• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.328-346
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• 2012

This study provides quantitative constraints on Neogene uplift in the Korean peninsula using onshore paleo-shoreline records and seismic data. The eastern margin of Northeast Asia including Korea sits in the back-arc system behind the Western Pacific Subduction Zone, a complex trench triple junction of the Philippine Sea, Pacific, and Eurasian (Amurian) plates. An analysis of seismic data in the subduction zone shows that the pattern of uplift in the peninsula mirrors the extent of deep seismicity in subducting Pacific plate beneath. Combined with previous tomographic studies it is proposed that uplift is partly driven by asthenospheric upwelling caused by a sinking slab during the Neogene. In addition, the SHmax orientations of E-W and N-S trends in the peninsula are consistent with the prevailing in-situ stress fields in the eastern Eurasian continent generated by various plate boundary forces. The uplift in Korea during the Late Neogene is attributed, in part, to lithospheric failure relating to faulting movements, thus providing a link between dynamic effects of mantle upwelling at sinking slab edge and lithospheric responses driven by plate boundary forces.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.361-371
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• 2017

We investigated geochemical characteristics of the Dodong Basaltic Rocks in the lower part of the Ulleung Island. They have lithological range of alkali basalt to trachybasalt, belonging to Na and K subseries of alkaline series. They mostly fall within the field of alkalline within-plate basalts on tectonic discrimination diagrams, and then plot in the field of oceanic island basalt (OIB). Geochemically, extension of lithospheric mantle and asthenospheric upwelling after East Sea under an Cenozoic extensional tectonic setting might be a heat source for partial melting of the enriched lithospheric mantle, which might generate the basaltic magma. But we cannot exclude that mantle plume might also be a heat source for melting of the lithospheric mantle.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-156
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• 2010

Dokdo Island, Korea, is located in the East Sea belonging to back arc basin. In this study we examined petrology and geochemistry of massive tuffaceous breccia (MTB) from Dongdo (Eastern islet) and Seodo(Western islet), the two largest islands of Dokdo. Field studies and chemical analysis distinguish the MTB in Dongdo and Seodo. The Dongdo MTB (DMTB) is exposed up to 50 m on the ocean cliff and it has dominant basalt and trachybasalt with moderate amount of trachyte and scoria. On the other hand, Seodo MTB (SMTB), which is preserved between trachyte dike and trachyandesite, is composed of roughly equal amounts of basalt, trachybasalt and trachyte. The location of the islets were related to the source vent having in contact with underlying trachyte lava and differential pyroclastic deposits made them different characteristics. According to trace element analysis of trachytic volcanic clasts, the Ba concentration ranges from 66 to 103 ppm and Sr varies from 44 to 56 ppm in DMTB. However, Br and Sr in SMTB correspondingly showed relatively wide ranges: Br 785-1259 ppm and Sr 466-1230 ppm. These differential trends between DMTB and SMTB, along with the difference in P and Ti, indicate that the crystallization of alkali feldspar, feldspathoid, biotite, apatite and titanium took place differently. Nevertheless, DMTB and SMTB are similar in REE patterns and they are correspondingly characterized by high LREE, low HREE and similar $(La/Yb)_N$ values with 23.9-40.2 in DMTB and 27.4-32.9 in SMTB. These patterns suggest that Dongdo and Seodo might be originated from coeval magma suites. Dokdo island shows high concentrations of Ba, K and Rb. These signatures mark a result attributed to the mantle upwelling because the magma derived from the asthenosphere was metasomatized with subduction-related fluids.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2006

A GDS (Geomagnetic Depth Sounding) method, one of extremely low-frequency EM methods, has been carried out to examine conductivity anomalies in and around the Korean Peninsula. In this study, new GDS data acquired at the five sites in south-eastern area of the peninsula were incorporated into the previous GDS data. In order to quantitatively interpret observed induction arrows, the 3-D MT modeling considering the surrounding seas of the Korean Peninsula has been performed to evaluate sea effect at each GDS site. The modeling results revealed that the observed real induction arrows were not explained by solely sea effects, consequently two conductive structures that are responsible for the discrepancies between observed and calculated induction arrows were proposed. The first one is the Imjingang Belt, which is thought as an extension of Quiling-Dabie-sulu continental collision belt. The effects of the Imjingang Belt clearly appear at the site YIN and ICHN. The second one is the HCL (Highly Conductive Layer), which is considered as a conductive anomaly by mantle upwelling produced in back-basin region. The effects of the HCL are seen at the site KZU, KMT101, and KMT 107 in the south-eastern region of the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.128-139
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• 2022

This study aimed to investigate the tectonic setting of the volcanic edifice at Mt. Baekdu by analyzing petrochemical characteristics of Holocene felsic volcanic rocks distributed in the Baekdusan stratovolcano edifice and summit of the Cheonji caldera rim, as well as Pleistocene mafic rocks of the Gaema lava plateau and Changbaishan shield volcano edifice. During the early eruption phases, mafic eruption materials, with composition ranging from alkali basalt to trachybasalt, or from subalkaline (tholeiitic) basalt to basaltic andesite formed the Gaema lava plateau and Changbaishan shield volcanic edifice, whereas the Baekdusan stratovolcano edifice and Holocene tephra deposits near the summit of the Cheonji caldera comprises trachytic and rhyolitic compositions. Analysis results revealed bimodal compositions with a lack of 54-62 SiO₂, between the felsic and mafic volcanic rocks. This suggested that magmatic processes occurred at the locations of extensional tectonic settings in the crust. Mafic volcanic rocks were plotted in the field of within-plate volcanic zones or between within-plate alkaline and tholeiite zones on the tectonic discrimination diagram, and it was in good agreement with the results of the TAS diagram. Felsic volcanic rocks were plotted in the field of within-plate granite tectonic settings on discrimination diagrams of granitic rocks. None of the results were plotted in the field of arc islands or continental margin arcs. The primitive mantle-normalized spider diagram did not show negative (-) anomalies of Nb and Ti, which are distinctive characteristics of subduction-related volcanic rocks, but exhibited similar patterns of ocean island basalt. Trace element compositions showed no evidence of, magmatic processes related to subduction zones, indicating that the magmatic processes forming the Baekdusan volcanic field occurred in an intraplate environment. The distribution of shallow earthquakes in this region supports the results. The volcanic rocks of the Baekdusan volcanic field are interpreted as the result of intraplate volcanism originating from the upwelling of mantle material during the Cenozoic era.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.51-67
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• 2016

Geochemical characteristics of the Early Cretaceous igneous rocks from eastern China and the Gyeongsang Basin, Korean Peninsula has been summarized. They have wide range of lithological variation with extrusive picrite-basalt-andesite-trachyte-rhyolite and lamprophyre, and intrusive gabbro-diorite-monzonite-syenite-granite and diabase in eastern China, mostly belonging to the high-K calc-alkaline or shoshonitic series. The volcanic rocks intercalated with the Hayang Group sedimentary assemblages in the Gyeongsang basin are high-K to shoshonitic basaltic trachyandesites. The Early Cretaceous basaltic rocks studied mostly fall within the field of within-plate basalts on the Zr/Y-Zr and Nb-Zr-Y tectonic discrimination diagrams. On a Sr-Nd isotope correlation diagram, basaltic rocks from the North China block (NCB) and the continent-continent collision zone (CZ) between the North and South China blocks plot into the enriched lower right quadrant along the extension of the mantle array. The initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios of basaltic rocks from the South China block (SCB) are indistinguishable from those of the NCB and CZ basaltic rocks, but their ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}$ (t) values are relatively more elevated, plotting in right side of the mantle array. Basaltic rocks from the NCB and CZ are characterized by low $^{206}Pb/^{204}Pb(t)$ ratios, lying to the left of the Geochron on the $^{207}Pb/^{204}Pb(t)$ vs. $^{206}Pb/^{204}Pb(t)$ correlation. Meanwhile, the SCB basaltic rocks have relatively radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions compared with those of the NCB and CZ basaltic rocks. Basaltic rocks from the Hayang Group plot within the field of the NCB basaltic rocks in Sr-Nd and Pb-Pb isotope spaces. Metasomatically enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) is likely to have been the dominant source for the early Cretaceous magmatism. Asthenospheric upwelling under an early Cretaceous extensional tectonic setting in eastern China and the Korean Peninsula might be a heat source for melting of the enriched SCLM. Metasomatic agents proposed include partial melts of lower continental crust delaminated and foundered into the mantle or subducted Yangtze continental crust, or fluid/melt derived from the subducted paleo-Pacific plate.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2018

The Northeast China is an important site geologically and geophysically because of a huge volcano called Mt. Baekdu, which is one of the largest volcanoes in the world. Signs of eruption have been recently observed and people are keen to its behavior. We carried out relative travel time tomography to investigate the velocity structure between 100 ~ 600 km depth beneath Northeast China. We used teleseismic data during 2009 ~ 2011 recorded in NecessArray provided by IRIS (Incorporated Research Institute for Seismology). The relative observations were obtained by using the multi-channel cross-correlation method. Based on the tomographic results, we observed that the locations beneath which low-velocity zones are observed coincide with the locations of several volcanic regions in Northeast China. A low-velocity anomaly is revealed beneath Mt. Baekdu down to 600 km depth, which is thought to the main origin of the magma supply for Mt. Baekdu. Another low velocity anomaly is observed beneath east of the Datong volcano down to around 300 km depth, which is inferred to be related to an upwelling from deep mantle. We observed a low velocity anomaly beneath the Wudalianchi volcano down to around 200 km depth, which may imply that this volcano has been formed by an upwelling from the asthenosphere.

• 한국지구과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.124-131
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• 2005

A GDS (Geomagnetic Depth Sounding) method, one of extremely low-frequency EM methods, has been carried out to examine deep geo-electrical structures of the Korean peninsula. In this study, five additive GDS sites acquired in south-eastern area of the Korea were integrated into twelve previous GDS results. In addition, 3-D MT modeling considering the surrounding seas of the Korean peninsula was performed to evaluate sea effect at each GDS site quantitatively. As a result, Observed real induction arrows was not explained by solely sea effect, two conductive structures that are able to explain differences between observed and calculated induction arrows, was suggested. The first conductive structure is the Imjingang Belt, which is thought as a extension of Quiling-Dabie-sulu continental collision belt. The effects of the Imjingang Belt clearly appear at YIN and ICHN sites. The second one is the HCL (Highly Conductive Layer), which is considered as a conductive anomaly by mantle upwelling generated in back-basin region. The effects of the HCL are also confirmed at KZU, KMT101, 107 sites, in the south-eastern of the Korean peninsula.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2017

We construct 3D SV-wave velocity structure of the crust and the upper mantle beneath East Asia from Rayleighwave group-velocity measurements. For the construction of the SV-wave velocity model at 10 ~ 100 km depth, we used seismic data recorded at 321 broadband stations in Korea, Japan, and China. Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion curves were obtained by using the multiple filtering technique in the period range from 3 to 150 s. High SV-velocity anomalies are imaged beneath the East Sea from 10 km depth to deeper depth, implying that the Moho beneath the East Sea is between at 10 ~ 20 km depth. We estimated the Moho beneath the Korean peninsula to be around 35 km based on the depth where a high-velocity anomaly is observed. The SV-wave velocity model shows prominent fast S-velocity anomalies near northeastern Japan, associated with the subducting Pacific plate. Low-velocity anomalies are found beneath the east coast of the Korean peninsula at 100 km depth, which may play a role in the formation of the Ulleungdo and the Ulleung basin. We observed low-velocity anomalies beneath the Yamato basin at 100 km depth as well, which may indicate the upwelling of fluid from the Pacific plate via dehydration at deeper depth.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.77-98
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• 2011

The igneous complex consisting of mangerite and gabbro in the Odaesan area, the eastem part of the Gyeonggi Massif, South Korea, intruded early Paleo-proterozoic migmatitic gneiss. The mangerite is composed of orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, pethitic K-feldspar, quartz. The gabbro has similar mineral assemblage but gabbro has minor amounts of amphibole and no perthitic K-feldspar. The gabbro occurs as enclave and irregular shaped body within the mangerite, and the boundary between the mangerite and gabbro is irregular. Leucocratic lenses with perthitic K-feldspar are included in the gabbro enclaves. These textures represent mixing of two different magmas in liquid state. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age dating gave $234{\pm}1.2$ Ma and $231{\pm}1.3$ Ma for mangerite and gabbro, respectively. These ages are similar with the intrusion ages of post collision granitoids in the Hongseong (226~233 Ma) and Yangpyeong (227~231 Ma) areas in the Gyeonggi Massif. The mangerite and gabbro are high Ba-Sr granites, shoshonitic and formed in post collision tectonic setting. These rocks also show the characters of subduction-related igneous rock such as enrichment in LREE, LILE and negative Nb-Ta-P-Ti anomalies. These data represent that the mangerite and gabbro formed in the post collision tectonic setting by the partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle during subduction which occurred before collision. The heat for the partial melting was supplied by asthenospheric upwelling through the gab between continental and oceanic slabs formed by slab break-off after continental collision. The distribution of post-collisional igneous rocks (ca. 230 Ma) in the Gyeonggi Massif including Odaesan mangerite and gabbro strongly suggests that the tectonic boundary between the North and South China blocks in Korean peninsula passes the Hongseong area and futher exteneds into the area between the Yangpyeong-Odaesan line and Ogcheon metamorphic belt.