243-220 Ma 40Ar/39Ar laser probe muscovite single grain ages in the

northernmost Gyeonggi Massif (Juksung area) and their tectonic

implications

Koenraad de Jong 1*, Gilles Ruffet 2

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, 599 Gwnangno,

Gwanak-gu, 151-747 Seoul, Republic of Korea

*

E-mail: keuntie@yahoo.com
CNRS (CNRS/INSU) UMR 6118, Gosciences Rennes, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France and

Universit de Rennes I, Gosciences Rennes, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France

This is the original English typescript with the original illustrations from which
the published Korean paper was translated, which appeared in Journal of the
Geological Society of Korea (inserted at the back of this PDF):
Journal of the Geological Society of Korea, v. 50, no. 6, p. 771-782, (December
2014)
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.14770/jgsk.2014.50.6.771

Submitted:
Modified:
Accepted:

2014, November 10
2014, November 10
2014, November 27

ISSN 0435-4036 (Print)

ISSN 2288-7377 (Online)

Abstract
Laser step-heating of muscovites from strongly retrogressed and ductilely deformed rocks in
the top of the northern Gyeonggi massif (Juksung area) yielded 1 40Ar/39Ar (pseudo)plateau
ages of: 242.8 1.0 Ma and 240.3 1.0 Ma (mica schists) and 219.7 0.9 Ma (mylonitic
quartzite). A biotite single grain yielded a hump-shaped age spectrum with 245-250 Ma
step ages pointing to 39Ar recoil, an irradiation artifact. It is possible that the 243-240 Ma
muscovite ages record an early phase of exhumation following or during collision, and that
the much younger muscovite age from the mylonitic quartzite implies extended or renewed
recrystallization. These ages are 10 million years older and younger, respectively, than
40

Ar/39Ar ages from amphibolites in anatectic gneisses (Hongseong area) and low-grade

metasediments on Anmyeondo, linked to post-collisional tectonic and magmatic processes.

Our study thus shows that cooling, exhumation and recrystallization in the Triassic occurred
in distinct phases that were not coeval in all areas. This underscores that the younger age sets
in metamorphic terranes cannot always be simply interpreted as due to passive post-tectonic
cooling, but rather reflects distinct tectonic phases.
Keywords:
Geochronology, 40Ar/39Ar laser probe, tectonic phases, Triassic, Korean Peninsula

1. Introduction
Korea comprises three essentially Paleoproterozoic gneiss terranes, from North to South: the
Nangrim, Gyeonggi and Yeongnam Massifs (Fig. 1), formed from material extracted from the
mantle in the Neoarchean (Lee and Cho, 2012). They are separated by two belts of multipledeformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks of late Neoproterozoic to
middle and late Paleozoic age: the Imjingang and Ogcheon Belts (Fig. 1; e.g., Kim, 2005;
Lim et al., 2005; Cho et al., 2007, 2013a; Kee, 2011; Choi et al., 2012; Lee and Cho, 2012;
Chough, 2013; Choi, 2014). Multiply deformed middle Paleozoic greenschist facies
metamorphic turbidites (Taean Formation), which are comparable to similar series in the
Imjingang Belt and part of the Ogcheon Belt, crop out discontinuously along the western
margin, and structurally uppermost part, of the Gyeonggi Massif (Fig. 1). All this material has
been variously deformed and metamorphosed (Kim, 2005; Kee, 2011; Kim et al., 2006,
2011b; Lee and Cho, 2012; Oh, 2012; de Jong and Ruffet, 2014; de Jong et al., 2014) and
affected by widespread gabbromonzonite and syenitegranite magmatism (Fig. 1) in the
Late Triassic. de Jong and Ruffet (2014) and de Jong et al. (2014) pointed out that ca. 233230 Ma-aged metamorphism and magmatism, including mafic dykes, took place after the area
was folded and that this event strongly affected rocks at structurally different levels.
Especially rocks of the Gyeonggi Massif, including the strongly retrogressed high-pressure
granulites in the Hongseong area, and the Imjingang Belt are significantly affected by Triassic
metamorphism revealed by 253215 Ma isotopic ages of U-bearing accessory minerals (e.g.
Cho et al., 2005; Oh et al., 2006b; J.M. Kim et al., 2008; S.W. Kim et al., 2006, 2008; Kim et
al., 2009; Suzuki, 2009; Yi and Cho, 2009; Kee, 2011; Lee et al., 2014; Yengkhom et al.,
2014). Also rocks of the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt (Fig. 1) are affected by Permo-Triassic
metamorphism partially overprinted by metamorphism of Jurassic age (Cliff et al., 1985; Oh
et al., 2004; Kim et al., 2007). Both belts have been regarded as major tectonic boundaries,
and sometimes as suture zone (Ree et al., 1996; Chough et al., 2000; Cho et al., 2007, 2013a).
Kim et al. (2011b, c) defined the alternative Hongseong suture zone in at least partly
Paleozoic metasediments of the Weolhyeonri complex situated along the Gyeonggi Massifs
western margin and that they no longer regard as part of this massif. These rocks in the
Hongseong area include marbles, metabasites, felsic rocks, and lens-shaped bodies of highly
serpentinized ultramafic rocks, some of which are associated with rare bodies of strongly
retrogressed mafic granulite with exceptional omphacite relics in some garnet porphyroblasts
(Kim and Kee, 2010; Kim et al., 2011b, c). The latter record pressures and temperatures of
1.652.1 GPa and 775850C (Oh et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2006; Zhai et al., 2007; Kwon et
al., 2009), which implies subduction to depths in the order of 60-75 km. All these terranes are

regarded as possible eastward extension of the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu ultrahigh-pressure

metamorphic belt in China, though in often sharply conflicting models (e.g. Ree et al., 1996;
Lee and Cho, 2003; Oh et al., 2005, 2006a, 2009; S.W. Kim et al., 2006b, 2008, 2011b; Zhai
et al., 2007; Kwon et al., 2009; Oh, 2012; Chough et al., 2013; Choi, 2014; Lee et al., 2014;
Yengkhom et al., 2014).
However, the age of the collision is not well known. Guo et al. (2005) and Kim et al.
(2006) obtained 231 3 Ma ages by U-Pb on zircon from the relict eclogitic and highpressure granulite metamorphic rocks in the Hongseong area, and suggested that highpressure conditions were acquired during the Late Triassic. However, gneisses surrounding
the partially retrogressed high-pressure rocks are particularly affected by magmatism and
associated regional metamorphism in the 237231 Ma range (S.W. Kim et al., 2006, 2008;
Kee, 2011), which may have reset the isotope system in zircon. de Jong and Ruffet (2014)
and de Jong et al. (2014) argued that the ca. 233-229 Ma-aged metamorphism and the
associated Late Triassic high-K calc alkaline magmatism with shoshonitic affinity in Korea
was due to the combined advective and conductive asthenospheric heat transport in a postcollisional environment. The Late Triassic magmatic event in Korea is usually interpreted as
due to a change of tectonic regime subsequent to plate collision from compressional to
tensional (Williams et al., 2009; Kim et al., 2011a), often linked to asthenospheric upwelling
induced by lithospheric delamination (Choi et al., 2009), or oceanic slab break-off (Seo et al.,
2010; Oh, 2012; Choi, 2014). As pointed out by de Jong and Ruffet (2014), the problem is
that the currently available age estimates for the high-pressure event are the same as that of
the magmatic pulse and associated regional metamorphism that would be related to the
delamination/slab detachment. U-Pb dating by Park et al. (2013) suggests that the mafic
Bibong eclogite in the Hongseong area is 246 5 Ma old. There are a number of other
isotopic dates on U-bearing accessory minerals in the 245-260 Ma (errors: 3-16 Ma) age
range in the Gyeonggi Massif (Suzuki, 2009; Lee et al., 2014; Yengkhom et al., 2014) and
the Imjingang Belt and correlatives (Cho et al., 1996, 2005; Kim et al., 2014), although there
is no indication that these dates refer to the high-pressure metamorphism.
The current paper contributes to this discussion by supplying the first high-quality
40

Ar/39Ar single grain laser probe dates on muscovite of 240 and 243 Ma from mica schists

in the Juksung area along the northern part of the Gyeonggi Massif, below the Imjingang
Belt. These dates point to retrogression during collision or exhumation implying that possible
high-pressure metamorphism is older. These results also imply that the strong 230-235 Maold metamorphic recrystallization did not affect all parts of the Gyeonggi Massif, or that the
massif may contain important tectonic boundaries. A 220 Ma-old muscovite from mylonitic

quartzite in the Juksung area would imply that exhumation and recrystallization continued or
resumed.

2. Gyeonggi Massif and rocks along its western margin

The Gyeonggi Massif (Fig. 1) is a poly-metamorphic terrane that mainly comprises middle
Paleoproterozoic (1.931.83 Ga) in part high-grade gneiss and variably metamorphic
metasediments and minor Neoproterozoic (0.9-0.75 Ga) magmatic and sedimentary rocks in
its western and central parts (e.g., Lee et al., 2003; S.W. Kim et al., 2008; Oh et al., 2009;
Lee and Cho, 2012; Lee et al., 2014). The Paleoproterozoic rocks experienced two
superimposed tectono-metamorphic cycles: M1 under lower granulite-facies to high-grade
conditions of middle Paleoproterozoic age and a second and weaker one (M2) that is
characterized by reheating during decompression (e.g., Cho et al., 1996; Cho et al., 2013b;
Lee and Cho, 2003; Oh et al., 2006a; Lee et al., 2014; Yengkhom et al., 2014).
Metamorphism during the M2 event (0.50.35 GPa at 700750C; Cho et al., 2013b; Lee et
al., 2014) must have occurred under at least the upper amphibolite facies conditions, giving
rise to moderate but widespread anatexis. Locally spinel granulites were produced (Oh et al.,
2006a). Upper amphibolite and granulite facies conditions frequently result in the formation
of metamorphic rims around older zircon crystals (Williams, 2001; Parrish and Noble, 2003).
Therefore, zircon rims that yielded SHRIMP U-Pb ages of 237235 Ma (N=3, errors ~2%), in
the Gyeonggi Massif and ages between 243 6 and 229 10 Ma, averaging 234.5 Ma in the
Hongseong area (Guo et al., 2005; S.W. Kim et al., 2006, 2008, 2011a, b; Kee, 2011) show
that M2 probably is a Triassic metamorphic overprint.
Also middle Paleozoic greenschist facies Taean meta-sediments tectonically overlying
the Gyeonggi Massif on Anmyeon Island, located about 50 km to the west of the Hongseong
area, record a Late Triassic metamorphic event shown by concordant titanite U-Pb age of
~233 and muscovite

40

Ar/39Ar ages of ~231-229 Ma (de Jong et al., 2014). Syenitic

magmatism on Anmyeondo is of the same age (Kee, 2011; Han, 2014). A number of such
Late Triassic intrusive rocks on Anmyeon Island, both in the Taean Formation and their
probable substratum formed by Proterozoic gneiss of the Seosan Group, are affected by
locally but intense mylonitization, showing that ductile deformation continued after intrusion
of these ~229.6 Ma-old rocks (de Jong et al., 2014).

2.1 Juksung area

The Juksung area (Fig. 2), where the samples for 40Ar/39Ar dating are taken, is formed by the
strongly retrogressed and ductilely deformed upper part of the northern Gyeonggi Massif. The
rocks comprise quartz-biotite-muscovite-chlorite schists with up to 30-50 m thick series of
well-foliated micaceous, occasionally garnet-bearing, quartzite, with some layers of finegrained, sometimes garnet-bearing, amphibolite. Some coarse-grained biotite-rich gneisses
are also present. The Juksung area is located between the Imjingang belt (North) and
Neoproterozoic gneisses (Lee et al., 2003) (South) that are variably deformed, strongly
retrogressed and transformed into (ultra)mylonites in the ~45 km thick Gyeonggi shear zone
(Kim et al., 2000). These authors obtained a RbSr age of 226 1 Ma on newly formed
muscovite from a mylonite from this ductile shear zone, which is among the youngest
isotopic ages obtained on gneisses of the Gyeonggi Massif. Dark grey to black shales that
contain lenses of thick-bedded medium to coarse-grained sandstones with isolated pebbles
and matrix supported conglomerates (Daedong Supergroup) crop out to the north of the shear
zone (Fig. 2). These rocks contain a local cleavage oblique to bedding that is the axial plane
foliation of local large-scale tight (southward overturned) folds.

3. 40Ar/ 39Ar geochronology

3.1 Analytical Procedure
We separated 0.5 to 1.0 mm diameter mica from a well foliated but not well lineated chloritemuscovite schist without biotite (JK20), a chlorite-biotite-muscovite schist (JK23), and a well
foliated and lineated mylonitic garnet-bearing micaceous quartzite (JK36). These single
muscovite and biotite grains were 40Ar/39Ar step-heated with a Synrad CO2 continuous laser
and isotopic analyses of the five evolved argon isotopes were performed on a MAP215
noble gas mass spectrometer at Geosciences Rennes. All isotopic measurements are corrected
for mass discrimination and atmospheric argon contamination, following Lee et al. (2006)
and Mark et al. (2011), as well as K, Ca and Cl isotopic interferences. Decay constants used:
Renne et al. (2011). Samples and standards (Amphibole Hb3gr; age: 1081.0 0.11% Ma;
Renne et al., 2010, 2011) were co-irradiated with Cd-shielding for 298 hours at the McMaster
reactor (Hamilton, Canada, location 8E) with a J/h of 5.86 x 10-6 h-1. Further analytical details
are outlined by Ruffet et al. (1991, 1995) and de Jong and Ruffet (2014). Apparent age errors
are plotted at the 1 level and do not include the errors on the 40Ar*/39ArK ratio and age of the
monitor and decay constant. Plateau ages were calculated if 70% or more of the

39

ArK was

released in at least three or more contiguous steps, the apparent ages of which agreeing to
within 1 of the integrated age of the plateau segment. The errors on the 40Ar*/39ArK ratio and
age of the monitor and decay constant are included in the final calculation of the error
margins on the pseudo-plateau age or on apparent ages individually cited. The

40

Ar/39Ar

analytical data are listed in Table 1, and shown as age spectra in Fig. 3.

3.2 Sample descriptions and results

Muscovite in JK20 (3757'47.24"N; 12653'10.51"E) occurs as flat several millimeter
diameter grains that are rich in dark inclusions. Therefore we selected smaller, clear,
muscovite fragments without many inclusions, step-heating of which yielded a pseudoplateau age of 242.8 1.0 Ma (50.8% 39Ar release; Fig. 3a). Most large muscovite crystals in
JK23 (3757'47.24"N; 12653'10.51"E) are intergrown with brown biotite, also wrapping
around aggregates of fine-grained biotite, or have biotite in their core. One dated muscovite
was free of biotite and yielded a plateau age of 240.3 1.0 Ma (70.6% 39Ar release; Fig. 3b),
which is almost concordant to the pseudo-plateau age of muscovite JK20. A second
muscovite grain in this sample has a sizeable core of biotite. This grain yielded step ages that
are only slightly younger during the main 39Ar release in the intermediate temperature range,
and almost concordant for low and high temperature steps (Fig. 3b). From sample JK23 we
also separated a biotite grain that yielded a hump-shaped age spectrum with step ages that are
older that those for the muscovite, and much younger during the initial 5-10% of 39Ar release
(Fig. 3b). Muscovite in JK36 (3759'18.29"N; 1270'46.96"E) occurs as flat several
millimeter diameter inclusion-poor grains; nevertheless we selected a smaller fragment almost
without inclusions that gave a pseudo-plateau age of 219.7 0.9 Ma (65.2% 39Ar release; Fig.
3c).

4. Interpretation and Discussion

The near concordant ca. 243 and 240 Ma (pseudo) plateau ages for muscovites JK20 and
JK23, respectively (Fig. 3a, b) suggest that the top of the northern Gyeonggi Massif cooled in
the Middle Triassic, using the time scale of Cohen et al. (2013). Probably at least part of the
main ductile deformation and retrogression took place during or shortly before this time. The
type of age spectra that we obtained for biotite JK23 is indicative of 39Ar recoil from the mica
into chlorite that occurs at submicroscopic scale (Ruffet et al., 1991). Consequently, we

cannot establish a cooling rate on the basis of the 100-135C difference in closure
temperatures for both minerals, using the diffusion coefficients of Grove and Harrison (1996)
and Harrison et al. (2009). However, the observation that the second muscovite grain in JK23
with a core of biotite has yielded step ages during the main

39

Ar release that are only

marginally younger than the pure muscovite grain in this sample (Fig. 3b) may suggest that
cooling was relatively fast.
Close inspection shows that the

40

Ar/39Ar age spectrum of muscovite grain JK20 is

slightly saddle-shaped with concordant low and high temperature steps of 245.3 1.1 and
246.4 1.1 Ma, respectively (Fig. 3a). Saddle-shaped 40Ar/39Ar age spectra have been widely
observed for muscovite from metamorphic and magmatic rocks (e.g. Cheilletz et al., 1999;
Alexandrov et al., 2002; Castonguay et al., 2007; de Jong et al., 2009, 2014; Tartse et al.,
2011). These authors concluded that such age spectra point to minor chemical heterogeneities
at the grain scale. These are due to partial recrystallization and simultaneous chemical
changes or new growth of the mica during ductile deformation under retrograde conditions,
during which fluid circulation plays an important role. The different chemical reservoirs in
these partially recrystallized muscovites apparently have distinct argon compositions too.
During laser step heating these components degas over a different energy interval: a primary,
inherited or unrecrystallized domain (low and high temperature steps) and a newly formed or
recrystallized one (saddle minimum; intermediate steps). If younger domains would represent
the last isotopic record during prolonged recrystallization, age differences between the
youngest and oldest steps of the saddle-shaped parts of age spectra, could indicate the
duration of such a tectono-metamorphic event. In the case of saddle-shaped age spectrum
JK20 it could mean that muscovite has been metamorphosed during an earlier tectonometamorphic phase around 246 1 Ma and that the mineral recrystallized around 243 Ma, as
indicated by the (pseudo) plateau age. The recrystallization during cooling would in that case
have taken around 3 Ma.
Isotopic ages in the range of 240 to 260 Ma are relatively common in Korean rocks. de
Jong et al., 2014 and Han (2014) obtained saddle-shaped

40

Ar/39Ar age spectra for single

grains of muscovite from low-grade metapelites of the Taean Formation on Anmyeondo. In

three age spectra they found concordant low and high temperature steps of 237, 240 and 243
Ma for muscovite that was recrystallized around 228-231 Ma (saddle-minimum, or pseudoplateau). They argued that the Taean Formation has been metamorphosed during an earlier
tectono-metamorphic phase around 240 3 Ma. The finding of near concordant (pseudo)
plateau ages of ca. 243 and 240 Ma for muscovites in the top of the northern Gyeonggi massif
may imply that this Middle Triassic event was of regional extent. Ages for U-bearing
accessory minerals in the 245-260 Ma range have been found throughout Korea, including the

Gyeonggi Massif (Suzuki, 2009; Lee et al., 2014; Yengkhom et al., 2014), the Imjingang Belt
and correlatives (Cho et al., 1996, 2005; Kim et al., 2014), and the Bibong eclogite (Park et
al., 2013). This seems to indicate that the 40Ar/39Ar muscovite ages relate to a collision phase,
or to the exhumation of somewhat older high-pressure metamorphic rocks.
The ca. 220 Ma muscovite age from mylonitic quartzite JK36 in the Gyeonggi Massifs
uppermost part implies extended or renewed recrystallization in the Juksung area. The
Gyeonggi Shear Zone in the top of the Gyeonggi Massif in this area has been isotopically
dated at 226 1 Ma on the basis of a Rb-Sr muscovite whole-rock isochron (Kim et al.,
2000). It has been regarded as a ductile normal fault by these authors. Elsewhere in Korea
ductile deformation also continues as seen by mylonitization of the Late Triassic intrusive
rocks that are usually regarded as post-collisional on the basis of their chemistry (e.g.,
Williams et al., 2009; Kim et al., 2011a) and their intrusion after the main folding phase (de
Jong et al., 2014; Han, 2014). The 229.6 3.5 Ma age of a syenite with ultra-mylonite zones
(de Jong et al., 2014; Han, 2014) on Anmyeon Island is an upper age constraint on this latest
ductile deformation phase.

5. Conclusions
Laser step-heating of muscovite single grains from strongly retrogressed rocks in the
mylonitised top of the northern Gyeonggi Massif yielded different 1

40

Ar/39Ar

(pseudo)plateau ages: 242.8 1.0 Ma and 240.3 1.0 Ma for two mica schists, and 219.7
0.9 Ma for a platy and strongly lineated garnet-bearing micaceous quartzite. The subtle
saddle-shape of one muscovite age spectrum suggests minor chemical heterogeneities at the
grain scale, due to partial recrystallization and concomitant chemical changes, or new growth
of the mica during deformation. The 243-240 Ma muscovite ages may record an early phase
of exhumation following or during collision. The 220 Ma muscovite age from a mylonitic
quartzite seems to point extended or renewed recrystallization, which is similar in age as the
adjacent Gyeonggi Shear Zone, and can also be compared with the timing of mylonitization
in 230 Ma post-collisional syenites on Anmyeondo. Our new

40

Ar/39Ar data show that the

230 Ma heating that strongly affected anatectic gneisses along the western margin of the
Gyeonggi massif (Hongseong belt), and the low-grade metasediments of the Taean Formation
(Anmyeondo) did not occur in the northern Gyeonggi Massif. This shows that the Korean
collision belt experienced prolonged recrystallization between 243 and 220 Ma, which
occurred in distinct phases that were not coeval throughout the peninsula.

Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National
Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-20110012900) to KdJ, and by an SNU Research Institute of Basic Science New Faculty Research
Grant. We thank the reviewers for their positive remarks and suggestions. KIM Daeyeong
assisted during sampling. HAN Seokyoung and KIM Ju Hwan contributed by translating the
text into Korean.

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Table 1
40

Ar/39Ar analytical data of laser step heating of muscovite and biotite single grains from
metasediments, Juksung area.

JK20 Muscovite
Laser power
(mW)

14 steps
Atm. Cont.
%

350

44.63

400

9.37

430

37

ArCa/39ArK

ArCa/39ArK
Error

%39ArK

Ar*/39ArK
Error

Apparent age
(Ma)

Error
(Ma)

0.01

0.01

0.60

0.01

0.02

0.75

6.13

0.12

191.3

3.5

7.56

0.08

233.1

3.18

0.01

2.2

2.82

7.86

0.02

241.8

435

1.38

0.6

0.01

0.61

7.77

0.07

239.3

460

1.37

2.0

0.01

1.15

7.82

0.06

240.7

480

1.3

1.13

0.01

3.88

7.95

0.02

244.4

0.5

510

17.22

7.98

0.01

245.3

0.3

550

19.34

7.91

0.01

243.3

0.3

590

0.01

5.05

7.90

0.02

243.0

0.6

650

9.63

7.89

0.01

242.6

0.4

700

0.01

11.23

7.89

0.01

242.7

0.4

770

0.01

0.01

2.89

7.87

0.02

242.1

0.6

900

0.01

0.01

2.61

7.88

0.03

242.3

0.9

1111

22.20

8.02

0.01

246.4

0.3

JK23 Muscovite
Laser power
(mW)

20 steps
Atm. Cont.
%

ArCa/39ArK
Error

%39ArK

350

65.89

0.04

0.22

410

21.39

0.05

0.25

430

21.91

0.01

450

5.27

460

10.63

470

37

Ar*/39ArK

Error
(Ma)

5.84

0.26

183.0

7.6

7.97

0.24

245.3

6.8

0.90

7.68

0.07

236.8

2.2

0.04

0.27

7.64

0.18

235.8

5.2

0.05

0.02

0.58

7.63

0.11

235.4

3.2

13.99

0.03

0.02

0.77

7.76

0.08

239.0

2.6

480

5.23

0.01

0.02

3.70

7.82

0.03

240.8

0.8

480

2.36

0.01

0.01

3.61

7.79

0.02

240.1

0.7

500

1.12

0.01

1.01

7.70

0.05

237.4

1.4

520

2.79

6.14

7.80

0.01

240.2

0.4

540

0.82

7.06

7.76

0.01

239.2

0.4

550

0.34

4.94

7.74

0.01

238.5

0.4

570

5.09

7.76

0.02

239.2

0.5

600

6.76

7.78

0.02

239.8

0.5

650

0.18

11.08

7.80

0.01

240.4

0.4

700

0.08

13.60

7.80

0.01

240.3

0.4

740

5.73

7.80

0.02

240.3

0.5

840

4.04

7.80

0.02

240.3

0.5

1000

3.55

7.80

0.03

240.2

0.9

1111

20.71

7.80

0.01

240.4

0.3

JK23 Biotite

14 steps

Laser power
(mW)

Atm. Cont.
%

ArCa/39ArK
Error

%39ArK

Ar*/39ArK
Error

Apparent age
(Ma)

Error
(Ma)

350

97.36

0.16

0.17

4.05

1.60

128.7

49.2

370

43.16

0.03

1.13

6.65

0.10

206.7

3.1

420

6.26

0.01

0.01

2.85

7.33

0.04

226.7

1.0

460

0.80

0.01

8.45

7.79

0.02

239.9

0.5

490

8.67

7.92

0.01

243.9

0.4

520

18.18

7.97

0.01

245.1

0.4

540

5.06

7.99

0.02

245.8

0.5

580

12.05

8.02

0.01

246.6

0.4

620

9.38

8.02

0.01

246.7

0.4

670

0.02

4.96

7.96

0.02

245.6

0.5

730

0.01

0.01

5.08

8.01

0.02

246.5

0.6

800

0.01

0.01

6.74

7.92

0.02

243.6

0.6

900

0.01

5.92

7.90

0.02

243.2

0.6

1111

11.37

7.94

0.01

244.3

0.4

JK23 Muscovite

Biotite

cored

14 steps

37

40

40

Ar*/39ArK

40

Apparent age
(Ma)

ArCa/39ArK

37

40

Ar*/39ArK
Error

37

ArCa/39ArK

37

Ar*/39ArK

40

40

ArCa/39ArK
Error

%39ArK

Ar*/39ArK
Error

Apparent age
(Ma)

Error
(Ma)

0.03

0.15

0.15

0.26

0.09

5.28

0.19

166.1

5.9

5.22

0.14

164.2

10.59

0.01

0.02

4.3

1.12

7.53

0.02

232.4

450

4.14

0.07

0.7

0.04

0.39

7.57

0.04

233.7

470

8.99

1.1

0.03

0.74

7.56

0.03

233.4

500

0.9

2.59

0.02

0.89

7.62

0.02

235.2

0.6

510

5.58

0.02

0.85

7.64

0.03

235.7

0.8

525

2.96

0.02

1.34

7.65

0.02

236.0

0.6

540

3.31

0.01

1.73

7.74

0.02

238.7

0.5

542

1.25

0.01

0.01

9.49

7.78

0.01

239.6

0.4

547

0.23

0.03

0.01

1.85

7.74

0.02

238.4

0.5

560

0.29

0.04

0.02

1.36

7.72

0.02

237.9

0.5

590

0.53

0.01

0.01

5.00

7.79

0.01

239.9

0.4

620

0.03

0.01

5.66

7.77

0.01

239.3

0.3

650

0.05

0.02

5.22

7.76

0.01

239.1

0.4

680

0.03

0.02

5.03

7.74

0.01

238.5

0.4

710

0.01

9.22

7.74

0.01

238.5

0.3

740

0.01

9.59

7.73

0.01

238.3

0.3

760

0.01

4.34

7.73

0.01

238.4

0.4

790

0.02

4.39

7.75

0.01

238.8

0.3

830

0.01

0.01

3.92

7.75

0.01

238.8

0.4

880

0.02

0.01

2.87

7.73

0.01

238.4

0.4

1000

0.02

4.31

7.74

0.01

238.5

0.3

1111

0.01

20.39

7.79

0.01

240.0

0.3

JK36 Muscovite
Laser power
(mW)

15 steps
Atm. Cont.
%

ArCa/39ArK
Error

%39ArK

Ar*/39ArK
Error

Apparent age
(Ma)

Error
(Ma)

330

64.50

0.02

0.27

0.12

4.47

0.15

141.6

4.6

380

19.26

0.13

0.13

5.69

0.10

178.3

3.0

430

4.75

0.01

0.02

1.16

6.42

0.02

199.9

0.7

450

1.75

0.05

0.56

6.58

0.03

204.7

1.0

480

0.64

0.01

0.01

4.26

7.02

0.01

217.5

0.3

490

0.02

1.26

7.03

0.02

218.0

0.6

510

0.01

43.38

7.10

0.01

220.0

0.3

515

0.01

10.23

7.08

0.01

219.3

0.3

520

0.13

0.02

0.01

3.54

7.08

0.01

219.3

0.4

535

0.02

0.01

4.30

7.08

0.01

219.5

0.4

560

0.04

0.01

0.01

2.51

7.10

0.01

219.9

0.4

600

0.01

0.01

6.37

7.14

0.01

221.2

0.3

650

0.02

0.01

4.02

7.14

0.01

221.2

0.4

730

0.01

0.02

1.68

7.14

0.02

221.1

0.5

1111

0.01

16.47

7.17

0.01

222.1

0.3

Laser power
(mW)

Atm. Cont.
%

350

80.37

380

35.34

430

37

37

ArCa/39ArK

ArCa/39ArK

37

37

40

40

Ar*/39ArK

Ar*/39ArK

40

40

J parameter

error J

Age monitor (Ma)

Age monitor (Ma)

Error

Mass Discrimination
(1+e)

Date Irradiation

1.81E-02

6.44E-05

1081

1.1891

1.007015

4/16/12

Figure 1. Simplified tectonic map of Korea.

Figure 2. Geologic sketch map of the Juksung area with sample locations. Modified after Kee
(2011).

Figure 3. Laser step-heating age spectra of mineral single grains (a) JK20, (b) JK23, and (c) JK36.