• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.89-103
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• 2018

This study presents results of analysis on fault-related landforms and the Quaternary fluvial landforms, which are important evidences for active faulting by identifying surface deformation, around the Ulsan Fault Zone. In addition, this study suggests lineament map and inferred active fault-line map based on analyzing linearity and continuity of these landforms and by compiling location information of existing active faults. We convince that quantitative tectonic-geomorphological analysis are an effective method for active faults tracking, in particular, considering the conditions of relatively low seismicity and surface ruptured-events in the Korean Peninsula compared to plate boundary active areas. However, research on active fault in South Korea is just an infant stage since the 1990s and requires accumulation of research achievements on development and application of various fault analysis techniques, analysing and standardizing linear structures.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2014

We investigated space-time patterns of Quaternary fault activity of the Yangsan fault zone using ESR ages in the Samnam-myeon region, Ulsan, Korea. Some of fault gouge zones consist of well-defined bands which added to the older gouge band, indicative of reactivation. During addition of new bands, the older gouge band was inactive, which represents the type I faulting mode. ESR analyses of each band of the gouge zone allow us to construct history of fault movement. The entire fault gouge zones were reactivated by type III faulting mode giving us ESR ages of the lastest reactivation. ESR dates show temporal clustering into active and inactive periods analogous to historic and paleoseismic fault activities. ESR ages and dates of fault movements indicate migration of fault activities along the Yangsan Fault Zone. Segments of the Quaternary faults in the study area are branched in the south of Sangcheon site. The earliest record of activity in segmented faults is recorded from the western segment to the northern segment. Before 750~850 ka ago, the fault gouge zone from the western segment to the northern segment were active. At 750~850 ka ago, the fault gouge zone from the eastern segment to the northern segment were active. During 630~660 ka and 480~540 ka only the northern segment was active. After 340 ka ago, the fault gouge zone from the western segment to the northern segment were active again.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.117-125
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• 2001

This paper presented the analysis of stress regimes in and around inactive and active fault zones. The stress regime in the vicinity of an existing inactive fault zone is dependent on the orientation of the fault with respect to the current stress field and the contrast between the elastic properties of the faulted rock and those of the surrounding rock. In the analysis of stress regimes around an active fault zone, if the yielding stress is exceeded during loading, the localized shearing in a fault zone will result in weakness with mean stresses in the fault becoming lower than those in the surrounding rock. It can be expected that such stress gradients will induce fluid flow towards the faults zone.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2019

The main fault zone of the Yangsan Fault, located in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula, is newly found at the Cheonjin-ri, Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Korea. About 100 wide fault zone exposed along the Guryangcheon stream strikes N-S and dips over 70° toward east. The main fault zone is composed of N-S-striking gouge and breccia layers and enclosed lenses. Striations on the subvertical fault surfaces mainly indicate dextral slip, but moderate-angle minor reverse faults showing top-tothe-west shearing transect the foliated high-angle gouge and breccia layers. These indicate that the dextral slip along the fault, which is interpreted as the main movement of the fault, was followed by reverse slip. The fault zone is composed of N-S-striking gouge layers and enclosed, fractured lenses. Locally distributed NE-SW- to E-W-striking fault gouge layers with fractured lenses show asymmetric folds, indicating progressive dextral movement. Therefore, the exposed fault zone has a high internal complexity due to the combined effects of NNE-SSW-trending dextral shearing and E-W-trending shortening by compression. In addition, around main boundary fault between the western volcanic rocks and eastern sedimentary rocks offsets the overlying Quaternary fluvial conglomerate. This is a good example that understanding of internal structures of main fault zone (or fault core), such as the Yangsan Fault, plays an important role to study the Quaternary activity and to find the active fault.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.533-546
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• 2021

Large earthquakes with (M_W > ~ 6) result in ground shaking, surface ruptures, and permanent deformation with displacement. The earthquakes would damage important facilities and infrastructure such as large industrial establishments, nuclear power plants, and waste disposal sites. In particular, earthquake ruptures associated with large earthquakes can affect geological and engineered barriers such as deep geological repositories that are used for storing hazardous radioactive wastes. Earthquake-driven faults and surface ruptures exhibit various fault zone structural characteristics such as direction of earthquake propagation and rupture and asymmetric displacement patterns. Therefore, estimating the respect distances and hazardous areas has been challenging. We propose that considering multiple parameters, such as fault types, distribution, scale, activity, linkage patterns, damage zones, and respect distances, enable accurate identification of the sites for deep geological repositories and important facilities. This information would enable earthquake hazard assessment and lower earthquake-resulted hazards in potential earthquake-prone areas.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.361-368
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• 2003

We have investigated the electric resistivity structure of the fault zone located in the Hongseong area where a big earthquake with M 5.0 occurred in 1978. Usually, Electric and Electromagnetic methods are broadly operated in the field of engineering works since these methods are effective to understand the distribution of geological weak zones - fault or fracture zones. We have conducted the dipole-dipole array resistivity method and MT(magnetotelluric) method and interpreted the resistivity distribution of the fault zone with the aid of various inversion methods. An MT survey was performed at 18 points along a 2.9 km survey line perpendicular to the fault line and a magnetic dipole source was used to enhance the S/N ratio in the high frequency. A Electric dipole-dipole array resistivity survey with the dipole length of 50 meters was carried out perpendicular to the fault. In view of two survey results, the fault marks the boundary between two opposite resistivity structures, especially the low resistivity zone is exhibited deeply through the prospective fault line. The result that the low resistivity zone is located at the center of the fault zone corresponds with the fact that the fault zone of the Hongseong area is active. We expect these results to provide basic information about the physical properties of fault zones in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.151-164
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• 2022

According to the records of historical and instrumental earthquakes, the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula is considered the highest seismic activity area. Owing to recent reports of numerous Quaternary faults along the Yangsan and Ulsan fault zones, paleoseismological studies are being actively conducted in these areas. The study area is located in the central part of the Ulsan fault zone, where the largest number of active faults have been reported. Based on lineament and geomorphic analysis using LiDAR images and aerial photographs, fault-related landforms showing topographic relief were observed and a trench survey was conducted. The trench length 20 m, width 5 m, depth 5 m is located approximately 300 m away to the northeast from the previously reported Malbang fault. From the trench section, we interpreted the geometric and kinematic characteristics of the fault based on the deformed features of the Quaternary sedimentary layers. The attitude of the reverse fault, N26°W/33°NE, is similar to those of the reported faults distributed along the Ulsan fault zone. Although a single apparent displacement of approximately 40 cm has been observed, the true displacement could not be calculated due to the absence of the slickenline on the fault plane. Based on the geochronological results of the cryogenic structure proposed in a previous study, the most recent faulting event has been estimated as being earlier than the late Wurm glaciation. We interpreted the thrust fault system of the study area as an imbrication structure based on the previous studies and the fault geometry obtained in this additional trench. Although several previous investigations including many trench surveys have been conducted, they found limited success in obtaining the information on fault parameters, which could be due to complex characteristics of the reverse fault system. Additional paleoseismic studies will contribute to solving the mentioned problems and the comprehensive fault evolution.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.11-18
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• 2002

The Ulsan fault with NNW-SSE strike is a very wide and long lineament about 50km along Gyeungju-Ulsan line in the southeastern part of Korea. According to previous studies the Ulsan fault was not considered as a fault but only long lineament since no displacement was found along the lineament. Recently several Quaternary faults were reported in the northeastern part of lineament, which implies the neotectonic movement in this area. We analysed drainage pattern and stream gradient using the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data for both side of Ulsan fault line to check the recent topographic changes which indicate neotectonic movement. The result shows that stream index in the eastern part of Ulsan fault is higher than the one in the western part. This means that recent tectonic movement is more active in the eastern part of Ulsan fault.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.775-790
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• 2008

This study shows possibility of active fault, throughout analyzing distributional features of tectonic and fluvial geomorphology and mineral composition of fault fracture clay, at Jinbu fault-line system in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon Province. Fault-line valley was formed remarkably in the upper reaches of Odae River and upper reaches of Yeongok River according along Jinbu fault-line. Landforms show rectilineal distribution at right shore slopes of Odae River in Ganpyeong-ri, southern zone of Jinbu fault-line system, related to the tectonic processes, such as triangular facet, kernbut, kerncol and alluvial fan. Fault fracture clay zones were developed at 5 outcrops($jbf1{\sim}5$), located in kerncol. Particularly, jbf1 fault outcrop, developed at granite saprolite, has obvious fault plane and fault clay composed of illite and laumontite. The Jinbu Fault-line along jbf4-2-3-5 may be formed by regional compressive stress, and jbf1 fault may be suggested a tributary fault of the Jinbu fault-line formed before the late Pleistocene. The vertical displacement of the east and west blocks of the Jinbu Fault-line is estimated in $0.024{\sim}0.027m/ka$.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.69-84
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to extract lineaments in the southeastern part of the Gaeum Fault System, and to understand their characteristics and a relationship between them and fault activation. The lineaments were extracted using a multi-layered analysis based on a digital elevation model (5 m resolution), aerial photos, and satellite images. First-grade lineaments inferred as an high-activity along them were classified based on the displacement of the Quaternary deposits and the distribution of fault-related landforms. The results of classifying the first-grade lineaments were verified by fieldwork and electrical resistivity survey. In the study area of 510 km², a total of 222 lineaments was identified, and their total length was 333.4 km. Six grade lineaments were identified, and their total length was 11.2 km. The lineaments showed high-density distribution in the region along the Geumcheon, Gaeum, Ubo fault, and a boundary of the Hwasan cauldron consisting the Gaeum Fault System. They generally have WNW-ESE trend, which is the same direction with the strike of Gaeum Fault System. Electrical resistivity survey was conducted on eight survey lines crossing the first-grade lineament. A low-resistivity zone, which is assumed to be a fault damage zone, has been identified across almost all survey lines (except for only one survey line). The visual (naked eyes) detecting of the lineament was evaluated to be less objectivity than the automatic extraction using the algorithm. However, the results of electrical resistivity survey showed that first-grade lineament extracted by visual detecting was 83% reliable for inferred fault detection. These results showed that objective visual detection results can be derived from multi-layered analysis based on tectonic geomorphology.