• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.201-211
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• 2003

Bottom simulating reflectors (BSR), representing the base of the gas hydrate stability field, are widespread on the South Shetland continental margin (SSM), Antarctic Peninsula. With the phase diagram fur the gas hydrate stability field, heat flow can be derived from the BSR depth beneath the seafloor determined on multichannel seismic profiles. The heat flow values in the study area range from $50mW/m^2$ to $85mW/m^2$, averaging to $65mW/m^2$. Small deviation from the average heat flow values suggests that heat flow regime of the study area is relatively stable. The landward decrease of heat flow from the South Shetland Trench to the continental shelf would be attributed to the landward thickening of the accretionary prism and the upward advection of heat associated with fluid expulsion. The continental slope 1500m to 3000m deep, where BSRs are most distinguished in the SSM, shows relatively large variation of heat flow possibly due to complex tectonic activities in the study area. The local high heat flow anomalies observed along the slope may be caused by heat transport mechanisms along a NW-SE trending large-scale fault.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.427-443
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• 2009

Cretaceous intrusive and extrusive rocks in the southwestern part of the Yeongnam Massif are possibly the result of intensive magmatism which occurred in response to subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the northeast portion of the Eurasian plate. Geochemical and petrological study on the granitic rocks were carried out in order to constrain the petrogenesis of the granitic magma and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the area. Whole rock chemical data of the granitic rocks from the study area indicate that all the rocks have characteristics of calc-alkaline series in the subalkaline field. The overall geochemical features show systematic variations in each granitic body, but the source materials of each granitic body are thought to have been different in their chemical composition. The granodiorites distributed around Donggyori in the Bognae area (DGd) are different from other granitic rocks within the study area in the contents and differentiation trends of $Al_2O_3$ and MgO as well as in the contents of the trace elements such as Ba, Sr, Pb, Ni, Cr and Y DGd have geochemical features similar to slab-derived adakites such as high $Al_2O_3$, Sr contents and high Sr/Y, La/Yb ratios, but low Y and Yb contents. The major and trace element contents of the DGd fall well within the adakitic field, whereas other Cretaceous granites in the study area are plotted in the island arc ADR area in Sr/Y vs. Y diagram. On the ANK vs. A/CNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type and volcanic arc granite (VAG). Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement in a compressional tectonic regime at continental margin during the subduction of Pacific plate. The geochemical and tectonic features reveal that adakite-like signatures of the DGd were generated by the interaction of mantle peridotite and subducted slab-derived adakitic melts (caused by the thermal effect of ridge subduction), and which slightly modified by crustal contamination during emplacement.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.2 s.171
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• pp.113-127
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• 2005

Cretaceous intrusive and extrusive rocks are widely distributed in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula, possibly the result of intensive magmatism which occurred in response to subduction of the western proto-Pacific plate beneath the north-eastern part of the Eurasian plate. Geochemical and petrological study on the Cretaceous granitic rocks were carried out in order to constrain the petrogenesis of the granitic magma and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the area. Whole rock chemical data of the granitic rocks from the study area indicate that the all the rocks have characteristics of calc-alkaline series in the subalkaline field. The overall geochemical features show systematic variations in each granitic body, but the source materials of each granitic body are thought to have been different in their chemical composition. Higher values of $Fe_2O_3/FeO$ of the granitic rocks in the western area suggest that the granitoids had been solidified under highly oxidizing environment. The granitic bodies in the eastern area also show higher contents of Li, Ni, Co, Sr, Cr, Sc and lower Rb and Nb compared to the those of the western area. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show generally enriched LREE and strong negative Eu anomalies in the western wet while slight to flat Eu anomalies in the east-ern area. The REE and $(La/Lu)_{CN}$ of the granites are $60{\~}499ppm$ and $8.9{\~}66$ correspond to the range of the continental margin granite. On the ANK vs. ACNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type, VAG and syn-collision granite. Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement in a compressional tectonic regime at continental margin during the subduction of proto-Pacific plate.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.313-328
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• 2013

Jurassic granitoids in the northeastern part of the Yeongnam Massif are possibly the result of intensive magmatic activities that occurred in response to subduction of the proto-Pacific plate beneath the northeast portion of the Eurasian plate. Geochemical studies on the granitic rocks are carried out in order to constrain the petrogenesis of the granitic magma and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the area. Whole rock chemical data of the Uljin granitoids in the northeastern part of the Yeongnam Massif indicate that all of the rocks have the characteristics of calcalkaline series in subalkaline field. The overall major element trends show systematic variations in each granitic body, but the source materials of each granitoids seem to have different chemical composition. The Uljin granitoids are different from other granitic rocks, which distributed vicinity of the study area, in the contents of $Al_2O_3$ and trace elements such as Cr, Co, Ni, Sr, Y and Nb. The Uljin granitoids have geochemical features similar to slab-derived adakites such as high $Al_2O_3$, Sr contents and high Sr/Y, La/Yb ratios, but they have low Y and Yb contents. The major ($SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, MgO) and trace element (Sr, Y, La, Yb) contents of the Uljin granitoids fall well within the adakitic field. The Uljin granitoids have similar geochemical characteristics, paleotectonic environments and intrusion ages to those of the Yatsuo plutonic rocks of Hida belt located on northwestern part of Japan. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show generally enriched LREEs ($(La/Yb)_{CN}=10.6-103.4$) and are slight negative to flat Eu anomalies. On the ANK vs. A/CNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type and volcanic arc granite (VAG). Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement in a compressional tectonic regime at the continental margin during the subduction of Izanagi plate in Jurassic period.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.35-60
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• 1987

The geochemical characteristics including minerals, major and trace elements chemistries of the Proterozoic, Jurassic and Cretaceous granites in Korea are systematically summarized and intended to decipher the origin and crystallization process in connection with the tectonic evolution. The granites in Korea are classified into three different ages of the granites with their own distinctive geochemical patterns: 1) Proterozoic granitoids; 2) Jurassic granites(cratonic and mobile belt); 3) Cretaceous-Tertiary granites. The Proterozoic granite gneisses (I-type and ilmenite-series) formed by metamorphism of the geochemically evolved granite protolith. The Proterozoic granites (S-type and ilmenite-series) produced by remobilization of sialic crust. The Jurassic granites (S-type and ilmenite-series) were mainly formed by partial melting of crustal materials, possibly metasedimentary rocks. The Cretaceous granites (I-type and magnetite-series) formed by fractional crystallization of parental magmas from the igneous protolith in the lower crust or upper mantle. The low temperature ($315{\sim}430^{\circ}C$) and small temperature variations (${\pm}20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$) in the cessation of exsolution of perthites for the Proterozoic and Jurassic granites might have been caused by slow cooling of the granites under regional metamorphic regime. The high ($520^{\circ}C$) and large temperature variations (${\pm}110^{\circ}C$) of perthites for the Cretaceous granites postulate that the rapid cooling of the granitic magma. In terms of the oxygen fugacity during the feldspar crystallization in the granite magmas, the Jurassic mobile belt granites were crystallized in the lowest oxygen fugacity condition among the Korean granites, whereas the Cretaceous granites in the Gyeongsang basin at the high oxygen fugacity condition. The Jurassic mobile belt granites are located at the Ogcheon Fold Belt, resulting by closing-collision situation such as compressional tectonic setting, and emplaced into a Kata-Mesozonal ductile crust. The Jurassic cratonic granites might be more evolved either during intrusion through thick crust or owing to lower degree of partial melting in comparison with the mobile belt granites. The Cretaceous granites are possibly comparable with a continental margin of Andinotype. Subduction of the Kula-Pacific ridge provided sufficient heat and water to trigger remelting at various subcrustal and lower crustal igneous protoliths.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.2 s.48
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• pp.82-99
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• 2007

The Paleogene dikes intruding into the late Cretaceous granodiorite are pervasively observed in the Irun-myeon, eastern Geoje Island. They are classified into three groups: NW-trending acidic dike swarm and WNW- (A-Group) and $NS{\sim}NNE-trending$ (B-Group) basic dike swarms. Based on their cross-cutting relationships, the earliest is the acidic dike group and fellowed by A- and B-Groups in succession. The acidic dikes seem to have intruded into tension gashes induced by the sinistral strike-slip faulting of the Yangsan fault system during the late $Cretaceous{\sim}early$ Paleogene. In terms of rock-type, orientation, age, and geochemistry, A-Group and B-Group are intimately correlated with the intermediate and basic dike swarms in the Gyeongju-Gampo area, respectively. These results significantly suggest that the corresponding dike swarms are genetically related. Based on the K-Ar and Ar-Ar age data, A- and B- Groups were intruded during $64{\sim}52\;Ma$ and $51{\sim}44\;Ma$, respectively. The result means that the direction of tensional stress in and around the SE Korean peninsula was changed abruptly from NNE-SSW to $EW{\sim}WNW-ESE$ at about 51 Ma. Considering the tectonic environments during the Paleogene, it is interpreted that A-Group was injected along the WNW-trending tensional fractures developed under an regional sinistral simple shear regime which was caused by the north-northwestward oblique subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Eurasian plate. Meanwhile, the regional stress caused by the collision of India and Eurasia continents at about 55 Ma was likely propagated to the East Asia at about 51 Ma, and then the East Asia including the Korean peninsula was extruded eastwards as a trench-rollback and the dip of downgoing slab of the Pacific plate was abruptly steepened. As a result, the strong suction-force along the plate boundary produced a tensional stress field trending EW or WNW-ESE in and around the Korean peninsula, which resultantly induced B-Group to intrude passively into the study area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.65-80
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• 1994

The Tertiary $Ch{\check{o}}ngja$ basin is located in the southeastern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. It is a lozenge shaped fault-bounded basin with circa $5{\times}5km$ areal extent, isolated from other Tertiary basins by the Cretaceous Ulsan Formation in-between. The northwestern boundary of the basin is a domino/listric type normal fault trending $N30^{\circ}E$, whereas its southwestern boundary is a dextral strike-slip fault (trending $N20^{\circ}W$) with a lateral offset of more than 1 km. The basin is bounded by the East Sea on the eastern margin. Basin-fills consist of extrusive volcanic rock (Tangsa Andesites) of Early Miocene (16~22 Ma in radiometric age), unconsolidated fluviatile conglomerate (Kangdong Formation) and shallow brackish-water sandstone ($Sinhy{\check{o}}n$ Formation). The latter yields abundant Vicarya-Anadara molluscan fossils of early Middle Miocene age. The Tertiary strata become younger toward the northwestern boundary-fault of the basin, showing a zonal distribution pattern parallel to the fault: the younger sedimentary formations occupy a narrow zone of 2 km width along the northwestern boundary-fault, whereas the older Tangsa Andesites underlie them unconformably in the eastern and southeastern portions of the basin. The strata in the basin, including the Tangsa Andesites, are tilted (about $20^{\circ}$) toward the northwestern boundary-fault Sedimentary strata thicken toward the boundary-fault, forming a wedge shaped half-graben structure. A number of small-scale syndepositional normal growth faults and graben structures are observed in the sedimentary strata. These extensional structures have the same trend as the normal northwestern boundary-fault which we interpret as a pull-apart detachment fault. These characteristics imply persistent extension during the basin evolution, caused by a NW-SE directed tensional force. The $Ch{\check{o}}ngja$ basin is, thus, a kind of syndepositional tectonic basin evolved in a strike-slip (pull-apart) regime. The latter was caused by a dextral simple shear associated with the NNW-SSE opening of the East Sea. In view of the fact that the normal growth faults do not cut through the uppermost portion of the youngest $Sinhy{\check{o}}n$ Formation, it is inferred that the tensional force came to be inactive in the early Middle Miocene. This is coincident in timing with the termination of the East Sea opening (15 Ma).

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.256-267
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• 2010

Earthquakes in the Korean Peninsula occur along the faults formed and boundaries between major geological units ruptured due to violent tectonic activities during the Mesozoic. E-W and/or ENE-SSW compressive stress regime resulting from collisions between the Eurasian plate and neighbouring the Indian plate, the Pacific plate and the Philippine plate trigger Korean earthquakes of thrust faulting with predominant strike-slip components along the mostly NNE-SSW trending active faults. Seismicity of the Korean peninsula has been moderate to low during the past 20 centuries except for the period from the 15th to the 18th centuries of exceptionally high seismicity, showing the typical irregularity of intraplate seismicity. The structure of the Korean peninsula is rather homogeneous without the Conrad discontinuity sharply dividing the upper and lower crust. Lateral heterogeneities exist in the crust. The crust with an average thickness of about 33 km is thicker in the mountainous region than the plain due to the Airy-type isostatic equilibrium maintained in the peninsula. Crustal P-wave velocity with average of about 6.3 km/sec increases gradually from the near surface to the Moho. The upper mantle P-wave (Pn) velocity is about 7.8 km/sec.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.5 s.180
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• pp.567-581
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• 2006

The Au-Ag lode deposits in South Korea are closely associated with the Mesozoic granitoids. Namely, the Jurassic deposits formed in mesozonal environments related to deep-seated granitoids, whereas the Cretaceous ones were developed in porphyry-related environments related to subvolcanic granitoids. The time-space relationships of the Au-Ag lode deposits in South Korea are closely related to the changing plate motions during the Mesozoic. Most of the Jurassic auriferous deposits (about $165{\sim}145$ Ma) show fluid characteristics typical of an orogenic-type gold deposits, and were probably generated in a compressional to transpressional regime caused by an orthogonal to oblique convergence of the Izanagi Plate into the East Asian continental margin. On the other hand, strike-slip faults and caldera-related fractures together with subvolcanic activity are associated with major strike-slip faults reactivated by a northward (oblique) to northwestward (orthogonal) convergence, and probably have played an important role in the formation of the Cretaceous Au-Ag lode deposits (about $110{\sim}45$ Ma) under a continental arc setting. The temporal and spatial distinctions between the two typical Mesozoic deposit styles in South Korea probably reflect a different thermal episodes (i.e., late orogenic and post-orogenic) and ore-forming fluids related to different depths of emplacement of magma due to regional changes in tectonic environment.