Geosciences Journal最新文献

The formations in the early Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup (mainly carbonates with subordinate siliciclastics) within the Taebaeksan Basin in the Danyang area, South Korea, show an apparent right-side-up homoclinal stratigraphy without repetition or omission of any formation, and it was therefore thought that the NW-dipping formation boundaries are primary depositional contacts. Our detailed examination revealed, however, that the formation boundaries are reverse-slip shear zones parallel to the second-generation foliation (S₂) crenulating transposed S₀//S₁ foliation and that WNW-dipping bedding planes (S₀) are only locally preserved. The most penetrative regional planar structure in the area is the NNW-dipping first-generation foliation (S₁) that is defined by compositional layering and is parallel to the axial planes of isoclinal F₁ folds. Isoclinal to close F₁ folds occur on both the mesoscopic and macroscopic scale, whereas tight to close F₂ folds occur locally only on the mesoscopic scale. D₁ deformation presumably involved a NNW-SSE horizontal contraction and resulted in the buckle folding and transposition of S₀. D₂ deformation involved a NW-SE contraction, probably at a high angle to the S₀//S₁ transposed layers, and produced passive shear folding of S₀//S₁ with S₂ crenulation cleavages as discrete shear surfaces. Shearing deformation was strongly localized along some S₂ foliation planes, resulting in reverse shear zones that represent the current ‘pseudo’-formation boundaries. Based on zircons U-Pb ages, we suggest that the Okdong Fault was initiated from an unconformable boundary between the Precambrian basement gneiss and overlying sediments of the Paleozoic Taebaeksan Basin, probably during the Middle Jurassic.

This study aims to develop an automated impact crater classification machine learning (ML) method based on the morphometric parameters extracted from SRTM DEM. The training and testing dataset comprises data from 52 confirmed, well preserved, and moderately eroded impact craters and a recently discovered impact crater in Korea, Jeokjung Chogye Basin (JCB). The morphometric parameters including rim diameter, floor diameter, and wall width of complex craters and simple craters were tested by Mann Whitney U test and One Sample Wilcoxon signed rank test. The tests showed that those parameters can statistically separate the two types of craters. The Random Forest model classified them with an accuracy of 88.6% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.67, where rim diameter, floor diameter, and wall width were identified as variables with the highest Gini indices. Complex craters are characterized by a large flat diameter and wide wall width compared to simple craters with parabolic bases. The difference is caused by the impact energy when the craters were formed. The study confirmed that using machine learning, the complex craters and simple craters can be separated by checking the SRTM elevation model with machine learning methods. The morphometric parameters of JCB impact crater indicated that the crater is highly a complex crater concluded by both statistical tests and machine learning algorithm.

The Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt (JLJB) is one of the Paleoproterozoic orogenic belts within the North China Craton (NCC), whose tectonic evolution is still controversial due to multiple magmatic/metamorphic events after its formation. To tackle this controversy, we conducted petrological, geochronological, geochemical and zircon Hf isotopic studies for the meta-mafic rocks from the North Liaohe Group (NLG) in the central JLJB. ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb weighted average ages of 1849 ± 36 Ma and 1853 ± 13 Ma indicate that the protoliths of the amphibolites in the Shisixian area formed at ca. 1.85 Ga. Geochemically, the amphibolites belong to tholeiitic series; while the meta-gabbros can be divided into the low-Ti and high-Ti types: the former belongs to calc-alkaline series, whereas the latter belongs to tholeiitic series. The high-Ti rocks are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g., Ba, K and Pb), and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, P and Ti). These rocks display slightly positive εHf(t) values (+1.40 to +2.02). The low-Ti meta-gabbros were most likely derived from the partial melting of the enriched lithospheric mantle in the spinel stability field, which was metasomatized by subduction-related fluids and/or melts with significant contamination of crustal material, while the amphibolites and high-Ti meta-gabbros were derived from partial melting of depleted asthenospheric mantle in the spinel stability field, which was metasomatized by limited subduction-related fluids and/or melts, coupled with fractional crystallization. The lithological and geochemical characteristics show that the low-Ti meta-gabbros formed in a magmatic arc environment, the high-Ti rocks formed in the later stage of a back-arc basin; while the amphibolites formed in a post-collisional extensional environment. Combined with literature data, we suggest that the JLJB experienced a process from subduction, collision, to extension: At ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga back-arc basin opened via southward subduction of an oceanic plate followed by northward subduction at ca. 2.1–1.91 Ga, and subsequently closed to form the JLJB at ca. 1.91 Ga, which led to the Longgang-Nangrim continental collision, and post-collision extension occurred at ca. 1.85 Ga along with the collapse of the collisional orogen.

Liquefaction has been known as a phenomenon in which the shear strength and stiffness of saturated soil are reduced by the generation of pore water pressure under earthquake loading. Consequently, liquefaction-induced settlement can result in severe damage including building cracks or slope failure, which pose a threat to human lives and properties. In the current Vietnamese standard TCVN 9386:2012, liquefaction potential hazard is often evaluated using the simplified method, which solely identifies the areas with a high risk of liquefaction. Prediction of Safety Factor (FS), Settlement (S), Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI), and Liquefaction Severity Number (LSN) has not received sufficient attention to a completeness standard. This study assesses the liquefaction of the site at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam by using four conventional methods: the simplified procedure, linear equivalent analysis, loosely-coupled effective stress analysis, and fully-coupled effective stress analysis based on standard penetration test (SPT) data in Ho Chi Minh Metropolitan City. A class of seismic events that are compatible with the design response spectrum in the Vietnamese standard TCVN 9386:2012 is used as input ground motion at the bedrock. According to the results of different methods, maps of ground settlement, LPI, and LSN are proposed as useful references for construction works on such soils, which may have a high potential for liquefaction and subsidence.

In the central north of Saudi Arabia, outcrop samples from the Cretaceous bauxite profile deposits in the Az Zabirah area were subjected to a comprehensive evaluation aimed at investigating their petrographical and geochemical characteristics using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy dispersive (EDS) analysis, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) analysis. These bauxite deposits in the Az Zabirah area comprises of three main zones: the South zone, the Central zone, and the North zone. Petrologically, the bauxite samples predominantly consist of oolitic to pisolitic grains that are bound together by a matrix comprising bauxitic materials, iron oxides, calcite, and/or kaolinite. Mineralogical investigations indicate that the primary mineral composition of the bauxite includes gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore (kaolinite), hematite, quartz, and calcite. XRF showed that the dominant chemical components of the bauxite samples are Al₂O₃, SiO₂, and Fe₂O₃. When considering the collective data from the rare earth elements (REEs) analysis (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) and chemical weathering indices such as the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW), and Weathering Index of Parker (WIP), it becomes evident that the Az Zabirah South Zone bauxite laterite profile at Al Ba’itha mine was formed under the influence of significant and persistent weathering conditions. The findings and methods used in this study are considered beneficial and valuable as they support mineral exploration in arid and semi-arid environments.

In ancient records, discrimination of specific triggering events from sediment gravity flow deposits is very difficult, due to multiple interactions between triggering events and similar sedimentary characteristics. For this study, we introduce the Hakcheon-Chogok Megaturbidite (HCM) in the Miocene Pohang-Youngduk Basin (PYB), providing an opportunity to differentiate the triggering events. This megaturbidite is over 70 m thick in the proximal part and less than 4 m thick in the distal part. The diachronous stratigraphic position and distinct coarser sediments than those of the underlying and overlying successions suggest a large-scale slope failure of the fine-grained foreset (more than 2 km³). The occurrence of exotic granitic boulders, originating from the basement rock, more than 1 km west of the present fan-apex, is indicative of extreme sea-level run-up. The dispersal pattern and paleocurrent direction suggest that the HCM flowed to the northeast, irrespective of the local depositional slope which show a radial distribution from the fan-apex. The distribution pattern almost perpendicular to the strike of the NW-SE trending transfer fault suggests that the HCM was triggered by a reflection flow of giant tsunami wave, resulting in a large-scale failure of high-gradient (> 15° in slope angle) fandelta slope.

Abstract

Lithostratigraphy of the Yongtan Group is newly established based on detailed sedimentologic and stratigraphic studies on recently exposed, less deformed, relatively continuous outcrops and comprehensive review of previous studies, mainly focusing on the Jeongseon Formation which occupies most of the group spatially and stratigraphically. The Yongtan Group is divided into the Jeongseon, Haengmae, and Hoedongri formations in ascending order, and all the units are assigned to the Ordovician. The Jeongseon Formation is divided into three members based on lithology. Eleven sedimentary facies are recognized in the Jeongseon Formation and organized into five facies associations (FAs), FA1 (tidal flat), FA2 (inner-ramp), FA3 (shoal), FA4 (mid-ramp), and FA5 (ramp-slope to outer-ramp). The formation is interpreted to have been deposited on a homoclinal ramp. The Yongtan Group is divided into two supersequences separated by type 1 sequence boundary and the lower and middle members of the Jeongseon Formation belong to Supersequence I and the Upper Member to Supersequence II which includes the Haengmae and Hoedongri formations. The relative sea-level curve inferred from sequence stratigraphic analysis suggests that the formation evolved through two depositional stages in accordance with second-order sea-level changes separated by the boundary between the Sauk and Tippecanoe sequence, and the curve is greatly similar to that of the Taebaek and Yeongwol groups. The southeastward thickening of FA3 and northwestward prevalence of shale-rich facies suggest that topographic highs and lows were present in the Taebaeksan Basin and a slope might have developed along the carbonate platform during the early stage of deposition. The correlation and lateral thickness variation of the facies associations additionally suggest that the basin was deeper toward the northwestern part of the Jeongseon area. The deepening is likely attributed to the weakening of the productivity of the carbonate factory during the early Ordovician.

The 2016 magnitude (M_W) 5.5 Gyeongju earthquake, which occurred in Korea near assumed epicenters of several substantial historical earthquakes and Quaternary fault segments, underscores the importance of seismic hazard assessment in the region. However, uncertainties about potential seismic sources make evaluating the potential for a moderate-to-large earthquake challenging. Microearthquake monitoring through a dense seismic network can provide crucial insights into the regional seismic characteristics. An extensive temporary seismic array known as the Gyeongju Hi-density Broadband Seismic Network (GHBSN) was established to investigate microearthquake activity in the southeastern Korean Peninsula. This included the zone of aftershocks from the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake sequence. The GHBSN comprises 200 broadband stations located at approximately 4.5 km intervals in an area of approximately 60 × 60 km² around the epicenter of the mainshock. A total of 4,773 events were detected from November 2017 to December 2021, including 3,935 events within the GHBSN. The detected events were categorized into five seismic regions excluding quarry blasting sites, that is, the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake region, eastern part of the Ulsan Fault, 2017 Pohang earthquake region, eastern offshore Gyeongju, and western part of the Miryang Fault. A local magnitude scale was developed for the southeastern Korean Peninsula using events detected through the GHBSN. This reflects the distance attenuation and site conditions of the GHBSN stations for earthquakes. An event catalog was created using two automatic detection methods based on the measurement of the energy ratio. This provided high-resolution hypocenter parameters at a completeness magnitude (M_C) of 0.0 despite the seismic environment of the network being exposed to high cultural noise. The Gutenberg-Richter b-value was estimated as 0.82 ± 0.02 for all events and 1.01 ± 0.02 for those inside GHBSN. This implies that the seismicity reflects a representative intraplate seismic environment. Testing the obtainability of the focal mechanism solutions showed that the GHBSN outperformed the regional network. Depending on the relationship between the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes, a relatively large number of small earthquakes can provide detailed information on the geometric properties of the causative faults and the state of the acting stress. High-precision microearthquake observation and analysis through GHBSN could provide an unprecedented opportunity with seismic datasets to understand the seismogenesis of the southeastern Korean Peninsula, including the zone of aftershocks of the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake.

Wildfires have caused natural environmental damage that has contributed to deforestation, consequently demonstrating a significant influence on atmospheric emissions. Wildfires occur frequently in South Korea, especially during the spring season. This study assessed post-wildfires areas in Gangneung, South Korea, on April 11, 2023, which were generated by implementing remote sensing technology and statistical analysis. Remote sensing and classification techniques, including PlanetScope, have been developed for identifying wildfire-damaged areas. The method for classifying post-wildfire mapping estimation includes the utilization of deep learning approaches, especially using the U-Net architecture. Therefore, the assessment of wildfire severity can be conducted using Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-5P imagery in addition to an analysis of the vegetation type and air pollutant within the affected region. In the present study, Sentinel-2 imagery was to generate spectral indices, including the differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR), differenced normalized difference moisture index (dNDMI), differenced soil adjusted vegetation index (dSAVI), and differenced normalized vegetation index (dNDVI). Sentinel-5P imagery was utilized to produce carbon monoxide (CO) column number densities. The estimation of wildfire areas was conducted using a PlanetScope classified image with the U-Net classifier, which was evaluated based on the overall accuracy value of 95% and kappa accuracy of 0.901. The wildfire severity level was shown by dNBR, which was correlated with the parameters, including RBR, dNDMI, dSAVI, dNDVI, and CO. The statistical analysis demonstrated a significant and positive correlation between the wildfire severity and the parameters. Moreover, the average of vegetation indices (NDMI, SAVI, and NDVI) before and after a wildfire were found to decrease by vegetation type, including 17.55% in mixed barren land areas, 17.49% in other grasses, 24.71% in mixed forest land, 22.48% in coniferous land, 13.48% in fields, and 4.29% in paddy fields. On the basis of the results, these estimates can be employed to identify the level of damage caused by wildfires to vegetation and air quality.

Abstract

Skarn and Fe-Zn-Pb mineralization at the Wondong deposit located in the Taebaeksan Basin of the central-eastern region of Korean Peninsula occurs along the contact between the Upper Cretaceous quartz-feldspar porphyry (QFP) and carbonate rocks of the Ordovician Makgol Formation. The QFP is relatively fresh and has a sharp contact with the garnet skarn. Skarn is dominant in the carbonate rocks but is rare in the QFP. It consists almost of grandite throughout the skarn but has mineralogical zonation of proximal garnet, intermediate pyroxene, and distal wollastonite with increasing distance from the contact between the QFP and garnet skarn. Garnet becomes Fe-rich, and pyroxene tends to be enriched in Fe and Mn toward the marble front. Massive Fe mineralization, replacing garnet skarn, is restricted proximal to the QFP. In contrast, although the Zn-Pb mineralization is found in all areas it mostly occurs in the carbonate rocks beyond the skarn. Zinc-Pb mineralization occurred as stockwork and vein in the QFP and the garnet skarn consists of sphalerite, galena, Al-rich garnet, and calcite with a minor quantity of arsenopyrite. In contrast, the carbonate replacement of the Zn-Pb mineralization beyond skarn consists of sphalerite, pyrrhotite, galena, diopsidic pyroxene, and calcite with minor minerals such as arsenopyrite, löellingite, and chalcopyrite. Sphalerite, principal ore mineral, becomes darker and Fe- (up to 34.4 mol% FeS) and Mn-rich (up to 1.5 mol% MnS) with increasing distance from the QFP. Arsenopyrite is closely associated with sphalerite tends to be decreased in As away from the QFP. All sulfide minerals from Zn-Pb mineralization in the Wondong deposit have δ³⁴S values ranging from 2.9 to 5.9‰, which are attributed to the magmatic source. In addition, the narrow range and subtle variation of the δ³⁴S values for all sulfides throughout the Wondong deposits are not interpreted to be involved in the mixing of multiple sulfur sources. Geological, petrographic, mineralogical, and isotopic geochemical investigations show that the early skarn was formed in an environment of high fluid: rock ratios at the contact between the QFP and Makgol Formation and it was dominated by grandite, indicating the oxidizing nature of the skarn-forming fluids. The ore deposition began after the formation of the main garnet dominated skarn. The ore-forming fluids responsible for Zn-Pb mineralization are characterized by a less oxidizing nature, as defined by comparatively Al-enriched garnet in vein type mineralization in and around the QFP. Farther, the fluids producing the carbonate replacement of the Zn-Pb mineralization are unlikely to be engaged in external effects such as mixing with multiple sulfur sources even though it travels over long distance.