Research Groups

How has Earth evolved and how will it change in the future? How does geological activity affect our lives? To answer these questions, we, the crust-mantle research team, study the structure of the crust and mantle, material circulation, continent-ocean interactions, earthquake-triggering mechanisms, volcanic activity, and resource exploration. To understand material circulation in the crust and mantle, we study the three-dimensional structures of the latter by analyzing seismic data. We also research atomic and nanoscale structural changes in crust and mantle rocks, as well as deformation mechanisms under high pressures and temperatures. In addition, we study earthquake-triggering mechanisms in Earth’s deep interior. To understand continent-ocean interactions, we study the formation and development of sedimentary basins and the paleo-geography of the East Asian sedimentary basin. Through these various studies on the structure of the crust and mantle and continent-ocean interactions, we want to unravel the tectonics of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia, as well as of the whole world. This will help us understand the global flow of materials, monitor earthquake-triggering mechanisms and volcanic activity, and propose the direction of Earth’s evolution.