• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.459-474
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• 2009

By the analysis of discontinuity at the outcrop and lineament on the satellite image, the joints have deeply relationship with the lineaments. The joint spaces at the drilling core are mostly 1~20 cm but at the rhyolite which is distributed near fault they have more closely. These volcanic rocks belong to the subalkaline series tuff, rhyolite, basalt in the study area from the diagram of $Nb/Y-Zr/TiO_2$. The composition diagram of Hf/3-Th-Nb/16 show destructive plate-margin basalt and their differentiates. The environment of formation of volcanics are normal continental arc. Most of LREE show high enriched pattern but HREE show depleted pattern. The K/Ar age of intermediate volcanics, tuff, rhyolite, crystal tuff are 55.3Ma, 77.25 Ma~91.22Ma, 63.16~64.39Ma, 54.49 Ma respectively.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.12a
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• pp.73-83
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• 2007

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the eastern Korean margin that led to the separation of the southwestern Japan Arc. Analysis of rift fault patterns suggests that rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension rather than strike-slip deformation. Two extension directions of E-W and NW-SE for rifting are recognized. We interpret that the E-W direction represents initial rifting at the inner margin and the NW-SE direction probably represents the extension in response to tensional tectonics associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate in the NW direction. No significant volcanism was involved in rifting. In contrast, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which appears to reflect asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin, although it is in a back-arc setting, can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism influenced by asthenospheric upwelling.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.489-498
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• 1993

The Okbang amphibolites occurring as sill-shaped bodies within the Precambrian Wonnam Group have been studied in terms of geochemical characteristics for their tectonomagmatic environments. The amphibolites fall in the ortho-amphibolite fields in Ni and Cr versus Cu diagrams. They belong to subalkaline and tholeiitic series in total alkali versus silica and ternary AFM diagrams, respectively. They show the compositional variation corresponding to the differentiation trend of tholeiitic suites. In discrimination diagrams using high-field-strength elements such as Ti, Zr, Nb and Y, the amphibolites show geochemical affinities to both of volcanic-arc tholeiites and normal (depleted) mid-oceanic ridge tholeiites. The REE patterns of the amphibolites are nearly flat and extremely similar to those of back-arc tholeiites. $(La/Yb)_{CN}$ ratios vary from 0.89 to 2.02 with an average value of 1.23. Such low light-REE abundances in the amphibolites suggest that they were derived from the upper mantle source depleted in these elements. In view of geochemical characteristics showing strong enrichments of incompatible elements such as K and Rb, distinctive negative Nb anomalies, depletions of light-REE observed also in normal (depleted) mid-oceanic ridge tholeiites, and unfractionated immobile elements such as Y and Yb, the tholeiitic magmas, from which the parent rocks of the amphibolites were formed, would be generated from a depleted upper mantle source and contaminated by continental crustal materials en route to surface. Tectonomagmatic environment for the amphibolites can be assumed to be continental back-arc basin.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2006

The Korea Plateau is a continental fragment rifted and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsulaat the initial stage of the opening of the East Sea (Japan Sea). We interpreted marine seismic profiles from the South Korea Plateau in conjunction with swath bathymetric to investigate processes of con-tjnental rifting and separation of the southwestern Japan Arc. The SouU-i Korea Plateau preserves funda-mental elements of rift architecture comprising a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the South Korea Plateau are bounded by major synthetic and smaller antithetic faults, creating wide and symmetric profiles. The large-offset border fault zones of these basins have convex dip slopes and demonstrate a zig-zag arrangement along strike. Rifting was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base ofthe slope rather U-ian strike-slip deformation. Two extension direcdons for rifdng are recog-nized; U-ie Onnuri Basin was rifted in U-ie EW direction; U-ie Bandal Basin in U-ie EW and NW-SE directions, suggesting two rift stages. We interpret that the E-W direction represents initial rifting at the inner margin; while the Japan Basin widened, rifting propagated repeatedly from the Japan Basin to the southeast toward the Korean margin but could not penetrate the strong continental lithosphere of the Korean Shield and changed direction to the south, resulting in E-W extension to create the rift basins at the Korean margin. The Hupo Basin to the south of the Korea Plateau is estimated to have formed in this process. The NW-SE direction probably represents the direction of rifting orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope of the South Korea Plateau; after breakup the southwestern Japan Arc separated in the SE direction, indicating a response to tensional tectonics associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate in the NE direction. We suggest that structural evolution of the eastern Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1997

Andesitic pyroclastics and lava flows are deposited as a part of composite volcanoes by Cretaceous volcanic activity in Geojae Island, off the coast of Korea. The andesitic pyroclastics are composed of tuff breccia and lapilli tuff minor intercalated tuff. Lava flows are divided into dense and porphyritic andesite containing phenocrysts of plagioclase, pyroxene, and/or hornblende. The andesitic rocks represent charactersitcs of carc-alkaline BAR association with basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, and dacite to rhyolite. Major element variations of the volcanic rocks show that $Al_2O_3$, total FeO, CaO, MgO and $TiO_2$ decrease with increasing $SiO_2$ but $K_2O$ and total alkalis increase, and represent differntiation trend of calc-alkaline rock series. In spider diagram, contents of Sr, K, Rb, Ba, and Th are relatively high, but contents of Nb, P, Ti and Cr are low. These petrochemcial characteristics are similar to those of rocks from island arc or continental margein related to plate subduction. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of volcanic rocks are paralle to subparallel, with LREE enriched than HREE, and show gradual increase of negative Eu anomaly from basalt to dacite and rhyolite, suggesting comagmatic fractional crystallization with minor effects of assimilation and magma mixing. Andesitic rocks are assumed medium-K orogenic andesites that formed in the tectomagmatic environment of subduction zone under normal continental margin arc.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.40-52
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• 2003

Despite the various opening models of the southwestern part of the East Sea (Japan Sea) between the Korean Peninsula and the Japan Arc, the continental margin of the Korean Peninsula remains unknown in crustal structure. As a result, continental rifting and subsequent seafloor spreading processes to explain the opening of the East Sea have not been adequately addressed. We investigated crustal and sedimentary velocity structures across the Korean margin into the adjacent Ulleung Basin from multichannel seismic reflection and ocean bottom seismometer data. The Ulleung Basin shows crustal velocity structure typical of oceanic although its crustal thickness of about 10 km is greater than normal. The continental margin documents rapid transition from continental to oceanic crust, exhibiting a remarkable decrease in crustal thickness accompanied by shallowing of Moho over a distance of about 50 km. The crustal model of the margin is characterized by a high-velocity (up to 7.4 km/s) lower crustal (HVLC) layer that is thicker than 10 km under the slope base and pinches out seawards. The HVLC layer is interpreted as magmatic underplating emplaced during continental rifting In response to high upper mantle temperature. The acoustic basement of the slope base shows an igneous stratigraphy developed by massive volcanic eruption. These features suggest that the evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at volcanic rifted margins. Global earthquake tomography supports our interpretation by defining the abnormally hot upper mantle across the Korean margin and in the Ulleung Basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.235-253
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• 2006

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the Korean margin leading to the separation of the Japan Arc. The Korean margin is rimmed by fundamental elements of rift architecture comprizing a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. In the northern part, rifting occurred in the Korea Plateau, a continental fragment extended and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsula, that provided a relatively broader zone of extension resulting in a number of rifts. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the Korea Plateau we bounded by major synthetic and smaller antithetic faults, creating wide and symmetric profiles. The large-offset border fault zones of these basins have convex dip slopes and demonstrate a zig-zag arrangement along strike. In contrast, the southern margin is engraved along its length with a single narrow rift basin (Hupo Basin) that is an elongated asymmetric half-graben. Rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension in the west and southeast directions orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope rather than strike-slip deformation. Although rifting involved no significant volcanism, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which seems to reflect slab-induced asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism intensified by asthenospheric upwelling in a back-arc setting.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.108-120
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• 1996

This study reports petrography and geochemical characteristics of the Cretaceous volcanic rocks that are distributed in the vicinity of the Cheonsungsan area, Yangsan-Gun, Gyeongsangnam-Do. The Cretaceous volcanic rocks composed of andesitic rocks, Wonhyosan tuff, Cheonsungsan tuff in ascending order. Sedimentary rock is the basement in the study area cofered with volcanic rocks. These volcanic rocks are Wonhyosan tuff and Cheonsungsan tuff that represented the early phase of the Bulgugsa igneous activity. Wonhyosan tuff are classified into dacite tuff and dacite welded tuff based on the rock texture and their mineral composition. They are covered with Cheonsungsan tuff. Dacite tuff composed of lithic lapilli ash-flow tuff and vitric ash-flow tuff. Most dacite welded tuff are lapilli ash-flow tuff. Cheonsungsan tuff overlying the Wonhyosan tuff consists of rhyolite tuff and rhyolite welded tuff. Rhyolite tuff are lithic crystal ash-flow tuff and crystal vitric ash-flow tuff with somewhat accidental fragments of andesitic and sedimentary rocks. Rhyolite welded tuff is distinguishe from rhyolite tuff by is typical eelded fabrics and its rock color. According to petrochemical data, the volcanic rocks in study area belong to high-K orogenic suties. On the discriminant diagrams such as La/Yb versus Th/Yb, these rocks falls into the discriminant fields for the normal continental margin arc.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.483-493
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• 1996

The tectonic environment and source characteristics of the Daebo granitic batholith in the central Ogcheon Belt were investigated based upon major and trace element geochemistry. The batholith is comprised of three granite types; a biotite granite (DBBG), K-feldspar megacryst-bearing biotite granite (DBKG), and a more mafic granodiorite (DBGD). The variations of Na and K in the granites can not be explained by simple fractional crystallization from the same primary magma. The irregular behavior of these alkali elements indicates a variety of source materials or incomplete mixing of different source materials. The large ion lithophile (LIL) element enrichment and low Ta/Hf ratios of the granites are typical characteristics of normal, calc-alkaline continental arc granitoids. Based upon REE patterns of the granites, it seems to be unreasonable to regard the felsic DBBG as a late stage differentiate formed by residual melts after the fractionation of major constituent minerals of the more mafic DBGD. Inconsistent variations in ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ and LIL element concentrations of the granites preclude a mixing model between primitive melt and LIL element-enriched upper crustal materials. The irregular geochemical variation of the granites is taken to be largely inherited from an already heterogeneous source region.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.5 no.1_2 s.6
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• pp.9-15
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• 1997

The study area is located in the Central Bransfield Basin, Antarctica. To analyze the morphology of seafloor, structure of basement, and seismic stratigraphy of the sedimentary layers, we have acquired, processed, and interpreted the multi-channel seismic data. The northwest-southeastern back-arc extension dramatically changes seafloor morphology, volcanic and fault distribution, and basin structure along the spreading ridges. The northern continental shelf shows a narrow, steep topography. In contrast, the continental shelf or slope in the south, which is connected to the Antarctic Peninsula, has a gentle gradient. Volcanic activities resulted in the formation of large volcanos and basement highs near the spreading center, and small-scale volcanic diapirs on the shelf. A very long, continuous normal fault characterizes the northern shelf, whereas several basinward synthetic faults probably detach into the master fault in the south. Four transfer faults, the northwest-southeastern deep-parallel structures, controlled the complex distributions of the volcanos, normal faults, depocenters, and possibly hydrocarbon provinces in the study area. They have also deformed the basement structure and depositional pattern. Even though the Bransfield Basin was believed to be formed in the Late Cenozoic (about 4 Ma), the hydrocarbon potential may be very high due to thick sediment accumulation, high organic contents, high heat flow resulted from the active tectonics, and adequate traps.