• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.332-340
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• 1995

To study stratigraphy of tidal basin deposits, related unconformity and source of late Holocene tidal sediments in Namyang Bay, west coast of Korea, total 8 vibracore sediments have been analyzed. The uppermost stratigraphic sequence of the late Holocene Namyang intertidal deposit overlies three different stratigraphic sequences (1) oxidized reddish brown muddy deposit (Yongduri Member), (2) oxidized yellow deposit (Kanweoldo Formation) and (3) the pre-Cambrian gneiss complex unconformably. Accordingly, three unconformities between those different sequences are recognized. The Namyang tidal deposits (late Holocene) with several meter thickness are mostly coarsening upward sequence suggesting transgressive phase during a continuous rise of sea level. The tidal deposit vibracored down to 4.5 m in depth contains clastic glauconite sands (2% in average) from 2.5 m to the vibracore bottom. These glauconite sands are considered to be transported to the site of Namyang Bay tidal sedimentation from offshore continental shelf of the Yellow Sea along the course of late Holocene sea-level rise.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

Sedimentary facies and high-resolution echo facies were analyzed to elucidate sedimentation pattern of the late Quaternary glacial-marine deposits in the northern continental margin of the South Shetland Islands. Six sedimentary facies are classified, based on grain texture and sedimentary structures in gravity cores. The high-resolution (3.5 ㎑) echo characters are classified into 6 echo facies on the basis of clarity, continuity, and shape of bottom and subbottom echoes together with seafloor topography. Distribution of the echo and sedimentary facies suggest that there was a significant change in sedimentation pattern between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent glacier-retreating period. When the grounded glaciers extended to the present shelfbreak during LGM, coarse-grained subglacial tills were widespread in the shelf area, and deep troughs in the shelf were carved beneath the fast-flowing ice steam. As the glacial margin retreated landward after LGM, dense meltwater plumes released from the retreating ice-front were funneled along the glacier-carved troughs, and accumulated channel- or cannyon-fill deposits in the shelf and the upper to mid slope. At that time, slope sediments seem to have been reworked by slope failures and unsteady contour currents, and further transported by fine-grained turbidity currents along the South Shetland Trench. After the glacial retreat, sediments in the shelf and slope areas have been mainly introduced by persistent (hemi) pelagic settling, and fine-grained turbidity currents frequently occur along the axis of the South Shetland Trench.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.597-602
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• 2005

The Late Quaternary palynoflora from an archaeological site in Piseo-ri, Muan, Korea consists predominately of deciduous broadleaved angiosperms and subordinately of herbs and conifers. Dominant taxa are Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, Alnus, Carpinus, deciduous Quercus, Compositae and Gramineae. The palynoflora dated 43,000-18,000 yr BP, corresponding to the last glacial period, is similar to the modern vegetation of the cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest in the middle part of the Korean Peninsula. Based on palynofloral composition, three palynozones are recognized. Zone I represents a cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest, composed of Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, Alnus and D. Quercus, and is characterized by persistent occurrence of warm temperate taxa. Zone II shows drastic decrease in Polypodiaceae, Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, and increase in herbs. This zone reflects a cool temperate deciduous broadleaved forest with scattered open grasslands. Zone III is characterized by dominance in herbs and increase in conifers. The palynofloral composition suggests a cool temperate climate, and variation in occurrences of main taxa indicates that climatic conditions gradually became cold and dry.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.187-198
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• 2003

High-resolution (Chirp, 3-11 kHz) echo facies and sedimentary facies of piston-core sediments were analyzed to reveal the late Quaternary depositional processes in the Korea Plateau and Ulleung Interplain Gap. The Korea Plateau is an Isolated topographic high with a very restricted input of terrigenous sediments, and its slope is characterized by a thin sediment cover and various-scale submarine canyons and valleys. Echo and sedimentary facies suggest that the plateau has been moulded mainly by persistent (hemi) pelagic sedimentation and intermittent settling of volcanic ashes. Sediments on the plateau slope and steep margins of ridges and seamounts were reworked by earthquake-induced, large-scale slope failures accompanied by slides, slumps and debris flows. As major fraction of the reworked sediments consists of (hemi) pelagic clay particles, large amounts of sediments released from mass flows were easily suspended to form turbid nepheloid layers rather than bottom-hugging turbidity currents, which flowed further downslope through the submarine canyons and spreaded over the Ulleung Basin plain. In the Ulleung Interplain Gap, sediments were introduced mainly by (hemi) pelagic settling and subordinate episodic mass flows (turbidity currents and debris flows) along the submarine channels from the slopes of the Oki Bank and Dok Island. The sediments in the Ulleung Interplain Channel and its margin were actively eroded and reworked by the deep water flow from the Japan Basin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.261-281
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• 2016

Our knowledge of the lithosphere beneath the Korean Peninsula has been improved through petrologic and geochemical studies of upper mantle xenoliths hosted by Quaternary intraplate alkali basalts from Jeju Island. The xenoliths are mostly spinel lherzolites, accompanied by subordinate harzburgite and pyroxenites. The mantle xenoliths represent residual mantle material showing textural and geochemical evidence for at least a three-stage evolution, fractional partial melting, recrystallization, and metasomatism. Their composition primarily controlled by early fractional melt extraction and porphyroclastic and mylonitic fabrics formed in a shear-dominated environment, which was subsequently modified by residual slab-derived fluids (or melts). Modal metasomatic products occur as both anhydrous phase(orthopyroxene) and hydrous phase (phlogopite). Late-stage orthopyroxene is more common than phlogopite. However, chemical equilibrium is evident between the primary and secondary orthopyroxene, implying that the duration of post-metasomatic high temperatures enabled complete resetting/reequilibration of the mineral compositions. The metasomatic enrichment pre-dates the host Jeju Quaternary magmatism, and a genetic relationship with the host magmas is considered unlikely. Following enrichment in the peridotite protolith in the mantle wedge, the upper mantle beneath proto-Jeju Island was transformed from a subarc environment to an intraplate environment. The Jeju peridotites, representing old subarc fragments, were subsequently transported to the surface, incorporated into ascending Quaternary intraplate alkali basalt. The result of this study implies that long term material transfer in the transformation of geotectonic setting from a subarc to intraplate may have played a significant role in the evolution of lithospheric mantle, resulting in the enriched mantle domains, such as EM I or EM II in the lithospheric mantle beneath East Asia.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.349-359
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• 2020

The Ulsan Fault Zone (UFZ) of NNW trend is developed in the Gyeongsang Basin, the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, and the Quaternary faults have been found around the UFZ. The faults generally thrust the Bulguksa igneous rocks of Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary upon the Quaternary deposits or are developed within the Quaternary deposits. They mainly show the reverse-slip sense of top-to-the west movement. The lines connecting the their outcrop sites show a zigzag-form which is similar to the orientation of their fault surfaces which show the various trends, like (W)NW, N-S, (E)NE, ENE trends. The E-W trending dextral strike(-slip) fault is found in the Quaternary deposits of the Singye-ri valley. It cuts the N-S trending reverse fault and are cut by the N-S trending thrust fault again. Two types of at least two times of Quaternary tectonic movements related to the formation of neotectonic fault zone in the Singye-ri valley are considered from such the geometric and kinematic characteristics of Quaternary faults. One is the reverse faulting of N-S trend by the E-W directed 1st compression and associated the strike-slip tear faulting of E-W trend, and then the thrust faulting of N-S trend by the E-W directed 2nd compression. The other is the reverse faulting of N-S trend, and then the dextral strike-slip faulting of E-W trend by the NW-SE directed compression, and then the thrust faulting of N-S trend. In this paper is suggested the development history of Singye-ri neotectonic fault zone on the basis of the various orientations of Quaternary fault surfaces around the UFZ, and the zigzag-form connecting line of their outcrop sites, and the compressive arc-shaped lineaments which convex to the west reported recently in the Yangsan Fault Zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.555-571
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• 2001

The dynamic evolution of the Chugaryeong fault valley is studied by paleomagnetic works on 163 samples at 16 sites from Late Cretaceous and Quaternary volcanic rocks in the valley. Conglomerate test and stepwised thermal/alternating field demagnetization indicate that all the characteristic directions are of primary origin. Paleomagnetic pole ponsition(216.8$^{\circ}$E/7l .6$^{\circ}$N; dp=7.1$^{\circ}$, dm=10.0$^{\circ}$) for the upper par of the Jijangbong Volcanic Complex Is indistinguishable from the coeval retference pole position from the Gyeongsang Basin, which further substanciates the reliability of the Paleomagnetic data. This indicates the study area has not undergone any tectonic rotation since Late Cretaceous by uy significant reactivation of the Chugaryeong fault valley. The Quaternary pole position (134.2$^{\circ}$E/86.5$^{\circ}$N; $A_{95}$=7.1 $^{\circ}$) from the Jeongog Basalt reflects the present geocentric axial dipole field for the area, supporting the above conclusion. Unlike the upper part, paleomasnelic directions of the lower part of the Jijangbong Volcanic Complex show random distrinution between sites. We interpret that the early stage of the volcanic activity was created by sinistral strike slip motion of the Chugaryeong fault during early Late Cretaceous. The creation and evolution of the Chugaryeong fault valley emphasize the significance of the kinematic FR (folding ruler) model in east Asia.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.447-454
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• 1998

As a widespread tephra erupted 24 to 25 KA, Aira-Tn Ash, or AT, provides an invaluable datum for stratigraphic study of late Pleistocene in Northeast Asia. AT can be identified from their tonal characteristic and morphology (the so­called bubble-wail feature), as well as typical refractive index. First reported in 1983, its presence was confirmed from many palaeolithic deposits distributed throughout Korea. It forces us to reconsider the age of prominent Pleistocene deposits. At the famous archaeological site of Chon-gok-ni, presence of AT lends a firm support that sedimentation and deposition of lithic assemblage were in fact a late Upper Pleistocene event, thus, throwing a new question at archaeologists to explain why such archaic-looking tools were continued to be made. Discovery of AT at Chongdongjin is more surprising, since the coastal terrace has been regarded by many as an early Lower Pleistocene eustatic feature. It implies strongly that we need to devise a new scheme for Quaternary stratigraphy. In the absence of reliable datum and marker for Quaternary research, efforts must be given to search for and identify AT and other widespread tephras.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.657-667
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• 2003

Deep-drilled core sampling and high-resolution seismic survey were carried out to identify a Holocene-late Pleistocene boundary in Gyeonggi Bay, western coast of Korea. Analysis of core sections revealed the existence of an oxidized and semi-consolidated sediment layer, Iying immediately below a Holocene horizon (Unit I) and being developed at the top of a late Pleistocene deposit (Unit II). The oxidized sedimentary layer (uppermost part of Unit II) is characterized by semi-consolidated, yellowish sediments showing signs of desiccation and alteration such as high N value, low water content, periglacial cryogenic structure, depletion of smectite, and high geochemical weathering index (Ba/Sr ratio). This feature, together with radiocarbon ages, suggests that the layer has formed as a result of prolonged subaerial exposure of Unit II sediments during the late Wisconsin sea-level lowstand, producing a regional unconformity. Such unconformitic-bounding surface corresponds to a prominent near-surface reflector (R), which is observed in seismic profiles obtained across the drilled-core sections in the study area. Consequently, the buried oxidized-sedimentary layer associated with the seismic reflector possibly plays a key horizon for the understanding of late Quaternary environmental changes as well as evidence of the emergence of the Yellow Sea shelf during the late Wisconsin sea-level lowstand.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.66-73
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• 2001

Yangsan fault in the southeastern part of Korean peninsula has been locally reactivated along a prexisted fault during the late Pleistocene time. Geomorphological evidence of the reactivation is revealed at the northern segment(Yugye-ri, Tosung-ri areas) of the Yangsan fault. The reactivation is distinctively characterized by fault gouge and fracture zone with high frequency in the Yugye-ri area. Obique slip separation of the area is about three meters of the middle terrace. The cumulative vertical displacement is recognized after the formation of the middle terrace. Age of the reactivated faulting is constrained to during the formation of dissected valley deposits. Average vertical slip based on paleo-event is inferred to about 0.5-0.7 meter in this area.