• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2015

The fission track registration techniques for accurate determinations of uranium in solid- and liquid-state geological materials were recommended and their applicability were examined. The determination of uranium can be achieved by optical counting of neutron-induced fission tracks of $^{235}U$ registered on solid-state track detectors under high magnification. In a dry registration method using powdered pellets of rocks (e.g., granite and coal) showing good uranium-affinity, it was not easy to decide an overall mean concentration over the total sample owing to track-clusters caused by frequent presence of uranium-bearing minerals. Separate scanning for homogeneous and track-clustered parts may be an alternative choice. Assuring the homogeneity over the whole sample, high reproducibilities were confirmed both from duplicate detections using mica and Lexan polycarbonate detectors and from multiple measurements at different thermal neutron fluences. The wet registration method using sealed quartz tubes is recommended to overcome the common heterogeneity in uranium concentrations of $10^1ppm$ and more. Adopting the wet registration, the uranium homogeneity was recovered below the $10^0ppm$ level and the lower detection limit was proved to reach without difficulty the $10^2ppb$ (i.e. $ng\;g^{-1}$) level.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.83-115
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• 2013

Erroneous fission-track (FT) ages caused by an inappropriate calibration in the initial stage of FT dating were redefined by re-experiments and zeta calibration using duplicate samples. Revised FT zircon ages newly define the formation ages of Yucheon Group rhyolitic-dacitic tuffs as Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene ($78{\pm}4$ Ma to $65{\pm}2$ Ma) and Gokgangdong rhyolitic tuff as Early Eocene ($52.1{\pm}2.3$ Ma). In case of the Early Miocene volcanics, FT zircon ages from a dacitic tuff of the upper Hyodongri Volcanics ($21.6{\pm}1.4$ Ma) and a dacitic lava of the uppermost Beomgokri Volcanics ($21.3{\pm}2.0$ Ma) define chronostratigraphies of the upper Beomgokri Group, respectively in the southern Eoil Basin and in the Waeup Basin. A FT zircon age ($19.8{\pm}1.6$ Ma) from the Geumori dacitic tuff defines the time of later dacitic eruption in the Janggi Basin. Based on FT zircon ages for dacitic rocks and previous age data (mostly K-Ar whole-rock, partly Ar-Ar) for basaltic-andesitic rocks, reference ages are recommended as guides for stratigraphic correlations of the Miocene volcanics and basements in SE Korea. The times of accumulation of basin-fill sediments are also deduced from ages of related volcanics. Recommended reference ages are well matched to the whole stratigraphic sequences despite complicated basin structures and a relative short time-span. The Beomgokri Group evidently predates the Janggi Group in the Eoil-Waeup basins, while it is placed at an overlapped time-level along with the earlier Janggi Group in the Janggi Basin. Therefore, the two groups cannot be uniformly defined in a sequential order. The Janggi Group of the Janggi Basin can be evidently subdivided by ca. 20 Ma-basis into two parts, i.e., the earlier (23-20 Ma) andesitic-dacitic and later (20-18 Ma) basaltic strata.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.389-410
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• 2016

Wide ranges of fission-track (FT) ages were obtained from the Jurassic granite batholith in Jeonju-Gimje-Jeongeup area, southwestern Okcheon Belt: sphene=158~70 Ma; zircon=127~71 Ma; apatite=72~46 Ma. Thermochronological analyses based on undisturbed primary cooling and reset or partially-reduced FT ages, and some track-length data reveal complicated thermal histories of the granite. The overall cooling of the batholith is characterized by a relatively rapid earlier-cooling (${\sim}20^{\circ}/Ma$) to $300^{\circ}C$ isotherm since its crystallization and a very slow later-cooling ($2.0{\sim}1.5^{\circ}/Ma$) through the $300^{\circ}C-200^{\circ}C-100^{\circ}C$ isotherms to the present surface temperature. It is indicated that the large part of Jurassic granitic body experienced different level of elevated temperatures at least above $170^{\circ}C$ (maximum>$330^{\circ}C$) by a series of igneous activities in late Cretaceous. Consistent FT zircon ages from duplicate measurements for two sites of later igneous bodies define their formation ages: e.g., quartz porphyry=$73{\pm}3Ma$; diorite=$73{\pm}2Ma$; rhyolite=$72{\pm}3Ma$; feldspar porphyry=$78{\pm}4Ma$ (total weighted average=$73{\pm}3Ma$). Intrusions of these later igneous bodies and pegmatitic dyke swarms might play important roles in later thermal rise over the study area including hot-spring districts (e.g., Hwasim, Jukrim, Mogyokri, Hoebong etc.). On the basis of an assumption that the latercooling of granite batholith was essentially controlled by the denudation of overlying crust, the uplift since early Cretaceous was very slow with a mean rate of ~0.05 mm/year (i.e., ~50 m/Ma). Estimates of total uplifts since 100 Ma, 70 Ma and 40 Ma to present-day are ~5 km, ~3.5 km and ~2 km, respectively. The consistent values of total uplifts from different locations may suggest a regional plateau uplift with a uniform rate over the whole granitic body.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.335-365
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• 2012

Fission-track (FT) thermochronological records from SE Korean Cretaceous-Paleogene granitic plutons in different fault-bounded blocks reveal contrasting cooling and later thermal histories. Overall cooling patterns are represented by a monotonous (J-shaped) curve in most plutons except some Cretaceous granites retaining a complicated (N-shaped) path due to post-reset re-cooling. Discriminative cooling rates over different temperature ranges can be explained for individual plutons with respect to relative pluton sizes, differences in initial heat loss depending on country rocks, and the presence and proximity of later igneous activity. Even within a single batholith, cooling times for different isotherms were roughly contemporaneous with respect to positions. Insignificant deviations in cooling ages from two different plutons in succession across the Yangsan fault may suggest their contemporaneity before major horizontal fault movement. The extent of later thermal rise recorded locally along the Yangsan and Dongnae fault zones were reached the Apatite Partial Stability Zone ($70-125^{\circ}C$), but did not exceed $200^{\circ}C$. Thermal alteration from fractured zones in the Yangsan-Ulsan fault junction may suggest a thermal reset above $290^{\circ}C$ resulting a complete reset in FT sphene age (31 Ma), caused by a tectonic subsidence in Early Oligocene. A consistency in FT zircon/apatite ages (24 Ma) may imply a sudden rapid cooling over $200-105^{\circ}C$, plausibly related to the abrupt tectonic uplift of the Pohang-Gampo Block including the fault junction in Late Oligocene. A remarkable trend of lower cooling ages for $300-200-100^{\circ}C$ isotherms (i.e., 19% for FT sphene and K-Ar biotite; 20% for FT zircon; 27% for FT apatite) from the east of the Ulsan fault (Pohang-Gampo Block) comparing to the west of the fault may be attributed to retarded cooling times from the Paleogene granites and also reflected by their partially-reduced apatite ages due to later thermal effects.