• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.583-593
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• 2001

Clay minerals are common component of fault gouge and have been used to determine the fault activity age using K-Ar dating technique. We carried out XRD and K-Ar analyses of the mica clay minerals from the fault gouge along the Ulsan Fault Zone, southeastern Korea to estimate the timing of the major fault activity. Mica clay minerals for four grain size fractions of 5-2 Um, 2-1 $\mu$m, 1-0.35$\mu$m, and 0.35-0.05 $\mu$m were separated from the gouge samples in the three locations by the hydraulic elutriation and contrifugal separator. Fault gouges are composed of smectite, mica clay minerals, kaolinite, chlorite, quartz, and feldspar. The illite crystallinity of mica clay minerals is the highest in the finest grained fraction with lM polytype, indicating that the aulhigenic mica clay minerals have been concentrated in the fraction. K-Ar ages give some variation from 46 to 35 Ma (330-2), 45 to 39 Ma (16Ww), and 32 to 15 Ma (102Ws) and are the youngest in the finest grained fraction. These results suggest that the hydrothermal alteration associated with the major fault activities along the Ulsan fault Zone took place twice at 39-35 Ma and 15 Ma.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.201-211
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• 2019

The particle size and crystallinity of fault gouge generally decreases with slip. Phyllosilicates including talc are known to be present in fault gouge and play an important role in fault weakening. In particular, the coefficient of friction varies depending on the presence of a water molecule on the surface of mineral. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of talc on fault weakening by changing the water content and dehydration behavior of talc before and after grinding, which systematically varied particle size and crystallinity using high energy ball mill. Infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis show that the as-received talc is hydrophobic before grinding and the water molecule is rarely present. After grinding up to 720 minutes, the particle size decreased to around 100 ~300 nm, and in talc, where amorphization proceeded, the water content increased by about 8 wt.% and water molecule would be attached on the surface of talc. As a result, the amount of vaporized water by heating increased after grinding. The dihydroxylation temperature also decreased by ${\sim}750^{\circ}C$ after 720 minutes of grinding at ${\sim}950^{\circ}C$ before grinding due to the decrease of particle size and crystallinity. These results indicate that the hydrophobicity of talc is changed to hydrophilic by grinding, and water molecules attached on the surface, which is thought to lower the coefficient of friction of phyllosilicates. The repeated slip throughout the seismic cycle would consistently lower the coefficient of friction of talc present in fault gouge, which could provide the clue to the weakening of matured fault.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.183-189
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• 2010

Fault gouge samples were collected from the fault cores of the boundary faults between the Cretaceous Basement and the Tertiary Waeup Basin. Fractal dimensions (D) were obtained by using survivor grains which were analysed from six thin sections of the gouges under the optical microscope. The elliptical survivor grains show a shape preferred orientation almost parallel to clay foliation in matrix, suggesting that it was formed by the rotation of the survivor grains in abundant fine-grained matrix during repeated fault slips. The size distributions of the survivor grains follow power-laws with fractal dimensions in the 2.40-3.02 range. D values of all samples but one are higher than a specific D value equal to 2.58 which predicts the self similarity of fragmentation process in constrained comminution model (Sammis et al., 1987), which indicates large fault slip and multiple faulting. Probably the higher D values than 2.58 mean the non-self-similar evolution of cataclastic rocks where fragmentation mechanism changed from constrained comminution to the grain abrasion accompanying selective fracture of larger grains.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2002

XRF, XRD, EPMA have been used to investigate microstructures and mineralogical changes caused by the faulting and fluids associated with faulting in the Quaternary fault gouge zones at the Sangchon, Ipsil and Wangsan faults located at the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. The chemical compositions of faulted rocks and protoliths analyzed by XRF show that the fault gouges are relatively enriched in TiO$_2$, P$_2$O$_{5}$, MgO, and Fe$_2$O$_3$) compared with protoliths, indicating that the fluids associated with faulting were highly activated. XRD results show that the fault gouges predominantly consist of quartz, feldspar, calcite and clay minerals. Clay minerals formed in the gouge zones are mainly composed of smectite characterized by a dioctahedral sheet. Based on EPMA analyses various kinds of sulfide, carbonate, phosphate minerals were identified in the gouge zones and protoliths. Xenotime of grey fault gouge of the Sangchon fault and sulfide minerals of contact andesitic rock of Ipsil fault and contact grey andesitic rock of Wangsan fault were probably formed by inflow of hydrothermal solution associated with faulting prior to the Quaternary. Carbonate minerals of contact andesitic rock and gouge zone of the Ipsil fault were formed by inflow of fluid associated with faulting prior to the Quaternary. They are heavily fractured and have reaction rim on their edge, indicating that faultings and inflow of fluids were highly activated after carbonate minerals were formed. Calcites of Wangsan fault seemed to be formed in syntectonic or posttectonic Quaternary faulting.g.

• Proceedings of the Petrological Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.103-106
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• 1999

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.349-363
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• 2005

Many Quaternary faults are recognized as thin gouge and narrow cataclastic zone juxtaposing the Bulguksa granite and Quaternary deposit bed in the eastern block of the Using Fault, Korea: Gaegok 1, Caegok 2, Singye, Madong Wonwonsa and Jinhyeon faults. This study was performed to calculate chemical change, volume change, silica loss and fluid-rock ratio taken place in gouge zones of these Quaternary faults using XRF, XRD, EPMA. The chemical compositions of fault rocks reveal that the fault gouges are depleted in $SiO_2,\;Na_2\;O,and\;K_2O$ and enriched in $Al_2O_3,\;Fe_2O_3,\;P_2O_5,\;MgO,\;MnO,\;CaO,\;and\;LOI(H_2O+CO_2)$ relative to protoliths. The fact that there is enrichment of relatively immobile elements and depletion of the more soluble elements in the fault gouges relative to protoliths can be explained by fluid-assisted volume loss of $56\%$ for Caegok 1 fault, $22\%$ for Caegok 2 fault,$34\%$, for Singye fault, $8\%$ for Madong fault, $2\%$ for the Wonwonsa fault and $53\%$ for the linhyeon fault. Madong fault and Wonwonsa fault where ratios of the volume change, silica loss and fluid-rock are low might have acted as a closed system for fluid activity, whereas Caegok 1 fault and Jinhyeon fault with high ratios in those factors be an open system. The volumetric fluid-rock ratios range $10^2\sim10^4$ for all faults, being highest in Caegok 1 fault and Jinhyeon fault whose fluid activity was most significant.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.211-230
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• 2016

Detailed mapping along the Keumwang fault reveals a complex history of multiple brittle reactivations following late Jurassic and early Cretaceous ductile shearing. The fault core consists of a 10~50 m thick fault gouge layer bounded by a 30~100 m thick damaged zone. The Pre-cambrian gneiss and Jurassic granite underwent at least six distinct stages of fault movements based on deformation environment, time and mechanism. Each stage characterized by fault kinematics and dynamics at different deformation environment. Stage 1 generated mylonite series along the Keumwang shear zone by sinistral ductile shearing during late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. Stage 2 was a mostly brittle event generating cataclasite series superimposed on the mylonite series of the Keumwang shear zone. The roundness of pophyroclastes and the amount of matrix increase from host rocks to ultracataclasite indicating stronger cataclastic flow toward the fault core. At stage 3, fault gouge layer superimposed on the cataclasite generated during stage 2 and the sedimentary basins (Umsung and Pungam) formed along the fault by sinistral strike-slip movement. Fragments of older cataclasite suspended in the fault gouge suggest extensive reworking of fault rocks at brittle deformation environments. At stage 4, systematic en-echelon folds, joints and faults were formed in the sedimentary basins by sinistral strike-slip reactivation of the Keumwang fault. Most of the shearing is accommodated by slip along foliations and on discrete shear surfaces, while shear deformation tends to be relatively uniformly distributed within the fault damage zone developed in the mudrocks in the sedimentary basins. Fine-grained andesitic rocks intruded during stage 4. Stage 5 dextral strike-slip activity produced shear planes and bands in the andesitic rocks. ESR(Electron Spin Resonance) dates of fault gouge show temporal clustering within active period and migrating along the strike of the Keumwang fault during the stage 6 at the Quaternary period.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2009

The study area is a tunnelling section passing through the Yangsan Fault zone. Kyungbu express highway and national road 35 are located above the tunnel. Previous study showed that fault gouge and fault breccia were widely distributed in the tunnelling section with a maximum width of 100 m. From the present study, it is found that sedimentary rocks consisting mainly of shale are distributed at the eastern block of the Yangsan Fault and these rocks are not subject to mechanical fracturing and hydrothermal alteration. On the other hand, dacitic tuff distributed at the western block of the Yangsan Fault is largely affected by mechanical fracturing and hydrothermal alteration. The large fault zone of $50{\sim}130m$ width was formed by complex processes of mechanical fracturing and hydrothermal alterations such as chloritization, sericitization, and kaolinization. Based on the characteristics of mechanical fracturing and hydrothermal alterations, the Yangsan fault zone in the study area is geotechnically classified as four zones: unaltered zone, altered zone, altered fractured zone, and fault gouge zone. These zones show different degrees and aspects in mechanical fracturing and hydrothermal alterations, resulting in different engineering properties.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.175-188
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• 1998

This paper describes the internal structures and K-Ar ages of fault gouges collected from the Dongnae fault zone. This fault zone is internally zoned and occurs in the multiple fault cores. A fault core consists of thin gouge and narrow cataclastic zones that are bounded by a much thicker damage zone. Intensity of deformation and alteration increases from damage zone through cataclastic zone to gouge zone. It is thought that cataclasis of brittle deformation was the dominant strain-accomodation mechanism in the early stage of deformation to form the gouge zone and that crushed materials in the regions of maximum localization of fault slip subsequently moved by cataclastic flow. Deformation mechanism drastically changed from brittle processes to fluid-assisted flow along the gouge zone as the high porosity and permeability of pulverzied materials during faulting facilitated the influx of the hydrothermal fluids. Subsequently, the fluids reacted with gouge materials to form clay minerals. Fracturing and alteration could have repeatedly taken place in the gouge zone by elevated fluid pressures generated from the reduction of pore volume due to the formation of clay minerals and precipitation of other materials. XRD analysis revealed that the most common clay minerals of the gouge zones are illite and smectite with minor zeolite and kaolinite. Most of illites are composed of 1Md polytype, indicating the products of hydrothermal alteration. The major activities of the Dongnae fault can be divided into two periods based upon K-Ar age data of the fault gouges : 51.4∼57.5Ma and 40.3∼43.6Ma. Judging from the enviromental condition of clay mineral formation, it is inferred that the hydrothermal alteration of older period occured at higher temperature than that of younger period.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 2023

The Shape Preferred Orientation (SPO) method has been used to analyze the orientation of fault motion, which is utilized as basic data for fault kinematics studies. The rigid grains, which as quartz, feldspar, and rock fragments, in the fault gouge are arranged in the P-shear direction through rigid body rotation by a given shear stress. Using this characteristic, the fault motion can be estimated from the SPO inversely. Recently, a method for securing precision and reliability by measuring 3D-SPO using X-ray CT images and examining the shape of a large number of particles in a short time has been developed. As a result, the SPO method analyzes the orientation of thousands to tens of thousands of particles at high speed, suggests the direction of fault motion, and provides easy accessibility and reliable data. In addition, the shape information and orientation distribution data of particles, which are by-products obtained in the SPO analysis process, are expected to be used as basic data for conducting various studies such as the local deformation of fault rocks and the fault generation mechanism.