• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.565-578
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• 2012

Sedimentary facies of the Middle to Upper Cambrian Sesong Formation, Taebacksan Basin, are analyzed using detailed field mapping and stratigraphic section measuring. As a result, five sedimentary facies are recognized in the formation, which include lime nodule bearing shale facies, anastomosing wackestone-packstone facies, well-laminated siltstone facies, fine to medium sandstone facies and lime pebble conglomerate facies. Together with sedimentary facies analysis, study on vertical facies variation indicates that the Sesong Formation was deposited in an outer to inner shelf during relative sea-level fall. Especially, shallow marine aspects of the upper part of the Sesong Formation including 10-m-thick, fine to medium-grained sandstones appear to be very similar with the shallow marine strata accumulated during the Steptoean Stage (Dunderbergia) in Laurentia. These lithofacies comparisons of coeval strata between two continents suggest that sedimentation in the Sesong Formation reflects the influence of global sea-level fall occurred during the late Middle Cambrian to early Late Cambrian. As well, a stratigraphic discontinuity surface that may have sequence stratigraphic significance is recognized within the shallow marine sandstone beds of the uppermost Sesong Formation. This stratigraphic discontinuity surface may correspond to the Sauk II-III sequence boundary in Laurentia. Therefore, results delineated in this study will use a new stratigraphic paradigm for regional correlation of the Middle to Late Cambrian strata (e.g., the Sesong Formation) in the Taebacksan Basin, and will provide very useful information on intercontinental stratigraphic correlation in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.59-74
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• 2003

Prospecting for energy and mineral resources is essential kind of public fundamentals that manage the nation's economy. Most explorations in the past were concentrated in the simple structural traps in relatively shallow depth. Due to their vast exploitation, recent history has shown that the emphasis in explorations has steadily shifted toward the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper level. Increasing exploration for the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper level requires precise correlation and assessment of deeply buried strata in the basin. However, the descriptive strati-graphic principles used for evaluation of the simple structural traps are limited to delineate the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper depth. As this occurs. it is imperative to establish a new stratigraphic paradigm that allows a more sophisticated understanding on the basin stratigraphy. This study provides an exemplary application of integrated stratigraphic approach to defining basin history of the Middle Ordovician Taebacksan Basin, Korea. The integrated stratigraphic approach gives much better insight to unravel the stratigraphic response to tectonic evolution of the basins, which can be utilized fer enhancing the efficiency of resources exploration and development in the basins. Thus, the integrated stratigraphic approach should be emphasized as a new stratigraphic norm that can improve the probability of success in any type of resources exploration and development project.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.27-53
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• 2009

A 30-m-thick Middle Ordovician Jigunsan Shale exposed along the southern limb of the Backunsan (Baekunsan) Syncline, Taebacksan (Taebaeksan) basin, has been simply considered as a transgressive shale sequence onlapped the underlying Maggol platform carbonates. Results of this study, however, suggest that majority of the Jigunsan Shale be interpreted as a regressive shale sequence downlapped onto a thin (ca. 240 cm) marine stratigraphic unit consisting of organic-rich (>3 wt.% of TOC) black shales in the lower Jigunsan Shale, which was accumulated at the time of maximum regional transgression. Detailed stratigraphic analysis in conjunction with XRD, XRF, and ICP-MS as well as Rock-Eval pyrolysis allows the thin marine stratigraphic unit in the Jigunsan Shale to define a condensed section that was deposited in a distinctive euxinic zone formed due to expansion of pycnocline during the early highstand phase. As well, a number of stratigraphic horizons of distinctive character that may have sequence stratigraphic or environmental significance, such as transgressive surface, maximum flooding surface, maximum sediment starvation surface, and downlap surface, are identified in the lower Jigunsan Shale. In the future, these stratigraphic horizons will provide very useful information to make a coherent regional stratigraphic correlation of the Middle Ordovician strata and to develop a comprehensive understanding on stratigraphic response to tectonic evolution as well as basin history of the Taebacksan Basin.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.9 no.1_2 s.10
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• pp.24-39
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• 2001

Prospecting for energy and mineral resources is essential kind of public fundamentals that manage the nation's economy. Most explorations in the past were concentrated in the simple structural traps in relatively shallow depth. Due to their vast exploitation, recent history has shown that the emphasis in explorations has steadily shifted toward the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper level. Increasing exploration for the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper level requires precise correlation and assessment of deeply buried strata in the basin. However, the descriptive stratigraphic principles used for evaluation of the simple structural traps are limited to delineate the subtle stratigraphic traps in deeper depth. As this occurs, it is imperative to establish a new stratigrtaphic paradigm that allows a more sophisticated understanding on the basin stratigraphy. This study provides an exemplary application of integrated stratigraphic approach to defining basin stratigraphy of the Middle Ordovician Taebacksan Basin and the Cretaceous South Yellow Sea Basin, Korea. The integrated stratigraphic approach gives much better insight to unravel the stratigraphic response to tectonic evolution of the basins, which can be utilized for enhancing the efficiency of resources exploration and development in the basins. Thus, the integrated stratigraphic approach should be considered as a new stratigraphic norm that can improve the probability of success in any type of resources exploration and development project.