• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.293-308
• /
• 2003

New results about the crustal structure down to a depth of 60 km beneath North Korea were obtained using the seismic tomography method. About 1013 P- and S-wave travel times from local earthquakes recorded by the Korean stations and the vicinity were used in the research. All earthquakes were relocated on the basis of an algorithm proposed in this study. Parameterization of the velocity structure is realized with a set of nodes distributed in the study volume according to the ray density. 120 nodes located at four depth levels were used to obtain the resulting P- and S-wave velocity structures. As a result, it is found that P- and S-wave velocity anomalies of the Rangnim Massif at depth of 8 km are high and low, respectively, whereas those of the Pyongnam Basin are low up to 24 km. It indicates that the Rangnim Massif contains Archean-early Lower Proterozoic Massif foldings with many faults and fractures which may be saturated with underground water and/or hot springs. On the other hand, the Pyongyang-Sariwon in the Pyongnam Basin is an intraplatform depression which was filled with sediments for the motion of the Upper Proterozoic, Silurian and Upper Paleozoic, and Lower Mesozoic origin. In particular, the high P- and S-wave velocity anomalies are observed at depth of 8, 16, and 24 km beneath Mt. Backdu, indicating that they may be the shallow conduits of the solidified magma bodies, while the low P-and S-wave velocity anomalies at depth of 38 km must be related with the magma chamber of low velocity bodies with partial melting. We also found the Moho discontinuities beneath the Origin Basin including Sari won to be about 55 km deep, whereas those of Mt. Backdu is found to be about 38 km. The high ratio of P-wave velocity/S-wave velocity at Moho suggests that there must be a partial melting body near the boundary of the crust and mantle. Consequently we may well consider Mt. Backdu as a dormant volcano which is holding the intermediate magma chamber near the Moho discontinuity. This study also brought interesting and important findings that there exist some materials with very high P- and S-wave velocity annomoalies at depth of about 40 km near Mt. Myohyang area at the edge of the Rangnim Massif shield.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.537-545
• /
• 2000

Shipborne gravity data are analyzed to investigate crustal structure under Dok Island and its surrounding seamounts located in border of Ulleung Basin and Oki Bank in the East Sea. Relatively low free-air gravity anomaly compared with the volume of seamounts may be explainable by isostatic compensation. From 1 st to 3rd Dokdo Seamounts, the decrease of free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies implies the different degree of isostatic compensation, crustal thickness or/and density contrast. 3-D gravity modelling shows that seamounts have the mirror roots for regional Airy isostatic compensation, and from Ulleung Basin to Oki Bank, Moho discontinuity deepens and the density of crust is decreases. The results infer that study area is transitional zone from thin oceanic to thick continental crust. The depth of Moho discontinuity is about 15∼16 km, which may be interpreted as an uplifting of Mantle to shallow depth comparing with other borders of the Ulleung Basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.101-109
• /
• 2000

The gravity measurement has been carried out to study the deep geologic structure at 331 gravity stations with an interval of 1∼1.5 km along the national road which crosses the southern part of the Korean peninsula from Pohang to Manripo. The Bouguer gravity anomalies were obtained from the observed gravity values, and interpreted by means of upward continuation using FFT (Fast Fourier Transform), Fourier-series method and nonlinear 2-D inversion method to determine the depths of Conrad and Moho discontinuities. The linear regression relations between elevations and gravity anomalies were also obtained to test isostasy in the study area. The depth of Conrad discontinuty is 13km between Pohang and Daegu, 16.5 km between Kimchon and Okchon, 9.7 km between Okchon and Daejeon, and 16.3 km near Manripo. The depth of Moho discontinuty is 32km between Pohang and Daegu, 35 km between Kimchon and Okchon, 28.7 km between Okchon and Daejeon, 40.5 km between Daejeon and Kongju, and 34.5 km between Kongju and Manripo. The result of testing isotasy indicates that the crust of this area seems to be not in perfect isostatic equilibrium but in a little undercompensated sate.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 1998

Broadband receiver functions are developed from teleseismic P waveforms recorded at Wonju (KSRS), Inchon (IRIS), and Pohang (PHN), and are analyzed to examine the crustal structure beneath the three stations. The teleseismic receiver functions are inverted in the time domain to the vertical P wave velocity structure beneath the stations. Clear P-to-S converted phases from the Moho interface are observed in teleseismic seismograms recorded at the three stations. We estimated the crustal velocity structures beneath the stations using the receiver function inversion. The general features of inversion results are as follows: (1) For Pohang station, there is a high velocity gradient at a 4~5 km deep for SE and NW back azimuth and a low velocity zone at around 10 km deep. The Moho depth is 28 km for NW direction. (2) The shallow crustal structure beneath Wonju station is somewhat complex and there is a high-velocity zone ($V_p{\simeq}6.8km/sec$) at 3 to 4 km deep. The average crustal thickness is 33 km, and a transition zone exists at a 30~33 km deep of lower crust, of which velocity is abruptly changed 6.4 to 7.9 km/sec. (3) For Inchon station, the crustal velocity gradient monotonously increases up to the Moho discontinuity and the velocity is abruptly changed from 6.2 km/sec to 7.9 km/sec at 29 km deep.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.66-73
• /
• 2014

To estimate the shear-velocity ($v_s$) structure beneath the WIZ station on White Island in New Zealand, we applied receiver function (RF) inversion and H-${\kappa}$ stacking methods to 362 teleseismic events (Mw > 5.5) recorded during April 20, 2007 to September 6, 2013. Using 71 RFs with errors less than 20% after 200 iterative computations, we determined that the depth to Moho of $v_s$ = 4.35 km/s is $24{\pm}1km$ within a 15 km radius of the station. In an 1-d $v_s$ model derived by RF inversions, a 4-km thick low-velocity layer (LVL) at depths of 18 ~ 22 km was identified in the lower crust. This LVL, which is 0.15 km/s slower than the rocks above and below it, may indicate the presence of a deep magma reservoir. The H-${\kappa}$ stacking method yielded an estimate of the depth to the Moho of 24.5 km, which agrees well with the depth determined by RF inversions. The low $v_p/v_s$ ratio of 1.64 may be due to the presence of gas-filled rock or hot crystallizing magma.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.127-139
• /
• 1998

A new technique of simultaneous inversion for 3-D seismic velocity structure by using direct, reflected, and refracted waves is applied to the southeast part of the Korean Peninsula including Pohang Basin, Kyongsang Basin and Ryongnam Massif. Pg, Sg, PmP, SmS, Pn, and Sn arrival times of 44 events with 554 seismic rays are inverted for locations and crustal structure. $6{\times}6$ with $0.5^{\circ}$ and 8 layers (4 km each layer) model was inverted. 3-D seismic crustal velocity tomography including eight sections from surface to Moho, ten profiles along latitude and longitude are analyzed. The results are as follows: 1) the average velocity and thickness of sediment are 5.04 km/s and 3-4 km, and the velocity of basement is 6.11 km/s. The shape of velocity in shallower layer is agreement with Bouguer gravity anomaly (Cho et al., 1997). 2) the velocities fluctuate strongly in the upper crust. The velocity distribution of the lower crust under Conrad appears basically horizontal. 3) the average depth of Moho is 30.4 km, and velocity is 8.01 km/s. 4) from the velocity and depth of the sediment, the thickness, velocity and form of the upper crust, and the depth and form of Moho, we can find the obvious differences among Ryongnam Massif, Kyongsang Basin and Pohang Basin. 5) the deep faults (a Ulsan series faults) near Kyongju and Pohang areas can be found to be normal and/or thrust faults with detachment extended to the bottom of the upper crust.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2010

To investigate the velocity structure in the central and southern parts of the Korean peninsula, a 299-km NW-SE seismic refraction profile KCRT-2008was obtained across major tectonic boundaries. Seismic waves were generated by detonating 250 ~ 1500 kg explosives at depths of 50 ~ 100 m in eight drill holes located at intervals of 21 ~ 113 km. The seismic signals were detected by 4.5 Hz geophones at a nominal interval of 500 m. The first-arrival times were inverted to derive a velocity tomogram. The raypaths indicate several mid-crust interfaces including those at approximate depths of 2 ~ 3, 11 ~ 13, and 20 km. The Moho discontinuity with refraction velocity of 7.7 to 8.1 km/s has a maximum depth of 34.5 km under the central portion of the peninsula. The Moho becomes shallower as the Yellow Sea and the East Sea are approached on the west and east coasts of the peninsula, respectively. The depth of the 7.6 km/s velocity contour varies from 31.3 km to 34.4 km. The velocity tomogram shows the existence of a 129 km wide low-velocity zone centered at 7.2 km depth under the Okchon fold belt and Gyeonggi massif and low-velocity(< 5.4 km/s) rocks in the Gyeongsang sedimentary basin with a maximum thickness of 2.6 km

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

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2003.03a
• /
• pp.45-49
• /
• 2003

The velocity structure beneath the CHNB broadband station is determined by receiver function analysis using by from teleseismic P waveforms. The detailed broadband receiver functions are obtained by stacking method for source-equalized vertical, radial and tangential components of teleseismic P waveforms. A time domain inversion uses the stacked radial receiver function to determine vertical P wave velocity structure beneath the station. The crustal velocity structures beneath the stations are estimated using the receiver function inversion method in the case at the crustal model parameterized by many thin, flat-tying, homogeneous layers. The result of crust at model inversion shows the crustal velocity structure beneath the CHNB station varies smoothly with increasing depth, and there are six discontinuity around 2.5km, 6.25km, 12.5km, 22.5km and 27.5km depth, with Moho discontinuity at about 32.5km depth.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.277-291
• /
• 2023

To analyze the crustal velocity structures beneath 21 broadband seismic stations in Gangwon Province, South Korea, we first applied the H-κ stacking method to 139 teleseismic event data (Mw ≥ 5.8 and the epicentral distance of 30° - 90°) occurring between March 18, 2019 and December 31, 2022 to estimate the Moho depths and V_p/V_s ratios beneath each station. The Moho depths and V_p/V_s ratios from the H-κ stacking method range from 24.9 to 33.2 km depth and 1.695 - 1.760, respectively, and the estimated V_p/V_s ratios were applied to the joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion to obtain 1-D crustal velocity models beneath each station. The resulting Moho depths range from 25.9 to 33.7 km depth, similar to the results from the H-κ stacking method. Moho depth results from the both methods are generally consistent with Airy's isostasy. The 1-D crustal velocity models confirm that the existence of 2 km thick low-velocity layers with P-wave velocities of 5 km/s or less at some stations in the Taebaeksan basin, and at the stations CHNB and GAPB in northern Gangwon Province, which are located above the Cenozoic sedimentary layer. The station SH2B, although not overlying a sedimentary layer, has a low P-wave velocity near the surface, which is probably due to various factors such as weathering of the bedrock. We also observe a velocity inversion with decreasing velocity with depth at all stations within 4 - 12 km depths, and mid-crustal discontinuities possibly due to density differences in the rocks at around 10 km depth below some stations.