Cretaceous and Cenozoic non-marine deposits of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin, offshore western Korea: palynostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments

Palynological analyses of two wells (Haema-1 and Kachi-1) located in two sub-basins of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin have been carried out in order to establish a palynostratigraphic breakdown of the sedimentary succession and to determine environments of deposition. Seven assemblage zones and two assemblage subzones have been erected on the basis of frequency variations in, and occurrences of, biostratigraphically significant palynomorphs as follows: Classopollis–Ephedripites Assemblage Zone (AZ): Barremian–Albian; Alisporites–Aquilapollenites–Penetetrapites AZ, which is subdivided into an Alisporites–Rugubivesiculites Assemblage Subzone: Cenomanian–Lower Maastrichtian, and an Aquilapollenites–Penetetrapites Assemblage Subzone: Upper Maastrichtian; Momipites–Coryluspollenites AZ: Paleocene; Caryapollenites–Inaperturopollenites AZ: Lower–Middle Eocene; Quercoidites–Pinuspollenites AZ: Upper Eocene; Liquidambarpollenites–Fupingopollenites–Magnastriatites AZ: Lower–Middle Miocene; Graminidites–Persicarioipollis AZ: Pliocene. The depositional environments represented by the well sections are considered to have been generally fluvio–lacustrine, and the climate to have varied between semi-arid and wet, and subtropical and warm temperate, except during the Late Eocene and Pliocene when a cool-temperate climate prevailed. Six stages in the development of the sub-basins are recognised. These are: (1) initial stage of rift or pull-apart basin-formation during the Late Jurassic?–Cretaceous; (2) subsidence from the Paleocene to Middle Eocene; (3) alternation of uplift and subsidence in the Late Eocene; (4) synrift inversion and erosion through the Oligocene; (5) uplift during the Early Miocene; and (6) widespread subsidence from the Middle Miocene onwards apart from during the Early Pliocene when the region was subjected to uplift once more.