• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.27-44
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• 2004

Upper reach of Soyang River at the northernmost area around Taebaek Mountains in South korea is profitable area to understand paleo-environment during the Quaternary such as tectonic process and climate change in the Korean Peninsula. This study explained paleo-environment affect to channel development by geomorphic distribution and characteristics of terrace surfaces, and analysis of deposits at 58 fluvial terraces in upper reach of Soyang River. Fluvial terraces were classified from T1 to T6. Most terraces are distributed on the point bar in meandering channel and one side along river valley. Terraces tend to decrease in number and superficial dissection rate to be higher and channel slope to be steeper if it takes long time from T1 to 6. The paleo-channel of Soyang River is supposed to be stronger meandering in period of T2 than T3. The weathering rind of gravel is generally thicker in older terrace, however, differs by contents of water and air in deposits. Based on the data of stratigraphy, grain size analysis, pollen analysis and rubification index in deposit, formation age of T5 terrace in Soyang River are estimated in MIS(Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage) 10, and T2 terrace are estimated in MIS 6.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.683-694
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• 2000

Abstrace: The palaeodepositional environment and age of the Cretaceous Hampyeong Basin (southwestern Korea) are reassessed based on new geochemical, lithological, sedimentological, and palaeobotanical data. Results indicate that the Hampyeong Basin was a tectonically active basin comprising predominantly fluvial and lacustrine sediments. Four distinctive facies types have been identified (acidic tuff, black shales/sandstones, red beds, intermediate tuff with tuffaceous conglomerate) and these reflect periods of significant environmental change within the basin and its neighbouring terrains. Volcanism driven by tectonic events provides a source for much of the sediment. The sedimentary sequences compare well with those in the neighbouring Haenam Basin. Sediments of volcanic origin are similar to those of the Neungju Formation of the Yuchon Group. The widespread occurrence of black shales is indicative of extended periods of deposition under anoxic conditions. Measurements of total organic carbon show that the values for the black shales (0.81% to 1.75%) are the average for petroleum source shales. Fossil plants occurred in the black shales and sandstones. The occurrence of platanoid leaves places these sediments in Oishi's angiosperm series, which is consistent with an Aptian/Albian or younger age.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3 s.41
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• pp.157-168
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• 2005

Trachytic rocks among the bimodal metavolcanic rocks of the Gyemyeongsan Formation and adjacent areas are investigated. Some rocks reveal very high content of iron and most rocks show very high abundances of rare earth elements and high field strength elements. Most rocks show significant Eu negative anomaly, which can be interpreted as the result of plagioclase fractionation. Lack of noticeable Nb negative anomaly indicates not-involvement of crustal material in their generation, which excludes the arc environment or remelting of continental crust from their genetic process. Metatrachytes of the Gymyeongsan Formation are plotted within the within-plate environment of the tectonic discrimination diagram utilizing immobile high field strength element Nb and Y. They also show typical characteristics of A-type magma, such as high Ga content. Considering their affinity to Al-type of Eby (1992) and their age of 750 Ma (Lee et al., 1998), they seem to have been produced by the differentiation of mantle-derived within-plate magmatism at the rift, related with the separation of Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia. Possible connection of Gyemyeongsan and Munjuri Formations of the Okcheon metamorphic belt, at least part of them, to the Cathaysia block of South China during the Neoproterozoic is strongly suggested.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3 s.41
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• pp.169-179
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• 2005

Acidic metavolcanic rocks distributed around the Chungju iron deposit show significantly high abundances of rare earth elements and high field strength elements. Relatively high ${\epsilon}_{Nd}$(0) values and lack of negative Nb anomaly suggest that assimilation of crustal material is not involved in their generation. They are plotted within the within-plate environment according the tectonic discrimination diagrams. Such geochemical characteristics are very similar to the acidic metavolcanic rocks of Munjuri Formation. They also show geochemical characteristics of Al-type magma of Eby (1992). All such diagnostic characters indicate differentiation of mantle-derived magma produced from the rift environment, related to the breakup of continent. In contrast to the alkali granites and the rare metal deposit both having age of c. 330 Ma, Sm-Nd isotopic data of the acidic metavolcanic rocks do not form well defined isochron. However, the alkali granites reveal low ${\epsilon}_{Nd}$(0) values, while the acidic metavolcanic rocks and the rare metal deposit both have significantly higher ${\epsilon}_{Nd}$(0) values. Considering such differences, we propose following generation hypothesis: The acidic metavolcanic rocks around Chungju iron deposit was erupted at 750 Ma as rest of the acidic metavolcanic rocks of Gyemyeongsan and Munjuri Formations. About 330 Ma ago, partial melting of existing Al-type igneous materials and some old crustal materials produced alkali granite. The rare metal deposit was also produced by redistribution of related materials within the acidic volcanics due to hydrothermal activities occurred at the same time. Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of the acidic metavolcanic rocks were disturbed during the regional metamorphic event at ca. 280 Ma.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.313-328
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• 2013

Jurassic granitoids in the northeastern part of the Yeongnam Massif are possibly the result of intensive magmatic activities that occurred in response to subduction of the proto-Pacific plate beneath the northeast portion of the Eurasian plate. Geochemical studies on the granitic rocks are carried out in order to constrain the petrogenesis of the granitic magma and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the area. Whole rock chemical data of the Uljin granitoids in the northeastern part of the Yeongnam Massif indicate that all of the rocks have the characteristics of calcalkaline series in subalkaline field. The overall major element trends show systematic variations in each granitic body, but the source materials of each granitoids seem to have different chemical composition. The Uljin granitoids are different from other granitic rocks, which distributed vicinity of the study area, in the contents of $Al_2O_3$ and trace elements such as Cr, Co, Ni, Sr, Y and Nb. The Uljin granitoids have geochemical features similar to slab-derived adakites such as high $Al_2O_3$, Sr contents and high Sr/Y, La/Yb ratios, but they have low Y and Yb contents. The major ($SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, MgO) and trace element (Sr, Y, La, Yb) contents of the Uljin granitoids fall well within the adakitic field. The Uljin granitoids have similar geochemical characteristics, paleotectonic environments and intrusion ages to those of the Yatsuo plutonic rocks of Hida belt located on northwestern part of Japan. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show generally enriched LREEs ($(La/Yb)_{CN}=10.6-103.4$) and are slight negative to flat Eu anomalies. On the ANK vs. A/CNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type and volcanic arc granite (VAG). Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement in a compressional tectonic regime at the continental margin during the subduction of Izanagi plate in Jurassic period.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.335-365
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• 2012

Fission-track (FT) thermochronological records from SE Korean Cretaceous-Paleogene granitic plutons in different fault-bounded blocks reveal contrasting cooling and later thermal histories. Overall cooling patterns are represented by a monotonous (J-shaped) curve in most plutons except some Cretaceous granites retaining a complicated (N-shaped) path due to post-reset re-cooling. Discriminative cooling rates over different temperature ranges can be explained for individual plutons with respect to relative pluton sizes, differences in initial heat loss depending on country rocks, and the presence and proximity of later igneous activity. Even within a single batholith, cooling times for different isotherms were roughly contemporaneous with respect to positions. Insignificant deviations in cooling ages from two different plutons in succession across the Yangsan fault may suggest their contemporaneity before major horizontal fault movement. The extent of later thermal rise recorded locally along the Yangsan and Dongnae fault zones were reached the Apatite Partial Stability Zone ($70-125^{\circ}C$), but did not exceed $200^{\circ}C$. Thermal alteration from fractured zones in the Yangsan-Ulsan fault junction may suggest a thermal reset above $290^{\circ}C$ resulting a complete reset in FT sphene age (31 Ma), caused by a tectonic subsidence in Early Oligocene. A consistency in FT zircon/apatite ages (24 Ma) may imply a sudden rapid cooling over $200-105^{\circ}C$, plausibly related to the abrupt tectonic uplift of the Pohang-Gampo Block including the fault junction in Late Oligocene. A remarkable trend of lower cooling ages for $300-200-100^{\circ}C$ isotherms (i.e., 19% for FT sphene and K-Ar biotite; 20% for FT zircon; 27% for FT apatite) from the east of the Ulsan fault (Pohang-Gampo Block) comparing to the west of the fault may be attributed to retarded cooling times from the Paleogene granites and also reflected by their partially-reduced apatite ages due to later thermal effects.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.565-583
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• 2020

In recent years, various social issues related to the natural radioactive elements detected in household goods and building materials are addressed, and should be solved promptly. In Korea, for more than 20 years, the Ministry of Environment has investigated the natural radioactive materials such as heavy metals, uranium, and radon in soil or groundwater. The origins of natural radioactive materials in them may have a close correlation with the geological factors including classification of rocks, petrogenetic origins, and deformation characteristics, but the exact geological correlations are not clarified because of the absence of the government policy preserved in the basement rocks, soils as well as groundwater in fault-related reservoirs. This study aims to perform a research on the correlation between the petrogeneses of the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks and natural radioactive concentrations in rocks (radon, uranium, thorium, potassium etc.) in Korea. Among the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks, alkaline plutonic rocks (syenite, monzonite and monzodiorite and alkali granite) show high U and Th concentrations by high solubilities of U, Th, Zr, REE, and Nb until the most extreme stages of magmatic fractionation (viz. crystal fractionation) due to high magma temperature and high alkalinity tendency. The highly fractionated high-K calalkaline and peraluminous granitic rocks (leucogranite, two-mica granite and leucocratic pegmatite are also U and Th concentrations compared with other less or medium fractionated granitic rocks (diorite, granodiorite and granite). The alkaline plutonic rocks are associated with intracontinental rifting and extensional environment after crustal thickening by collisional and subductional processes. In contrast, the dominant calc-alkaline granitic rocks in Korea are related to the arc environment of the subduction zone. In summary, the trends of the U, Th and K concentration from the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks in Korea are closely linked to the petrogenesis of the rocks in tectonic environment. The preliminary data for gamma-spectrometric mesurments of natural radionuclide contents (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks show high values in the alkaline and highly fractionated granitic rocks.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.5 no.1_2 s.6
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• pp.27-35
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• 1997

The Gorae II area is located in the southwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea and corresponds to the Ulleung Trough. The survey of 3D seismic data in this area was performed to delineate the structural leads confirmed by the previous 2D seismic data. As a part of 3D interpretation, basement related structural movements and their relationship with the stratigraphy were studied. The study shows that eight sequences were identified which are genetically related to the tectonics and sediment supply in this area. The geologic structures characterizing the study area consist of : (1) block faults developed in the early stage of basin opening, (2) late Miocene thrusts, and (3) Pliocene wrench faults. The eight sequences consist of pre-rift (acoustic basement), syn-rift (Sequence $A_1, A_2$), post-rift (Sequence $B_1{\~}B_3$), syn-compressional sequence (Sequence C), and post-compressional sequence(Sequence D) from oldest to youngest. The time structure and isochron maps were constructed for each sequence and also used in seismic facies analysis and interpretation of sedimentary environment. The interpretation results reveal that the relative sea level changes caused by several stages of tectonic movements and sediment supply control the stratal and structural geometry of Ulleung basin.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2016

Tsogttsetsii area, an intrusive complex associated with Cu porphyry mineralization, is located in the Gurvansaikhan island arc terrane of the Central Asian Orogenic belt, Southern Mongolia. We performed a reconnaissance survey in Tsogttsetsii area. Cu mineralization in Tsogttsetsii area is porphyry Cu type related with alkali granite intruded in Permian. Mineralogical and textural properties of the ores and associated minerals were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, thin section petrography, and Scanning electron microscopy-Energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Ore minerals identified in polarizing microscope are magnetite, pyrite and bornite. Propylitic alteration zone occurs broadly in the area where malachite occurrences are shown to be spread intensively in alkali granite area. Quartz, sericite, chlorite and epidote were observed in the alteration zone samples. As results of XRD and SEM-EDS analysis, samples of copper oxides were composed mainly of malachite, cuprite and small amounts of quartz. Average and maximum Cu contents of samples collected from malachite occurrences area are 759 ppm and 6190 ppm, respectively. The characteristics of mineralization in Tsogttsetsii area is similar to Oyu Tolgoi Cu-Au (Mo) deposit and Tsagaan Suvarga Cu-Mo deposit which are 56 km south and 120 km northeast from Tsogttsetsii area, respectively. Characteristics of the study area, such as the geology, tectonic environment, lithology, mineralization, and alterations of the rocks within the survey area, resemble the characteristics of other porphyry deposits. Therefore further exploration including Induced Polarization (IP) survey for identifying subsurface orebody is required.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.443-473
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• 2004

In northern Gohung granitic gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss and migmatitic gneiss are widely distributed. Gneisses were plotted in granodiorite domain on an lUGS silica-alkali diagram. The amounts of trace elements (Li, Zn, Sc, Sr, Ni, V Y etc.) vs. $SiO_2$, somewhat decreased. Plagioclase showed a wide compositional range ($An_{32-48}$). $X_{alm}$ and $X_{sps}$ were higher in garnet rim and $X_{pyp}$ in garnet core. The rocks in the study area were formed from S and I-type magmas which generated from syn-collision and the late to post-orogenic tectonic environment. Metamorphic P-T conditions u·ere low to medium pressure, high temperature (803-913$^{\circ}C$, 6.1-7.3 kb) and overprinted by retrograde metamorphism (570-726$^{\circ}C$, 2.2-5.1 kb) and chloritization.