• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.211-217
• /
• 2016

There have been found mine tailings, wastes, and mining drainage scattered in the area of Nakdong River due to the improper maintenance of the abandoned mines. These contaminants can flow into rivers during the heavy rain periods in summer. Along the study area beginning Seokpo-myeon, Bonghwa-gun of Gyeongsangbuk-do untill Dosan-myeon, Andong-si, there are one hundred five mines including sixty metalliferous mines and forty-five nonmetal mines, which can adversely affect the adjacent rivers. To verify the contamination, we collected sediments, seepage water and surface water for a year both in rainy season and dry season. This study found that sediments, containing high concentrations of heavy metals caused by mining activities, are dispersed throughout the entire river basin (68 sample points with pollution index, based on the concentration of trace element, (PI) >10 among the total of 101 samples). The results of river water analysis indicated the increased concentrations of arsenic and cadmium at branches from Seungbu, Sambo, Okbang and Janggun mine, which concerns that the river water may be contaminated by mining drainage and tailing sediments. However, it is difficult to sort out the exact sources of contamination in sediments and waters only by using the chemical compositions. Thus the control of mining pollution is challenging. To prevent water from being contaminated by mining activities, we should be able to divide inflow rates from each origin of the mines. Therefore, there should be a continued study about how to trace the source of contaminants from mining activities by analyzing stable isotopes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.49-61
• /
• 2011

This paper presents the applicability of rheological models for describing fine-laden debris flows and analyzes the flow characteristics as a function of grain size. Two types of soil samples were used: (1) clayey soils - Mediterranean Sea clays and (2) silty soils - iron ore tailings from Newfoundland, Canada. Clayey soil samples show a typical shear thinning behavior but silty soil samples exhibit the transition from shear thinning to the Bingham fluid as shear rate is increased. It may be due to the fact that the determination of yield stress and plastic viscosity is strongly dependent upon interstructrual interaction and strength evolution between soil particles. So grain size effect produces different flow curves. For modeling debris flows that are mainly composed of fine-grained sediments (<0.075 mm), we need the yield stress and plastic viscosity to mimic the flow patterns like shape of deposition, thickness, length of debris flow, and so on. These values correlate with the liquidity index. Thus one can estimate the debris flow mobility if one can measure the physical properties.