• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.9 no.1_2 s.10
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• pp.1-15
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• 2001

Hierarchically controlled sequence stratigraphic analysis shows that the Lower Ordovician mixed carbonatesiliciclastic Mungok Formation, Korea consists of three depositional sequences: T1, T2, and T3 in ascending order. Sequence boundaries are generally marked by abrupt transition from coarse-grained shallow-water carbonates to finegrained deeper-water carbonates mixed with fine-grained siliciclastics, and show indication of subaerial exposure such as karstification. Within this sequence stratigraphic framework, facies characteristics indicate that the Mungok sequences were mostly deposited on a subtidal ramp without slope break. The Mungok ramp had been under the influence of frequent tropical storm activity during deposition. The difference in lithology of tempestites seems to have been controlled by the nature of substrates and by proximality. High-frequency cycles consist of upward-shallowing facies successions. Cycles of shallow-water and basinal deposits are not well represented, probably due to cycle amalgamation. Cycle stacking patterns do not show a consistent thickness change that is usually associated with a large-scale sea-level change probably because of unfilled accommodation space.

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• autumn
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• pp.14-30
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• 2000

Hierarchically controlled sequence stratigraphic analysis shows that the Lower Ordovician mixed carbonate-siliciclastic Mungok Formation, Korea consists of three depositional sequences: T1, T2, and T3. Sequence boundaries are generally marked by abrupt transition from coarse-grained shallow-water carbonates to fine-grained deeper-water carbonates mixed with fine-grained siliciclastics, and show indication of subaerial exposure such as karstification. Within this sequence stratigraphic framework, facies characteristics indicate that the Mungok sequences were mostly deposited in subtidal ramp environments. High-frequency cycles consist of upward-shallowing facies successions. Cycles of shallow-water and basinal deposits are not represented well, probably due to cycle amalgamation. Cycle stacking patterns do not show a consistent thickness change that reflects a large-scale sea-level change due to unfilled accommodation space. The Mungok sequences show that many factors including relative sea-level change and topography are involved in controlling sequence development on carbonate ramps. The depositional setting evolved from the high-energy ramps in the sequences T1 and T2 into the low-energy ramp in the sequence T3. Topography is interpreted to have been responsible for the different energy regimes of the carbonate ramps in the Mungok sequences. The high ramp gradient in the sequences T1 and T2 seems to be caused by space-time-dissociated differential sedimentation resulting in spatially narrow distribution of sediment filling, which in turn may be related to high rate of relative sea-level change. In contrast, low ramp gradient was maintained in the sequence T3 during slow changes of relative sea level resulting in broad distribution of sediment filling.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.328-336
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• 2007

A piston core (587 cm long) was recovered from the upper slope of a seamount in the Korea Plateau. Three episodes of sedimentation were identified based on sedimentary facies, grain size distribution, carbonate constituents and initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratio of carbonates. The lower part of the core, Unit I-a (core depth $465{\sim}587cm$) is composed of shallow marine carbonate sediments the deposited by storm surges, and is about $13{\sim}15Ma$ (Middle Miocene) based on $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ initial ratio. This suggests that the depositional environment was relatively shallow enough to be influenced by storm activities. Unit I-b (core depth $431{\sim}465cm$) is mostly composed of turbidites, and Sr isotope ages of bivalves and planktonic formaminifera are about $11{\sim}14\;and\;6{\sim}13Ma$, respectively. This indicates that the Korea Plateau maintained shallow water condition until 11 Ma, and began to subside since then. However, planktonic foraminifera were deposited after 11 Ma and redeposited as turbidites as a mixture of planktonic foraminifera and older shallow marine carbonates about 6 Ma ago. Unit II (core depth $0{\sim}431cm$) is composed of pelagic sediments, and the Sr isotope age is younger than 1 Ma, thus the time gap is about 5 Ma at the unconformity. About 1 Ma ago, the Korea Plateau subsided down to a water depth of about 600 m. The sampling locality was intermittently influenced by debris flows and/or turbidity currents along the slope, resulting the deposition of re-transported coarse shallow marine and volcaniclastic sediments.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 2009

Based on the constituent analysis of sediments near Dok Island, the origin and sedimentary facies were Investigated. The sediments are mainly from originated from volcanic and volcaniclastic rock fragments derived from Dok Island and carbonate sediments formed by a variety of shallow-dwelling organisms that secreted calcareous skeletons. Carbonate producers include mollusks (bivalves and gastropods), encrusting & branching bryozoans, encrusting & segmented red algae, worm tubes, barnacles, diatoms, sponge spicules and echinoderm fragments. The distribution and relative amount of these constituents are basically dependent upon water depth and grain size even though local variations can be observed within the same depth interval. Five sedimentary facies can be divided: nearshore facies (<20 m), neritic facies ($20{\sim}100m$), upper transitional facies ($100{\sim}200m$), lower transitional facies ($200{\sim}700m$), and hemipelagic facies (>700 m). The sediments that were sampled below the water depth of 2,000 m still contain a significant amount of carbonates (ca. $10{\sim}20%$), implying that the carbonate compensation depth in the East Sea may well exceed this water depth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.334-337
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• 2004

Groundwater chemistry in Namwon area, Korea, was investigated to understand the contribution of geochemical processes on groundwater chemistry. For this study, a total of 279 groundwater samples were collected from 93 wells distributed over the study area. Higher concentrations of major ions are generally encountered in the shallow alluvial wells, suggesting that these chemicals are originated from the surface contamination sources. Mass balance analysis based on reaction stoichiometry reveals that the water chemistry is regulated by three major chemical processes: weathering of silicate/ carbonate minerals, input of C1/SO$_4$ salts, and nitrate generating processes. The results show that mineral weathering is the most dominating factor regulating the groundwater chemistry. However, the groundwaters with the higher salt concentration indicate the larger mineral weathering effect, suggesting that some part of the mineral weathering effect is also associated with the anthropogenic activities such as limes applied to the cultivated lands, carbonates (CaCO$_3$) in the cement materials.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.4 no.1_2 s.5
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• pp.27-39
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• 1996

In the Cretaceous, the Gulf Coast Basin evolved as a marginal sag basin. Thick clastic and carbonate sequences cover the disturbed and diapirically deformed salt layer. In the Cretaceous the salinities of the Gulf Coast Basin probably matched the Holocene Persian Gulf, as is evidenced by the widespread development of supratidal anhydrite. The major Lower Cretaceous reservoir formations are the Cotton Valley, Hosston, Travis Peak siliciclastics, and Sligo, Trinity (Pine Island, Pearsall, Glen Rose), Edwards, Georgetown/Buda carbonates. Source rocks are down-dip offshore marine shales and marls, and seals are either up-dip shales, dense limestones, or evaporites. During this period, the entire Gulf Basin was a shallow sea which to the end of Cretaceous had been rimmed to the southwest by shallow marine carbonates while fine-grained terrigengus clastics were deposited on the northern and western margins of the basin. The main Upper Cretaceous reservoir groups of the Gulf Coast, which were deposited in the period of a major sea level .rise with the resulting deep water conditions, are Woodbinefruscaloosa sands, Austin chalk and carbonates, Taylor and Navarro sandstones. Source rocks are down-dip offshore shales and seals are up-dip shales. Major trap types of the Lower and Upper Cretaceous include salt-related anticlines from low relief pillows to complex salt diapirs. Growth fault structures with rollover anticlines on downthrown fault blocks are significant Gulf Coast traps. Permeability barriers, up-dip pinch-out sand bodies, and unconformity truncations also play a key role in oil exploration from the Cretaceous Gulf Coast reservoirs. The sedimentary sequences of the major Cretaceous reseuoir rocks are a good match to the regressional phases on the global sea level cuwe, suggesting that the Cretaceous Gulf Coast sedimentary stratigraphy relatively well reflects a response to eustatic sea level change throughout its history. Thus, of the three main factors controlling sedimentation (tectonic subsidence, sediment input, and eustatic sea level change) in the Gulf Coast Basin, sea-level ranks first in the period.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.177-191
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• 1998

For various kinds of waters including surface water, shallow groundwater (＜70 m deep) and deep groundwater (500∼810 m deep) from the Pungki area, an integrated study based on hydrochemical, multivariate statistical, thermodynamic, environmental isotopic (tritium, oxygen-hydrogen, carbon and sulfur), and mass-balance approaches was attempted to elucidate the hydrogeochemical and hydrologic characteristics of the groundwater system in the gneiss area. Shallow groundwaters are typified as the 'Ca-HCO$_3$'type with higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, SO$_4$and NO$_3$, whereas deep groundwaters are the 'Na-HCO$_3$'type with elevated concentrations of Na, Ba, Li, H$_2$S, F and Cl and are supersaturated with respect to calcite. The waters in the area are largely classified into two groups: 1) surface waters and most of shallow groundwaters, and 2) deep groundwaters and one sample of shallow groundwater. Seasonal compositional variations are recognized for the former. Multivariate statistical analysis indicates that three factors may explain about 86% of the compositional variations observed in deep groundwaters. These are: 1) plagioclase dissolution and calcite precipitation, 2) sulfate reduction, and 3) acid hydrolysis of hydroxyl-bearing minerals(mainly mica). By combining with results of thermodynamic calculation, four appropriate models of water/ rock interaction, each showing the dissolution of plagioclase, kaolinite and micas and the precipitation of calcite, illite, laumontite, chlorite and smectite, are proposed by mass balance modelling in order to explain the water quality of deep groundwaters. Oxygen-hydrogen isotope data indicate that deep groundwaters were originated from a local meteoric water recharged from distant, topograpically high mountainous region and underwent larger degrees of water/rock interaction during the regional deep circulation, whereas the shallow groundwaters were recharged from nearby, topograpically low region. Tritium data show that the recharge time was the pre-thermonuclear age for deep groundwaters (＜0.2 TU) but the post-thermonuclear age for shallow groundwaters (5.66∼7.79 TU). The $\delta$$\^$34/S values of dissolved sulfate indicate that high amounts of dissolved H$_2$S (up to 3.9 mg/1), a characteristic of deep groundwaters in this area, might be derived from the reduction of sulfate. The $\delta$$\^$13/C values of dissolved carbonates are controlled by not only the dissolution of carbonate minerals by dissolved soil CO$_2$(for shallow groundwaters) but also the reprecipitation of calcite (for deep groundwaters). An integrated model of the origin, flow and chemical evolution for the groundwaters in this area is proposed in this study.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.381-393
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• 2014

Seismic reflection data are integrated with fieldwork data in order to understand startigraphy, structural geology and hydrocarbon potentials of Cretaceous strata in the Mesopotamian basin, Northeastern Iraq. Cretaceous strata in the basin divided into the Qamchuqa, Kometan, Bekhme and Shiranish formations, which are composed of carbonates deposited in shallow marine environment. The geological structures in these formations are mainly recognized as thrusts, detachment folds, fault propagation folds and fault bend folds. As well, NW-SE trending fractures are regularly developed, and are horizontal or perpendicular to the structures. The distribution and frequency of fractures are related to the development of the thrusts. In terms of hydrocarbon potentials, Cretaceous strata in the basin have limited capacities for source rocks and seal rocks due to the lack of organic carbon content and the well-developed fractures, respectively. Although these carbonates have limited primary porosity, however, development of the secondary porosity derived from the fractures contributes to enhance the reservoir quality. Most important factor for the reservoir quality of Cretaceous strata seems to be the frequency and connectivity of fractures relative to locations of folds and faults. The results delineated in this study will use as reference for recognizing stratigraphy and structures of Cretaceous strata and will provide useful information on hydrocarbon potentials of Cretaceous strata in the Mesopotamian basin, NE Iraq.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.317-333
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• 2012

The Yeongweol Group is a Lower Paleozoic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sequence in the Taebaeksan Basin of Korea, and consists of five lithologic formations: Sambangsan, Machari, Wagok, Mungok, and Yeongheung in ascending order. Sequence stratigraphic interpretation of the group indicates that initial flooding in the Yeongweol area of the Taebaeksan Basin resulted in basal siliciclastic-dominated sequences of the Sambangsan Formation during the Middle Cambrian. The accelerated sea-level rise in the late Middle to early Late Cambrian generated a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic slope or deep ramp sequence of shale, grainstone and breccia intercalations, representing the lower part of the Machari Formation. The continued rise of sea level in the Late Cambrian made substantial accommodation space and activated subtidal carbonate factory, forming carbonate-dominated subtidal platform sequence in the middle and upper parts of the Machari Formation. The overlying Wagok Formation might originally be a ramp carbonate sequence of subtidal ribbon carbonates and marls with conglomerates, deposited during the normal rise of relative sea level in the late Late Cambrian. The formation was affected by unstable dolomitization shortly after the deposition during the relative sea-level fall in the latest Cambrian or earliest Ordovician. Subsequently, it was extensively dolomitized under the deep burial diagenetic condition. During the Early Ordovician (Tremadocian), global transgression (viz. Sauk) was continued, and subtidal ramp deposition was sustained in the Yeongweol platform, forming the Mungok Formation. The formation is overlain by the peritidal carbonates of the Yeongheung Formation, and is stacked by cyclic sedimentation during the Early to Middle Ordovician (Arenigian to Caradocian). The lithologic change from subtidal ramp to peritidal facies is preserved at the uppermost part of the Mungok Formation. The transition between Sauk and Tippecanoe sequences is recognized within the middle part of the Yeongheung Formation as a minimum accommodation zone. The global eustatic fall in the earliest Middle Ordovician and the ensuing rise of relative sea level during the Darrwillian to Caradocian produced broadly-prograding peritidal carbonates of shallowing-upward cyclic successions within the Yeongheung Formation. The reconstructed relative sea-level curve of the Yeongweol platform is very similar to that of the Taebaek platform. This reveals that the Yeongweol platform experienced same tectonic movements with the Taebaek platform, and consequently that both platform sequences might be located in a body or somewhere separately in the margin of the North China platform. The significant differences in lithologic and stratigraphic successions imply that the Yeongweol platform was much far from the Taebaek platform and not associated with the Taebaek platform as a single depositional system. The Yeongweol platform was probably located in relatively open shallow marine environments, whereas the Taebaek platform was a part of the restricted embayments. During the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic amalgamations of the Korean massifs, the Yeongweol platform was probably pushed against the Taebaek platform by the complex movement, forming fragmented platform sequences of the Taebaeksan Basin.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.4C
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• pp.147-154
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• 2011

Currently NATM tunnels are designed by applying the initial ground loads caused during construction to the primary supports, conisting of shotcrete, steel ribs and rock bolts. For long term considerations, it is assumed that the primary supports lose its functionality and therefore the secondary support, i.e. concrete lining, is design to resist against the entire ground loads. But the steel ribs, usually applied to bad ground conditions, are embedded in shotcrete causing very little corrosion and therefore the assumption that the primary support will lose all of its functionality is too conservative. Also even though shotcrete carbonates in long term, excluding it from design is also too conservative. In this study, we have, through analytical and numerical analysis, set a rational level of support pressure and allowable relaxed rock mass height sustainable by the primary support for long term design. Changes in sectional forces of the concrete lining considering the calculated support pressure of the primary supports was also carried out. Shallow subway tunnels were considered in the analysis with weathered rock and soft rock ground conditions. The analysis results showed that, by considering the support pressure of steel ribs, an economical design of the concrete lining is possible.