The Paleozoic erathem is important of all deposits in the earth’s crust, and they are widely distributed in many areas. Therefore, there have been many geological studies including stratigraphic, mineralogic, petrographic and mineral resources studies for Paleozoic erathem.
In our country, the Paleozoic Formations are distributed in the Pyongyang Basin, the Kaechon Basin and the Kowon Basin, where there are only lower layers because the upper layers are eroded. In Thaejawon Formation, the upper Formation of Kaechon Group, little extinct organisms and special resources have been found, unlike other Paleozoic erathem, and there have been fewer studies of these strata than other strata.
Jo Song Gil, a researcher at the Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, has conducted macrography, microscopic investigations, XRF and XRD on the lens bodies present at the top of lower Member of the Thaejawon Formation in the southern area of Jangansan syncline of Kaechon Basin, to elucidate the mineral petrographic characteristics and investigate the paleoenvironment.
He found out the elemental composition, mineral composition and lithological characteristics of the target layer and host rocks using an optical microscope, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The target layer is a calcareous conglomerate lens, mostly similar to the host rock in mineral composition, with some differences in some contents and compositions. The target layer and its host rocks are deposited in the freshwater environment, and the paleosalinity of the calcareous conglomerate lens is higher than that of other strata. The redox potential of depositional environment in the target rock is higher than the host rock, and it was very dry when the target rock and its lower layer were formed.
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