• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.337-349
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• 1992

The Tertiary basins in Korea have widely been studied by numerous researchers producing individual results in sedimentology, paleontology, stratigraphy, volcanic petrology and structural geology, but interdisciplinary studies, inter-basin analysis and basin-forming process have not been carried out yet. Major work of this study is to elucidate evidences obtained from different parts of a basin as well as different Tertiary basins (Pohang, Changgi, Eoil, Haseo and Ulsan basins) in order to build up the correlation between the basins, and an overall picture of the basin architecture and evolution in Korea. According to the paleontologic evidences the geologic age of the Pohang marine basin is dated to be late Lower Miocence to Middle Miocene, whereas other non-marine basins are older as being either Early Miocene or Oligocene(Lee, 1975, 1978: Bong, 1984: Chun, 1982: Choi et al., 1984: Yun et al., 1990: Yoon, 1982). However, detailed ages of the Tertiary sediments, and their correlations in a basin and between basins are still controversial, since the basins are separated from each other, sedimentary sequence is disturbed and intruded by voncanic rocks, and non-marine sediments are not fossiliferous to be correlated. Therefore, in this work radiometric, magnetostratigraphic, and biostratigraphic data was integrated for the refinement of chronostratigraphy and synopsis of stratigraphy of Tertiary basins of Korea. A total of 21 samples including 10 basaltic, 2 porphyritic, and 9 andesitic rocks from 4 basins were collected for the K-Ar dating of whole rock method. The obtained age can be grouped as follows: $14.8{\pm}0.4{\sim}15.2{\pm}0.4Ma$, $19.9{\pm}0.5{\sim}22.1{\pm}0.7Ma$, $18.0{\pm}1.1{\sim}20.4+0.5Ma$, and $14.6{\pm}0.7{\sim}21.1{\pm}0.5Ma$. Stratigraphically they mostly fall into the range of Lower Miocene to Mid Miocene. The oldest volcanic rock recorded is a basalt (911213-6) with the age of $22.05{\pm}0.67Ma$ near Sangjeong-ri in the Changgi (or Janggi) basin and presumed to be formed in the Early Miocene, when Changgi Conglomerate began to deposit. The youngest one (911214-9) is a basalt of $14.64{\pm}0.66Ma$ in the Haseo basin. This means the intrusive and extrusive rocks are not a product of sudden voncanic activity of short duration as previously accepted but of successive processes lasting relatively long period of 8 or 9 Ma. The radiometric age of the volcanic rocks is not randomly distributed but varies systematically with basins and localities. It becomes generlly younger to the south, namely from the Changgi basin to the Haseo basin. The rocks in the Changgi basin are dated to be from $19.92{\pm}0.47$ to $22.05{\pm}0.67Ma$. With exception of only one locality in the Geumgwangdong they all formed before 20 Ma B.P. The Eoil basalt by Tateiwa in the Eoil basin are dated to be from $20.44{\pm}0.47$ to $18.35{\pm}0.62Ma$ and they are younger than those in the Changgi basin by 2~4 Ma. Specifically, basaltic rocks in the sedimentary and voncanic sequences of the Eoil basin can be well compared to the sequence of associated sedimentary rocks. Generally they become younger to the stratigraphically upper part. Among the basin, the Haseo basin is characterized by the youngest volcanic rocks. The basalt (911214-7) which crops out in Jeongja-ri, Gangdong-myon, Ulsan-gun is $16.22{\pm}0.75Ma$ and the other one (911214-9) in coastal area, Jujon-dong, Ulsan is $14.64{\pm}0.66Ma$ old. The radiometric data are positively collaborated with the results of paleomagnetic study, pull-apart basin model and East Sea spreading theory. Especially, the successively changing age of Eoil basalts are in accordance with successively changing degree of rotation. In detail, following results are discussed. Firstly, the porphyritic rocks previously known as Cretaceous basement (911213-2, 911214-1) show the age of $43.73{\pm}1.05$ 및 $49.58{\pm}1.13Ma$(Eocene) confirms the results of Jin et al. (1988). This means sequential volcanic activity from Cretaceous up to Lower Tertiary. Secondly, intrusive andesitic rocks in the Pohang basin, which are dated to be $21.8{\pm}2.8Ma$ (Jin et al., 1988) are found out to be 15 Ma old in coincindence with the age of host strata of 16.5 Ma. Thirdly, The Quaternary basalt (911213-5 and 911213-6) of Tateiwa(1924) is not homogeneous regarding formation age and petrological characteristics. The basalt in the Changgi basin show the age of $19.92{\pm}0.47$ and $22.05{\pm}0.67$ (Miocene). The basalt (911213-8) in Sangjond-ri, which intruded Nultaeri Trachytic Tuff is dated to be $20.55{\pm}0.50Ma$, which means Changgi Group is older than this age. The Yeonil Basalt, which Tateiwa described as Quaternary one shows different age ranging from Lower Miocene to Upper Miocene(cf. Jin et al., 1988: sample no. 93-33: $10.20{\pm}0.30Ma$). Therefore, the Yeonil Quarterary basalt should be revised and divided into different geologic epochs. Fourthly, Yeonil basalt of Tateiwa (1926) in the Eoil basin is correlated to the Yeonil basalt in the Changgi basin. Yoon (1989) intergrated both basalts as Eoil basaltic andesitic volcanic rocks or Eoil basalt (Yoon et al., 1991), and placed uppermost unit of the Changgi Group. As mentioned above the so-called Quarternary basalt in the Eoil basin are not extruded or intruaed simultaneously, but differentiatedly (14 Ma~25 Ma) so that they can not be classified as one unit. Fifthly, the Yongdong-ri formation of the Pomgogri Group is intruded by the Eoil basalt (911214-3) of 18.35~0.62 Ma age. Therefore, the deposition of the Pomgogri Group is completed before this age. Referring petrological characteristics, occurences, paleomagnetic data, and relationship to other Eoil basalts, it is most provable that this basalt is younger than two others. That means the Pomgogri Group is underlain by the Changgi Group. Sixthly, mineral composition of the basalts and andesitic rocks from the 4 basins show different ground mass and phenocryst. In volcanic rocks in the Pohang basin, phenocrysts are pyroxene and a small amount of biotite. Those of the Changgi basin is predominant by Labradorite, in the Eoil by bytownite-anorthite and a small amount pyroxene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.459-475
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• 2004

The geology of the Kualakulun area in Middle Kalimantan, Indonesia comprises Permian to Carboniferous Pinoh Metamorphic Rocks and Cretaceous Sepauk Plutonics of the Sunda Shield, late Eocene Tanjung Formation, Oligocene Malasan Volcanics, Oligocene to early Miocene Sintang Intrusives and Quaternary alluvium. Sepauk Plutonic rocks are classified as the calc-alkaline series and the S-type granite. Sintang Intrusive rocks are basic-intermediate and intermediate rocks, and consists of basalt, basaltic andesite, basaltic trachyandesite and trachyandesite. The Malasan Volcanics are characterized by intermediate dacitic pyroclasticl and minor lavas and belong to the subalkaline (calc-alkaline and tholeiitic) series. The whole-rock K-Ar ages of the fine-grained biotite granites and medium-grained granitoids were determined to be 100.5-106.5 Ma and 91.9-102.6 Ma, respectively. The whole-rock K-Ar age of the diorite is 89.1 Ma. K-Ar ages of the Malasan Volcanics and Shintang intrusives show 31.5-36.8 Ma and 24.6-34.5 Ma, respectively, and correspond to the Tertiary time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.138-141
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• 2004

The environmental tracers tritium/helium-3 (3H/3He) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were investigated in ground water from Jeju Island, Korea, a basaltic volcanic island. The apparent 3H/3He and CFC-12 ages were in relatively good agreement in samples with low concentrations of terrigenic He. Ground water mixing was evaluated by comparing 3H and CFC-12 concentrations with mixing models, which distinguished old water with negligible 3H and CFC-12, young water with piston flow, and binary mixtures of the two end members. The ground water CFC-12 age is much older in water from wells completed in confined zones of the hydro-volcanic Seoguipo formation in coastal areas than in water from the basaltic aquifer. Comparison of major element concentrations in ground water with the CFC-12 age shows that nitrate contamination processes contribute more solutes in young water than are derived from water-rock interactions in non-contaminated old water. Chemical evolution of ground water resulting from silicate weathering in basaltic rocks reaches the zeolite-smectite phase boundary. The calcite saturation state of ground water increased with the CFC-12 apparent (piston flow) age. In agricultural areas, the temporal trend of nitrate concentration in ground water was consistent with the known history of chemical fertilizer use on Jeju Island, but the response of nitrate concentration in ground water to nitrogen inputs follows an approximate 10-year delay. Based on mass balance calculations, it was estimated that about 40% of the nitrogen applied by fertilizers reached the water table and contaminated ground water resources when the fertilizer use was at the highest level.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.64-80
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• 2004

The Miocene volcanic rocks in the Eoil Basin, which is one of the pull-apart basins in the southeastern Korean Peninsula, are bimodal in composition: felsic (67.2-70.5wt.% SiO$_2$) and mafic(49.3-55.2wt.% SiO$_2$). The bimodal volcanic activities in the basin appear to be closely associated with the basin development. The volcanic rocks are intercalated with thick Files of sedimentary sequence. They show evidence of magma mixing. which has produced mafic and felsic volcanic rocks. We are able to identify the petrographic characteristics (disequilibrium phenocryst assemblages) of the volcanic rocks that were mixed. In basaltic lava, phenocrysts of olivine and orthopyroxene coexist with corroded quartz phenocryst. Dacitic to rhyolitic welded ash-flow tuff contains phenocrysts of clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. It suggests that phenocryst disequilibrium have been affected and mixed by magmas, which have different compositions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.123-154
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• 1982

Petrochemical, K-Ar dating, Sand Rb/Sr isotopes, metallogenic zoning, paleomagnetic and geotectonic studies of the Gyongsang basin were carried out to examine applicability of plate tectonics to the post-late Cretaceous igneous activity and metallogeny in the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Bulgugsa granitic rocks range from granite to adamellite, whose Q-Ab-Or triangular diagram indicates that the depth and pressure at which the magma consolidated increase from coast to inland varying from 6 km, 0.5-3.3 kb in the coastal area to 17 km, 0.5-10 kb in the inland area. 2. The volcanic rocks in Gyongsang basin range from andesitic to basaltic rocks, and the basaltic rocks are generally tholeiitic in the coastal area and alkali basalt in the inland area. 3. The volcanic rocks of the area have the initial ratio of Sr^{87}/Sr^{86} varying from 0.706 to 0.707 which suggests a continental origin; the ratio of Rb/Sr changing from 0.079-0.157 in the coastal area to 0.021-0.034 in the inland area suggests that the volcanism is getting younger toward coastal side, which may indicate a retreat in stage of differentiation if they were derived from a same magma. The K_2O/SiO_2 (60%) increases from about 1.0 in the coastal area to about 3.0 in the inland area, which may suggest an increase indepth of the Benioff zone, if existed, toward inland side. 4. The K-Ar ages of volcanic rocks were measured to be 79.4 m.y. near Daegu, and 61.7 m.y. near Busan indicating a southeastward decrease in age. The ages of plutonic rocks also decrease toward the same direction with 73 m.y. near Daegu, and 58 m.y. near Busan, so that the volcanism predated the plutonism by 6 m.y. in the continental interior and 4 m.y. along the coast. Such igneous activities provide a positive evidence for an applicability of plate tectonics to this area. 5. Sulfur isotope analyses of sulfide minerals from 8 mines revealed that these deposits were genetically connected with the spacially associated ingeous rocks showing relatively narrow range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values (-0.9‰ to +7.5‰ except for +13.3 from Mulgum Mine). A sequence of metallogenic zones from the coast to the inland is delineated to be in the order of Fe-Cu zone, Cu-Pb-Zn zone, and W-Mo zone. A few porphyry type copper deposits are found in the Fe-Cu zone. These two facts enable the sequence to be comparable with that of Andean type in South America. 6. The VGP's of Cretaceous and post Cretaceous rocks from Korea are located near the ones($71^{\circ}N$, $180^{\circ}E$ and $90^{\circ}N$, $110^{\circ}E$) obtained from continents of northern hemisphere. This suggests that the Korean peninsula has been stable tectonically since Cretaceous, belonging to the Eurasian continent. 7. Different polar wandering path between Korean peninsula and Japanese islands delineates that there has been some relative movement between them. 8. The variational feature of declination of NRM toward northwestern inland side from southeastern extremity of Korean peninsula suggests that the age of rocks becomes older toward inland side. 9. The geological structure(mainly faults) and trends of lineaments interpreted from the Landsat imagery reveal that NNE-, NWW- and NEE-trends are predominant in the decreasing order of intensity. 10. The NNE-trending structures were originated by tensional and/or compressional forces, the directions of which were parallel and perpendicular respectively to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 90 m.y. B.P. The NWW-trending structures were originated as shear fractures by the same compressional forces. The NEE-trending structures are considered to be priginated as tension fractures parallel to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 70 m.y. B.P. when Japanese islands had drifted toward southeast leaving the Sea of Japan behind. It was clearly demonstrated by many authors that the drifting of Japanese islands was accompanied with a rotational movement of a clock-wise direction, so that it is inferred that subduction boundary had changed from NNE- to NEE-direction. A number of facts and features mentioned above provide a suite of positive evidences enabling application of plate tectonics to the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary igneous activity and metallogeny in the area. Synthesizing these facts, an arc-trench system of continental margin-type is adopted by reconstructing paleogeographic models for the evolution of Korean peninsula and Japan islands. The models involve an extention mechanism behind the are(proto-Japan), by which proto-Japan as of northeastern continuation of Gyongsang zone has been drifted rotationally toward southeast. The zone of igneous activity has also been migrated from the inland in late-Cretaceous to the peninsula margin and southwestern Japan in Tertiary.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.627-636
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• 2012

In the Obongri-Goseong area of Gangwondo, South Korea, there are six densely distributed volcanic edifices i.e., Duibaejae, Oeumsan, Galmibong, 249 m height, 166 m height, and 102 m height, and two other volcanic edifices including Goseongsan and Unbongsan volcanic edifice that are separately located from a distance. A previously undiscovered 249m volcanic edifice in Obongri was found in this investigation, and the six volcanic edifices distributed in Obongri will be referred to as the Obongri volcanic edifice group. Volcanic edifices in this area were interpreted by other researchers as being volcanic plug, plug dome, and cylindrical volcanic pipe type edifices. The aim of this study is to investigate the aspect of volcanic activity in the Obongri-Goseong area and the formation of volcanic edifices by examining of the shape of volcanic edifices, stratigraphy, and characterization of volcanic products. All the volcanic edifices in the area are composed of basaltic rocks on the Mesozoic granite basement, and the prevalence of the dome shape increased towards the upper part of the mountain. Three volcanic edifices (Duibaejae, 166 m height, 102 m height) include intercalated pyroclastic deposits between the basaltic rocks and the basement. The pyroclastic deposit in the Duibaejae volcanic edifice is composed of quartz, feldspar, granite fragments originated from the basement, and scoria fragments originated from the volcanic eruption. In addition to angular olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene xenocrysts, all the basaltic rocks contained mantle xenolith, gabbroic xenolith originated from the lower crust, and granitic xenolith originated from the basement. This fact indicates that magma rapidly rose to the surface and that the volcanic activity was explosive. It is also interpreted that, as the basaltic magma became highly viscous due to the large amount of xenocrysts, the erupted magma formed a dome structure on the surface. The original dome structure was then severely eroded out leaving a plug dome formation on the basement.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.281-291
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• 1996

Samples of Badwater greenstones from the Crystal Falls terrane in northeastern Wisconsin have been analyzed for major, trace and rare earth elements. Geochemical characteristics of the rocks provide clues to the petrologic character and paleotectonic environment of basaltic magma generation. They have chemical composition typical of continental tholeiites. The low Mg values and abundances of Ni and Cr indicate that the lavas were extensively fractionated prior to extrusion. The variations of incompatible elements suggest that the rocks were affected by interaction with crustal rocks. The samples least affected by contamination have trace element compositions similar to those of T-type mid-ocean ridge basalts. The parent was modified by crustal contamination process and this process shifted the rock compositions to that of continental tholeiites as the rock evolved. Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the rocks, based on modem analogs, favor their emplacement in an extensional tectonic regime.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.499-510
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• 2015

Artificial accelerated weathering test evaluated rocks from near the circuit road of Ulleungdo island, approximately 120 km from east of the Korean Peninsula. The tests subjected rock specimens to conditions based on the climate of the island. The specimens (such as basaltic breccia, trachyte, volcanic breccia) were preliminarily classified using a TAS diagram (XRF data) and based on the constituent minerals (XRD data); they were further classified by weathering degree according to their absorption ratios. During the artificial accelerated weathering, the absorption ratio of most of the specimens increased, but the point-load strength did not decrease in most cases, except for the volcanic breccia. The greater initial absorption ratio of trachyte rock specimen in comparison with the other specimens led to a greater increase of its absorption ratio during the artificial accelerated weathering test. The volcanic breccia specimens showed the greatest increase of absorption ratio and the biggest reduction ratio of the point- load strength during the tests. These results could aid prediction of the weathering rate of rocks in Ulleungdo island subjected to weathering processes; trachyte which appears to accelerate with time, and volcanic breccia whose mechanical strength can largely decrease in a relative short period of time. Proper measures therefore appear necessary for the prevention of natural disaster such as rock fall and landslide around the circuit road.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-37
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• 1991

The geology of the northwestern Cheju Island consist of Pleistocene to Holocene volcanic rocks which could be devided into basalt layers, the Sungsan Formation composed mainly of volcaniclastic debris exposed along the shoreline, and more than 30 cinder cones. Columnar joints and vesicles are dominant in the basalts of the Pyeosunri and the Sihungri basalt Formations. Volcaniclast and clay layers are intercalated in basaltic layers. When volcaniclast of the interlayers would be swept away by ground water and some caves of channel shape would be formaed. Overlying lavas cracked by columnar joints could be easily destroyed, collapsed and/or sunk. Geomechananical nature of the rocks such as strength may be controlled by the vesicularity(size, shape, and orientation of the vesicles) of the rocks. On the basis of vesicularity as a factor of strength, the effective strength ratio(Ke) could be calculated as Ke=0.3-0.72, in which the smaller Ke value reflects the lower in internal stress. In the studied area, the strength of the rocks tends to decrease as increasing in altitude of provenance of the rocks. The rocks in the area show relatively low values in angle of failure strength($\phi$) ranging from 10$^{\circ}$ to 30$^{\circ}$. In conclnsion, the rocks in question, majority of which the critical value exceeds 0.33, belong to the unstable rocks in the aspect of engineering geology.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.43-45
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• 2010

Acquisition of thermoremanent magnetization follows a Boltzman statistics, as such long reaction time in a slowly cooled environment allows more chance to align individual magnetic particles parallel to the external magnetic field. Hence it has been proposed that the slowly cooled rocks often acquire stronger magnetization than the rapidly cooled ones. Such a proposition has been experimentally validated to be true for the fine-grained magnetite- or titanomagnetite bearing basaltic rocks collected from the mid-ocean ridges. However, the effect of cooling-rate on the remanence intensity appears to be insignificant for nominal grain ranges.