• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2006

The Korea Plateau is a continental fragment rifted and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsulaat the initial stage of the opening of the East Sea (Japan Sea). We interpreted marine seismic profiles from the South Korea Plateau in conjunction with swath bathymetric to investigate processes of con-tjnental rifting and separation of the southwestern Japan Arc. The SouU-i Korea Plateau preserves funda-mental elements of rift architecture comprising a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the South Korea Plateau are bounded by major synthetic and smaller antithetic faults, creating wide and symmetric profiles. The large-offset border fault zones of these basins have convex dip slopes and demonstrate a zig-zag arrangement along strike. Rifting was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base ofthe slope rather U-ian strike-slip deformation. Two extension direcdons for rifdng are recog-nized; U-ie Onnuri Basin was rifted in U-ie EW direction; U-ie Bandal Basin in U-ie EW and NW-SE directions, suggesting two rift stages. We interpret that the E-W direction represents initial rifting at the inner margin; while the Japan Basin widened, rifting propagated repeatedly from the Japan Basin to the southeast toward the Korean margin but could not penetrate the strong continental lithosphere of the Korean Shield and changed direction to the south, resulting in E-W extension to create the rift basins at the Korean margin. The Hupo Basin to the south of the Korea Plateau is estimated to have formed in this process. The NW-SE direction probably represents the direction of rifting orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope of the South Korea Plateau; after breakup the southwestern Japan Arc separated in the SE direction, indicating a response to tensional tectonics associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate in the NE direction. We suggest that structural evolution of the eastern Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2006

The possibility of oil reserve has been conformed because the oil has been produced by 450 barrel per day in the West Korea Bay basin of the North Korea. There is also possibility of giant oil reserve since it is geographically close to one of the biggest oil fields of Bohai Basin, China. Based on the on-going oil exploration and the present condition of investment, the areas of ongoing oil exploration are three: West Korea Bay B&C prospect explored by Swedish Taurus, the north of West Korea Bay and Anju basin explored by Canadian SOCO, and East Korea Bay explored by Australian Beach Petroleum. However, there is little or no possibility of oil reserve in the rest sea areas of three. Even though oil reserves were discovered in the some parts of land areas such as Kilju and Myungcheon, it was presumed to have no economical efficiency. Geology in West Korea Bay off the North Korea is similar to that in Bohai Bay off China. The basement consists of thick carbonate rock of the Late Proterozoic and Early Paleozoic overlain by Mesozoic ($6,000{\sim}10,000\;m$) and Cenozoic ($4,000{\sim}5,000\;m$) units. Source rocks are Jurassic black shale (3,000 m or more), Cretaceous black shale ($1,000{\sim}2,000\;m$), and pre-Mesozoic carbonates (several thousand meters). Reservoir rocks are Mesozoic-Cenozoic sandstone with high porosity and pre-Mesozoic fractured carbonate rocks. Petroleum raps are of the anticline, fault sealed, buried hill, and stratigraphic types. It absolutely needs to take up a positive attitude, the activation of ocean science and technology exchange, and the joint research and development of modern MT (Marine Technology) considering the state of establishing new international ocean order forcing on building up 200 nautical mile EEZ (exclusive economic zone) among coastal nations. Both South and North Koreas should extend the ocean jurisdiction and contiguity, and MT development dealing with the same sea areas. It is more urgent problem to find a way to have the North Korea participated in, and then to develop ocean management and ocean industry individually.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.65-88
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• 1982

In the last ten years, marine geological and geophysical survey and research were conducted by Japanese, Russian and American scientists in the East Sea of Korea (Japan Sea). Many research results were published. However, regional research of the geology of the continental margin of the Korean Peninsula was not conducted. This study has made on attempt to classify submarine strata and stratigraphic boundaries. The study has revealed characters of submarine geology and structure. Isopach maps of each identified stratigraphic unit have been constructed as the results of this study. The study was conducted on the basis of analyses of marine seismic surveys carried out in the continental margin of the East Sea between Kangneung and Pohang. Three depositional basins were identified in the study area and they were named as, Mukho Basin, Hupo Basin and Pohang Basin. The Mukho Basin is developed in continental slope and shelf in the area between Kangneung and Samcheog. Quaternary and Pliocene sediments attain a maximum thickness of 900 m. Basement rocks are interpreted as granite and gneiss. They are correlated with granite-gneiss of the Taebaecksan Series of Pre-cambrian age and the Daebo granite of Jurassic age. The Hupo Basin is developed in the continental shelf between Uljin and Youngdeok. Quaternary and Pliocene sediments attain a maximum thickness of 600 m. Basement rocks were interpreted as granite and gneiss and they are correlated with metamorphic rocks of Pre-cambrian age and the Daebo granites, comprising the Ryongnam Massif. The Pohang Basin is developed in the area between Pohang and Gangu. This basin contains Miocene and older sediments. Basement rocks are not shown. Many faults are developed within the continental shelf and slope. These faults strike parallel with the coast line. A north-south direction is predominant in the southern study area. However, in the northern study area the faults strike north, and north-west. The faults are parallel to each other and are step faults down-thrown to the east or west, forming horst and graben structures which develop into sedimentary basins. Such faults caused the development of submarine banks along the boundary between the continental shelf and slope. This bank has acted as a barrier for deposition in the Hupo Basin. Paleozoic sedimentary rocks distributed widely in the adjacent land area are absent in the Mukho Basin. This suggests that the area of the basin was situated above the sea level until the Pliocene time. The study area contains Pliocene sediments in general. These sediments overlie the basement complex composed of metamorphic rocks, granites, Cretaceous (Kyongsang System) sedimentary rocks and Miocene sedimentary rocks. These facts lead to a conclusion that the continental shelf and slope of the study area were developed as a result of displacements along faults oriented parallel to the present coast line in the post Miocene time.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 2013

High-resolution chirp profiles were analyzed to investigate the echo types of near-surface sediments in the Yellow Sea off the Baegryeong Island. On the basis of seafloor morphology and subbottom echo characters, 7 echo types were identified. Flat seafloor with no internal reflectors or moderately to well-developed subbottom reflectors (echo type 1-1 and 1-2) is mainly distributed in the southern part of the study area. Flat seafloor with superposed wavy bedforms (echo type 1-3) is also distributed in the middle part. Mounded seafloor with either smooth surface or superposed bedforms (echo type 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3) occurs in the middle part of the study area. Irregular and eroded seafloor with no subbottom reflectors (echo type 3-1) is present in the northern part of the study area off the Baegryeong Island. According to the distribution pattern and sedimentary facies of echo types, depositional environments can be divided into three distinctive areas: (1) active erosional zone due to strong tidal currents in the northern part; (2) formation of tidal sand ridges in response to tidal currents associated with sea-level rise distributed in the middle part; and (3) transgressive sand sheets in the southern part. Such a depositional pattern, including 7 echo types, in this area reflects depositional process related to the sea-level rise and strong tidal currents during the Holocene transgression.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.585-596
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• 2020

The 2017 Pohang Earthquakes occurred near a drill site in the Pohang Enhanced Geothermal System. Water injected for well stimulation was believed to have reactivated the buried near-critically stressed Miocene faults by the accumulation of the Quaternary tectonic strain. However, surface expressions of the Quaternary tectonic activity had not been reported near the epicenter of the earthquakes before the site construction. Unusual, large-scale water-escaped structures were identified 4 km away from the epicenter during a post-seismic investigation. The water-escaped structures comprise Miocene mudstones injected into overlying Pleistocene coastal sediments that formed during Marine Isotope Stage 5. This indicates the vulnerable state of the mudstones long after deposition, resulted from the combined effects of rapid tectonic uplift (before significant diagenesis) and the development of an aquifer at their unconformable interface of the mudstone. Based on the detailed field analysis and consideration of all possible endogenic triggers, we interpreted the structures to have been formed by elevated pore pressures in the mudstones (thixotropy), triggered by cyclic ground motion during the earthquakes. This interpretation is strengthened by the presence of faults 400 m from the study area, which cut unconsolidated coastal sediment deposited after Marine Isotope Stage 5. Geological context, including high rates of tectonic uplift in SE Korea, paleo-seismological research on Quaternary faults near the study area, and historical records of paleoearthquakes in SE Korea, also support the interpretation. Thus, epicenter and surrounding areas of the 2017 Pohang Earthquake are considered as a paleoseismologically active area, and the causative fault of the 2017 Pohang Earthquakes was expected to be nearly critical state.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.34-37
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• 2006

When tsunami waves propagate across open ocean they are steered by Coriolis force and refraction due to gentle gradients in the bathymetry on scales longer than the wavelength. When the wave encounters steep gradients at the edges of continental shelves and at the coast, the wave becomes non-linear and conservation of momentum produces squirts of surface current at the head of submerged canyons and in coastal bays. HF coastal ocean radar is well-conditioned to observe the current bursts at the edge of the continental shelf and give a warning of 40 minutes to 2 hours when the shelf is 50-200km wide. The period of tsunami waves is invariant over changes in bathymetry and is in the range 2-30 minutes. Wavelengths for tsunamis (in 500-3000 m depth) are in the range 8.5 to over 200 km and on a shelf where the depth is about 50 m (as in the Great Barrier Reef) the wavelengths are in the range 2.5 - 30 km. It is shown that the phased array HF ocean surface radar being deployed in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and operating in a routine way for mapping surface currents, can resolve surface current squirts from tsunamis in the wave period range 20-30 minutes and in the wavelength range greater than about 6 km. There is a trade-off between resolution of surface current speed and time resolution. If the radar is actively managed with automatic intervention during a tsunami alert period (triggered from the global seismic network) then it is estimated that the time resolution of the GBR radar may be reduced to about 2 minutes, which corresponds to a capability to detect tsunamis at the shelf edge in the period range 5-30 minutes. It is estimated that the lower limit of squirt velocity detection at the shelf edge would correspond to a tsunami with water elevation of less than 5 cm in the open ocean. This means that the GBR HF radar is well-conditioned for use as a monitor of small and medium scale tsunamis, and has the potential to contribute to the understanding of tsunami genesis research.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2007

A method to quickly estimate broadband moment magnitudes (Mwp) to warn regional and teleseismic tsunamigenic earthquakes is tested for application of the method to the different seismic observation environment. In this study, the Mwp is calculated by integrating far-field P-wave or pP-wave of vertical component of displacement seismograms in time domain from earthquakes, having magnitude greater than 5.0 and occurred in and around the Korean peninsula from 2000 to 2006. We carefully set up the size of the time window for the computations to exclude S wave phases and other phases following after the P wave phase. The P wave velocities and the densities from the averaged Korean crustal model are used in the computations. Instrumental correction was performed to remove dependency on the seismograph. The Mwp after the instrumental correction is about 0.1 greater than the Mwp before the correction. The comparison of our results to the those of foreign agencies such as JMA and Havard CMT catalogues shows a higher degree of similarity. Thus our results provide an effective tool to estimate the earthquake size, as well as to issue the necessary information to a tsunami warning system when the effective earthquake occurs around the peninsula.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2017

Fatigue strength of temporary steels and painted structural steels corroded under outdoor atmospheric environments is not clear. In this study, fatigue tests were carried out on steel plates which were cut off from 7-year-old temporary structural member under subway construction environment and from 75-year-old Yeongdo bridge member under marine atmospheric environment. After removing corrosion production on the steel surface, 3-dimensional surface geometry of the corroded steel was measured at intervals of $1.0{\times}1.0mm$, and corrosion characteristics such as minimum, maximum and mean values of residual thicknesses were calculated. From the fatigue test and FEM analysis results, the relationship between corrosion characteristics and fatigue behavior was presented, and change in fatigue strength of the unpainted and painted steels corroded in outdoor environments was also presented.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.225-233
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• 2013

The accuracy of the automatic NMO velocity analysis, which is used for an effective and objective NMO velocity analysis, is highly affected by the velocity resolution of the velocity spectrum. In this study, we have developed an automatic NMO velocity algorithm, where the velocity spectra are created using high-resolution bootstrapped differential semblance (BDS), and the velocity analysis on CMP gathers is performed in parallel with MPI. We also compared the velocity models from the developed automatic NMO velocity algorithm with high-resolution BDS to those from BDS. To verify the developed automatic velocity analysis module we created synthetic seismic data from a velocity model including horizon layers. We confirmed that the developed automatic velocity analysis module estimated velocity more accurately. In addition, NMO velocity which yielded a CMP stacked section, where the coherency of the events were improved, was estimated when the developed module was applied to a marine field data set.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.384-391
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• 2005

Three dimensional finite difference elastic wave model was developed to estimate the feasibility of surface wave applications in geotechnical problems. The wave motions calculated by the developed program in this study shows good agreement with well known analytic solutions. The surface wave motions calculated from layered dam type structure can be interpreted as a infinite layer structure using dispersion curve but it is need a special source of which high energy in frequency band lower than 10 Hz to get information of physical properties in few tens meter deep. The source which has high energy in the low frequency band, however, can give defect on dam and this will make some limitation in real field applications. The dispersion curves calculated from the surface wave motion of homogeneous and center core type dam models will give rise to fatal errors if the conventional infinite layer structure used in their interpretation because the surrounding materials and boundaries of dam make some distortion in dispersion curve of surface wave. So it is strongly recommended to use three dimensional inversion model for correct interpretation and estimation of physical properties of dam materials.