• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.473-490
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• 2007

Strata of the Kachi-1 well, Kunsan Basin, offshore western Korea, were analyzed by using integrated stratigraphy approach. As a result, five distinct unconformity-bounded units are recognized in the well: Triassic, Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, and Middle Miocene units. Each unit represents a tectono-stratigraphic unit that provides time-sliced information on basin-forming tectonics, sedimentation, and basin-modifying tectonics of the Kunsan Basin. In the late Late Jurassic, development of second- or third-order wrench faults along the Tan-Lu fault system probably initiated a series of small-scale strike-slip extensional basins. Continued sinistral movement of these wrench faults until the Late Cretaceous caused a mega-shear in the basin, forming a large-scale pull-apart basin. However, in the Early Tertiary, the Indian Plate began to collide with the Eurasian Plate, forming a mega-suture zone. This orogenic event, namely the Himalayan Orogeny, continued by late Eocene and was probably responsible for initiation of right-lateral motion of the Tan-Lu fault system. The right-lateral strike-slip movement of the Tan-Lu fault caused the tectonic inversion of the Kunsan Basin. Thus, the late Eocene to Oligocene was the main period of severe tectonic modification of the basin. After the Oligocene, the Kunsan Basin has maintained thermal subsidence up to the present with short periods of marine transgressions extending into the land part of the present basin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.367-383
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• 2012

The Gyeongsang Arc is the most notable of the Korea Arc that is composed of several volcanic arcs trending to NE-SW direction in the Korean peninsula. The Hayang Group has many volcanogenic interbeds of lava flows by alkaline or calc-alkaline basaltic volcanisms during early Cretaceous. Late Cretaceous calc-alkaline andesitic and rhyolitic volcanisms reconstructed the Gyeongsang Arc that consist of thick volcanic strata on the Hayang Group in The Gyeongsang Basin. The volcanisms characterize first eruptions of basaltic and andesitic lavas with small pyroclastics, and continue later eruptions of dacitic and rhyolitic ash-fall and voluminous ash-flow with some calderas and then domes and dykes. During the Early Cretaceous (about 120 Ma), oblique subduction of the Izanagi plate to NNW from N direction results in sinistral strike-slip faults to open a pull-apart basin in back-arc area of the Gyeongsang Arc, in which erupted lava flows from generation of magma by a decrease in lithostatic pressure. Therefore the Gyeongsang Basin is interpreted into back-arc basin reconstructed by a continental rifting. Arc volcanism began in about 100 Ma with exaggeration of the back-arc basin in the Gyeongsang, and then changed violently to construct volcanic arcs. During the Late Cretaceous (about 90 Ma), orthogonal subduction of the Izanagi plate to NW from NNW direction ceased development of the basin to prolong violent volcanisms.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.70-78
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• 2003

Sado, Chudo, Mokdo, Nangdo, and Jeokgeumdo are the islands which belong to Hwajeong-myeon, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do and there are various kinds of volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, and dinosaur-fossil bearing sedimentary rocks on these islands. This study is designed to constrain geologic ages of these volcanic and sedimentary rocks. K-Ar ages of these rocks indicate that the volcanism of this area occurred mainly during the period of 91.8 ${\pm}$ 3.5∼65.5 ${\pm}$ 1.3(l$\sigma$) Ma. Deposition ages of the sedimentary rocks were bracketed based on the ages of the volcanic rocks and observed field relationship between sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The oldest sedimentary deposit of the area is the volcanic pebble bearing conglomerate of the Jeokgeumdo and its deposition age is ca. 81 Ma or less. The deposition age of the Chudo shale, which belongs to stratigraphically upper sequence and bears many dinosaur footprints, is at least ca. 77 Ma. Conglomerate of the Mokdo was deposited at ca. 72∼70 Ma. The deposition age of the dinosaur fossil deposit of the Sado is at least ca. 65 Ma. All the investigated volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Yeosu islands were formed during the late Cretaceous and dinosaurs lived until the latest Cretaceous in this area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.385-400
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• 2004

The Lago Sofia Conglomerate encased in the 2km thick hemipelagic mudstones and thinbedded turbidites of the Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation, southern Chile, is a deposit of a gigantic submarine channel developed along a foredeep trough. It is hundreds of meters thick kilometers wide, and extends for more than 120km from north to south, representing one of the largest ancient submarine channels in the world. The channel deposits consist of four major facies, including stratified conglomerates (Facies A), massive or graded conglomerates (Facies B), normally graded conglomerates with intraformational megaclasts (Facies C), and thick-bedded massive sandstones (Facies D). Conglomerates of Facies A and B show laterally inclined stratification, foreset stratification, and hollow-fill structures, reminiscent of terrestrial fluvial deposits and are suggestive of highly competent gravelly turbidity currents. Facies C conglomerates are interpreted as deposits of composite or multiphase debris flows associated with preceding hyperconcentrated flows. Facies D sandstones indicate rapidly dissipating, sand-rich turbidity currents. The Lago Sofia Conglomerate occurs as isolated channel-fill bodies in the northern part of the study area, generally less than 100m thick, composed mainly of Facies C conglomerates and intercalated between much thicker fine-grained deposits. Paleocurrent data indicate sediment transport to the east and southeast. They are interpreted to represent tributaries of a larger submarine channel system, which joined to form a trunk channel to the south. The conglomerate in the southern part is more than 300 m thick, composed of subequal proportions of Facies A, B, and C conglomerates, and overlain by hundreds of m-thick turbidite sandstones (Facies D) with scarce intervening fine-grained deposits. It is interpreted as vertically stacked and interconnected channel bodies formed by a trunk channel confined along the axis of the foredeep trough. The channel bodies in the southern part are classified into 5 architectural elements on the basis of large-scale bed geometry and sedimentary facies: (1) stacked sheets, indicative of bedload deposition by turbidity currents and typical of broad gravel bars in terrestrial gravelly braided rivers, (2) laterally-inclined strata, suggestive of lateral accretion with respect to paleocurrent direction and related to spiral flows in curved channel segments around bars, (3) foreset strata, interpreted as the deposits of targe gravel dunes that have migrated downstream under quasi-steady turbidity currents, (4) hollow fills, which are filling thalwegs, minor channels, and local scours, and (5) mass-flow deposits of Facies C. The stacked sheets, laterally inclined strata, and hollow fills are laterally transitional to one another, reflecting juxtaposed geomorphic units of deep-sea channel systems. It is noticeable that the channel bodies in the southern part are of feet stacked toward the east, indicating eastward migration of the channel thalwegs. The laterally inclined strata also dip dominantly to the east. These features suggest that the trunk channel of the Lago Sofia submarine channel system gradually migrated eastward. The eastward channel migration is Interpreted to be due to tectonic forcing imposed by the subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the Andean Cordillera just to the west of the Lago Sofia submarine channel.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.353-363
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• 1999

The Cretaceous and the Upper Jurassic strata of the Korean Peninsula, entirely of continental facies, form a sedimentary mega-unit subdivided into three unconformity-bounded units. The lower, Upper Jurassic-early Lower Cretaceous unit (Jasong Synthem) occurs profusely in North Korea and is characterized by volcanic rocks of intermediate to acidic, calc-alkaline to alkaline compositions; but strata of this unit is very rare in South Korea. The middle, Hauterivian-Lower Albian unit occurs commonly in the Korean Peninsula, but some alkalinesubalkaline basalt and andesite occur only in South Korea. A recently obtained U-Pb isochron age about 113.6 Ma (Chang et at, 1998) from the zircon grains of the Kusandong Tuff in the uppermost part of the Haman Formation has thrown much light on the age of this unit. The stratotype of this Hauterivian-L. Albian unit is the Sindong and Hayang Groups of the Kyongsang Basin, where the unit is about twice thick and has more conglomerates than in sedimentary basins in North Korea. The unit shows various sedimentary cycles in different basins showing that the cyclicity is controlled by local crustal motion. The upper, Upper Albian-Upper Cretaceous unit is abundant in South Korea with prolific volcanic rocks which are intermediate to acidic and notably calc-alkaline. In North Korea, however, this unit occurs in only one locality without volcanic rocks and is not voluminous. The distribution of these three unconformity-bounded units shows a stepwise younging toward the Pacific Ocean: the lower unit occurs mainly in N Korea, the middle unit occurs in both N and S Korea, and the upper unit occurs mainly in the southern part of S Korea. The Cretaceous sedimentary basins of S Korea were genetically controlled by paralleling sinistral strike-slip faults parallel to the Pacific margin.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2023

In this study, small bird tracks from the Cretaceous Sanbukdong Formation in Gunsan City, South Korea, were briefly described. Detrital zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating was conducted of the tuffaceous sandstone from the formation to determine the depositional age of the vertebrate track-bearing strata. Small bird tracks are not well-preserved but divided into two types: two consecutive tracks and three isolated tracks. They are small, asymmetric, slender, functionally-tridactyl tracks, which lack a web between digits. The consecutive and isolated tracks were identified as Koreanaornis dodsoni? and Koreanaornis ichnosp., respectively. This study adds avian tracks to the Sanbukdong tetrapod track assemblage composed of theropods, ornithopods, and pterosaur tracks. According to the U-Pb dating, the estimated age of the Sanbukdong Formation is 112.5±5.8 Ma, regard as the Aptian Stage, representing the maximum depositional age for the Sanbukdong Formation. The Sanbukdong Formation can be correlated with the lower part of the Jinju Formation in the Gyeongsang Basin. Thus, small avian tracks may represent the oldest Korean occurrence of Koreanaornis.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.85-109
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• 2024

Detrital zircon U-Pb dating was performed to determine the depositional age and provenance of sediments in the Cretaceous Muju Basin in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do. Six samples were collected from the Seolcheon Tuff (SCT), Bangyiri Formation (BYR), Gobang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-G), Seochang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-S), Bukchang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-B), and Jeogsangsan Formation (JSS). Based on the dating results, the sedimentary strata of the Muju Basin were deposited for approximately 105.6-90.4 Ma corresponding to the Albian to Turonian. The youngest single zircon ages of about 94.4 Ma and 89.6 Ma were confirmed in the samples from the Bangyiri Formation and the Gobang Member of the Gilwangri Formation, respectively, distributed in the western part of the Muju Basin. The relative and numerical ages previously estimated based on the lithostratigraphic correlation of the Gilwangri conglomerate need to be revisited in further research. The results also suggest that most of the sediments filling the Muju Basin were supplied from a limited area adjacent to the basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.455-468
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• 1999

Carbonated mineral waters fo $Ca(Mg)-HCO_3$ type spring out fissure of Jurassic granite in the valley floor of the Chungsong area. The water has been long as a Dalki medicinal water because of its unique therapeutic effect against clacium deficit, stomach and skin troubles, ect. The water has a high $CO_2$ concentration ($P_{CO_2}$=0.51~1.12atm) and exhibits strong pH buffering (5.9~6.26) by $H_2CO_3/HCO_3$ couple. Electrical conductivity ranges from 1,900 to 3100 $\mu$S/cm. Environmental isotopic data $(^{2}H/^{1}H, ^{18}O/^{16}O \;and \;^3H)$ indicates that the water is of meteoric origin recharged in the Cretaceous sedimetary strata distributed in upper part of the catchment area at least before 1950s, The high $P_{co_2}$ and carbon isotope data (${\delta}^{13}C=-3\sim-0.2\textperthousand$) suggest that the potential source of carbonated mineral water was originated in deep-seated $CO_2$ as wel as aboundant carbonate minerals of sedimentary desimetary rocks. The major source minerals of the dissoved species in the carbonated mineral water appear to be carbonate minerals, albite and K-feld-spar in sedimentrary rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.2 s.183
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• pp.191-207
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• 2007

A paleomagnetic investigation for the Cretaceous rocks in the Buyeo and Hampyeong Basins, located out of the Gyeongsang Basin, was carried out in order to elucidate the paleomagnetic directions in conjunction with the formation of the basins. Typical stepwise thermal demagnetization and measurement methods were used to determine the directions of characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRMs). The mean direction of the sedimentary rocks from the Buyeo Basin after bedding correction $(D/I=356.5^{\circ}/61.5^{\circ},\;k=39.3\;\alpha_{95}=7.4^{\circ})$, is more dispersed than that before bedding correction $(D/I=356.5^{\circ}/61.5^{\circ},\;k=39.3\;\alpha_{95}=7.4^{\circ})$, which suggests that the rocks in the Buyeo Basin were remagnetized. However, the statistics and dispersion of the ChRM directions after bedding correction are still acceptable and the paleomagnetic pole position after tilt correction $(Lat./Long.=69.3^{\circ}N/186.7^{\circ}E,\;K=11.6\;A_{95}=14.0^{\circ})$ is closer to that of the Late Cretaceous pole of the Korean Peninsula. More detailed study is needed to confirm the nature of the remagnetization in the Buyeo Basin. On the other hand, the paleomagnetic pole before bedding correction $(Lat./Long.=81.6^{\circ}N/106.9^{\circ}E,\;K=25.1\;A_{95}=9.3^{\circ})$ is positioned near the paleogene pole of the Eurasian APWP. The mean ChRM direction of the sedimentary rocks from the Hampyeong Basin after bedding correction is $D/I=32.5^{\circ}/55.4^{\circ},\;(k=35.6,\;\alpha_{95}=8.7^{\circ})$. It is more clustered than that before bedding correction $D/I=18.3^{\circ}/62.5^{\circ},\;k=14.1,\;\alpha_{95}=14.2^{\circ})$, indicating that the ChRM was acquired before tilting of the strata. The paleomagnetic pole position of the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Hampyeong Basin, averaged out of site pole positions calculated from the tilt-corrected ChRMs, is $Lat./Long.=63.9^{\circ}N/202.7^{\circ}E,\;(K=21.3,\;A_{95}=7.6^{\circ})$, similar to the Late Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole of the Korean Peninsula $(Lat./Long.=70.9^{\circ}N/215.4^{\circ}E,\;A_{95}=5.3^{\circ})$, suggesting that the Hampyeong Basin has been stable since the Late Cretaceous period. One normal and two reversed ChRM directions are revealed through the measurements of the volcanic rocks from the Hampyeong Basin. Although these normal and reversed directions are not exactly antipodal, it is interpreted that the normal direction is the representative primary direction of the volcanic rocks of the Hampyeong Basin and the mixed polarity is the records of geomagnetic field at the time of the formation of the volcanic rocks. Paleomagnetic poles are at $Lat./Long.=70.2^{\circ}N/199.5^{\circ}E,\;(K=18.1,\;A_{95}=9.6^{\circ})$ for the normal direction, and $Lat./Long.=65.5^{\circ}S/251.3^{\circ}E,\;(K=7.1,\;A_{95}=20.7^{\circ})$ for the reversed direction. Compared with the representative pole positions of the Cretaceous period of the Korean Peninsula, it is concluded that the age of the volcanic rocks in the Hampyeong Basin is of the Late Cretaceous.