Fe-rich Sepiolite from the Basalt Fault Gouge in the South of Pohang, Korea

The black fault gouge having 5-10 cm width occurs at the center of the fault fracture zone developed at the early Miocene basaltic rocks that is located at the Geumkwang-ri area in Donghae-myeon, Pohang city. The fault gouge was analyzed with XRD, FTIR, DTA/TGA, SEM, TEM, XRF, EPMA. Analyses reveal that the fault gouge is Fe-rich sepiolite having high iron content. Alteration minerals observed in the fault fracture zone are mainly smectite. The significant amount of smectite also observed in the basaltic parent rocks. The occurrence of constituent minerals indicates that the Fe-rich sepiolite was crystallized by faulting and hydrothermal alteration after the consolidation of basaltic rock at the deep place.