• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.151-171
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• 2012

The Permo-Triassic Songrim orogeny in the Korean peninsula was a major tectonic event involving complicated continental collisions at the eastern margin of Eurasia. Based on the previous studies on the metamorphic and deformations features of the Songrim orogeny, this paper presents metamorphic and structural characteristics and timing of the Songrim orogeny in the Taebaeksan basin, and discuss about correlation of the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Taebaeksan basin with the Okcheon basin and the Imjingang belt with a combined analysis of bulk crustal shortening direction, metamorphic P-T and T-t (time) paths. The metapelites in the Pyeongan Supergroup in the northeastern margin of the Taebaeksan basin have experienced lower-temperature/medium-pressure (LT/MP) regional metamorphism followed by high-temperature contact metamorphism due to the Jurassic granite intrusion. The earlier LT/MP regional metamorphism produced two loops of clockwise P-T-d (deformation) paths combined with four deformation events ($D_1-D_4$). The first loop concomitant with $D_1$ and $D_2$ occurred at $400-500^{\circ}C$, 1.5-3.0 kbar, and related with growth of syn-$D_1$ chloritoid and andalusite, post-$D_1$ margarite, Ca-rich syn-$D_2$ or post-$D_2$ plagioclase. The second loop accompanying $D_3$ and $D_4$ occurred at $520-580^{\circ}C$, 2.0-6.0 kbar, and associated with the growth of syn-$D_3$ garnet and staurolite, and syn-$D_4$ and/or post-$D_4$ andalusite porphyroblasts. Furthermore the syn-$D_1$ chloritoid and andalusite porphyroblasts grew during E-W bulk crustal shortening, whereas the syn-$D_3$ garnet and staurolite, and the syn-$D_4$ and/or post-$D_4$ andalusite porphyroblasts have grown under N-S bulk crustal shortening. The similarity in the characteristics and timing of the metamorphism and bulk crustal shortening directions between the Okcheon and Imjingang belts suggest that the peak metamorphic conditions tend to increase toward the western part (Imjingang belt and southwestern part of the Gyeonggi Massif) from the eastern part (Taebaeksan basin). The E-W bulk crustal shortening influenced the eastern part of the Okcheon belt, whereas the N-S bulk crustal shortening resulted in strong deformation in the Imjingang and Okcheon belts. Consequently, the Permo-Triassic Songrim orogeny in the Korean peninsula is probably not only related to collision of the North and South China blocks, but also to the amalgamation of terrane fragments at the eastern Eurasia margin (e.g., collision of the Sino-Korean continent and the Hida-Oki terrane).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.395-407
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• 2019

The duplex system has been considered as an important slip-transfer mechanism to evaluate the evolution of orogenic belts. Duplexes are generally found in the hinterland portion of fold-thrust belts and accommodate large amounts of total shortening. Thus, understanding its geometric and kinematic evolution can give information to evaluate the evolution of the entire orogenic belt. Duplexes are recognized as closed-loop thrust traces on map view, indicating higher connectivity than imbricate fans. As originally defined, a duplex is an array of thrust horses which are surrounded by thrust faults including the floor and roof thrusts, and imbricate faults between them. Duplexes can accommodate regional layer-parallel shortening and transfer slip from a floor thrust to a roof thrust. However, an imbricate fault is not the only mean for layer-parallel shortening (LPS) and displacement transfer within duplexes. LPS cleavages and detachment folds can also play the same role. From this aspect, a duplex can be divided into three types; 1) fault duplex, 2) cleavage duplex and 3) fold duplex. Fault duplex can further be subdivided into the Boyer-type duplex, which was firstly designed duplex system in the 1980s that widely applied most of the major fold-thrust belts in the world, and connecting splay duplex, which has different time order in the emplacement of horses from those of the Boyer-type. On the contrary, the cleavage and fold duplexes are newly defined types based on some selected examples. In the Korean Peninsula, the Yeongwol area, the western part of the Taebaeksan Zone of the Okcheon Belt, gives an excellent natural laboratory to study the structural geometry and kinematics of the closed-loops by thrust fault traces in terms of a duplex system. In the previous study, the Yeongwol thrust system was interpreted by alternative duplex models; a Boyer-type hinterland-dipping duplex vs. a combination of major imbricate thrusts and their connecting splays. Although the high angled beds and thrusts as well as different stratigraphic packages within the horses of the Yeongwol duplex system may prefer the later complicate model, currently, we cannot choose one simple answer between the models because of the lack of direct field evidence and time information. Therefore, further researches on the structural field investigations and geochronological analyses in the Yeongwol and adjacent areas should be carried out to test the possibility of applying the fold and cleavage duplex models to the Yeongwol thrust system, and it will eventually provide clues to solve the enigma of formation and its evolution of the Okcheon Belt.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.93-107
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• 1998

Because of its stable quantity and quality, groundwater has long been a reliable source of drinking water for domestic users. Rapid economic growth and rising standards of living have in recent years put severe demands on drinking water supplies in Korea. Groundwaters that are currently being used for natural mineral water were hydrochemically evaluated and investigated in order to maintain their quality to satisfy strict health standards. There exist 15 natural mineral water plants in the Okcheon metamorphic belt. Characteristics of groundwaters are different from those of other areas in that electrical conductivity, hardness, contents of Ca, Mg and $HCO_3$are relatively high. The content of major cations is in the order of Ca>Mg, Na>K, whereas that of major anions shows the order of $HCO_3$>$SO_4$>Cl>F. The fact that the Ca-Mg-HCO$_3$type is mostly predominant among water types reflects that dissolution of carbonates that are abundantly present in the metamorphic rocks plays an important part in groundwater chemistry. Representative correlation coefficients between chemical species show Mg-$HCO_3$(0.92), Ca-$HCO_3$(0.88), Ca-Mg(0.80), Ca-Cl(0.78), Mg-$SO_4$(0.78), Ca-$SO_4$(0.71), possibly due to the effect by dissolution of carbonates, gypsum or anhydrite. Determinative coefficients between some chemical species represent a good relationship, especially for EC-(K+Na+Ca), Ca-$HCO_3$, Ca-Mg, indiacting that they are similar in chemical behaviors. According to saturation index, most chemical species are undersaturated with respect to major minerals, except for some silica phases. Groundwater is slightly undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, whereas it is still greatly undersaturated with respect to gypsum, anhydrite and fluorite, Based on the Phase equilibrium in the systems $NA_2$O-$Al_2$$O_3$-$SiO_2$-$H_2$O and $K_2$O-$Al_2$$O_3$-$SiO_2$-$H_2$O, it is clear that groundwater is in equilibrium with kaolinite, evolved from the stability area of gibbsite during water-rock interaction. It is expected that chemical evolution of groundwater continue to proceed with increasing pH by reaction of feldspars, with calcite much less reactive.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.395-406
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• 1997

Some RE (Zr, Nb, REE) ore deposits are located in the middle part of the Korean peninsula. Geotectonically, the RE ore deposits situated on the Kyemyeongsan Formation of northern margin of the Okcheon geosynclinal belt and in the transitional zone between Kyeonggi massif and Okcheon belt. The rare metal deposits distributed in Kyemyeongsan Formation which consists of schist and alkaline granite. The alkali granite has suffered extensive post-magmatic metasomatism and hydrothermal processes. The ore contains mainly Ce-La, Ta-Nb, Y, Y-Nb, Ti-Nb-(U), Nd-Th group minerals. Fergusonite, one of Nb-Y rich REE minerals belonging to the A-B oxides, is most common mineral in the rare metal deposits. The fergusonite bearing rocks may be devided into four types by occurrence features and mineral association, that is, zircon type, allanite vein, feldspar type, and fluorite type. Fergusonites show wide variations in optical properties, due to part of differences in their chemical composition (depending on the types), but also the degree of crystalinity of the individual specimens. Fergusonite metamicts enclosed in biotite are generally surrounded by well developed pleochroic haloes. Usually, fergusonite is accompanied with zircon and other REE-bearing minerals. Petrographical and chemical data are presented for fergusonites which collected different types. $Nb_2O_3$ and $Y_2O_3$ contents range from 48.51 to 53.01 wt.% and 29.18 to 42.02 wt.% respectively. Also, $ThO_2$, (1.83~6.93), $UO_2$, (0.17~2.84), ${\sum}RE_2O_3$ (except to Y) (1.11~8.73), and $TiO_2$, (0.19~1.19 wt.%) contents show variational compositions according to fergusonite types. The ${\sum}RE_2O_3$ of fergusonites are positive relation with $Y_2O_3$ and negative relaton with $ThO_2$ and $({\sum}{RE_2O_3}-{Y_2O_3})$. The $Nb_2O_3$ is sightly negative relation with $Ta_2O_3$. Back-scattered electron microscope images (BEI) of fergusonite show the mineral composition and textural feature is very complicated. The variation of Nb, Th and REE content of fergusonite and the modes of occurrence of mineral, suggests that REE may have been mobilized during the circulation of hydrothermal fluids related to contact metamorphism (metasomatism). The chemical variation of the fergusonites with occurrences and mineral association can be related to metasomatism of alkaline fluid was probably the dominant ore-forming process in Chungju district.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.269-281
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• 2010

The compiled recent precise age data for the plutonic intrusions of Korean peninsula display that the Jurassic igneous activities occurred on the Yeongnam massif since ca. 200 Ma close to the boundary between Triassic and Jurassic. Since then the igneous activities propagated toward further north through time. The Jurassic igneous activities over the Okcheon belt and its vicinity areas began at about 180 Ma when igneous activities of the Yeongnam massif had been almost over. The igneous activities within the Gyeonggi massif located further north started at somewhat later period ca. 170 Ma. Jurassic igneous activities over the Okcheon belt and its vicinity areas ended a little earlier than the Gyeonggi massif area. Such timing differences upon geographic positions within the Korean peninsula seem to reflect variations in distance to the trench, in the direction of subduction, and/or in subduction angle. Therefore precise understanding of the variations in emplacement ages of Jurassic plutons within Korean peninsula can be a important clue to reconstruct the paleogeography and tectonic environment of the northeast Asia during the Jurassic.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.541-554
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• 2019

The Taebaeksan Zone of the Okcheon Belt is a prominent fold-thrust belt, preserving evidence for overlapped polyphase and diachronous orogenic events during crustal evolution of the Korean Peninsula. The Pyeongchang-Jeongseon area of the northwestern Taebaeksan Zone is fault-bounded on the western Jucheon and southern Yeongwol areas, showing lateral variations in stratigraphy and structural geometries. For better understanding these geological characteristics of the northwestern Taebaeksan Zone, we have studied the structural geometry of the Pyeongchang-Jeongseon area. For this, we have firstly carried out the SHRIMP U-Pb age analysis of the age-unknown sedimentary rock to clarify stratigraphy for structural interpretation. The results show the late Carboniferous to middle Permian dates, indicating that it is correlated to the Upper Paleozoic Pyeongan Supergroup. In addition to this, we interpreted the geometric relationships between structural elements from the detailed field investigation of the study area. The major structure of the northwestern Taebaeksan Zone is the regional-scale Jeongseon Great syncline, having NE-trending hinge with second-order folds such as the Jidongri and Imhari anticlines and the Nambyeongsan syncline. Based on the stereographic and down-plunge projections of the structureal elements, the structural geometry of the Jeongseon Great syncline can be interpreted as a synformal culmination, plunging slightly to the south at its southern area, and north at the northern area. The different map patterns of the northern and southern parts of the study area should be resulted in different erosion levels caused by the plunging hinges. Considering the Jeongseon Great syncline is the major structure that constrains the distribution of the Paleozoic strata of the Pyeongchang and Jeongseon areas, the symmetric repetition of the lower Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup in both limbs should be re-examined by structural mapping of the Hangmae and Hoedongri formations in the Pyeongchang and Jeongseon areas.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.23-29
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• 2009

On December 13, 1996, an earthquake with local magnitude (M$_L$) 4.5 occurred in the Yeongwol area of South Korea. The epicenter was 37.2545$^{\circ}$N and 128.7277$^{\circ}$E, which is located inside the Okcheon Fold Belt. The waveform inversion analysis was carried out to estimate source parameters of the event according to the filtering bandwidth of seismic data. Using 0.02$\sim$0.2 Hz filtering bandwidth, focal depth and seismic moment were estimated to be 6 km and 1.3$\times$10$^{16}$ N$\cdot$m, respectively. This seismic moment corresponds to the moment magnitude (M$_W$) 4.7. The focal mechanism by the waveform inversion and P wave first motion polarity analysis is a strike slip faulting including a small thrust component, and the direction of P-axis is ENE-WSW. The moment magnitude estimated by spectral analysis was 4.8, which is similar to that estimated by waveform inversion. Average stress drop was estimated to be 14.3 MPa.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2014

This paper was researched that provenance of the raw material for bronze relics excavated Cheonghaejin using the distribution of lead isotope ratio based on galena ores of South Korea. Also we want to make sure that the trace elements appearing as a by-product can be used as a secondary indicator for provenance research. In the case of the galena map of the East-North Asia (Mabuchi, 1985), data are plotted in China area. Therefore it is estimated that most bronzes were produced with lead ore from China. On the other hand, the same data are plotted in the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt and Yeongnam Massif of the galena map of South Korea (KOPLID, 2012). Also the contents of Ag and Sb are available as indicator due to separate ores from similar zone in lead isotope ratio.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2001

P wave traveltime delays has been measured and a preliminary tomouaphic inversion has been performed using the data collected from the network deployed by Korea National University of Education in the southcentral part Korea. The maximum variation in relative traveltime residuals is almost 0.7 seconds. A large azimuthal variation in traveltime residuals is observed at the stations in the northwestern part of the study area. This might indicate the existence of lateral velocity heterogeneity beneath the study area. Although, the inverted tomographic image seems to be correlated with the tectonic boundary between Kyunggi Massif and Okcheon Belt, the confidence level is presently low. We should place on the importance of this study for finding preferable inversion parameters and predicting probable result. Better tomographic image of the study area can be obtained in the near future when the data are accumulated.