• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.620-642
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• 2006

The Moho structure and its deformation in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula were estimated using gravity and topography data. Gravity signals from the upper and lower crust were separated using a filter that was computed from isostacy and elastic thickness. The result of this study shows three characteristic features of the Moho deformation. First, the Moho folding structure is parallel to SKTL (the South Korean Tectonic Line), which indicates positive association with the collision of the Yeongnam and Gyeonggi Massifs and repeated compression afterwards. In contrast, noticeable deformation of the Moho was not observed along the Imjingang Belt, which is interpreted as another continental collisional belt in the Korean Peninsula. Second, the Moho beneath the Gyeongsang Basin has remarkably risen; this seems to be the result from both the collisional compression and buoyancy caused by magmatic underplating. Third, the Moho deformation is shallowest in the east of the Taebaek Mountains and deepens toward the west, consistent with the topographic characteristic of the Korean Peninsula of "high east and low west". It can be interpreted as the results of the opening of the East Sea and Ulleung Basin. A tectonic explanation for this could be the ascent of the mantle induced by continental rifting and horizontal extension at the early stage of the opening of the East Sea. The Moho deformation model computed in this study correlates well with the earthquake distribution and crustal movement measured by GPS. We suggest that the compression along the SKTL is still exerted, consequently, the Moho deformation is active, although it may be weak.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.84-98
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• 2000

Daejeon-sa basalt in the Mt. Juwang area composed of 12 basalt flows alternate with 9 peperites and each basalt and peperite has the variety of thickness. Peperites yielded in Daejeon-sa basalt are mixed of basalt with reddish shale, of which textural type is globular peperite. Basalts yielded in Daejeon-sa basalt are massive basalt without vesicule, although sometimes vesicules are founded in upper within a flow unit. The basalt has mainly pseudomorph of olivine as phenocryst, and also plagioclase and clinopyroxene phenocryst. Matrix is mainly subophitic texture. The plotting result on the TAS diagram shows these basalts belong to the sub-alkaline, and it can be subdivided into calc-alkaline series on the basis of the diagram of Si02 vs. K20 and of alkali index vs. A1203 diagram. According to plots of wt.% oxides vs. wt.% MgO, abundances of A1203 and CaO increase with decreasing MgO while F ~ dOecre~ase . With decreasing MgO compatible elements decrease while incompatible elements increase. In spider diagram of MORB-normalized trace element patterns, HFS elements are nearly similiar with MORB, but LIL elements are enriched. Especially, contents of Ce, F: and Sm are enriched but Nb is depleted. In the chondrite-normalized REE patterns light REEs are enriched than heavy REEs. Tectomagmatic discrimination diagrams shows basalts in the study area are formed in the tectonomagmatic environment of subduction zone under continental margin. This result accord with characters of chemical composition mentioned above. Cr vs. Y diagram and CeM, vs. Ce diagram show that the primary magma of the basalts may formed by the about 15% partial melting of garnet-peridotite in the mantle wedge. After then, Daejeon-sa basalts may formed from evolved magma undergone mainly olivine fractional crystallization and contarnination of crustal materials before eruption.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2013

Shear-wave velocity ($v_s$) structures beneath two seismic stations, JJU and JJB on the flanks of the volcano Halla on Jeju island, Korea, were estimated by receiver-function inversion and H-${\kappa}$ stacking applied to 150 teleseismic events ($M_W{\geq}5.5$) recorded since 2007. $P_S$ waves converted at the Moho discontinuity does not appear clearly for northwesterly back-azimuths ($207{\sim}409^{\circ}$, average $308^{\circ}$) at station JJU and southeasterly back-azimuths ($119{\sim}207^{\circ}C$, average $163^{\circ}$) at station JJB. This may be due to a gradual velocity increase at Moho or heterogeneity within the crust. The $v_s$ models derived by inversion of receiver functions indicate a distinct low velocity layer ($v_s{\leq}3.5km/s$; LVL) within the crust and a gradual increase in $v_s$ in the depth interval of 30 to 40 km. Within the radius of 18 km beneath station JJB, the LVL occurs at depths of 14 ~ 26 km and the 'Moho' ($v_s{\geq}4.3km/s$) is at 34 km depth. Ten kilometers to the west, within the radius of 16 km beneath station JJU, both the LVL and the Moho are significantly shallower, at depths of 14 to 24 km and 30 km, respectively. H-${\kappa}$ analyses for stations JJU and JJB yield estimated crustal thickness of 29 and 33 km and $v_p/v_s$ ratios of 1.64 and 1.75, respectively. The lesser $v_p/v_s$ ratio was derived for rocks nearest to th peak of the volcano.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.643-654
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• 2023

The West Philippine Basin, an oceanic basin half the size of the Philippine Sea Plate, lies in the western part of the plate and south of the Korean Peninsula on the Eurasian Plate. It subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Islands bordering the Ryukyu Trench and the Philippine Trench with 25-50% of this basin already consumed. However, the history of the opening of the basin's southern region has been a topic of debate. The non-transform discontinuity formed during the seafloor spreading is similar to the transform fault boundaries normally perpendicular to mid-ocean ridge axes; however, it was created irregularly due to ridge propagations caused by variations of mantle convection attributable to magma supply changes. By analyzing high-resolution multi-beam echo-sounding data, we confirmed that the non-transform discontinuity due to the propagating rift evolved in the entire basin and that the abyssal hill strike direction changed from E-W to NNW-SSE from the fossil spreading center. In the early stage of basin extension, the Amami-Sankaku Basin was rotated 90 degrees clockwise from its current orientation, and it bordered the Palau Basin along the Mindanao Fracture Zone. The Amami-Sankaku Basin separated from the Palau Basin while the spreading of the West Philippine Basin began with a counter-clockwise rotation. This indicates that the non-transform discontinuities formed by a sudden change in magma supply due to the drift of the Philippine Sea Plate and simultaneously with the rapid changes in the spreading direction from ENE-WSW to N-S. The Palau Basin was considered to be the sub-south of the West Philippine Basin, but recent studies have shown that it extends into an independent system. Evidence from sediment layers and crustal thickness hints at the possibility of its existence before the West Philippine Basin opened, although its evolution continues to be debated. We performed a combined analysis using high-resolution multi-beam bathymetry and satellite gravity data to uncover new insights into the evolution of the West Philippine Basin. This information illuminates the complex plate interactions and provides a crucial contribution toward understanding the opening history of the basin and the Philippine Sea Plate.