The Influence of the Characteristics of Drainage Basin on Depositional Processes of the Alluvial Fan: An Example from the Cretaceous Duwon Formation in Goheung Area

The Cretaceous Duwon Formation was studied on the basis of sedimentologic analysis in order to unravel geologic conditions for the development of the streamflow-dominated alluvial fan under arid to semi-arid climatic conditions. The Duwon Formation unconformably overlies the Paleoproterozoic gneiss (basement). Based on the sedimentologic analysis, the Duwon Formation is interpreted to have been deposited in gravelly braided stream (FA-1) near the basement, laterally transitional to sandy braided stream (FA-2) and floodplain environments (FA-3) with distance (< 7 km) from the basement. Lateral changes in sedimentary facies and the well development of calcrete nodules in FA-3, together with radial paleocurrent directions measured in FA-1, are suggestive of the deposition of the Duwon Formation in streamflow-dominated alluvial fan under arid to semi-arid climatic conditions. Recent analysis of detrital zircon chronology suggests that sediments of the Duwon Formation were derived from the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula, including the western part of Yeongnam Massif and the southwestern part of Okcheon Belt. This implies the alluvial fan where the Duwon Formation accumulated had the large drainage basin. Because the large drainage basin can supply the significant amounts of water and temporarily store the sediments within the basin, watery floodwater carried sediments to the alluvial fan rather than the debris flows. Furthermore, the drainage basin largely composed of coarse-grained metamorphic and igneous rocks produced sand-grade sediments, preventing evolution of floodwater into debris flows. We suggest that combined effects of the large drainage basin and its coarse-grained metamorphic and igneous rocks provided favorable conditions for the development of streamflowdominated alluvial fan, despite arid to semi-arid climatic conditions during sedimentation.

Automated summary

The study of the Cretaceous Duwon Formation through sedimentologic analysis revealed the geological conditions for the development of a streamflow-dominated alluvial fan under arid to semi-arid climatic conditions. The formation was interpreted to have been deposited in gravelly braided streams near the basement, transitioning to sandy braided streams and floodplain environments further away. The detrital zircon chronology suggests sediments were derived from the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula, indicating a large drainage basin supplying significant water and sediments to the fan.