Tectono‐metamorphic evolution of the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, South Korea: Tectonic implications in East Asia

Abstract

The tectonic history of the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt (OMB) is a key to understanding the tectonic relationship between South Korea, China and Japan. The petrochemistry of 150 psammitic rocks in the OMB indicates that the depositional environment progressively deepened towards the northwest. These data, combined with the distribution pattern of oxide minerals and the abundance of carbonaceous material, support a halfgraben basin model for the OMB. Biotite and muscovite K-Ar dates from metasediments in the central OMB range from 102 to 277 Ma. K-Ar ages of 142-194 Ma are widespread throughout the area, whereas the older ages of 216-277 Ma are restricted to the metasediments of the middle part of the central OMB. The younger (Cretaceous) ages are only found in metasediments that are situated near the Cretaceous granite intrusions. The 216-277 Ma dates from weakly deformed areas represent cooling ages of M1 intermediate pressure/temperature (P/T) metamorphism. The relationship between age distribution and deformation pattern indicates that the Jurassic muscovite and biotite dates can be interpreted as complete resetting ages, caused by thermal and deformational activities associated with Jurassic granite plutonism. Well-defined 40 Ar/ 39 Ar plateau ages of 155-169 Ma for micas from both metasediments and granitic rocks can be correlated with the main Jurassic K-Ar mica ages . U-Pb zircon dates for biotite granite from the southwest OMB are 167-169 Ma. On the basis of the predominantly Jurassic igneous and metamorphic ages and the uniformity of d 002 values for carbonaceous materials in the study area, it is suggested that the OMB has undergone amphibolite facies M2 metamorphism after M1 metamorphism. This low P/T M2 regional thermal metamorphism may have been caused by the regional intrusion of Jurassic granites. The OMB may have undergone tectono-metamorphic evolution as follows: (i) the OMB was initiated as an intraplate rift in the Neoproterozoic during break-up of Rodinia, and may represent the extension of Huanan aulacogen within the South China block; (ii) sedimentation continued from the Neoproterozoic to the Ordovician, perhaps with several unconformities; (iii) M1 intermediate P/T metamorphism occurred during the Late Paleozoic due to compression caused by collision between the North and South China blocks in an area peripheral to the collision zone; and (iv) during the Early to Middle Jurassic, north-westward subduction of the Farallon-Izanagi Plate under the Asian Plate resulted in widespread intrusion of granites, which triggered M2 low P/T regional thermal metamorphism in the OMB. This event also formed the dextral Honam shear zone at the boundary between the OMB and Precambrian Yeongnam massif. Key words: d 002 values for carbonaceous material, intraplate rifting, M1 intermediate pressure/temperature metamorphism, M2 low pressure/temperature regional thermal metamorphism, Okcheon Metamorphic Belt.

Magnetic fabric and rock magnetic studies of metasedimentary rocks in the central Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, Korea

“…2). Although the simplification of Cluzel et al (1990) has been frequently used in many previous metamorphic petrologic studies (e.g., Kim and Cho, 1999;Oh et al, 2004), we present the geologic map of Fig. 2(a) that is compiled from 1:50,000 Miwon (Lee et al, 1980) and Boeun (Kim et al, 1977) sheets because the lithology should be considered in interpreting the AMS data.…”

“…The study area has experienced at least two metamorphic events (Kim and Cho, 1999;Oh et al, 1999Oh et al, , 2004. Oh et al (2004) reported that the metamorphic pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions of the first metamorphism (M 1 ), responsible for the formation of most regional metamorphic mineral assemblages, are 5.4∼9.4 kb and 520∼635…”

“…2(a)). Stratigraphic relationships in the study area are uncertain because of the scarcity of fossil occurrences and the obliterated primary sedimentary structures by polyphase deformation and metamorphism (Cluzel et al, 1990;Koh and Kim, 1995;Kim and Cho, 1999;Oh et al, 2004). According to the geologic scheme by Cluzel et al (1990), the study area can be divided into two litho-tectonic units: Pibanryeong unit for the structurally upper unit in the northwest and Boeun unit for the lower unit in the southeast.…”

“…The metamorphic grade in the study area increases from the southeast (the biotite zone; greenschist facies) toward the northwest (the garnet zone; amphibolite facies) on the basis of the mineral parageneses of metasedimentary rocks (Fig. 2(b)) (Oh et al, 1999(Oh et al, , 2004. The typical mineral assemblages are biotite + muscovite + plagioclase + quartz ± chlorite in the biotite zone and garnet + biotite + muscovite + chlorite + plagioclase + quartz ± staurolite in the garnet zone (Oh et al, 1999).…”

“…Oh et al (2004) reported that the metamorphic pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions of the first metamorphism (M 1 ), responsible for the formation of most regional metamorphic mineral assemblages, are 5.4∼9.4 kb and 520∼635…”