• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.9-26
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• 1999

The Ulleung Basin (Tsushima Basin) in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) is floored by a crust whose affinity is not known whether oceanic or thinned continental. This ambiguity resulted in unconstrained mechanisms of basin evolution. The present work attempts to define the nature of the crust of the Ulleung Basin and its tectonic evolution using seismic wide-angle reflection and refraction data recorded on ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs). Although the thickness of (10 km) of the crust is greater than typical oceanic crust, tau-p analysis of OBS data and forward modeling by 2-D ray tracing suggest that it is oceanic in character: (1) the crust consists of laterally consistent upper and lower layers that are typical of oceanic layers 2 and 3 in seismic velocity and gradient distribution and (2) layer 2C, the transition between layer 2 and layer 3 in oceanic crust, is manifested by a continuous velocity increase from 5.7 to 6.3 km/s over the thickness interval of about 1 km between the upper and lower layers. Therefore it is not likely that the Ulleung Basin was formed by the crustal extension of the southwestern Japan Arc where crustal structure is typically continental. Instead, the thickness of the crust and its velocity structure suggest that the Ulleung Basin was formed by seafloor spreading in a region of hotter than normal mantle surrounding a distant mantle plume, not directly above the core of the plume. It seems that the mantle plume was located in northeast China. This suggestion is consistent with geochemical data that indicate the influence of a mantle plume on the production of volcanic rocks in and around the Ulleung Basin. Thus we propose that the opening models of the southwestern East Sea should incorporate seafloor spreading and the influence of a mantle plume rather than the extension of the crust of the Japan Arc.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.121-138
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• 2018

We have examined the petrotectonic setting and magmatic evolution from petrochemical characteristics of major and trace elements for the Cretaceous volcanic rocks in and around the Mireukdo Island. The volcanic rocks, can be devided into Jusasan, Unmunsa, Yokji and Saryang subgroups on the ascending order, are classified as basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite and rhyolite on TAS diagram. Petrochemical data show that the rocks are calc-alkaline series, and suggest that erupted earlier medium-K series and later high-K series. The volcanic rocks provide a case in which the calc-alkaline magma are formed, not only from separate protoliths, but following separate paths from source to surface. Earlier and later subgroups take different paths to the surface respectively, and are emplaced in the shallow crust as a series of discrete magma chambers through the volcanic processes. After emplacement, each chamber evolves indepently through fractional crystallization with a little assimilation of wall rock. The volcanic rocks have close petrotectonic affinities with orogenic suite and subduction-related volcanic arc. The rhyolitic magma can be derived from calc-alkaline andesitic magma by fractional crystallization with crustal assimilation, which may be derived from a partial melt of peridotite in the upper mantle.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2016

Negative crystal shaped $CO_2$-rich fluid inclusions, trapped as primary inclusions in neoblasts and as secondary inclusions in porphyroblasts, were studied in spinel peridotite xenoliths from Jeju Island. Based on microthermometric experiments, the solid phase melts at $-57.1^{\circ}C$(${\pm}0.9^{\circ}C$) with no other observable melting events, indicating that the trapped fluid is mostly $CO_2$. The homogenization temperatures show a much wider range from $-39^{\circ}C$(${\rho}=1.12g/cm^{3)}$) to $23^{\circ}C$(${\rho}=0.82g/cm^{3)}$), suggesting that most of the inclusions (originally trapped at mantle conditions) re-equilibrated to lower density values. Nevertheless, the highest density $CO_2$ in our fluid inclusions is consistent with entrapment of fluids at upper mantle pressures (and depths). The calculated trapping pressure from $CO_2$-rich fluid inclusions that appear to be free from re-equilibrium, e.g., showing the lowest homogenization temperatures, is ${\approx}0.9GPa$. Based on the petrographic evidences, the fluid entrapment can be regarded as a late stage event in the evolution of the shallow lithospheric mantle.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 1996

La-Ce method is one of new geochronological methods developed recently. La and Ce are one of the rare earth elements, and, with Sm-Nd system. La-Ce system is very useful in understanding the evolution processes of crust and mantle. In this paper, I introduce the basic concept of the La-Ce method, and apply it in clarifying LREE pattern of source material of leuco-granitic gneisses from the Imweon area, Kangwon-do, and K-rich granite from the Anshan area in Liaoning Province, NE China. Sm-Nd data on the Anshan K-rich granites give an age of $3.16{\pm}0.06$ Ga($2{\sigma}$), with initial $^{143}Nd/^{144}Nd$=$0.50846{\pm}0.00005$ (${\epsilon}_{Nd}$=-1.5). On the basis of Ce and Nd isotopic ratio, leucogranitic gneiss and K-rich granite has been fractionated from the source material which had had similar to CHUR (chundritic uniform reservoir). And the initial ${\epsilon}_{Nd}$ value suggest that the crustal formation age of the Liaoning Province area, NE China was early Archean.

• 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.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.89-112
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• 2012

The Korean Peninsula consists of three Precambrian blocks: Nangrim, Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs. Here we revisited previous stratigraphic relationships, largely based on new geochronologic data, and investigated the crustal evolution history of the Precambrian massifs. The Precambrian strata have been usually divided into lower crystalline basements and upper supracrustal rocks. The former has been considered as Archean or Paleoproterozoic in age, whereas the latter as Paleoproterozoic or later. However, both are revealed as the Paleoproterozoic (2.3-1.8 Ga) strata as a whole, and Archean strata are very limited in the Korean Peninsula. These make the previous stratigraphic system wrong and require reconsideration. The oldest age of the basement rocks can be dated as old as Paleoarchean, suggested by the occurrence of ~3.6 Ga inherited zircon. However, most of crust-forming materials were extracted from mantle around ~2.7 Ga, and produced major portions of crust materials at ~2.5 Ga, which make each massif a discrete continental mass. After that, all the massifs belonged to continental margin orogen during the Paleoproterozoic time, and experienced repeated intracrustal differentiation. After the final cratonization occurring at ~1.9-1.8 Ga, they were stabilized as continental platforms. The Nangrim and Gyeonggi massif included local sedimentary deposition as well as igneous activity during Meso-to Neoproterozoic, but the Yeongnam massif remained stable before the development of Paleozoic basin.

• 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.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.32-52
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• 2003

The Mt. Baegyang in Busan, composed of sedimentary basement rocks (Icheonri Formation), andesite (lava), andesitic pyroclastic rocks, fallout tuff and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks, rhyolitic pyroclastic rocks, intrusive rocks (granite-porphyry, felsite, and biotite-granite) of Cretaceous age in ascending order. The volcanic rocks show a section of composite volcano which comprised alternation of andesitic lava and pyroclasitc rocks, rhyolitic pyrocalstic rocks (tuff breccia, lapilli tuff, fine tuff) from the lower to the upper strata. From the major element chemical analysis, the volcanic and intrusive rocks belong to calc-alkaline rock series. The trace element composition and REE patterns of volcanic and plutonic rocks, which are characterized by a high LILE/HFSE ratio and enrichments in LREE, suggest that they are typical of continental margin arc calc-alkaline rocks produced in the subduction environment. Primary basaltic magma might have been derived from partial melting of mantle wedge in the upper mantle under destructive plate margin. Crystallization differentiation of the basaltic magma would have produced the calc-alkaline andesitic magma. And the felsic rhyolitic magma seems to have been evolved from andesitic magma with crystallization differentiation of plagioclase, pyroxene, and hornblende.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.67-87
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• 2010

This article deal with petrotectonic setting and petrogenesis from petrography and chemical analyses of the Cretaceous volcanic and intrusive rocks in the Cheolwon basin. The volcanic rocks are composed of basalts in Gungpyeong Formation, Geumhaksan Andesite, and rhyolitic rocks (Dongmakgol Tuff, Rhyolite and Jijangbong Tuff), and intrusive rocks, Bojangsan Andesite, granite porphyry and dikes. According to petrochemistry, these rocks represent medium-K to high-K basalt, andesite and rhyolite series that belong to calc-alkaline series, and generally show linear compositional variations of major and trace elements with increase in $SiO_2$ contents, on many Harker diagrams. The incompatible and rare earth elements are characterized by high enrichments than MORB, and gradually high LREE/HREE fractionation and sharp Eu negative anomaly with late strata, on spider diagram and REE pattern. Some trace elements exhibit a continental arc of various volcanic arcs or orogenic suites among destructive plate margins on tectonic discriminant diagrams. These petrochemical data suggest that the basalts may have originated from basaltic calc-alkaline magma of continental arc that produced from a partial melt of upper mantle by supplying some aqueous fluids from a oceanic crust slab under the subduction environment. The andesites and rhyolites may have been evolved from the basaltic magma with fractional crystallization with contamination of some crustal materials. Each volcanic rock may have been respectively erupted from the chamber that differentiated magmas rose sequentially into shallower levels equivalenced at their densities.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.279-292
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• 2014

Nd isotopic compositions analyzed from the Phanerozoic granitoids of Korea are integrated and discussed. Variations in Nd isotopic compositions can be explained either by temporal trend or by regional differences. Among the three active periods, first two periods during the Permian-Triassic and Jurassic seem to show variations from rather high ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ values at the beginning to lower ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ values during the later stages. Such trends probably reflect melting of the subducting oceanic crust and producing magma with higher proportion of depleted mantle derived materials during the early stage of subduction process, and subsequent magmas with greater proportion of old continental crust with progress of subduction. However, the Cretaceous-Paleogene period of active magmatism displays higher ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ values during the advanced stage of the igneous activities, which is opposite to the previous active periods. The other explanation is that such differences in ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ reflect regional differences, based on the observations that such high-${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ granitoids distribute in the northeastern Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongsang Basin. If this is the case, the regions with highr ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ values may have distinct crustal evolution histories, e.g. younger average age. The choice between the two hypothesis could be made through further studies.