SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircons in the Upper Paleozoic Formation, Korea: Implications for tectonic correlation in East Asia

Abstract

The Taean Formation occurring in western Gyeonggi massif, Korea, consists primarily of sandstone-mudstone units and has been traditionally thought to be part of Precambrian cover sequences, partly because of the prevalence of the greenschist-facies metamorphism. In order to determine the possible correlation among these formations, detrital zircons in two sandstone samples of the Taean Formation were dated. In addition, the age distribution of zircons was used to unravel the tectonic affinity of the Gyeonggi massif with regard to the South and North China blocks.