• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 2004

Paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic investigations have been carried out for the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Poongam (also called Gapcheon) Basin in the eastern South Korea. A total of 128 independently oriented core samples were drilled from 13 sites for this study. The mean direction after bedding correction (D/I=353.1$^{\circ}$/55.6$^{\circ}$, k=21.5, =$$\alpha$_{95}$=10.1$^{\circ}$) is more dispersed than the mean direction before bedding correction (D/I=10.5$^{\circ}$/56.9$^{\circ}$, k=73.9, =$$\alpha$_{95}$=5.3$^{\circ}$), and the stepwise unfolding of the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) reveals a maximum value of k at 20% unfolding. Secondary authigenic hematite accompanied by altered clays such as chlorite was identified by the electron microscope observations. These results collectively imply that the ChRM is remagnetized due to the formation of the secondary authigenic hematite after tilting of the strata. It is interpreted that the chemical remagnetization was connected to the introduction of mixed magmatic-meteoric fluids, which formed hydrothermal vein deposits near the study area. The paleomagnetic pole position (214.3$^{\circ}$E, 81.6$^{\circ}$N, =$A_{95}$=7.4$^{\circ}$) of the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks calculated from remagnetized directions is close to those of the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary poles of the Korean Peninsula. This Late Cretaceous to Tertiary remagnetization seems to be widespread over the Okcheon Belt because the chemical remagnetization is previously reported to be found in rocks from other Cretaceous small basins (e.g., Eumseong, Gongju and Youngdong basins) along the Okcheon Belt and some Paleozoic strata from the Okcheon unmetamorphosed zone.