Active Fault Study of the Yangsan Fault System and Ulsan Fault System, Southeastern Part of the Korean Peninsula

  • Published : 20060000

Abstract

Since the key issue that 'the Yangsan fault is seismically an active fault" was raised in 1983, thegeological and geomorphological studies of active fault have been made by many researchers. These studies are mainly focused on the Yangsan fault system(YFS) and Ulsan fault system(UFS) due to many historical earthquakes occurred in this area. There are two different types of active faultings under the ENE-WSW horizontal stress field in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. The NNE-trending YFS is the most prominent right-lateral strike-slip fault and has a continuous trace about 200 km long. Some part of this system has been active during the late Quaternary with evidences clearly recognized on both the northern (Yugyeri and Tosung-ri areas) and southern parts (Eonyang to Tongdosa area) of the YFS. in the southern part, the estimated vertical slip rate is about 0.02 - 0.07 mm/yr, and the lateral slip rate may be several times larger than the vertical rate. The most recent event occurred prior to deposition of Holocene alluvium, in the northern part, the fault trend locally changes to almost N-S, dips to the east and has reverse movement. The average vertical slip rate is estimated to be less than 0.1 mm/yr. The most recent event probably occurred after 1314 years BP (AD 536). The NNW-SSE (or N-S) trending UFS is a predominantly reverse fault that built up U-ie eastern mountain and has been active during U-ie late Quaternary. The fault trace is not straight but irregularly undulates along the foot of the mountain on the east. From the disturbed terraces along U-ie fault, the average vertical slip rate on U-iis system is estimated to be about 0.08.13mm/yr. The latest event is not well studied, but seems to have occurred after the last glacial maximum in the Malbang fault and 14,000 years BP in the Kalgok fault of the UFS. However, important issues such as fault segmentation, recurrence interval, age of Quaternary deposits need further studies.

Keywords

References

  1. Chae, B.G. and Chang T.W., 1994, Movement history of Yangsan fault and its related fractures at Chongha-Yongdok area, Korea, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 30, 4, 379-394
  2. Chang, C.J., 2001, Structural characteristics and evolution of the Yangsan fault, Ph.D. thesis, Kyongbuk University, 259 pp (in Korean)
  3. Chang, K.H., Woo, B.G., Lee, J.H., Park, S.O., and Yao, A., 1990, Cretaceous and early Cenozoic stratigraphy and history of eastern Kyongsang Basin, S. Korea, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 26, 471-487
  4. Chang, C.J. and Chang, T.W., 1998, Movement history of the Yangsan fault based on paleostress analysis, Jour. Eng. Geology, 8, 1, 35-49
  5. Choi, S.G., 1997, Development of marine and fluvial terraces and related environmental changes in the Late Quaternary along the east coast of Korea, Dissertation to the Tohoku University, 200 pp (in Japanese)
  6. Choi, S.G., 2001, Tectonic movement indicated by the Late Pleistocene paleoshorelines in the eastern coast of Korea, Transactions, Japanese Geomorphological Union, 22-3, 265-275
  7. Chough, S.K., Hwang, I.G., Choe, M.Y., 1990, The Miocene Doumsan fan-delta, southeast Korea: a composite fan-delta system in back-arc margin, J. Sediment. Petrol. 60, 445-455
  8. Choi, H.i. and K.S. Park, 1985, Cretaceous/Neogene stratigraphic transaction and post-Kyongsang tectonic evolution along and off the southern coast, Korea, J. Geol. Soc. Korea, 21, 281-296
  9. CRIEPI, 2006, The activity of the Ulsan fault system based on marine terrace age study at the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula, CRIEPI (Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry) report N05012, 83pp
  10. Jun, M.S., 1991, Body-wave analysis for shallow intraplate earthquakes in the Korean Peninsula and Yellow Sea. Tectonophysics, 192, 345-357 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(91)90108-5
  11. Kim, J.H., 1996, Mesozoic tectonics in Korea, J. Southeast Asian Earth Sci., 13, 251-265 https://doi.org/10.1016/0743-9547(96)00032-3
  12. Kim, Y. W. and Lee, K., 1988, A geoelectric study on the structure of the Yangsan fault in the south of Kyeongju, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 24, 47-61
  13. Korea Institute of Energy and Resources, 1981, Geological map of Korea (scale 1:1,000,000)
  14. KINS, 2003, Development of technology and background for seismic safety evaluation, KINS/GR-255 report, vol. 1,746pp
  15. Kyung, J.B., 1997, Paleoseismological study on the mid-northern part of Ulsan fault by trench method, Korean Society of Engineering Geology, 7(1), 81-90
  16. Kyung, J.B., Chang, T.W., 2001, The latest fault movement on the northern Yangsan fault zone around the Yugye-ri area, southeast Korea, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 37, 563-577
  17. Kyung, J.B., Lee, K., Okada, A., Takemura, K.,Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y. and Naruse, T., 1997, Active fault study in the central part of the Yangsan Fault, southeastern part of Korea, Geological Society of Korea, in Lee, Y. I. and Kim, J. H. eds., Tectonic-Evolution of Eastern Asian Continent: Geol. Soc. Korea 50th Anniv. Int' Symp., 33-38
  18. Kyung, J. B., Lee, K., Okada. A., Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y. and Takemura, K., 1999a, Study of fault characteristics by trench in the Sangchon-ri area in the southern part of the Yangsan fault, southeastern Korea Jour. Korean Earth Science Society, 20, 101-110 (in Korean)
  19. Kyung, J. B., Lee, K., Okada. A., 1999b, A paleoseismological study of the Yangsan fault analysis of deformed topography and trench survey, Joum. Korean Geophysical Society, 2, 155-168 (in Korean)
  20. Kyung, J. B. and Im, C. B., 2001, Active fault study in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, Ten years of paleo-seismology in the ILP : progress and prospects (program and abstracts), December 2001, Kaikoura, New Zealand, 75
  21. Kyung, J.B., 2003, Paleoseismology of the Yangsan fault, southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, Annals of Geophysics, vol. 46, No. 5, 983-996
  22. Lee, D.S., 1987, Geology of Korea, Geol. Soc. Korea, Kyohaksa, Seoul, 514 pp
  23. Lee, K., 1998, Historical earthquake data of Korea, J. Korean Geophys. Soc., 1, 3-22
  24. Lee, K. and Na, S.H., 1983, A study of micro-earthquake activity of the Yangsan fault, Journal of the Geological Society of Korea, 19, 127-135
  25. Lee, K., Jung, B., Kim, Y., and Yang, S. J., 1984, A geophysical study of the Yangsan fault area, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 20. 222-240
  26. Lee, K., and Um, C. R., 1992, Geoelectric survey of the Ulsan fault, Geophysical studies on major faults in the Kyeongsang basin, Jour. Geol. Soc. Korea, 28, 32-39
  27. Lee, K., and Jin. Y. G., 1991, Segmentation of the Yangsan fault system: Geophysical studies on major faults in the Kyeongsang Basin, 27, 434-449
  28. Sohn, H., Yun, H. and Oh. J. Y., 1999, Deep structure of Ulsan fault by electric and EM surveys in Ipsil area, south of Kyeongju, Econ, Environ. Geol. 32, 161-167
  29. Oh, G.H., 1981, Marine terraces and their tectonic deformation on the coast of the southern part of the Korean peninsula, Bulletin of the department of Geography, University of Tokyo, 13, 1-61
  30. Oh, G.H. and Choi, S.G., 2001, Marine terraces of Korea: In Park, Y.A. and Kong, W.S. (ed.) Quaternary Environment of Korea, Seoul National University Press, 159-191 (in Korean)
  31. Okada, A., Watanabe, M., Sato, H., Jun, M. S., Jo, W. R., Kim, S. K., Jeon, J. S., Chi, H. C. and Oike, K., 1994, Active fault topography and trench survey in the central part of the Yangsan fault, southeast Korea. Journal of Geography, 103, 111-126 (in Japanese) https://doi.org/10.1080/00221340408978586
  32. Okada, A., Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y., Kyung, J. B., Jo, W.R., Kim, S.K., Oike, K. and Nakamura, T., 1998a, Active fault topography and fault outcrops in the central part of the Ulsan fault system, southeast Korea, Jour. of Geography, 107, 644-658 (in Japanese with English abstract) https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.107.5_644
  33. Okada, A., Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y., Takemura, K., Ishiyama, T., Kawabata, D., Kaneda, H., Kyung, J. B. and Chae, Y.H., 1998b, Activity evaluation of the active faults of the Ulsan fault system, southeast Korea, Proc. in Geographical Society of Japan, O-38 (in Japanese)
  34. Okada, A., Takemura, K., Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y., Kyung, J. B. and Chae, Y.H., Taniguchi, K., Ishiyama, T., Kawabata, D., Kaneda, H., and Naruse, T., 1999, Trench excavation survey across the Ulsan (active) fault at Kalgok-ri, Kyongju city, southeast Korea (in Japanese), Journal of Geography, 108, 276-288 https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.108.276
  35. Okada, A., Takemura, K., Watanabe, M., Suzuki, Y., and Kyung, J. B., 2001, Trench excavation surveys across the Yangsan and Ulsan active fault systems in the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula, Transactions, Japanese Geomorphological Union, 22-3, 287-306
  36. Park, Y.A., Kong, W.S., 2001, The Quaternary environment of Korea, Seoul National University Press, 564 pp
  37. Ree, J.H., Cho, M., Kwon, S.T., Nakamura, E., 1996, Possible eastward extension of Chinese collision belt in South Korea: The Imjingang belt, Geology 24, 1071-1074 https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<1071:PEEOCC>2.3.CO;2
  38. Reedman, A.J., Um, S.H., 1975, The Geology of Korea, Geol. Miner. Inst. Korea, Seoul, 139pp
  39. Suzuki, Y., Okada, A., Takemura, K., Kyung, J.B., Chae, Y.H., Kim, H.Y., Hirouchi, D., Ito, A., Ooishi, K., Nakamura, Y., Naruse, T., Kitagawa, K., and Watanabe, M., 2005, Paleoseismic activity at the northern part of the Ulsan fault zone - Excavation study at Kalgok-ri, Gyongju city, southeast of Korea, Active Fault Research, 25, 147-152 (in Japanese with English abstract)
  40. Yoon, S. and Kim, J. Y., 1990, Tectonic history of the Yangsan Fault, southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. Tsuchi, R. ed.: Pacific Neogene Events-Their Timing, nature and interrelationship. Univ. Tokyo Press, 151-160
  41. Yoon, S.H., Chough, S.K., 1995, Regional strike-slip in the eastern continental margin of Korea and its tectonic implications for the evolution of Ulleung Basin, East Sea (Sea of Japan), Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 107, 83-97 https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1995)107<0083:RSSITE>2.3.CO;2