• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.4 s.179
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• pp.369-384
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• 2006

Korean Peninsula, located on the southeastern part of Eurasian plate, belongs to the intraplate region. The characteristics of intraplate earthquake show the low and rare seismicity and the sparse and irregular distribution of epicenters comparing to interplate earthquake. To evaluate the exact seismic activity in intraplate region, long-term seismic data including historical earthquake data should be archived. Fortunately the long-term historical earthquake records about 2,000 years are available in Korea Peninsula. By the analysis of this historical and instrumental earthquake data, seismic activity was very high in 16-18 centuries and is more active at the Yellow sea area than East sea area. Comparing to the high seismic activity of the north-eastern China in 16-18 centuries, it is inferred that seismic activity in two regions shows close relationship. Also general trend of epicenter distribution shows the SE-NW direction. In Korea Peninsula, the first seismic station was installed at Incheon in 1905 and 5 additional seismic stations were installed till 1943. There was no seismic station from 1945 to 1962, but a World Wide Standardized Seismograph was installed at Seoul in 1963. In 1990, Korean Meteorological Adminstration(KMA) had established centralized modem seismic network in real-time, consisted of 12 stations. After that time, many institutes tried to expand their own seismic networks in Korea Peninsula. Now KMA operates 35 velocity-type seismic stations and 75 accelerometers and Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources operates 32 and 16 stations, respectively. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety and Korea Electric Power Research Institute operate 4 and 13 stations, consisted of velocity-type and accelerometer. In and around the Korean Peninsula, 27 intraplate earthquake mechanisms since 1936 were analyzed to understand the regional stress orientation and tectonics. These earthquakes are largest ones in this century and may represent the characteristics of earthquake in this region. Focal mechanism of these earthquakes show predominant strike-slip faulting with small amount of thrust components. The average P-axis is almost horizontal ENE-WSW. In north-eastern China, strike-slip faulting is dominant and nearly horizontal average P-axis in ENE-WSW is very similar with the Korean Peninsula. On the other hand, in the eastern part of East Sea, thrust faulting is dominant and average P-axis is horizontal with ESE-WNW. This indicate that not only the subducting Pacific Plate in east but also the indenting Indian Plate controls earthquake mechanism in the far east of the Eurasian Plate. Crustal velocity model is very important to determine the hypocenters of the local earthquakes. But the crust model in and around Korean Peninsula is not clear till now, because the sufficient seismic data could not accumulated. To solve this problem, reflection and refraction seismic survey and seismic wave analysis method were simultaneously applied to two long cross-section traversing the southern Korean Peninsula since 2002. This survey should be continuously conducted.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.56-67
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• 2019

In this study, we analyzed the intensity attenuation for M 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 earthquakes using the broadband strong ground motion simulation platform based on the physical seismic modeling developed by the US Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC). The location of the earthquake was assumed to be near the epicenter of the 2016 M 5.8 Gyeongju earthquake, but two of the representative US regional models provided by the SCEC strong ground motion simulation platform were used for the propagation model. One is the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) model representing the intraplate region, and the other is the LA Basin model representing the interplate region. Five modeling methodologies are presented in the version 16.5 of the simulation platform, and Song and Exsim models were used in this study. In the analysis, we found that different intensity attenuation patterns can be observed with the same magnitude of earthquakes, especially depending on the region (CEUS vs LA Basin). Given the same magnitude and distance, the instrumental intensity in the CEUS region (intraplate) could be larger by a unit of 2 than that in the LA Basin region (interplate). Given the difference of intensity attenuation patterns observed in the study, it is important to know the regional intensity attenuation characteristics to understand the accurate level of seismic hazard imposed in the Korean Peninsula. This study also shows the level of the uncertainty of intensity attenuation if region specific attenuation characteristics are not considered.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.277-286
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• 2017

On September 12, 2016, Gyeongju earthquake occurred. Its local magnitude was announced to be $M_L=5.8$ by Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Ground motion data recorded at KMA, EMC and KERC stations was obtained from their data bases. From the data, horizontal and vertical response spectra, and V/H ratio were calculated. The horizontal spectrum was defined as geometric mean spectrum, GMRotI50. From the statistical analysis of the geometric mean spectra, a mean plus one standard deviation spectrum in lognormal distribution is obtained. Regression analysis is performed on this curve to determine the shape of spectrum including transition periods. Applying the same procedure, the shape and transition periods of vertical spectrum was obtained. These results were compared with the Korean standard design spectra, which were developed from domestic and overseas intraplate earthquake records. The response spectra of Gyeongju earthquake were found to be almost identical with the newly proposed design spectra. Even the V/H ratios showed good agreement. These results confirmed that the method adopted when developing the standard design spectra were valid and the developed design spectra were reliable.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2000

The seismicity of the Korean Peninsula shows a very irregular pattern of strain release typical of the intraplate seismicity. The Korean Peninsula may be divided into several tectonic provinces of differing tectonics. In this analysis, seismicity parameters for each tectonic province are evaluated from historical as well as instrumental earthquake data of the Korean Peninsula to examine the differences in seismic characteristics among tectonic provinces. Statistical analysis of the earthquake data made of incomplete data before the Choseon Dynasty and complete data afterwards reveals that there exist no significant differences in seismic characteristics between the tectonic provinces. It turns out the b-value in the intensity-frequency relation for the whole peninsula is about 0.6 and the maximum earthquake is about MMI X. The results of this study may be used in the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of the Korean Peninsula and in estimating the design earthquake in earthquake engineering.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.229-251
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• 2022

In 2017, an intraplate earthquake of Mw 7.1 occurred 120 km from Mexico City (CDMX). Most collapsed structural buildings stroked by the earthquake were flat slab systems joined to reinforced concrete (RC) columns, unreinforced masonry, confined masonry, and dual systems. This article presents the simulated response of an actual six-story RC frame building with masonry infill walls that did not collapse during the 2017 earthquake. It has a structural system similar to that of many of the collapsed buildings and is located in a high seismic amplification zone. Five 3D numerical models were used in the study to model the seismic response of the building. The building dynamic properties were identified using an ambient vibration test (AVT), enabling validation of the building's finite element models. Several assumptions were made to calibrate the numerical model to the properties identified from the AVT, such as the presence of adjacent buildings, variations in masonry properties, soil-foundation-structure interaction, and the contribution of non-structural elements. The results showed that the infill masonry wall would act as a compression strut and crack along the transverse direction because the shear stresses in the original model (0.85 MPa) exceeded the shear strength (0.38 MPa). In compression, the strut presents lower stresses (3.42 MPa) well below its capacity (6.8 MPa). Although the non-structural elements were not considered to be part of the lateral resistant system, the results showed that these elements could contribute by resisting part of the base shear force, reaching a force of 82 kN.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.198-202
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• 2010

In and around the Korean Peninsula, 18 intraplate earthquake focal mechanisms since 1936 were analyzed to understand the characteristic of focal mechanism and regional stress orientation and tectonics. These earthquakes are largest ones from the last century and may represent the characteristics of earthquake in this region. Focal mechanism of these earthquakes show predominant strike-slip faulting with small amount of thrust components. The average P-axis is almost horizontal ENE-WSW direction. This mechanism pattern and the direction of maximum stress axis is very similar with northeastern part of China and southwestern part of Japan. However they are quite different with the eastern part of East Sea. This indicate that not only the subducting Pacific Plate from east but also the indenting Indian Plate controls focal mechanism in the far east of the Eurasian Plate.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2018

In this study, we develop and propose damping correction factors for the Korean standard design spectra. The newly proposed Korean standard design spectra has been given only for 5% damping ratio. But in practice, engineers need design spectra for damping values other than 5%. To obtain design spectra for various damping values from the standard spectra, damping correction factors are derived. These factors modify the shape of design spectra in accordance with the damping ratio. Response spectra for various damping values are calculated from the earthquake records that had been used to calculate standard design spectra. They consist of 55 records from 18 earthquakes occurred in overseas intraplate regions and Korea. The regressed spectra for the damping values ranging from 0.5% to 50 % are compared with standard spectra at three regions acceleration, velocity and displacement sensitive regions. The regression analysis of these data rendered formula for damping correction factors. Finally, a single formula for damping correction factors is recommended that is valid for both horizontal and vertical design spectra and that is applicable to the entire range of periods. One thing to note that recommended damping correction factors is valid for the design spectrum of the rock grounds because the design spectra was developed based on the earthquake records of the rock ground.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Predicting earthquakes is difficult due to the complexity of the systems underlying tectonic phenomena and incomplete understanding of the interactions among tectonic settings, tectonic stress, and crustal components. The Korean Peninsula is located in a stable intraplate region with a low average seismicity of M 2.3. As public interest in the earthquake grows, we analyzed earthquakes on the Korean Peninsula by attempting to predict spatio-temporal earthquake patterns and magnitudes using Facebook's Prophet model based on deep learning, and here we discuss seismic distribution zones using DBSCAN, a cluster analysis method. The Prophet model predicts future earthquakes in Chungcheongbuk-do, Gyeonggi-do, Seoul, and Gyeongsangbuk-do.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2017

A sequence of earthquakes with the main shock $M_L$ 5.8 occurred on September 12 2016 in the Gyeongju area. The main shock was the largest earthquakes in the southern part of the Korean peninsula since the instrumental seismic observation began in the peninsula in 1905 and clearly demonstrated that the Yangsan fault is seismically active. The mean focal depth of the foreshock, main shock, and aftershock of the Gyeongju earthquakes estimated by the crustal model of single layer of the Korean peninsula without the Conrad discontinuity turns out to be 12.9 km, which is 2.8 km lower than that estimated based on the IASP91 reference model with the Conrad discontinuity. The distribution of the historical and instrumental earthquakes in the Gyeongju area indicates that the Yangsan fault system comprising the main Yangsan fault and its subsidiary faults is a large fracture zone. The epicenters of the Gyeongju earthquakes show that a few faults of the Yangsan fault system are involved in the release of the strain energy accumulated in the area. That the major earthquakes of Gyeongju earthquakes occurred not on the surface but below 10 km depth suggests the necessity of the study of the distribution of deep active faults of the Yangsan fault system. The magnitude of maximum earthquake of the Gyeongju area estimated based on the earthquake data of the area turns out to be 7.3. The recurrence intervals of the earthquakes over magnitudes 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 based on the earthquake data since 1978, which is the most complete data in the peninsula, are estimated as 80, 670, and 5,900 years, respectively. The September 2016 Gyeongju earthquakes are basically intraplate earthquakes not related to the Great East Japan earthquake of March 11 2011 which is interplate earthquake.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 1985

Events detected by the KIER microearthquake network operated in the Southern Part of Korea for 265 days in 1982~1984 were reviewed, and some of them were identified to be a dynamite explosion from several construction sites. The purpose of the present work is to determine the crustal structure of the Southern Korea using the time-destance data obtained from such explosion seismic records. The time·distance data can be well explained by a crustal model composed of four horizontal layers of which thickness, p and s-wave velocity ($V_p$ and $V_s$) are characterized as follows. 1st layer (surface) ; 0~2km, $V_p=5.5km/sec$, $V_s=3.3km/sec$ 2nd layer (upper crust) ; 2~15km, $V_p=6.0km/sec$, $V_s=3.5km/sec$ 3rd layer (lower crust) ; 15~29km, $V_p=6.6km/sec$, $V_s=3.7km/sec$ 4th layer (upper mantle) ; 29km~ , $V_p=7.7km/sec$, $V_s=4.3km/sec$ The relatively shallow crust·mantle boundary and low $P_n$ velocity compared with the mean values for stable intraplate region are noteworthy. Supposedely, it is responsible for the high heat flow in the South-eastern Korea or an anomalous subterranean mantle. The mean $V_p/V_s$ ratio calculated from the relation between p-wave arrival and s-p arrival times appears to be 1.735 which is nearly equivalent to the elastic medium of ${\lambda}={\mu}$. However, the ratio tends to be slightly larger with the depth. The ratio is rather high compared with that of the adjacent Japanese Island, and the fact suggests that the underlying crust and upper mantle in this region are more ductile and hence the earthquake occurrences are apt to be interrupted. As an alternative curstal model, a seismic velocity structure in which velocities are successively increased with the depth is also proposed by the inversion of the time·distance data. With the velocity profile, it is possible to calculate a travel time table which is appropriate to determine the earthquake parameters for the local events.