• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.434-449
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• 2012

The Mesozoic leucocratic granite in the northeastern margin of the Taebaeksan Basin was transformed to protomylonite and mylonite. Mylonitic foliations generally strike to NWWNW and dip to NE with the development of a sinistral strike-slip (top-to-the-northwest) shear sense. Grain-size reduction of feldspar in the mylonitized leucocratic granite occurred due to fracturing, myrmekite formation and neocrystallization of albitic plagioclase along the shear fractures of K-feldspar porphyroclasts. As the deformation proceeded, compositional layering consisting of feldspar-, quartz- and/or muscovite-rich layers developed in the mylonite. In the feldspar-rich layer, fine-grained albitic plagioclase and interstitial K-feldspar were deformed dominantly by granular flow. On the other hand, quartz-rich layers containing core-mantle and quartz ribbons structures were deformed by dislocation creep. Based on calculations from conventional two-feldspar and ternary feldspar geothermometers, mylonitization temperatures of the leucocratic granite range from 360 to $450^{\circ}C$. It thus indicates that the mylonitization has occurred under greenschist-facies conditions. Based on the geochemical features and previous chronological data, the leucocratic granite was emplaced during the Middle Jurassic at volcanic arc setting associated with crustal thickening. And then the mylonitization of the granite occurred during the late Middle to Late Jurassic (150-165 Ma). Therefore, the mylonitization of the Jurassic granitoids in the Taebaeksan Basin was closely related to the development of the Honam shear zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.367-379
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• 2019

Pyeongan Supergroup (PS) in the Taebaeksan basin preserves key geological evidences to understand the tectonometamorphic evolution of the Songrim orogeny that affected the formation of the Korean Peninsula during the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic. The aims of this paper therefore are to investigate the characteristics of the Songrim orogeny based on the previous results of metamorphism and deformations of the PS, and then to review geological significance and research necessity of the PS. Age distributions and Th/U ratio of detrital zircon in the PS indicate that sedimentary environment of the Taebaeksan basin during the late Paleozoic was arc-related foreland basin and retro-arc foreland basin at the active continental margin. In addition, the main magmatic activities occurred in the early Pennsylvanian and Middle Permian, thus sedimentation and magmatic activities occurred simultaneously. The PS was affected by lower temperature-medium pressure (M1) and medium temperature and pressure (M2) regional metamorphism during the Songrim orogeny. During M1, slate and phyllite containing chloritoid, andalusite, kyanite porphyroblasts intensively deformed by E-W bulk crustal shortening combined with folding and shearing. And garnet and staurolite porphyroblasts were formed during the N-S bulk crustal shortening accompained by M2. Such regional metamorphism of the PS is interpreted to occur in an area where high strain zone is localized during ca. 220-270 Ma. In order to elucidate the evolution of the Taebaeksan basin and tectonic features of the Songrim orogeny, it is expected that the study will be carried out such as the regional distribution of metamorphic zones developed in the PS, characteristics and timing of deformations, and late Paleozoic paleo-geography of the Taebaeksan basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.427-448
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• 2019

This study reconstructed the paleoenvironments and paleogeography of the Taebaeksan Basin, through a review of the previous researches on sedimentology, paleontology and stratigraphy. This study also carried out a sequence stratigraphic analysis on regional tectonism and sea-level fluctuations on the basin during the Early Paleozoic. The basin broadly occur in the Taebaek, Yeongweol-Jecheon, Jeongseon-Pyeongchang, and Mungyeong areas, Gangwon province, South Korea. The basin-fills are composed mainly of mixed carbonates and siliciclastics, divided into the Taebaek, Yeongweol, Yongtan, Pyeongchang and Mungyeong groups according to lithologies and stratigraphic characteristics. Recently, there are a lot of studies on the provenance and depositional ages of the siliciclastic sequences of the basin. The detrital sediments of the basin would be derived from two separated provenances of the core-Gondwana and Sino-Korean cratons. In the Early Cambrian, the Taebaek and Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platforms have most likely received detrital sediments from the provenance of the Sino-Korean craton. On the other hand, the detrital sediments of the Yeongweol-Jecheon platform was probably sourced by those of the core-Gondwana craton. This separation of provenance can be interpreted as the result of the paleogeographic and paleotopographic separation of the Yeongweol-Jecheon platform from the Taebaek and Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platforms. The analyses on detrital zircons additionally reveal that the separation of provenance was ceased by the eustatic rise of sea-level during the Middle Cambrian, and the detrital sediments of the Taebaeksan Basin were entirely supplied from those of the core-Gondwana craton. During that period, sediment supply from the Sino-Korean craton would be restricted due to inundation of the provenance area of the craton. On the other hand, the Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platform sequences show the unconformable relationship between the Early Cambrian siliciclastic and the Early Ordovician carbonate strata. It is indicative of presence of regional uplift movements around the platform which would be to the extent offset of the effects of the Middle to Late Cambrian eustatic sealevel rise. These movements expanded and were reinforced across the basin in the latest Cambrian and earliest Ordovician. After the earliest Ordovician, the basin was tectonically stabilized, and the shallow marine carbonate environments were developed on the whole-platform by the Early Ordovician global eustatic sea-level rise, forming very thick carbonate strata in the basin. In the Late Ordovician, the Early Paleozoic sedimentation on the basin was terminated by the large-scale tectonic uplift across the Sino-Korean platform including the Taebaeksan Basin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.151-171
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• 2012

The Permo-Triassic Songrim orogeny in the Korean peninsula was a major tectonic event involving complicated continental collisions at the eastern margin of Eurasia. Based on the previous studies on the metamorphic and deformations features of the Songrim orogeny, this paper presents metamorphic and structural characteristics and timing of the Songrim orogeny in the Taebaeksan basin, and discuss about correlation of the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Taebaeksan basin with the Okcheon basin and the Imjingang belt with a combined analysis of bulk crustal shortening direction, metamorphic P-T and T-t (time) paths. The metapelites in the Pyeongan Supergroup in the northeastern margin of the Taebaeksan basin have experienced lower-temperature/medium-pressure (LT/MP) regional metamorphism followed by high-temperature contact metamorphism due to the Jurassic granite intrusion. The earlier LT/MP regional metamorphism produced two loops of clockwise P-T-d (deformation) paths combined with four deformation events ($D_1-D_4$). The first loop concomitant with $D_1$ and $D_2$ occurred at $400-500^{\circ}C$, 1.5-3.0 kbar, and related with growth of syn-$D_1$ chloritoid and andalusite, post-$D_1$ margarite, Ca-rich syn-$D_2$ or post-$D_2$ plagioclase. The second loop accompanying $D_3$ and $D_4$ occurred at $520-580^{\circ}C$, 2.0-6.0 kbar, and associated with the growth of syn-$D_3$ garnet and staurolite, and syn-$D_4$ and/or post-$D_4$ andalusite porphyroblasts. Furthermore the syn-$D_1$ chloritoid and andalusite porphyroblasts grew during E-W bulk crustal shortening, whereas the syn-$D_3$ garnet and staurolite, and the syn-$D_4$ and/or post-$D_4$ andalusite porphyroblasts have grown under N-S bulk crustal shortening. The similarity in the characteristics and timing of the metamorphism and bulk crustal shortening directions between the Okcheon and Imjingang belts suggest that the peak metamorphic conditions tend to increase toward the western part (Imjingang belt and southwestern part of the Gyeonggi Massif) from the eastern part (Taebaeksan basin). The E-W bulk crustal shortening influenced the eastern part of the Okcheon belt, whereas the N-S bulk crustal shortening resulted in strong deformation in the Imjingang and Okcheon belts. Consequently, the Permo-Triassic Songrim orogeny in the Korean peninsula is probably not only related to collision of the North and South China blocks, but also to the amalgamation of terrane fragments at the eastern Eurasia margin (e.g., collision of the Sino-Korean continent and the Hida-Oki terrane).

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.617-631
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• 2015

The Sesong Formation, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposits of late Middle Cambrian (Series 3) to Furongian in age, in the Taebaeksan Basin shows the Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion (SPICE) with the ${\delta}^{13}C$ values ranging from 1.14 to 2.81‰ in the approximately 15-m-thick stratigraphic interval. The SPICE in the Sesong Formation occurs in the lower part of the Paibian Stage which contains trilobite biozones of the Fenghuangella laevis Zone, Prochuangia mansuyi Zone and the lower part of the Chuangia Zone. The Sesong Formation is composed of six lithofacies including laminated mudstone, nodular shale, laminated sandstone, massive sandstone, limestone conglomerate, and limestone-shale couplet facies. The Sesong Formation is known to have been deposited in the outer shelf below storm wave base. The SPICE occurs in the stratigraphic interval associated with highstand systems tract, correlative conformity and transgressive systems tract of the Sesong Formation. The peak carbon isotope value in the SPICE may coincide with the correlative conformity formed by relative sea-level fall. The occurrence of the SPICE in the Sesong Formation suggests that the SPICE can be used as a tool of global correlation for the successions of mixed carbonate-siliciclastics which lack fossils.

• 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.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.107-118
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• 2019

Two assertions about the process the formation of the high-purity limestone in the Taebaeksan Basin, categorized into syngenetic and epigenetic origin, are verified on the basis of its oxygen-carbon stable isotopic characteristics. The carbonate rocks sampled from the selective six high-purity limestone mines and several outcrops in the Daegi formation are featured by various colors such as the gray, light gray and dark gray. They show a wide range of oxygen stable isotope ratios (4.5 ~ 21.6 ‰), but a narrow range of carbon stable isotope ratios (-1.1 ~ 0.8 ‰, except for vein calcite), which means that they had not experienced strong hydrothermal alteration. In addition, there is no difference in the range of the oxygen stable isotope ratios by mine and color, and it is similar to the range from surrounding outcrop samples. These results indicate that the effect of the hydrothermal alteration were negligible in the generation of high-purity limestone in deposit scale. Whereas, the carbonate rocks can be divided texturally into two groups on the basis of an oxygen isotope ratio; the massive-textured or well-layered samples (>15 ‰), and the layer-disturbed (or layer-destructed) and showing over two colors in one sample (<15 ‰). In the multi-colored samples, the bright parts are characterized by the very low oxygen stable isotope ratios, compared to the dark parts, implying the increase in brightness of the carbonate rocks could be induced by the interaction between hydrothermal fluid and rock. However, these can be applied in a small scale such as one sample and are not suitable for interpretation of the generation of high-purity limestone as a deposit scale. In particular, the high oxygen isotope ratios from the recrystallized white limestone suggest that hydrothermal fluids are also rarely involved during recrystallization process. In addition, the occurrences of the high-purity limestone orebody strongly support the high-purity limestone in the area are syngenetic rather than epigenetic; the high-purity limestone layers in the area show continuous and almost horizontal shapes, and is intercalated between dolomite layers. Consequently, the overall reinterpretation based on the sequential stratigraphy over the Taebaeksan basin would play an important role to find additional reserves of the high-purity limestone.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2017

High-grade limestone applied to various chemical industries is abundant within upper Pungchon formation in Taebaeksan basin, South Korea. Geophysical exploration is one of the most efficient methods to investigate subsurface geological structure in an extensive area. Since the geophysical exploration for the high-grade limestone has rarely been conducted in Korea, its appropriate strategy has not been set up yet. In this study, we focused on to suggest the reasonable strategy and accumulate geophysical databases which are essential for interpreting geophysical images by characterizing laboratory physical properties of in-situ rocks. Hence, rocks were obtained from drilled cores consisting of lower Hwajeol formation, Pungchon formation, and dykes in Jeongseon area, Gangwon province. Geophysical laboratory experiments and petrography of the rocks were conducted. Since susceptibility values of the rocks in Pungchon Formation were obviously lower than those of upper Hwajeol and dykes, it is considered that the lithological boundaries could be distinguished by magnetic survey. In addition, electrical properties of the rocks in middle Pungchon formation were relatively different compared with those of upper/lower Pungchon formations. Thus, induced polarization is shown to be able to detect the high-grade limestone in upper Pungchon formation.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2017

We determined SHRIMP U-Pb ages of the detrital zircons separated from the Bangnim Group of the Pyeongchang area to constrain its depositional age. As the result, the minimum age group yielded $^{206}Pb/^{238}U$ age of $450.3{\pm}4.2Ma$ (n=3), suggesting depositional age younger than Late Ordovician. Therefore, the Bangnim Group cannot be a Precambrian sedimentary formation but is younger than Myobong Formation of the Early Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup of the Taebaeksan basin. Such a depositional age implies that the Bangnim Group and structurally overlying Jangsan Quartzite should be in fault contact, suggesting that the Jangsan Quartzite, Myobong Formation and Pungchon Limestone thrusted over the Bangnim Group. The zircon U-Pb age distribution pattern of the Bangnim Group resembles those of the Early Paleozoic Myobong and Sambangsan Formations of the Taebaeksan basin and seemingly Middle Paleozoic Daehyangsan Quartzite and the Taean Formation. However, detrital zircon U-Pb age patterns of the Late Paleozoic Pyeongan Supergroup are quite distinct from them, suggesting drastic change in provenance of the detrital zircon supply. Therefore, we suggest that the Bangnim Group was deposited before the Pyeongan Supergroup.