• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.12a
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• pp.73-83
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• 2007

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the eastern Korean margin that led to the separation of the southwestern Japan Arc. Analysis of rift fault patterns suggests that rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension rather than strike-slip deformation. Two extension directions of E-W and NW-SE for rifting are recognized. We interpret that the E-W direction represents initial rifting at the inner margin and the NW-SE direction probably represents the extension in response to tensional tectonics associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate in the NW direction. No significant volcanism was involved in rifting. In contrast, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which appears to reflect asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin, although it is in a back-arc setting, can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism influenced by asthenospheric upwelling.

• 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 Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.459-474
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• 2009

By the analysis of discontinuity at the outcrop and lineament on the satellite image, the joints have deeply relationship with the lineaments. The joint spaces at the drilling core are mostly 1~20 cm but at the rhyolite which is distributed near fault they have more closely. These volcanic rocks belong to the subalkaline series tuff, rhyolite, basalt in the study area from the diagram of $Nb/Y-Zr/TiO_2$. The composition diagram of Hf/3-Th-Nb/16 show destructive plate-margin basalt and their differentiates. The environment of formation of volcanics are normal continental arc. Most of LREE show high enriched pattern but HREE show depleted pattern. The K/Ar age of intermediate volcanics, tuff, rhyolite, crystal tuff are 55.3Ma, 77.25 Ma~91.22Ma, 63.16~64.39Ma, 54.49 Ma respectively.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.40-52
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• 2003

Despite the various opening models of the southwestern part of the East Sea (Japan Sea) between the Korean Peninsula and the Japan Arc, the continental margin of the Korean Peninsula remains unknown in crustal structure. As a result, continental rifting and subsequent seafloor spreading processes to explain the opening of the East Sea have not been adequately addressed. We investigated crustal and sedimentary velocity structures across the Korean margin into the adjacent Ulleung Basin from multichannel seismic reflection and ocean bottom seismometer data. The Ulleung Basin shows crustal velocity structure typical of oceanic although its crustal thickness of about 10 km is greater than normal. The continental margin documents rapid transition from continental to oceanic crust, exhibiting a remarkable decrease in crustal thickness accompanied by shallowing of Moho over a distance of about 50 km. The crustal model of the margin is characterized by a high-velocity (up to 7.4 km/s) lower crustal (HVLC) layer that is thicker than 10 km under the slope base and pinches out seawards. The HVLC layer is interpreted as magmatic underplating emplaced during continental rifting In response to high upper mantle temperature. The acoustic basement of the slope base shows an igneous stratigraphy developed by massive volcanic eruption. These features suggest that the evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at volcanic rifted margins. Global earthquake tomography supports our interpretation by defining the abnormally hot upper mantle across the Korean margin and in the Ulleung Basin.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2007

Gravity characteristics are investigated in the vicinity of the DASAN scientific station, located at the Svalbard Archipelago, the Arctic using ArcGP data. Boundary effects of free-air gravity anomalies, which appeared generally at the continental margin, are erased after Bouguer correction was applied. Complete Bouguer anomalies produced after terrain correction by GrOPO30 show that gravity anomalies increase from continent to marine. This phenomena seem to be related to the rise of Moho discontinuity. The cut-off frequency of 0.16 was decided after power spectrum analysis and the gravity anomalies were divided into two parts. Residual anomalies in high frequency part show that characteristics of high values along the faults and of low values related to thick sediments in the continent. Characteristic is low values from basement subsidence of continental slope or thick sediments in the marine. The undulation of Moho discontinuity from 3-D inversion modeling show typical characteristics of continental margin that become higher from Svalbard archipelago to Knipovich ridge bordering Eurasian plate.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.235-253
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• 2006

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the Korean margin leading to the separation of the Japan Arc. The Korean margin is rimmed by fundamental elements of rift architecture comprizing a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. In the northern part, rifting occurred in the Korea Plateau, a continental fragment extended and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsula, that provided a relatively broader zone of extension resulting in a number of rifts. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the Korea Plateau we 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. In contrast, the southern margin is engraved along its length with a single narrow rift basin (Hupo Basin) that is an elongated asymmetric half-graben. Rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension in the west and southeast directions orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope rather than strike-slip deformation. Although rifting involved no significant volcanism, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which seems to reflect slab-induced asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism intensified by asthenospheric upwelling in a back-arc setting.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.93-114
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• 2009

Lithological and petrochemical characteristics and tectonic setting of the Cretaceous volcanic rocks in Hampyeong area located in the southwestern part of Okchon Zone, were studied by field survey and petrochemistry of major, trace, and rare earth elements. The $SiO_2$contents of the volcanic rocks range from 50.8 to 77.2wt.%. With increasing $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, $Fe_2O_3\;^T$, $TiO_2$, MnO, CaO and MgO contents decrease and $K_2O$content increase, but $Na_2O$content is scatter to the trend. According to TAS and AFM diagrams, the Cretaceous volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline series. On the discrimination diagram of $K_2O$versus $SiO_2$, the volcanic rocks belong to high-K rocks series. The trace element compositions and REE patterns of the volcanic rocks, characterized by a high LILE/HFSE ratio and enrichments in LREE, indicate that they are typical of continental margin arc calc-alkaline volcanic rocks associated with the subduction environment. The ratios of Ba/Ta and Ba/La indicate that they are associated with volcanic arc-related magmatism. The Cretaceous volcanic rocks in Hampyeong area might be located in the Eurasian continental margin, related to the Pacific type tectonic environment during the Cretaceous times.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.349-370
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• 2009

The Mt. Dungjuribong Volcanic Complex located in Gurye-gun, southwest of Ryeongnam massif, composed of Cretaceous andesitic rocks and rhyolite. $SiO_2$ contents of the volcanic rocks range from 52.0 to 78.5 wt.%. The major and trace elements composition, REE patterns and tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams of volcanic rocks suggest that they are typical of continental margin arc calc-alkaline rocks produced in the subduction environment. The phenocrysts of the volcanic rocks show that they had gone in disequilibrium state, such as reversal zoning and resorbed core of plagioclase, reaction rim around pyroxene and resorbed margins of quartz, which showing the evidence of magma mixing during the evolution of magma.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 1993

Seismic reflection profiles from the eastern continental margin of Korea delineate three major Neogene sedimentary basins perched on the shelf and slope regions: Pohang-Youngduk, Mukho and Hupo basins. The stratigraphic and structural analyses demonstrate that the formation and filling of these basins were intimately controlled by two phases of regional tectonism: transtensional and subsequent contractional deformations. In the Oligocene to Early Miocene, back-arc opening of the East Sea induced extensional shear deformation with dextral strike-slip movement along right-stepping Hupo and Yangsan faults. During the transtensional deformation, the Pohang-Youngduk Basin was formed by pull-apart opening between two strike-slip faults; in the northern part, block faulting caused to form the Mukho Basin between basement highs. As a result of the back-arc closure, the stress field was inverted into compression at the end of the Middle Miocene. Under the compressive regime, two episodes (Late Miocene and Early Pliocene) of regional deformation led to the destruction and partial uplift of the basin-filling sequences. In particular, during the second episode of compressive deformation, the Hupo fault was reactivated with an oblique-slip sense, which resulted in an opening of the Hupo Basin as a half-graben on the downthrown fault block.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1997

Andesitic pyroclastics and lava flows are deposited as a part of composite volcanoes by Cretaceous volcanic activity in Geojae Island, off the coast of Korea. The andesitic pyroclastics are composed of tuff breccia and lapilli tuff minor intercalated tuff. Lava flows are divided into dense and porphyritic andesite containing phenocrysts of plagioclase, pyroxene, and/or hornblende. The andesitic rocks represent charactersitcs of carc-alkaline BAR association with basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, and dacite to rhyolite. Major element variations of the volcanic rocks show that $Al_2O_3$, total FeO, CaO, MgO and $TiO_2$ decrease with increasing $SiO_2$ but $K_2O$ and total alkalis increase, and represent differntiation trend of calc-alkaline rock series. In spider diagram, contents of Sr, K, Rb, Ba, and Th are relatively high, but contents of Nb, P, Ti and Cr are low. These petrochemcial characteristics are similar to those of rocks from island arc or continental margein related to plate subduction. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of volcanic rocks are paralle to subparallel, with LREE enriched than HREE, and show gradual increase of negative Eu anomaly from basalt to dacite and rhyolite, suggesting comagmatic fractional crystallization with minor effects of assimilation and magma mixing. Andesitic rocks are assumed medium-K orogenic andesites that formed in the tectomagmatic environment of subduction zone under normal continental margin arc.