Interaction between Earth materials and environment produces various kinds of sediments and dissolved ions and these sediments and dissolved ions deposited in and precipitated as minerals in many different sedimentary basins. Eventually, they are subjected to processes of diagenesis, that is physical, chemical and biological processes which bring about compaction, cementation, recrystallization and other modifications to the original sediments. Therefore, physical, chemical, biological characteristics of the environments near the Earth's surface are recorded in sediments as sedimentary textures and structures, composition of grains, fossils, colors of sediments, isotope ratios in minerals and so on. The study on Earth's environment of the past is of great significance because it is essential to predict the changes of Earth's environment in the future. Because environments, processes of deposition and diagenesis, palaeogeography and palaeoclimatology can all be deduced from studies of sediments and sedimentary rocks, we, members of Lab. of Sedimentary System, are studying sedimentary systems to understand tectonic settings and sedimentary environments, palaeoclimate, palaeogeography and processes of lithification. Such studies will contribute much towards a knowledge and understanding of the Earth's geological history and the future.

Photomicrograph of bioclastic grainstone consisting mainly of crinoid and brachiopods.

Back-scattered electon image of mudrock. Quartz(Q) precipitated in the space formed by compaction between muscovite(Mus) flakes.

Carbonate Rocks

• Reconstruction of sedimentary environment
• Diagenesis of carbonate rocks
• Fluctuation of sea levels during the Cambro-Ordovician
• Changes and causes of the chemical composition of sea water during the Cambro-Ordovician

Siliciclastic Rocks

• Provenance interpretation of sediments
• Tectonic setting of sedimentary basins and provenance
• Diagenesis and thermal history of sedimentary basins
• Reconstruction of sedimentary environments and paleogeography

Energy Resources

• Petrophysical properties of hydrocarbon reservoir rocks
• Thermal maturity of reservoir and source rocks
• Apatite fission track analysis

Reconstruction of Cretaceous vegetation using carbon isotopes of soil carbonate.

Internal structure of dolomite crystal growth by cathodoluminescence.

• Thermal history of the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin using a fission track method and clay minerals
• Provenance, tectonic setting and paleoclimate of the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup
• Provenance and tectonic setting of the Muju Basin
• Provenance and tectonic setting of the Paleozoic Pyeongan Supergroup
• Diagenetic feldspar albitization
• Calcite authigenesis in sandstone (Geoje island, San Joaquin Basin, USA)
• Diagenesis and porosity evolution of the Ordovician Dongjeom sandstone
• Significance of Cambro-Ordovician boundary using geochemical characteristics of carbonate rocks(Chemostratigraphy)
• Paleogeographic reconstruction using Nd isotopes of lower Paleozoic conodont
• Sequence stratigraphy and diagenesis of the Ordovician Dumugol Formation
• Sequence stratigraphy and dolomitization of the Ordovician Yeonheung Formation

Photomicrograph of dolomitized ooid showing concentric texture(Ordovician Yeongheung Formation)

Photomicrograph of etched induced fission tracks in external muscovite detector