• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.25-37
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• 2014

The volcanic type of geothermal water is linked intimately to active or potentially active volcanoes and takes place near the plate boundaries. In contrast to the volcanic type, the geothermal water in Korea has a non-volcanic origin. Korea's geothermal water is classified into the residual magma (RM) type and deep groundwater (DG) type according to the criterion of $35^{\circ}C$. This study reviewed the relationship between the physical and chemical features of the 281 geothermal water sources in South Korea in terms of the specific capacity, water temperature, and chemical compositions of two different basements (igneous rock and metamorphic rock) as well as the geological structures. According to the spatial relationship between the geothermal holes and geological faults, the length of the major fault is considered a key parameter determining the movement to a deeper place and the temperature of geothermal water. A negligible relationship between the specific capacity (Q/s) and temperature was found for both the RM type and DG type with the greater specific capacities of the RM- and DG-igneous types than the RM- and DG-metamorphic types. No relationship was observed between Q/s and the chemical constituents ($K^+$, $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Cl^-$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $HCO_3{^-}$, and $SiO_2$) in the DG-igneous and DG-metamorphic types. Furthermore, weak relationship between temperature and chemical constituents was found for both the RM type and DG type.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.269-281
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• 2021

Land creeping is the imperceptibly slow, steady, downward movement o f slope-forming soil or rock. Because creep-related failures occur frequently on a large scale without notice, they can be hazardous to both property and human life. Korea Forest Service has operated the prevention and response system from land creeping which has been on the rise since 2018. We categorized and proposed three survey steps (e.g., preliminary, regional, detailed) for investigation of creeping susceptibility site with a focus on geophysical mapping of a selected test site, Yongheung-dong, Pohang, Korea. The combination of geophysical (dipole-dipole electrical resistivity tomography and reciprocal seismic refraction technique, well-logging), geotechnical studies (standard penetrating test, laboratory tests), field mapping (tension cracks, uplift, fault), and comprehensive interpretation of their results provided the reliable information of the subsurface structures including the failure surface. To further investigate the subsurface structure including the sliding zone, we performed high-resolution geophysical mapping in addition to the regional survey. High-resolution seismic velocity structures are employed for stability analysis because they provided more simplified layers of weathering rock, soft rock, and hard rock. Curved slip plane of the land creeping is effectively delineated with a shape of downslope sliding and upward pushing at the apex of high resistive bedrock in high-resolution electrical resistivity model with clay-mineral contents taken into account. Proposed survey steps and comprehensive interpretation schemes of the results from geological, geophysical, and geotechnical data should be effective for data sets collected in a similar environment to land-creeping susceptibility area.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.2 no.2 s.3
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• pp.43-50
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• 1994

The geologic structure of Gongju Basin, which is a Cretaceous sedimentary basin located on the boundary of Gyeonggi Massif and Ogcheon Belt, is modeled by using gravity data and interpreted in relation with basin forming tectonism. The electrical survey with dipole-dipole array was also conducted to uncover the development of fractures in the two fault zones which form the boundaries of the basin. In the process of gravity data reduction, the terrain correction was performed by using the conic prism model, which showed better results specially for topography having a steep slope. The gravity model of the geologic structure of Gongju basin is obtained by forward modeling based on the surface geology and density inversion. It reveals that the width of the basin at its central part is about $4{\cal}km$ and about $2.5{\cal}km$ at the southern part. The depth of crystalline basement beneath sedimentary rocks of the basin is about $700{\~}400{\cal}m$ below the sea level and it is thinner in the center than in margin. The fault of the southeastern boundary appears more clearly than that of the northwestern boundary, and its fracture zone may extended to the depth of more than $1{\cal}km$. Therefore, it is thought that the tectonic movement along the fault in the southeastern boundary was much stronger. These results coincide with the appearance of broad low resistivity anomaly at the southeastern boundary of the basin in the resistivity section. The fracture zones having low density are also recognized inside the basin from the gravity model. The swelling feature of basement and the fractures in sedimentary rocks of the basin suggest that the compressional tectonic stress had also involved after the deposition of the Cretaceous sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.533-541
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• 2004

A steadily consolidated conglomerate formation (CCF) is developed thickly around Tabjeong-ri and Janghang-ri to the east of Tohamsan, Gyeongju City. The CCF has been regarded to a basal conglomerate, Cheonbug Conglomerate, of the Yonil Group by Tateiwa (1924). Son et al. (2000) correlated the CCF to the Songjeon Formation, which occupies the southwestern block of Tertiary Waup Basin. However, the Songjeon Formation stratigraphically does not face to the extension of the CCF. OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) data on the reddish brown to bluish gray psammitic layers, which are intercalated in the CCF, yielded to 85∼92 ka. Therefore, the age of CCF constrains to the last interglacial stage (MIS 5c-5e) rather than the Early Miocene Cheonbug Conglomerate. The Late Pleistocene Tohamsan Formation (TF) is newly named to the CCF and is subdivided to megabreccias and boulders. A rectangular basin, in which the TF is accumulated, is bounded by Oedong and Yonil faults (segments of Yonil Tectonic Line) and is given a name of Toham Basin. Neotectonically, Pliocene EW-transpression gave an effect of the top-up-to-the-west reverse faulting and the accompanied normal fault movement during the last interglacial age (ca. 100 ka). The basin is graben type, in which basin fills are composed of collapsed colluvial deposits, TF.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.101-109
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• 2010

There are many slopes generally developed by excavation and cut slope with small steps on massive slopes of roads. Especially these cut slopes which excavating around fault fracture zone need a reinforcement technology in order to ensure safety. In the case of slope excavation, it is difficult to use the existing slope support at fracture zone because of geological characteristics. Especially the factor of safety decreases significantly due to the movement of blocks in bed rocks and the expansion of interspace of discontinuous planes in fractured zones caused by excavation. Thus an efficient reinforcement technique in accordance with geological properties of fracture zones needs to be developed because the existing slope support has a restricted application. Therefore it is necessary to develop the specialized rock bolt technique in order to ensure an efficient factor of safety for anomalous fracture zones in slopes and tunnels. The purpose of this study is to develop newly improved rock bolt to increase a supporting effect of the swellex bolt method used recently as a friction type in fracture zones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 1992

Paleomagnetic study on the sedimentary rocks in the Choongnam Coal Field has been carried out to determine the direction of declination and inclination of NRM and position of paleomagnetic pole, and to investigate the geotectonism and geomagnetic stratigraphy of the sedimentary rocks in the Daedong Group. As a result of paleomagnetic study, the study area can be divided tectonically into two blocks by Baegunsa fault, namely northwestern and southeastern blocks. Site mean declination and inclination of Baegunsa and Seoungjuri Formations in the northwestern block are $23.2^{\circ}$ and $54.9^{\circ}$, respectively. Those of Amisan, Jogyeri, Baegunsa and Seoungjuri Formations in the southeastern block show normal direction with declination and inclination of $-22.1^{\circ}$ and $11.2^{\circ}$, and reversed direction with those of $158.5^{\circ}$ and $-12.6^{\circ}$, respectively. Average paleomagnetic pole position in the northwestern block is located at $212.9^{\circ}E$ and $71.1^{\circ}N$, and that in the southeastern block at $345.7^{\circ}E$ and $53.3^{\circ}N$. This difference suggests relative rotation of about $45^{\circ}$ between two blocks. The paleolatitude of Daedong Group at the time of sedimentation is $5.6^{\circ}N$ much lower than present latitude of $37.7^{\circ}N$. Compared with worldwide Mesozoic paleomagnetic polarity stratigraphy, Amisan Formation is correlated with the lower boundary of Nuanetsi reversal zone in Graham interval, and Baegunsa and Seoungjuri Formations are correlated with just upper part of the upper boundary of Nuanetsi reversal zone, and their geologic ages are Late Triassic to Early Jurassic. The position of paleomagnetic pole acquired from Daedong Group in the study area is different from those in other places. This may be attributed to the different tectonic movement by Daebo Orogeny occurred after the deposition of Daedong Group.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.233-248
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• 2018

Strata of the Central sub-basin in the Gunsan Basin, offshore, western Korea were analyzed by using integrated stratigraphy approach. As a result, five distinct unconformity-bounded units are recognized in the basin: Sequence I (Cretaceous or older(?)), Sequence II (Late Cretaceous), Sequence III (late Late Cretaceous or younger(?)), Sequence IV (Early Miocene or older(?)), Sequence V (Middle Miocene). Since the late Late Jurassic, along the Tan-Lu fault system wrench faults were developed and caused a series of small-scale strike-slip extensional basins. The sinistral movement of wrench faults continued until the Late Cretaceous forming a large-scale pull-apart basin. However, in the Early Tertiary, the orogenic event, called the Himalayan Orogeny, caused basin to be modified. From Late Eocene to Early Miocene, tectonic inversion accompanied by NW strike folds occurred in the East China. Therefore, the late Eocene to Oligocene was the main period of severe tectonic modification of the basin and Oligocene formation is hiatus. The rate of tectonic movements in Gunsan Basin slowed considerably. In that case, thermal subsidence up to the present has maintained with marine transgressions, which enable this area to change into the land part of the present basin.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.95-95
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• 2001

The Yeongdong basin is one of the pull-apart basins in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula that has developed during Cretaceous sinistal fault movement. The bimodal igneous activities (basalts and rhyolites) in the basin appear to be closely associated with the basin development. Here, we discuss the origin of the igneous rocks using chemical and radiogenic isotope data. Basaltic (48.4-52.7 wt% SiO$_2$) and rhyolitic (70.3-70.8 wt% SiO$_2$) rocks are slightly alkalic in a total alkali-silica diagram. The rhyolitic rocks with have unusually high K$_2$O contents (5.2-6.0 wt%). The basaltic rocks show an overall pattern of within-plate basalt in a MORB-normalized spider diagram, but have distinct negative anomaly of Nb, which indicates a significant amount of crustal component in the magma. The basaltic rocks plot within the calc-alkaline basalt field in the Hf/3-Th-Ta and Y/l5-La/10-Nb/8 discrimination diagrams. The eNd(T) values of the basaltic rocks (-13.6 to 14.3) are slightly higher than those of the rhyolitic rocks (-14.1 to 15.2), and the initial Sr isotopic ratios of the former (0.7085-0.7093) are much lower than those of the latter (0.7140-0.7149). However, the initial Nd and Sr isotope ratios of the igneous rocks in the Yeongdong basin are similar to those of the nearby Cretaceous igneous rocks in the Okcheon belt. The Pb isotope ratios plot within the field of Mesozoic granitoids outside of the Gyeongsang basin in Pb-Pb correlation diagrams. Since a basaltic magma requires the mantle source, the enriched isotopic signatures and negative Nb anomaly of the basaltic rocks suggest two possibilities for their origin: enriched mantle lithospheric source, or depleted mantle source with significant amount of crustal contamination. However, we prefer the first possibility since it would be difficult for a basaltic magma to maintain its bulk composition when it is significantly contaminated with granitic crustal material. The slightly more enriched isotopic signatures of rhyolitic rocks also suggest two possibilities: differentiate of the basaltlc magma with some crustal contamination, or direct partial melting of the lower crust. Much larger exposed volume of the rhyolitic rocks, compared with the basaltic rocks, indicates the latter possibility more favorable.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.153-171
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• 2018

This study focuses on the investigation of geologic distribution and stratigraphy in the eastern part of Yeongdeok-gun, based on Lidar imaging, detailed field survey, microscopic observations, SHRIMP and LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb age dating, and a new geological map has been created. The stratigraphy of the study area is composed of the Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks consisting of banded gneisses of sedimentary origin and schists ($1841.5{\pm}9.6Ma$) of volcanic origin, Triassic Yeongdeok plutonic rocks ($249.1{\pm}2.3Ma$) and Pinkish granites ($242.4{\pm}2.4Ma$), Jurassic Changpo plutonic rocks ($193.2{\pm}1.9Ma{\sim}188.8{\pm}2.0Ma$) and Fine-grained granites ($192.9{\pm}1.7Ma$), Formations [Gyeongjeongdong Fm, Ullyeonsan Fm. (~108 Ma), Donghwachi Fm.] of the Early Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup and acidic volcanic rocks and dykes erupted and intruded in the Late Cretaceous, Miocene intrusive rhyolitic tuffs ($23.1{\pm}0.2Ma{\sim}22.97{\pm}0.13Ma$) and sedimentary rocks of the Yeonghae basin, and the Quaternary sediments. The Triassic Pinkish granites, Jurassic Changpo plutonic rocks and Fine-grained granites are newly defined plutonic rocks in this study. Miocene intrusive rhyolitic tuffs bounded by the Yangsan Fault, which was first discovered in the north of Pohang city, are believed to play an important role in the understanding of the Miocene volcanic activity and the crustal deformation history on the Korean Peninsula. It is confirmed that The NNE-SSW-striking Yangsan Fault penetrating the central part of the study area and branch faults are predominant in the dextral movement and cutting all strata except the Quaternary sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.2 s.177
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• pp.129-149
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• 2006

Previously published stratigraphic, sedimentologic, paleontologic, paleomagnetic and geophysical data are reviewed to make an understanding on the tectonic evolution of the Cretaceous Gyeongsang (Kyongsang) basin, southeast Korea. A stratigraphic framework and a tectonic model on the formation and deformation of the Gyeongsang Basin are newly proposed on the basis of integration these data with magmatism and mineralization ages in the basin. A newly proposed stratigraphic framework indicates that strata in the basin can be subdivided into five distinct stratigraphic units that represent pre-rifting, syn-rifting, inversion I, II, and III stages. The Gyeongsang Basin was formed initially as a pre-rifting stage due to north-south extension in the Late Jurassic prior to a syn-riftins stage that resulted from east-west extension during the Early Cretaceous. In the Late Cretaceous, the basin was deformed by three-staged sequential deformation of north-south, northwest-southeast, and east-west compressions. The tectonic history of the basin has been largely controlled by the change of motion of the Izanagi Plate from north to northwest during the Cretaceous. In the early Cretaceous, the Izanagi Plate began to subduct northward beneath the Eurasian Plate and caused the left-lateral strike-slip fault systems in the southern part of the peninsula. The left-lateral wrenching of these fault systems was causally linked to development of pull-apart basins, such as the Gyeongsang Basin in the southeastern part of the peninsula. However, northwestward movement of the Izanagi Plate during the Late Cretaceous probably led to the extensive volcanism as well as sequential deformations in the basin. The stratigraphic and tectonic model, which is newly proposed as a result of this study, may be expected to enhancing the efficiency for exploration and exploitation of useful mineral resources in the basin as well as establishing geologic history in the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin. Together with the spatial and temporal correlation of the Cretaceous basins in adjacent areas, this stratigraphic and tectonic model provides a new geologic paradigm to delineate the sophisticated tectonic history of East Asia turing the Cretaceous.