• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.5 s.180
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• pp.567-581
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• 2006

The Au-Ag lode deposits in South Korea are closely associated with the Mesozoic granitoids. Namely, the Jurassic deposits formed in mesozonal environments related to deep-seated granitoids, whereas the Cretaceous ones were developed in porphyry-related environments related to subvolcanic granitoids. The time-space relationships of the Au-Ag lode deposits in South Korea are closely related to the changing plate motions during the Mesozoic. Most of the Jurassic auriferous deposits (about $165{\sim}145$ Ma) show fluid characteristics typical of an orogenic-type gold deposits, and were probably generated in a compressional to transpressional regime caused by an orthogonal to oblique convergence of the Izanagi Plate into the East Asian continental margin. On the other hand, strike-slip faults and caldera-related fractures together with subvolcanic activity are associated with major strike-slip faults reactivated by a northward (oblique) to northwestward (orthogonal) convergence, and probably have played an important role in the formation of the Cretaceous Au-Ag lode deposits (about $110{\sim}45$ Ma) under a continental arc setting. The temporal and spatial distinctions between the two typical Mesozoic deposit styles in South Korea probably reflect a different thermal episodes (i.e., late orogenic and post-orogenic) and ore-forming fluids related to different depths of emplacement of magma due to regional changes in tectonic environment.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2000

The Cretaceous basaltic rocks in Gyeongsang Basin are temporally and spatially dispersed widely in thick sedimentary piles: Chilgog basaltic rock (CGB) and Cheongyongsa basaltic rock (CSB) in the Shindong Group, and Hakbong basaltic rocks (HBB), Osibbong basalt (OSB), Secheondong basaltic rocks (SCB), Haman basaltic rocks (HAB), Hama basaltic rocks (HMB), and Chaeyaksan basaltic rocks (CYB) in the Hayang Group, upwardly in their stratigraphy. Chilgog basaltic rock is merely identified as pebbles in the Shilla Conglomerate and its provenance has not been found, and it is characteristics that the volcanics except Osibbong basalt and Chaeyaksan basaltic rocks are very small in both of their thickness and extension. Petrochemical diversity of the basaltic rocks are revealed; OSB and SCB distributed in the Yeongyang Minor Basin preserve the calc-alkaline natures in major and immobile minor element geochemistry, but CGB, HBB, HAB, and CYB reflect that they might be originated from calc-alkaline basaltic magma of volcanic arc in continental margin area by trace elements and altered to alkaline suites in the viewpoint of their major element geochemistry. Major and trace element geochemistry of CSB and HMB suggests that they may be derived from within -plate alkaline magma contaminated by the upper continental crust, especially in the case of the former.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.188-199
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• 1996

Boeun granodiorite, which intruded into the metasedimentary rocks of the Ogcheon Group, show chemical natures of metaluminous and calc-alkaline. Generating and emplacing environment of the Boeun granodiorite would have been a active continental margin. Comparing to the contemporaneous Inje-Hongcheon granodiorite in the Gyeonggi massif, the Boeun granodiorite seems likely to have formed under more immature continental arc environment. Compositional changes of major, trace and rare earth elements in granodiorite and felsic dyke are not certain to indicate crystallization differentiation. From this fact, the simple fractional crystallization model would be in question to explain the magma process which controlled the formation of the Boeun granitic mass. The model calculations for Rayleigh fractionation, fractionation with variable major-component composition, assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) were carried out to examine the magma process of the mass. The results of former two models do not agree with the compositional variations in the mass. The AFC model can be, however, applied to the magma process. The conditions for AFC process are (1) composition of assimilated wallrock is similar to that of primary magma. (2) assimilating rate is similar to crystallizing rate, and (3) mass of assimilated wallrock is about 10% of that of the magma. These conditions deny a possibility that the assimilated wallrock was the metasedimentary rocks of the Ogcheon Group. This indicates that after having experienced the assimilation process in deeper crust, the granodiorite magma intruded into the Ogcheon group. Every model calculating suggests that the felsic dyke was differentiated not from the granodiorite magma, but from a different source magma.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.123-154
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• 1982

Petrochemical, K-Ar dating, Sand Rb/Sr isotopes, metallogenic zoning, paleomagnetic and geotectonic studies of the Gyongsang basin were carried out to examine applicability of plate tectonics to the post-late Cretaceous igneous activity and metallogeny in the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Bulgugsa granitic rocks range from granite to adamellite, whose Q-Ab-Or triangular diagram indicates that the depth and pressure at which the magma consolidated increase from coast to inland varying from 6 km, 0.5-3.3 kb in the coastal area to 17 km, 0.5-10 kb in the inland area. 2. The volcanic rocks in Gyongsang basin range from andesitic to basaltic rocks, and the basaltic rocks are generally tholeiitic in the coastal area and alkali basalt in the inland area. 3. The volcanic rocks of the area have the initial ratio of Sr^{87}/Sr^{86} varying from 0.706 to 0.707 which suggests a continental origin; the ratio of Rb/Sr changing from 0.079-0.157 in the coastal area to 0.021-0.034 in the inland area suggests that the volcanism is getting younger toward coastal side, which may indicate a retreat in stage of differentiation if they were derived from a same magma. The K_2O/SiO_2 (60%) increases from about 1.0 in the coastal area to about 3.0 in the inland area, which may suggest an increase indepth of the Benioff zone, if existed, toward inland side. 4. The K-Ar ages of volcanic rocks were measured to be 79.4 m.y. near Daegu, and 61.7 m.y. near Busan indicating a southeastward decrease in age. The ages of plutonic rocks also decrease toward the same direction with 73 m.y. near Daegu, and 58 m.y. near Busan, so that the volcanism predated the plutonism by 6 m.y. in the continental interior and 4 m.y. along the coast. Such igneous activities provide a positive evidence for an applicability of plate tectonics to this area. 5. Sulfur isotope analyses of sulfide minerals from 8 mines revealed that these deposits were genetically connected with the spacially associated ingeous rocks showing relatively narrow range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values (-0.9‰ to +7.5‰ except for +13.3 from Mulgum Mine). A sequence of metallogenic zones from the coast to the inland is delineated to be in the order of Fe-Cu zone, Cu-Pb-Zn zone, and W-Mo zone. A few porphyry type copper deposits are found in the Fe-Cu zone. These two facts enable the sequence to be comparable with that of Andean type in South America. 6. The VGP's of Cretaceous and post Cretaceous rocks from Korea are located near the ones($71^{\circ}N$, $180^{\circ}E$ and $90^{\circ}N$, $110^{\circ}E$) obtained from continents of northern hemisphere. This suggests that the Korean peninsula has been stable tectonically since Cretaceous, belonging to the Eurasian continent. 7. Different polar wandering path between Korean peninsula and Japanese islands delineates that there has been some relative movement between them. 8. The variational feature of declination of NRM toward northwestern inland side from southeastern extremity of Korean peninsula suggests that the age of rocks becomes older toward inland side. 9. The geological structure(mainly faults) and trends of lineaments interpreted from the Landsat imagery reveal that NNE-, NWW- and NEE-trends are predominant in the decreasing order of intensity. 10. The NNE-trending structures were originated by tensional and/or compressional forces, the directions of which were parallel and perpendicular respectively to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 90 m.y. B.P. The NWW-trending structures were originated as shear fractures by the same compressional forces. The NEE-trending structures are considered to be priginated as tension fractures parallel to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 70 m.y. B.P. when Japanese islands had drifted toward southeast leaving the Sea of Japan behind. It was clearly demonstrated by many authors that the drifting of Japanese islands was accompanied with a rotational movement of a clock-wise direction, so that it is inferred that subduction boundary had changed from NNE- to NEE-direction. A number of facts and features mentioned above provide a suite of positive evidences enabling application of plate tectonics to the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary igneous activity and metallogeny in the area. Synthesizing these facts, an arc-trench system of continental margin-type is adopted by reconstructing paleogeographic models for the evolution of Korean peninsula and Japan islands. The models involve an extention mechanism behind the are(proto-Japan), by which proto-Japan as of northeastern continuation of Gyongsang zone has been drifted rotationally toward southeast. The zone of igneous activity has also been migrated from the inland in late-Cretaceous to the peninsula margin and southwestern Japan in Tertiary.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-80
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• 2000

We studied petrological and geochemical characteristics of the Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Da Hinggan Ling area northeast China, and discussed tectonic settings and origin of the Mesozoic volcanic rocks in northeast Asia. Volcanic rocks in Da Hinggan Ling area are composed of alkaline to subalkaline basalt-basaltic andesite-andesite-dacite-rhyolite, showing typical BAR(basalt-andesite-rhyolite) association. However, most of the volcanic rocks are basaltic and rhyolitic in composition, and andesitic rocks are relatively rare, which shows bimodal characteristics. Rb, Ba, Th and other incompatible element contents in the volcanic rocks are enriched, but the contents decrease with increasing the compatibility. REEs are fractionated and REE patterns of volcanic rocks are characterized by a high LILE/HFSE. On the tectonomagmatic discriminant diagram of Hf-Th-Nb, they fall into the fields for subduction-related destructive plate margin basalts and its differentiates. We suggest that the tectonomagmatic setting of Da Hinggan Ling area was located at the continental margin arc related with subduction environment during the Mesozoic time or may be derived from mantle plume contaminated geochemically from subducting slabs, although it is, at present within the Asia continent.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.32-52
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• 2003

The Mt. Baegyang in Busan, composed of sedimentary basement rocks (Icheonri Formation), andesite (lava), andesitic pyroclastic rocks, fallout tuff and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks, rhyolitic pyroclastic rocks, intrusive rocks (granite-porphyry, felsite, and biotite-granite) of Cretaceous age in ascending order. The volcanic rocks show a section of composite volcano which comprised alternation of andesitic lava and pyroclasitc rocks, rhyolitic pyrocalstic rocks (tuff breccia, lapilli tuff, fine tuff) from the lower to the upper strata. From the major element chemical analysis, the volcanic and intrusive rocks belong to calc-alkaline rock series. The trace element composition and REE patterns of volcanic and plutonic rocks, which are characterized by a high LILE/HFSE ratio and enrichments in LREE, suggest that they are typical of continental margin arc calc-alkaline rocks produced in the subduction environment. Primary basaltic magma might have been derived from partial melting of mantle wedge in the upper mantle under destructive plate margin. Crystallization differentiation of the basaltic magma would have produced the calc-alkaline andesitic magma. And the felsic rhyolitic magma seems to have been evolved from andesitic magma with crystallization differentiation of plagioclase, pyroxene, and hornblende.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.367-379
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• 2019

Pyeongan Supergroup (PS) in the Taebaeksan basin preserves key geological evidences to understand the tectonometamorphic evolution of the Songrim orogeny that affected the formation of the Korean Peninsula during the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic. The aims of this paper therefore are to investigate the characteristics of the Songrim orogeny based on the previous results of metamorphism and deformations of the PS, and then to review geological significance and research necessity of the PS. Age distributions and Th/U ratio of detrital zircon in the PS indicate that sedimentary environment of the Taebaeksan basin during the late Paleozoic was arc-related foreland basin and retro-arc foreland basin at the active continental margin. In addition, the main magmatic activities occurred in the early Pennsylvanian and Middle Permian, thus sedimentation and magmatic activities occurred simultaneously. The PS was affected by lower temperature-medium pressure (M1) and medium temperature and pressure (M2) regional metamorphism during the Songrim orogeny. During M1, slate and phyllite containing chloritoid, andalusite, kyanite porphyroblasts intensively deformed by E-W bulk crustal shortening combined with folding and shearing. And garnet and staurolite porphyroblasts were formed during the N-S bulk crustal shortening accompained by M2. Such regional metamorphism of the PS is interpreted to occur in an area where high strain zone is localized during ca. 220-270 Ma. In order to elucidate the evolution of the Taebaeksan basin and tectonic features of the Songrim orogeny, it is expected that the study will be carried out such as the regional distribution of metamorphic zones developed in the PS, characteristics and timing of deformations, and late Paleozoic paleo-geography of the Taebaeksan basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.299-314
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• 2008

The NE-trending Honam shear zone is a broad, dextral strike-slip fault zone between the southern margin of the Okcheon Belt and the Precambrian Yeongnam Massif in South Korea and is parallel to the trend of Sinian deformation that is conspicuous in Far East Asia. In this paper, we report geochemical and isotopic(Sr and Nd) data of mylonitic quartz-muscovite Precambrian gneisses and surrounding foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids near the Myeongho area in the Yecheon Shear Zone, a representative segment of the Honam Shear Zone. Foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids commonly plot in the granodiorite field($SiO_2=61.9-67.1\;wt%$ and $Na_2O+K_2O=5.21-6.99\;wt%$) on $SiO_2$ vs. $Na_2O+K_2O$ discrimination diagram, whereas quartz-muscovite Precambrian orthogneisses plot in the granite field. The foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids are mostly calcic and calc-alkalic and are dominantly magnesian in a modified alkali-lime index(MALI) and Fe# [$=FeO_{total}(FeO_{total}+MgO)$] versus $SiO_2$ diagrams, which correspond with geochemical characteristics of Cordilleran Mesozoic batholiths. The foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids have molar ratios of $Al_2O_3/(CaO+Na_2O+K_2O)$ ranging from 0.89 to 1.10 and are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, indicating I type. In contrast, Paleoproterozoic orthogneisses have peraluminous compositions, with molar ratios of $Al_2O_3/(CaO+Na_2O+K_2O)$ ranging from 1.11 to 1.22. On trace element spider diagrams normalized to the primitive mantle, the large ion lithophile element(LILE) enrichments(Rb, Ba, Th and U) and negative Ta-Nb-P-Ti anomalies of foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids and mylonitized quartz-muscovite gneisses in the Yecheon Shear Zone are features common to subduction-related granitoids and are also found in granitoids from a crustal source derived from the arc crust of active continental margin. ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(T)$ and initial Sr-ratio ratios of foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids with suggest the involvement of upper crust-derived melts in granitoid petrogenesis. Foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids in the study area, together with the Yeongju Batholith, show not changing contents of specific elements(Ti, P, Zr, V and Y) from shear zone to the area near the shear zone. These results suggest that no volume changes and geochemical alterations in fluid-rich foliated hornblende-biotite granitoids may occur during deformation, which mass transfer by fluid flow into the shear zone is equal to the mass transfer out of the shear zone.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2005

The granitoids in the Mt. Geumjeong, Busan can be divided into granodiorite, hornblende granite, adamellite, tonalite, biotite granite and micrographic granite. The geochemical characteristics of the Mt. Geumjeong granites indicate that they were crystallized from a calc-alkaline series and that they belong to Ⅰ-type granitic rocks which evolved from granodioritic magma into hornblende granite, adamellite, biotitie granite, and finally micrographic granite through fractional crystallization of plagioclase. The crystallization pressures and temperatures of the minimum melt compositions of the granitic rocks were estimated to about 1∼5 kbar and 720∼700℃. The trace element composition and REE patterns, characterized by a high LILE/HFSE ratio and enrichments in LREE, indicate typical continental margin arc calc-alkaline rocks produced in the subduction environment. The Rb-Sr isotopic data for the Mt. Geumjeong granites define a well-defined isochron yielding as age of 69.6±1.9 Ma with an initial Sr isotopic ratio of 0.70503.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.49-63
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• 2017

The geochemical results of the Chunyang granites located in the northeastern part of the Yeongnam Massif, indicate that these rocks have characteristics of calc-alkaline series in the sub-alkaline field, I-type and peraluminous. Most of the geochemical features in major and trace elements show systematic trends, which are similar to differentiation trends of the general Jurassic granitoids in South Korea. The Chunyang granite is largely enriched in mobile LILE (Sr, K, Rb and Ba) relatively immobile HFSE. They show LREE enriched patterns [$(La/Lu)_{CN}=41.8-73.2$] with a slightly negative Eu anomaly [$(Eu/Eu^*)_{CN}=0.89-1.10$]. There are no meaningful correlations in major and trace elements between the Chunyang granites and the Buseok plutonic rock which is the main unit of the Yeongju batholith. This result may suggest that these two plutonic rocks be not derived from the same parent magma. Tectonic discrimination diagrams indicate that the Chunyang granite was formed in volcanic arc environments. These geochemical characteristics results suggest that the Chunyang granite must have been generated at the active continental margin during the subduction of the Jurassic proto-Pacific plate.