• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-26
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• 2001

Songaksan volcano, which occurs as a monogenetic volcano on the southwestern promontory of Hallasan shield volcano, is composed of tuff ring, cinder cone, lava pond and cinder conelet complex on wide basalt plateau. Except for an influx of external quartz xenocrysts in the tuff ring. Totally the volcano ranges from trachyandesite to trachybasalt in petrography and chemical compositions, which confirm the continuum between the evolved and primitive compositions widely occurring in the Jeju volcanic system. Chemical data for the volcano show quantitative compositional variation from the lower to the upper part of the volcanic sequences. The continuous compositional variations generally define a compositionally zoned magma storage. The chemical data suggest that the compositiona1 donations might have resulted from the fractional crystallization of a parental alkali magma. As result, the Songaksan volcano initially tapped the lop of the zoned magma storage and subsequently erupted successively more primitive magma.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.69-83
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• 2016

Radiocarbon and OSL ages of three monogenetic volcanoes inferred to be the last volcanoes on Jeju Island, Korea were determined to identify a volcano described in historical records. The results show that the ages of those volcanoes are roughly <3.8 ka (Songaksan), >4.5 ka (Biyangdo), and <6~7 ka (Ilchulbong). Though our efforts to make a positive match between historical records and volcano-chronological dating were not successful, we make a new suggestion in this paper that two historical records of volcanic activity in 1002 and 1007 A.D. could be interpreted to be the sequential volcanic events from a single monogenetic volcano. In addition, based on a volcanological reinterpretation of historical records, we infer that the volcano described therein is most likely Mt. Songaksan, in Daejeongeup, which had early phreatomagmatic and late magmatic activities after 3.8 ka ago. Furthermore, considering the geopolitical relationship between the Goryeo Dynasty and the Tamna Kingdom, in addition with the culture of the era, this study sheds new light on the possibility that there is a time gap between the actual eruptions and the historical recording of them by ancient people.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.187-197
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• 2021

The Hyeongjeseom (Islet) is an erosional remnant of volcano which is located about 2 km northeast of sea shore of the Songaksan tuff ring, and is composed of volcaniclastic deposit, agglomerate and scoria deposit, ponded lava, aa lava flows, reworked deposit and beach deposit in ascending order from the base. The volcano is formed by volcaniclastic deposits and lava flows that recorded a transition from initial phreatomagmatic to magmatic explosions followed by lava effusion. It is interpreted that the outcropped volcaniclastic deposit may be a remaining portion of outer ring of a tuff cone. A bomb and a ponded lava yield geochemically basaltic trachyandesite compositions (SiO2 51.3 wt%, Na2O+K2O 6.0 wt%) and belong to olivine basalt with scarce (<5 %) phenocrysts of olivine, petrographically. By incremental heating Ar-Ar dating method, the plateau age of lava flow in the Heongjesom is 9.2±3.6(2σ) ka, implying that the volcanism of Heongjeseom may have occurred earlier than the Songaksan tuff ring which erupted ca. 3.7 ka. It still remains a task to find a volcano which matches with a historical record of volcanic activity that occurred a thousand years ago.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.290-317
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• 2013

The objectives of this study are to investigate the natural heritage and scientific value of various geosites on Udo Island, and to evaluate the sites as natural monuments and as world natural heritage properties. Udo Island includes a variety of geoheritage sites. Various land forms formed during the formation of the Someori Oreum formed by phreatomagmatic eruptions. The essential elements for the formation of Udo Island are the tuff cone, overflowing lava and overlying redeposited tuff sediments. Various coastal land forms are also present. About 6,000 years B.C., when sea-level rose close to its present level due to deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum, carbonate sediments have been formed and deposited in shallow marine environment surrounding Udo Island. In particular, the very shallow broad shelf between Udo Island and Jeju Island, less than 20 m in water depth, has provided perfect conditions for the formation of rhodoids. Significant amounts of rhodoids are now forming in this area. Occasional transport of these rhodoids by typhoons has produced unique beach deposits which are entirely composed of rhodoids. Additional features are the Hagosudong Beach with its white carbonate sands, the Geommeole Beach with its black tuffaceous sands and Tolkani Beach with its basalt cobbles and boulders. Near Hagosudong Beach, wind-blown sands in the past produced carbonate sand dunes. On the northern part of the island, special carbonate sediments are present, due to their formation by composite processes such as beach-forming process and transportation by typhoons. The development of several sea caves is another feature of Udo Island, formed by waves and typhoon erosion within tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. In particular, one sea cave found at a depth of 10 m is very special because it indicates past sea-level fluctuations. Shell mounds in Udo Island may well represent the mixed heritage feature on this island. The most valuable geoheritage sites investigated around Udo Isalnd are rhodoid depostis on beaches and in shallow seas, and Someori Oreum composed of volcanoclastic deposits and basalt lava. Beach and shallow marine sediments, composed only of rhodoids, appear to be very rare in the world. Also, the natural heritage value of the Someori Oreum is outstanding, together with other phreatomagmatic tuff cones such as Suwolbong, Songaksan and Yongmeori. Consequently, the rhodoid deposits and the Someori Oreum are worth being nominated for UNESCO World Natural Heritage status. The designation of Someori Oreum as a Natural Monument should be a prerequisite for this procedure.