• 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.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2000

Depths to four seismic sequence boundaries and the thickness of each sequence were estimated and mapped based on multi-channel seismic data in the Ulleung Basin. These depth-structure and isopach maps were incorporated into the interpretation of gravity and magnetic anomaly maps. The sediment thickness ranges from 3,000 m to 4,000 m in the central basin, while it reaches 6,000 m locally along the southwestern, western, and southeastern margins. The acoustic basement forms a northeast-southwest elongated depression deeper than 5000 m, and locally deepens up to 7,500 m in the southwestern and western margins. Low gravity anomalies along the western and southern margins are associated with basement depressions with thick sediment as well as the transitional crust between the continental and oceanic crusts. Higher gravity anomalies, dominant in the central Ulleung basin, broaden from southwest toward northeast, are likely due to the shallow mantle and a dense crust. A pair of magnetic elongations in the southeastern and northwestern margins appear to separate the central Ulleung basin from its margin. These magnetic elongations are largely dominated by intrusive or extrusive volcanics which occurred along the rifted margin of the Ulleung basin formed during the basin opening. The crust in the central Ulleung Basin, surrounded by the magnetic elongations, is possibly oceanic as inferred from the seismic velocity. The oceanic crust can be mapped in the central zone where it widens to 120 km from the southwest toward northeast. Bending of the crustal boundary in the southern part of the Ulleung Basin suggests that the Ulleung Basin has been deformed by a collision of the Phillipine plate into the Japan arc.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 1993

The monthly mean sea levels at 48 stations located at the East and Yellow Seas coasts of Korea, Russia and Japan are processed to investigate seasonal sea level variations. The strong seasonal variations are found to be at the west coast of Korea (42.1 cm in Kunsan), in the region of the Korea strait and near the southern part of Primorye (30-33 cm); the weak ones near the southwestern coast of the Sakhalin Island (10-12 cm). Practically for the whole study area except the southwest Sakhalin, the general picture of the seasonal sea level changes is alike: the mean sea level rises in summer-autumn and falls in winter-spring. The spectral analysis of the records also shows that the seasonal oscillations strongly dominate in the sea level variations, more than 80% or total energy in the southern part of the investigated region and 50-70% in the northern part relate to these oscillations. The annal peak significantly prevails in spectra of the monthly sea levels for the majority of stations, the semiannual peak is also well manifested, but the seasonal peaks of higher order (corresponding to the periods of four and three months) reveal only at some records. The maximal amplitudes of annual component by a least square method are found at the Yellow Sea coast of Korea (20-21 cm) and also near the Japanese coast of the korea Strait (19-19 cm). The semiannual component has the maximal amplitudes (3-4 cm) near the south and southwestern coasts of the Sakhalin Island. The annual range of the sea levels is much weaker here than in the other regions, the relative investment of the seasonal oscillations in total energetic budget is only 35-40%, annual ($A_1$) and semiannual ($A_2$) components have nearly the same amplitude (seasonal factor $F=A_1/A_2=0.9-1.2$). On the basis of the present examination on sea level changes together with the results of Tomizawa et. al.(1984) the whole investigated area may be divided into 10 subregions, 2 of them are related to the Yellow Sea and Western part of the Korea Strait (Y1, Y2), the other ones (E1-E8) to the East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.4-29
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to grasp the commencement date of Korean-type bronze dagger through the chronology of Chinese data. It focuses on the fact that the same section polishing technique appears both in Korean type bronze dagger and Dongzhou type bronze dagger. Dongzhou type bronze dagger in Anqiu Shandong, in which A1 type section polishing technique is observed, was said to have been collected remains in 1958, but the clear excavation cannot be identified. Therefore, this study presents Tomb No.1 Zuojiawa Jinan, Dongzhou type bronze dagger, and associated products. As associated products, bronze weapon and bronze ware were excavated, whose periods are estimated to be in the Spring and Autumn period, the transition period of Warring States, and the former part of the China's Warring States. Accordingly, the Korean bronze dagger, excavated in the remains of the Han Peninsula appears to have run parallel with the Dongzhou type bronze dagger of the A1 type section polishing technique, excavated in China for a fixed period. In addition, the chronology of Tomb No. 61MI grave in Wanrongmiaoqian, Shanxi is estimated to range from the former part to the middle part of the China's Warring States, which is identified to be connected to the A1 type section polishing technique. Examining the data of the relative date, we can find out that the Commencement Period of the Korean type bronze dagger Culture is seen to be the transition period and the former part of the China's Warring States, which is estimated to be the 5th and 4th centuries BC. This chronology is followed by Tomb No.6512 Zhengjiawazi Shenyang, recorded as the 6th century B.C. which reveals that Liaoning type bronze dagger culture and Korean-typed Bronze Dagger Culture are naturally connected. Furthermore, the A1 type section polishing technique was distributed in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula and Shandong, China, while the A2 type section polishing technique was distributed in the southern area of the Korean peninsula, Shanxi-Province in China, and Northern Kyushu region in Japan. Seen from the weapon-shaped bronze ware of the section polishing technique, Shanxi area(Central Plains area), China. the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula (northwest area), and Northern Kyushu region in Japan are set up as one traffic road(spreading route). This demonstrates that the section polishing technique emerged around the Han Peninsular, spreading the technique regionally.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2012

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced that an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude had occurred near the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, resulting in a displacement of the crust of about 2.4 meters. The Korean peninsula is located on the Eurasian tectonic plate that stretches out to Japan; therefore, there is a high possibility of being affected by an earthquake. The Korean GPS CORS network operated by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) was processed for ten days before and after the earthquake. Both static and kinematic baseline processing were tested for the determination of crustal deformation. The static baseline processing was performed in two scenarios: 1) fixing three IGS stations in China, Mongolia and Russia; 2) fixing SUWN, one of the CORS networks in Korea, in order to effectively verify crustal deformation. All data processing was carried out using Bernese V5.0. The test results show that most of the parts of the Korean peninsula have moved to the east, ranging 1.2 to 5.6 cm, compared to the final solution of the day before the earthquake. The stations, such as DOKD and ULLE that are established on the islands closer to the epicenter, have clearly moved the largest amounts. Furthermore, the station CHJU, located on the southwestern part of Korea, presents relatively small changes. The relative positioning between CORS confirms the fact that there were internal distortions of the Korean peninsula to some extent. In addition, the 30-second interval kinematic processing of CORS data gives an indication of earthquake signals with some delays depending on the distance from the epicenter.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.3
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• pp.266-276
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• 2001

This study was conducted to clarify the taxonomic implications of F. chiisanensis Nakai based on morphology and flavonoids of four taxa of Fraxinus [F. chiisanensis Nakai, F. mandshurica Rupr., F. chinensis Roxb. var. rhynchophylla (Hance) Hemsl. and F. sieboldiana Blume] in Korea with one species of China and Japan (F. platypoda Oliv.). Morphologically F. chiisanensis was clearly distinguished from other taxa due to the presence of panicle from leafless lateral bud of previous year, apetalous flower, persistent calyx, and brownish naked bud. A survey of the foliar flavonoids of five species showed two distinctive chemical types. Unique flavones with flavonols, C-glycosylflavone and flavanone were detected in F. chiisanensis (chiisanensis type), while only flavonols, C-glycosylflavone, and flavanone were present in other four taxa (chinensis type). This study showed that F. chiisanensis was not a hybrid between F. mandshurica and F. chinensis var. rhynchophylla, but an endemic taxon distributed in southwestern Korea. Morphologically F. chiisanensis should be included into subgen. Fraxinus, sect. Melioides according to Chang and Qiu's classification. F. platypoda, a taxon of sect. Meliodies in China and Japan, was different from F. chiisanensis with respect of scaled bud, decurrent wing of samara and the lack of flavones (chinensis type). Since four American taxa of sect. Melioides contained flavones (chiisanensis type), they are more closely related with F. chiisanensis chemically.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.6 s.175
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• pp.643-656
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• 2005

The East Sea, a marginal sea or back-arc basin, consists of Japan Basin, Yamato Basin, and Ulleung Basin and is surrounded by the Pacific Plate and Philippine Sea Plate. Ulleung Basin locates in the southwestern part of the East Sea and shows the depth of 1,500 m in average and 2,500 m in maximum, connecting to the Japan Basin along 2,000 m contour. The slope of the seafloor is greater in the western side of the basin than in the southern and the eastern side. The crustal thickness of the Ulleung Basin from the OBS tends to get thicker toward the north and the west side and the sediment thickness of the Ulleung Basin is getting thicker toward the southeast side and reaches up to 12 km. The crustal type of the Ulleung Basin was variously suggested as like as a rifted continental crust, an extended continental crust, and an incipient oceanic trust. The origin of the crustal formation and the Ulleung Basin, however, is still controversial. Based on the bathymetry and gravtiy anomaly data for this study, the axis of the Ulleung Basin shows that the basin develops along the axis trending NW-SE direction and reveals a general symmetry of the bathymetry. And also the free-air gravity anomalies show a very similar pattern to the bathymetry of the basin. The sediment thickness is relatively thicker in the southeastern side of the basin than in the northwestern side. Although the crustal age of the Ulleung Basin is supposed to be younger than them of the Japan Basin and the Yamato Basin, the free-air gravity anomalies of the Ulleung Basin ranging -40 to 50 mGals are lower than the other basins, which suggests that the densities of crust and sediment of the Ulleng Basin are lower than the Japan Basin and the Yamato Basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.5 s.180
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• pp.555-566
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• 2006

Major, trace and rare earth elements data of the Cretaceous Jindong granitic rocks were investigated in order to constrain the magma source characteristics and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the southwestern part of the Gyeongsang Basin. Geochemical signatures of the granitic rocks from the study area indicate that all of the rocks have characteristics of calc-alkaline series in the subalkaline field, and progressively shift from metaluminous to peraluminous with differentiation. In the variation diagrams, the overall geochemical features of the granites show systematic variations in major and trace elements. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show generally enriched LREE((La/Yb)c=4.2-12.8) and slight negative to flat Eu anomalies. Rb-Sr isotope data of the Jindong granites show that the whole rock age and Sr initial ratio are $114.6{\pm}9.1Ma$ and 0.70457, respectively. The Sr initial ratio of the Jindong granites is very similar to those of the Creataceous granites from Masan, Kimhae and Busan area($^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr=0.7049-0.707$). These results suggest that the magma have the mantle signature and intruded into the area during the early Cretaceous age. The Jindong granites have higher $Al_{2}O_{3},\;Na_{2}O$, Sr and lower $K_{2}O$, Y concentrations compared with typical calc-alkaline granitic rocks. These adakitic signatures are similar to those of adakitic pluton on Kyushu Island, southwest Japan arc. On the ANK vs. ACNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type, VAG granite. Interpretations of the geochemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement at continental margin during the subduction of Izanagi plate.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.239-252
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• 1981

The East China Sea is an important region as nursery and spawning grounds for pelagic fishes such as jack mackerel, common mackerel etc. , and thus constitutes a major fishing area for purse-seine fishery. The environment surrounding in this region is under the influence of the Yellow Sea Cold Water, China Coastal Water and Kuroshio Current. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of oceanographic conditions and thermal fronts on the formation of the fishing grounds for the mackerels in the East China Sea. Through the analyses of fisheries statistics during 1968-1976 and temperature data, the following facts are found: 1) Approximately $70\%$ of the total mackerel(common) catches appeared to be come from the Tsushima Current region which includes Sakai coast of the Japan Sea, eastern Tsushima and Shirase Island, and Jeju Island of Korea. This area covers only about $8\%$ of the East China Sea. 2) Main fishing grounds for the jack mackerel are also centered around the area of southwestern Goto, Shirase and eastern Tsushima Island where the catches accounted for about $54\%$ of the total jack mackerel catches. 3) Fluctuations in annual catches are relatively small in the Tsushima Current region, compared to other regions such as Yellow Sea, southwestern coast of Kyushu and mid-western part of the East China Sea, where the fisheries yields varied considerably due to unstable fishing conditions. 4) It appears that the fishing grounds for the jack mackerel are mainly distributed along the warmer region ($15-20^{\circ}C$) of the thermal front, and those for the common mackerel are in somewhat colder region ($13-16^{\circ}C$) in the Tsushima Current.