• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.569-578
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• 2022

Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) represents a period of mid-Cretaceous when black shale was deposited worldwide. This short period of perturbations in the global biogeochemical cycles spans the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary, marking the peak of the Cretaceous greenhouse, which is characterized by elevated atmospheric pCO₂, sealevel highstand, and expansion of oxygen minimum zone. Since the pioneering work in the 1970s, numerous studies have investigated the cause and consequences of the event based on geochemical and isotope proxies, and it is now widely accepted that the enhanced primary production and volcanism during the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval were the key environmental factors that triggered OAE2. This study briefly reviews previous OAE2 studies of the carbon, sulfur, and trace metal cycles for mechanistic understanding of the biogeochemical processes during the event.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.108-131
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• 2008

The Miocene andesite and basalt intruded into and/or extruded on the Cretaceous volcanic and granitic rocks over the area of Chenjabong and Sirubong in the vicinity of Jinhae, southern part of Kyongsang basin. The K-Ar ages of the younger volcanic rocks are from 16 Ma (Sirubong andesite) to 10 Ma (Cheonjabong basalt), which indicate the Miocene volcanism in the outer part of the Tertiary basin in the Korean peninsula. The volcanics are divided into Chenjabong andesite, Cheonjabong basaltic andesite, Sirubong andesite and Cheonjabong basalt. The Cheonjabong andesite is composed of phenocrysts of clinopyroxene and plagioclase ($An_{60{\sim}64}$) and groundmass with lath-like plagioclase ($An_{76{\sim}84}$) and glass. The Cheonjabong basaltic andesite is composed of plagioclase phenocryst ($An_{60{\sim}64}$) with plagioclase lath ($An_{65}$) and glass in groundmass. The Sirubong andesite is only consisted of plagiocalse lath ($An_{64{\sim}68}$) and glass with absence of phonocryst. The Cheonjabong basalt shows typical porphyritic texture with phenocrysts of olivine ($Fo_{69-84}$) and clinopyroxene. The groundmass of the Cheonjabong basalt is composed of microphenocrysts of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase ($An_{66{\sim}71}$) and plagioclase laths ($An_{57{\sim}65}$) showing pillotaxitic and intergranular texture. The Cheonjabong andesite, Cheonjabong basaltic andesite, Sirubong andesite are belong to calc-alkialine but the Cheonjabong basalt is alkaline basalt. By tectonic discrimination diagrams the parental magmas of the volcanic rocks have occurred boundary.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2001

The combination of geological, structural and satellite image studies is used to make an examination of the Miocene eruptive type in the Eoil Basin, SE Korea. The basin subsided by the NW-SE extension due to NNW dextral shearing during the East Sea opening. Based on geological structures as well as lithofacies and ages of the basin-fills, it is divided into the NE subbasin and the SW subbasin which were abundantly filled with basaltic volcanics and marine sediments without volcanic materials, respectively: Syndeposional synclines and anticlines are characteristically developed in the NE subbasin, which amplitudes decrease away from the adjacent normal faults to make them into a homoclinal structure. The thicker lavas as well as the younger agglomerates and lacustrine sediments, which show circular distributions, are distributed around the axial zones of major synclines. The satellite image shows four remarkable circular structures within the NE subbasin. They are located adjacent to and along the normal faults, and they are laid almost exactly on the axial zones of the synclines as well as on the distribution area of the agglomerates and lacustrine sediments. These facts indicate that the basaltic lava effusion were conducted by the normal faults like a kind of fissure-eruption and its activity was more predominant at the sites in where the synclines are developed. More active effusion of lava became a reason for deeper subsidence to make differential subsidence and syndepositional folding adjacent to and along the normal faults. Hence, we suggest that a nested cauldron structure was formed in the NE subbasin of the Eoil Basin, and that the volcanism made the subbasin to be a lava pond and controlled the process of filling and sedimentation in the subbasin.

• 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.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.385-396
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• 2012

Jeju island is the biggest volcanic island in Korea and there are over 455 Quaternary monogenetic volcanoes, of which approximately 373 volcanoes(82.0%) are cinder cones. Other volcanic forms in the island include sharp-pointed lava cone without crater(9 volcanoes; 2.0%), shield volcanoes(27 volcanoes; 5.9%), tuff rings(17 volcanoes; 3.7%), tuff cones(3 volcanoes; 0.7%), a maar(1 volcano; 0.2%) and lava domes(25 volcanoes; 5.5%). The monogenetic volcanoes include 15 small nested cinder cones(aloreum). The monogenetic volcanoes are more abundant in the eastern part of the island than in the western part. If the main cause of the weathering such as precipitation affected the shape of the monogenetic volcanoes, more monogenetic volcanoes(BC, CC, DC, etc.) are supposed to be present in the southern part that have more precipitation than in the northern part. But the distribution of the monogenetic volcanoes shows no difference between the southern and the northern parts. So we suggest that the difference of the climatic conditions did not affect the distribution or the shape of cinder cones. Tuff rings, tuff cones and a maar are distributed beneath the island or in the low-altitude areas along the shore although cinder cones are distributed in the interior of the island. This means that the volcanic activity which formed the monogenetic volcanoes resulted from either phreatomagmatic eruption or magmatic (hawaiian or strombolian) eruptions depending on the reaction with water (underground water or shallow waters). The distribution of the monogenetic volcanoes according to the altitude shows that 253(55.6%) volcanoes occur in low-lying coastal areas at an altitude below 300 m, 110(24.2%) in a middle mountainous area at an altitude between 300~600 m and 92(20.2%) in a high mountainous area at an altitude above 600 m. So more than half of monogenetic volcanoes are distributed in low-lying coastal areas.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-62
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• 2013

The Dongmakgol Tuff is divided into 8 lithofacies based on their grain size and depositional structures: massive tuff breccia(TBm), welded tuff and lapilli tuff(LTw), rheomorphic tuff and lapilli tuff(LTr), massive lapilli tuff(LTm), stratified lapilli tuff(LTs), gradedly bedded lapilli tuff(LTg), crudely bedded lapilli tuff(LTb) and massive fine tuff(Tm). They can be divided into 3 pyroclastic rock group based on their constituents of the lithofacies. The lower group(LI) is composed of LTm, LTw and LTr, which are interpreted to have resulted from emplacement of voluminous pyroclastic flows due to ignimbrite-form eruption to boiling-over eruption. The middle group(LT+MI) consists of LTs, LTg and LTm associated with Tm in the lower part, and of LTm, LTw and LTr in the middle and upper parts; these suggest that started with deposition of pyroclastic surges from phreatoplinian eruption by poor eternal water, passed through emplacement of pyroclastic flows from ignimbrite-form eruption and ended with deposition of voluminous pyroclastic flows from boiling-over eruption. The upper group(lUT+uUT+UI) is composed of LTs, LTg and Tm in the lowermost, TBm, LTb, LTb and Tm in the lower part, and LTm and LTw in the middle and upper part, suggesting that began with deposition of surges from phreatoplinian eruption, passed through deposition of pumice- and ash-fallouts from plinian eruption and transformed into emplacement of pyroclastic flows due to boiling-over eruption. As result, eruptive processes in the Dongmakgol Tuff approximately began with phreatoplinian or/and plinian eruption, transformed into ignimbrite-forming eruption and proceeded into boiling-over eruption in each volcanism, but proceeded presumably without phreatoplinian or plinian eruption in the earlier stage of 1st volcanism.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.643-659
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• 2012

The Chungju Fe-REE deposit is located in the Kyemyeongsan Formation of the Ogcheon Group. The Kyemyeongsan Formation includes meta-volcanic rocks and pegmatite hosted REE deposit which show different kind of REE-containing minerals. The meta-volcanic rocks hosted REE deposits' main REE minerals are allanite, zircon, apatite, and sphene, whereas the pegmatite hosted REE deposits is mainly composed of fergusonite, and karnasurtite, zircon, thorite. The meta-volcanic rock hosted major REE mineral is allanite as the form of aggregation and contains 23.89-29.19 wt% TREO (Total Rare Earth Oxide), 4.71-9.92 wt% $La_2O_3$, 11.30-14.33 wt% $Ce_2O_3$, 0.11-0.29 wt% $Y_2O_3$, 0.15-0.94 wt% $ThO_2$, as a formula of (Ca, Y, REE, Th)$_{2.095}$(Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, $Fe^{3+})_{2.770}(SiO_4)_{2.975}(OH)$. Accompanying REE in a coupled substitution for $Ca^{2+}$ (M1 site) and $Al^{3+}-Fe^{2+}$ (M2 site) leads to a large chemical variety. Due to the allanite's high contents of Fe, it belongs to Ferrialanite. The pegmatite hosted deposit's domi-nant REE mineral is fergusonite as prismatic or subhedral grains associated with zircon, fluorite and karnasurtite. Geochemical composition of the fergusonite($YNbO_4$) suggests substitution of Y-REE and Y-Th in A-site, and Nb-Ta-Ti in B-site, furthermore the proportion of $Y_2O_3$ and $Nb_2O_5$ is oddly 1:1.5 comparing to the ideal ratio 1:1 and Nb is higher than Y, also A-site Y actively substitutes with REE. Karnasurtite in pegmatite variously ranges 9.16-22.88 wt% $Ce_2O_3$, 2.15-9.16 wt% and $La_2O_3$, 0.44-10.8 wt% $ThO_2$, as a calculated formula (Y, REE, Th, K, Na, Ca)$_{1.478}(Ti, Nb)_{1.304}$(Mg, Al, Mn, $Fe^{3+})_{0.988}$(Si, P)$_{1.431}O_7(OH)_4{\cdot}3H_2O$. Firstly the 870-860 Ma is the initial age of the supercontinent Rhodinia dispersal and subsequent A-1 type volcanism, which contains Fe, REE, and HFS(High Field Strength elements; Nb, Zr, Y etc.) elements in Fe-rich meta-volcanic rocks dominant Kyemyeongsan Formation, might mineralized allanite. Another synthesis is that regional metamorphism at late Paleozoic 300-280 Ma(Cho et al., 2002) might cause allanite mineralization. Also pegmatite REE mineralization highly related to the granite intrusion over the Chungju area in Jurassic(190 Ma; Koh et al., 2012). Otherwise above all, A-1 type volcanism at the same time of the Kyemyeongsan Formation development, regional metamorphism and pegmatite, might have caused REE mineralization. Although REE ore bodies display a close spatial association, each ore bodies display temporal distinction, different mineral assemblage and environment of ore formation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.267-278
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• 2013

The East African Rift System(EARS) is known to be hosted epithermal Au-Ag deposits, and the best-known example is Main Ethiopian Rift Valley(MER) related to Quaternary bimodal volcanism. Large horst-graben system during rifting provides open space for emplacement of bimodal magmas and flow channel of geothermal fluids. In recent, large hydrothermally altered zones(Shala, Langano, and Allalobeda) and hot spring related to deeply circulating geothermal water have been increasing their importance due to new discoveries in MER and Danakil depression. The hot springs in Shala and Allalobeda occur as boiling pool and geyser on the surface, whereas some areas didn't observe them due to decreasing ground water table. The host rocks are altered to quartz, kaolinite, illite, smectite, and chlorite due to interaction with rising geothermal water. The hot springs in MER are neutral to slightly alkaline pH(7.88~8.83) and mostly classified into $HCO_3{^-}$ type geothermal water. They are strongly depleted in Au, and Ag, but show a higher Se concentration of up to 26.7 ppm. In contrast, siliceous altered rocks around hot springs are strongly enriched in Pb(up to 33 ppm, Shala), Zn(up to 313 ppm, Shala), Cu(up to 53.1 ppm, Demaegona), and Mn(up to 0.18 wt%t, Shala). In conclusion, anomalous Se in hot spring water, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Mn in siliceous altered rocks, and new discoveries in MER have been increasing potential for epithermal gold mineralization.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.11 no.1 s.12
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• pp.27-41
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• 2005

The hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Eocene units in the southern Oregon Coast Range was evaluated by using the Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Most Eocene units in southern Oregon Coast Range are thermally immature and contain lean, gas-prone Type III kerogen. However, some beds(coals) are sufficiently organic-rich to be sources of biogenic and thermogenic methane discovered in numerous seeps. The overall hydrocarbon source rock potential of the southern Oregon Coast Range is moderately low. Several requirements for commercial accumulations of hydrocarbon, however, probably exist locally within and adjacent areas. Three speculative petroleum systems are identified. The first includes the southern part of the Oregon Coast Range near the border with the Mesozoic Klamath Mountains and is related to a proposed subduction zone maturation mechanism along thrust faults. The second is centered in the northern part of the range and may be associated with basin-centered gas in an over-pressured zone. The third occurs near the eastern border of the range where maturation is related heating by sills and migration of hydrothermal fluids associated with mid-Tertiary volcanism in the Western cascade arc.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 1996

All the radionuclides in high-level nuclear waste will decay to harmless levels eventually but for some radionuclides decay is so slow that their radiation remains dangerous for times on the order of tens or hundreds of thousands of years. At the present time, the most favorite disposal plan for high-level radioactive waste is a mined geological disposal in which canister enclosing stable solid form of radioactive waste is placed in mined cavities locating hundred meters below the surface. The chief hazard in such disposal is dissolution of radionuclides from the waste in the groundwater that will eventually carry the dissolved radionuclides to surface environments. The hazard from possible escape of the radionuclides through groundwater can be delayed by engineered and geologic barriers. The engineered barriers can become useless by unexpected geologic catastrophe such as volcanism, earthquake, and tectonic movement and by fraudulent work such as careless construction, improperly welded canisters within the first few decades or centuries. As a result, dangerously radioactive waste which is still intensively radioactive is directly exposed to attack by moving groundwater. All the more, it is almost impossible to control repositories for times more than 10,000 years. Therefore, naturally controlled geologic, barriers whose properties will not be changed within 10,000 years are important to guarantee the safety of repositories of high-level radioactive waste. In Sweden and France, the suitability of granite for the mined geological disposal of high-level waste has been studied intensively. According to the research in Sweden and France, granites has the following physio-chemical characteristics which can delay the transportation of radionuclide by groundwater. First, the permeabilities of granites decreases as the depth increases and is $10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-12}m/s$ at depth below 300 m. Second, groundwater at depth below 300 m has pH=7-9 and reducing condition (Eh=-0.1~0.4). This geochemical condition is desirable to prevent both canister and solid waste from corrosion. Third most radionuclides are not transported by low solubilities and some radionuclide with high solubility such as Cs and Sr are retarded by absorption of geologic media through which ground water flows. Therefore, if high-level waste is disposed at depth below 300 m in the granite body which has a low permeability and is geologically stable more than 10,000 years, the safety of repositories from the hazard due to radionuclide escape can guaranteed for more than 10,000 years.