It is noteworthy that A-type magmatisms are reported from near the ends of the all three igneous activity cycles. In addition, adakitic magmatisms occurred at the beginning of both the Permian-Triassic and the Cretaceous-Paleogene cycles. Most of the igneous activities during the late Paleozoic to early Cenozoic period were subduction-related. Therefore, transitions among beginning, proceeding, and closing of the igneous activity cycles would be intimately related with changes in directions of plate movements. In this context, I suggest following hypotheses. The closing of the Permian-Triassic igneous cycle was possibly a consequence of radical adjustment of plate motion occurred due to continental collision between north and south China blocks. Considering that no appreciable tectonic activities were recognized from the east Asian continent at the closing of the Jurassic igneous cycle, it seems that one of the strong events related with Gondwanaland-breakup and subsequent birth of the new oceans, which might cause sudden adjustments of plate motions. The closing of the Cretaceous-Paleogene igneous cycle seems to be caused as a consequence of the collision between India and Asia continents. Meanwhile, adakitic igneous bodies emplaced at the beginnings of the Permian-Triassic and Cretaceous-Paleogene cycles could be products of slab-melting during the early stages of the subduction.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.57-65
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• 2009

Selection of good mineralized area is a combination of the integration of all the available geo-scientific (i.e., geological, geochemical, and geophysical) information, extrapolation of likely features from known mineralized terrenes and the ability to be predictive. The time-space relationships of the hydrothermal deposits in the East Asia are closely related to the changing plate motions. Also, two distinctive hydrothermal systems during Mesozoic occurred in Korea: the Jurassic/Early Cretaceous deep-level ones during the Daebo orogeny and the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary shallow geothermal ones during the Bulguksa event. Both the Mesozoic geothermal system and the mineralization document a close spatial and temporal relationship with syn- to post-tectonic magmatism. The Jurassic mineral deposits were formed at the relatively high temperature and deep-crustal level from the mineralizing fluids characterized by the relatively homogeneous and similar ranges of ${\delta}^{18}O$ values, suggesting that ore-forming fluids were principally derived from spatially associated Jurassic granitoid and related pegmatite. Most of the Jurassic auriferous deposits (ca. 165-145 Ma) show fluid characteristics typical of an orogenic-type gold deposits, and were probably generated in a compressional to transpressional regime caused by an orthogonal to oblique convergence of the Izanagi Plate into the East Asian continental margin. On the other hand, Late Cretaceous ferroalloy, base-metal and precious-metal deposits in the Taebaeksan, Okcheon and Gyeongsang basins occurred as vein, replacement, breccia-pipe, porphyry-style and skarn deposits. Diverse mineralization styles represent a spatial and temporal distinction between the proximal environment of sub-volcanic activity and the distal to transitional condition derived from volcanic environments. However, Cu (-Au) or Fe-Mo-W deposits are proximal to a magmatic source, whereas polymetallic or precious-metal deposits are more distal to transitional. Strike-slip faults and caldera-related fractures together with sub-volcanic activity are associated with major faults reactivated by a northward (oblique) to northwestward (orthogonal) convergence, and have played an important role in the formation of the Cretaceous Au-Ag lode deposits (ca. 110-45 Ma) under a continental arc setting. The temporal and spatial distinctions between the two typical Mesozoic deposit styles in Korea reflect a different thermal episodes (i.e., late orogenic and post-orogenic) and ore-forming fluids related to different depths of emplacement of magma (i.e., plutonic and sub-volcanic) due to regional changes in tectonic settings.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-124
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• 1985

More than fifty copper veins are emplaced around late Cretaceous granitoid stock in Haman-Gunbuk district, southernmost part of Korea. These veins cut both late Cretaceous granitoids and hornfels of Jindong formation which is intruded by the granitoids. The paragenesis of veins is nearly the same, consisting of (1) an early vein stage in which most iron oxide minerals, tourmaline and other silitcate minerals were deposited, (2) a calcite and quartz with base·metal sulfide stage and (3) late vein lets of barren calcite stage. Fluid inclusion studies reveal highly systematic trends of salinity and temperature during mineralization. Ore fluids of early vein stage were complex NaCl-KCl rich brines. Salinities of polyphase inclusions in quartz and scapolite in thie stage reached up to 72 wt.% and gradually decreased to 10.5wt. % in closing stage. Homogenization temperatures of inclusions in the beginning of this stage were up to $490^{\circ}C$ and then declined steadly to $290^{\circ}C$ in the late stage. Salinities of fluid inclusions in quartz and calcite of base·metal sulfide stage were 37.4~5.7wt. % and homogenization temperatures range from $373^{\circ}C$ to $170^{\circ}C$. Intermittent boiling of early vein fluid is indicated by fluid inclusions in quartz. Potassic alteration of granodiorite adjacent to early vein seems to be related to early saline vein fluid. Fluid inclusion data of base-metal sulfide stage of this area reveal nearly the same range as those of Koseong copper mining district about 30km apart from this area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-49
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• 1981

The studied area is largely occupied by thick piles of the late Cretaceous volcanic rocks of the Yucheon group, which is northeastern border part of the vast volcanic region in the Yucheon basin. The Yucheon group overlies the Geoncheonri Formation and is intruded by granitic and dioritic stocks and dykes. The group can be devided into two parts; the lower is Jusasan andesitic rocks which was called as Jusasan Porphyrite Formation by Tadeiwa in 1929, and the upper is Unmunsa rhyolitic rocks. The volcanic pile consists mainly of various tuffs such as tuff breccia, lapilli tuff, coarse to fine tuff and tuffaceous sediments, and interlayered flows, which range from basaltic andesite to rhyolite in their lithology. The results of petrochemical and volcanostratigraphic studies on the Jusasan andesitic socks suggest that the volcanic rocks were derived from two cyclic evolutions of magmatic fractionation. Systematic study of 5226 joints from the area reveals two sets of steep joints striking $N20^{\circ}-40^{\circ}E$ and $N40^{\circ}-70^{\circ}W$, are dominant and coincide with the fault pattern developed in the area. Three defferent maximum principal stress axes were recognized from conjugate shear joints, which are trending east-west, north-northwest, and north-northeast.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2014

Recently developed illite-age-analysis (IAA) approach has been applied to determine the multiple events for the Singal and Wangsukcheon faults in the Chugaryeong fault belt, Korea. Fault reactivated events during Late Cretaceous to Paleogene events($69.2{\pm}0.3$ Ma and $27.2{\pm}0.5$ Ma) for the Singal fault and of $75.4{\pm}0.8$ Ma for the Wangsukcheon fault were determined by combined approach of the optimized illite-polytype quantification and the K-Ar age-dating of clay fractions separated from the fault clays. These absolute geochronological determinations of the multiple tectonic events recorded in the Chugaryeong fault belt are crucial to establish the tectonic evolution of the Korean Peninsula since Late Cretaceous.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2015

This study aims to establish the age of the Cretaceous Togeum Formation in Gurye that reported the discovery of dinosaur eggshells and bones. This study also investigates to determine the period of the dinosaurs' dominance in the region. K-Ar ages are measured on the whole volcanic rocks in the lower - and upper parts of the formation. The six samples dated are volcanic pebbles deposited in the Geumjeongri Conglomerate that is distributed underneath the Togeum Formation, and the ages dated as Aptian ($118.3{\pm}2.3Ma$) or Albian ($103.6{\pm}2.0$, $102.5{\pm}2.0$, $99.9{\pm}1.9Ma$), which all correspond to the Early Cretaceous. In addition, the ages of andesites and porphyritic andesites overlying the Togeum Formation are dated in a similar way. The result is that the ages are apparently corresponding to the Campanian ($83.9{\pm}1.6$, $74.2{\pm}1.5$Ma) of the Late Cretaceous. Field evidence and the age results indicate that the formation of the Togeum and the activities of dinosaurs dated back between 84 and 100Ma. It suggests that the Togeum Formation be somewhat older than the Boseong Seonso Formation (81Ma) which contains egg shells, the Haenam Uhangni Formation (79-81 Ma) that has dinosaur, pterosaur and webbed bird footprints, and also older than the theropod egg nests (77-83Ma) found in the Aphaedo area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.2 s.183
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• pp.191-207
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• 2007

A paleomagnetic investigation for the Cretaceous rocks in the Buyeo and Hampyeong Basins, located out of the Gyeongsang Basin, was carried out in order to elucidate the paleomagnetic directions in conjunction with the formation of the basins. Typical stepwise thermal demagnetization and measurement methods were used to determine the directions of characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRMs). The mean direction of the sedimentary rocks from the Buyeo Basin after bedding correction $(D/I=356.5^{\circ}/61.5^{\circ},\;k=39.3\;\alpha_{95}=7.4^{\circ})$, is more dispersed than that before bedding correction $(D/I=356.5^{\circ}/61.5^{\circ},\;k=39.3\;\alpha_{95}=7.4^{\circ})$, which suggests that the rocks in the Buyeo Basin were remagnetized. However, the statistics and dispersion of the ChRM directions after bedding correction are still acceptable and the paleomagnetic pole position after tilt correction $(Lat./Long.=69.3^{\circ}N/186.7^{\circ}E,\;K=11.6\;A_{95}=14.0^{\circ})$ is closer to that of the Late Cretaceous pole of the Korean Peninsula. More detailed study is needed to confirm the nature of the remagnetization in the Buyeo Basin. On the other hand, the paleomagnetic pole before bedding correction $(Lat./Long.=81.6^{\circ}N/106.9^{\circ}E,\;K=25.1\;A_{95}=9.3^{\circ})$ is positioned near the paleogene pole of the Eurasian APWP. The mean ChRM direction of the sedimentary rocks from the Hampyeong Basin after bedding correction is $D/I=32.5^{\circ}/55.4^{\circ},\;(k=35.6,\;\alpha_{95}=8.7^{\circ})$. It is more clustered than that before bedding correction $D/I=18.3^{\circ}/62.5^{\circ},\;k=14.1,\;\alpha_{95}=14.2^{\circ})$, indicating that the ChRM was acquired before tilting of the strata. The paleomagnetic pole position of the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Hampyeong Basin, averaged out of site pole positions calculated from the tilt-corrected ChRMs, is $Lat./Long.=63.9^{\circ}N/202.7^{\circ}E,\;(K=21.3,\;A_{95}=7.6^{\circ})$, similar to the Late Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole of the Korean Peninsula $(Lat./Long.=70.9^{\circ}N/215.4^{\circ}E,\;A_{95}=5.3^{\circ})$, suggesting that the Hampyeong Basin has been stable since the Late Cretaceous period. One normal and two reversed ChRM directions are revealed through the measurements of the volcanic rocks from the Hampyeong Basin. Although these normal and reversed directions are not exactly antipodal, it is interpreted that the normal direction is the representative primary direction of the volcanic rocks of the Hampyeong Basin and the mixed polarity is the records of geomagnetic field at the time of the formation of the volcanic rocks. Paleomagnetic poles are at $Lat./Long.=70.2^{\circ}N/199.5^{\circ}E,\;(K=18.1,\;A_{95}=9.6^{\circ})$ for the normal direction, and $Lat./Long.=65.5^{\circ}S/251.3^{\circ}E,\;(K=7.1,\;A_{95}=20.7^{\circ})$ for the reversed direction. Compared with the representative pole positions of the Cretaceous period of the Korean Peninsula, it is concluded that the age of the volcanic rocks in the Hampyeong Basin is of the Late Cretaceous.