• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.151-164
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• 2022

According to the records of historical and instrumental earthquakes, the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula is considered the highest seismic activity area. Owing to recent reports of numerous Quaternary faults along the Yangsan and Ulsan fault zones, paleoseismological studies are being actively conducted in these areas. The study area is located in the central part of the Ulsan fault zone, where the largest number of active faults have been reported. Based on lineament and geomorphic analysis using LiDAR images and aerial photographs, fault-related landforms showing topographic relief were observed and a trench survey was conducted. The trench length 20 m, width 5 m, depth 5 m is located approximately 300 m away to the northeast from the previously reported Malbang fault. From the trench section, we interpreted the geometric and kinematic characteristics of the fault based on the deformed features of the Quaternary sedimentary layers. The attitude of the reverse fault, N26°W/33°NE, is similar to those of the reported faults distributed along the Ulsan fault zone. Although a single apparent displacement of approximately 40 cm has been observed, the true displacement could not be calculated due to the absence of the slickenline on the fault plane. Based on the geochronological results of the cryogenic structure proposed in a previous study, the most recent faulting event has been estimated as being earlier than the late Wurm glaciation. We interpreted the thrust fault system of the study area as an imbrication structure based on the previous studies and the fault geometry obtained in this additional trench. Although several previous investigations including many trench surveys have been conducted, they found limited success in obtaining the information on fault parameters, which could be due to complex characteristics of the reverse fault system. Additional paleoseismic studies will contribute to solving the mentioned problems and the comprehensive fault evolution.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2006

Since the key issue that 'the Yangsan fault is seismically an active fault" was raised in 1983, thegeological and geomorphological studies of active fault have been made by many researchers. These studies are mainly focused on the Yangsan fault system(YFS) and Ulsan fault system(UFS) due to many historical earthquakes occurred in this area. There are two different types of active faultings under the ENE-WSW horizontal stress field in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. The NNE-trending YFS is the most prominent right-lateral strike-slip fault and has a continuous trace about 200 km long. Some part of this system has been active during the late Quaternary with evidences clearly recognized on both the northern (Yugyeri and Tosung-ri areas) and southern parts (Eonyang to Tongdosa area) of the YFS. in the southern part, the estimated vertical slip rate is about 0.02 - 0.07 mm/yr, and the lateral slip rate may be several times larger than the vertical rate. The most recent event occurred prior to deposition of Holocene alluvium, in the northern part, the fault trend locally changes to almost N-S, dips to the east and has reverse movement. The average vertical slip rate is estimated to be less than 0.1 mm/yr. The most recent event probably occurred after 1314 years BP (AD 536). The NNW-SSE (or N-S) trending UFS is a predominantly reverse fault that built up U-ie eastern mountain and has been active during U-ie late Quaternary. The fault trace is not straight but irregularly undulates along the foot of the mountain on the east. From the disturbed terraces along U-ie fault, the average vertical slip rate on U-iis system is estimated to be about 0.08.13mm/yr. The latest event is not well studied, but seems to have occurred after the last glacial maximum in the Malbang fault and 14,000 years BP in the Kalgok fault of the UFS. However, important issues such as fault segmentation, recurrence interval, age of Quaternary deposits need further studies.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 1999

Although faults can be found by geological surveys, the surface traces of faults are not easily discovered by traditional geological surveys due to alluvia. In and around faults and fracture zones, the electrical resistivity appears to be lower than that of the surroundings due to the content of groundwater and clay minerals. Therefore, electrical resistivity surveys are effective to search buried faults and fracture zones. The dipole-dipole array electrical resistivity surveys, which could show the two dimensional subsurface electrical resistivity structure, were carried out in two areas, Yongdang-ri, Woongsang-eup, Yangsan-si, Kyungsangnam-do and Malbang-ri, Woedong-eup, Kyungju-si, Kyungsangpook-do. The one was next to the Dongrae Fault and the other near the Ulsan Fault was close to the region in which debatable quaternary fault traces had been found recently. From each measured data set, the electrical resistivity cross-section was obtained using the inversion program the reliability of which was analyzed using analytic solutions. A low resistivity zone was found in the inverted cross-section from the Yongdang-ri area survey data, and two low resistivity zones were found in that from the Malbang-ri area survey data. They were almost vertical and were 15∼20 m wide. Accounting the shape and the very low resistivity values of those zones (<100 Ωm)in the inverted section, they were interpreted as fracture zones although they should be proven by trenching. The reliability of the interpretation might be improved by adding some more parallel resistivity survey lines and interpreting the results in 3 and/or adding other geophysical survey.