• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.267-278
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• 2013

The East African Rift System(EARS) is known to be hosted epithermal Au-Ag deposits, and the best-known example is Main Ethiopian Rift Valley(MER) related to Quaternary bimodal volcanism. Large horst-graben system during rifting provides open space for emplacement of bimodal magmas and flow channel of geothermal fluids. In recent, large hydrothermally altered zones(Shala, Langano, and Allalobeda) and hot spring related to deeply circulating geothermal water have been increasing their importance due to new discoveries in MER and Danakil depression. The hot springs in Shala and Allalobeda occur as boiling pool and geyser on the surface, whereas some areas didn't observe them due to decreasing ground water table. The host rocks are altered to quartz, kaolinite, illite, smectite, and chlorite due to interaction with rising geothermal water. The hot springs in MER are neutral to slightly alkaline pH(7.88~8.83) and mostly classified into $HCO_3{^-}$ type geothermal water. They are strongly depleted in Au, and Ag, but show a higher Se concentration of up to 26.7 ppm. In contrast, siliceous altered rocks around hot springs are strongly enriched in Pb(up to 33 ppm, Shala), Zn(up to 313 ppm, Shala), Cu(up to 53.1 ppm, Demaegona), and Mn(up to 0.18 wt%t, Shala). In conclusion, anomalous Se in hot spring water, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Mn in siliceous altered rocks, and new discoveries in MER have been increasing potential for epithermal gold mineralization.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.207-217
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• 2011

Here we report major element composition, trace and rare earth element abundance, Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic composition from Deokgu leucogranite. Chondrite-normalized REE pattern and its Eu anomaly are divided into 3 types systematically, and have close relationship with $SiO_2$ contents. Such geochemical characteristic indicates that the leucogranite was derived by feldspar fractionation from a common source magma. Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr whole rock ages are $1,785{\pm}180Ma$ (initial $^{143}Nd/^{144}Nd\;ratio=0.51003{\pm}0.00016,\;2{\sigma}$; ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(T)=-5.9$) and $1,735{\pm}260Ma$ (initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr\;ratio=0.702{\pm}0.046,\;2{\sigma}$), respectively. Initial ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}$ value indicates that the magma should be derived from the crustal material. This initial ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}$ value also corresponds well with those from the Precambrian granitoids from North-China Craton rather than those of South-China Craton.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 1997

Chonnam and Kyongsang clay alteration areas are distributed in volcanic fields of the Yuchon Group in late Cretaceous period. The host rock of the Chonnam alteration area is generally acidic and that of the Kyongsang alteration area is acidic to dominantly intermediate volcanics. The important difference of two alteration areas is source of fluid; the Chonnam alteration area is characterized by dominantly meteoric water and the Kyongsang alteration area is characterized by dominantly magmatic water. Accordingly, the high temperature minerals such as pyrophyllite and andalusite, and boron bearing minerals such as dumortierite and tourmaline are common in the Kyongsang alteration area. In contrast to this, the lower temperature minerals such as kaolin and alunite are common in the Chonnam alteration area. The mineralogical difference of two alteration areas were depended on the difference of the formation temperature of clay deposits. The other important geochemical difference is the chemistry of hydrothermal solution such as pH. The alteration of "acid-sulfate type" with alteration mineral assemblage of alunite-kaolin-quartz is dominant in the Chonnam alteration area, which was caused by the attack of strong acid and acid solution. In contrast to this, the that of "quartz-sericite type" with the mineral assemblage of sericite-quartz is dominant in the Kyongsang alteration area, which was caused by the attack of neutral or weak acid solution. Also, the Kyongsang and Chonnam alteration areas show the difference in structural setting; the Chonnam alteration area is commonly associated with silicic domes and the Kyongsang alteration area is commonly associated with calderas.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.267-281
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• 2009

Cretaceous intrusive and extrusive rocks are widely distributed in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, possibly the result of intensive magmatism which occurred in response to subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the northeastern part of the Eurasian plate. Geochemical and petrological study on the Cretaceous granitic rocks of the Yeosu area were carried out in order to constrain the petrogenesis of the granitic rocks and to establish the paleotectonic environment of the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. Igneous rocks of the Yeosu area consist of diorite, hornblende biotite pite and micrographic granite. Chondrite normalized REE patterns show generally enriched in LREE ($(La/Lu)^{cN}$=4.2-13.3). Diorites show flat to slight negative Eu anomalies while micrographic granites have strong negative Eu anomalies. The ${\Sigma}REE$ of the granites are 76.2-235 ppm, which corresponds to the range of the continental margin granite. Whole rock chemical data of the granitic rocks from the Yeosu area indicate that the rocks have characteristics of calc-alkaline series in the subalkaline field. On the A/NK vs. A/CNK and tectonic discrimination diagrams, parental magma type of the granites corresponds to I-type and volcanic arc granite (VAG). Interpretations of the chemical characteristics of the granitic rocks favor their emplacement in a compressional tectonic regime at continental margin during the subduction of Pacific plate.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.184-193
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• 1998

In order to dispose radioactive wastes safely, it is needed to understand the mechanical, thermal, fluid behavior of rockmass and physico-chemical interactions between rockmass and water. Also, the knowledge about mechanical and hydraulic properties of rocks is required to predict and to model many conditions of geological structure, underground in-situ stress, folding, hot water interaction, intrusion of magma, plate tectonics etc. This study is based on researches about rock mechanics issues associated with a waste disposal in deep rockmass. This paper includes the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of rocks in varying temperature conditions, thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling analysis in rock mass and deformation behavior of discontinuous rocks. The mechanical properties were measured with Interaken rock mechanics testing systems and hydraulic properties were measured with transient pulse permeability measuring systems. In all results, rock properties were sensitive to temperature variation.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.113-128
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• 2012

The chemical composition of the continental crust play an important role in understanding of crustal formation and evolution and quantifying other processes taking place within continental crust. We summarized geochemical data reported in the previous literature for the crustal rocks in the Korean Peninsula and divided their chemical composition into geologic time scale. In the variation diagram normalized by average composition of the upper crustal rocks, the geochemical characteristics of the upper crust during Triassic period is different from those of the upper crustal rocks after Jurassic period or before Precambrian. However, the geochemical characteristics of the Jurassic and Precambrian period are similar each other. Our summarized data indicate that the source material of Triassic upper crust may be different from that of Jurassic or Precambrian upper crust.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.307-327
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• 2008

Geochemical study on the rocks and minerals of the Gyeongju low and intermediate level waste repository was carried out in order to provide geochemical data for the safety assessment and geochemical modeling. Polarized microscopy, X-ray diffraction method, chemical analysis for the major and trace elements, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and stable isotope analysis were applied. Fracture zones are locally developed with various degrees of alteration in the study area. The study area is mainly composed of granodiorite and diorite and their relation is gradational in the field. However, they could be easily distinguished by their chemical property. The granodiorite showed higher $SiO_2$ content and lower MgO and $Fe_2O_3$ contents than the diorite. Variation trends of the major elements of the granodiorite and diorite were plotted on the same line according to the increase of $SiO_2$ content suggesting that they were differentiated from the same magma. Spatial distribution of the various elements showed that the diorite region had lower $SiO_2,\;Al_2O_3,\;Na_2O\;and\;K_2O$ contents, and higher CaO, $Fe_2O_3$ contents than the granodiorite region. Especially, because the differences in the CaO and $Na_2O$ distribution were most distinct and their trends were reciprocal, the chemical variation of the plagioclase of the granitic rocks was the main parameter of the chemical variation of the host rocks in the study area. Identified fracture-filling minerals from the drill core were montmorillonite, zeolite minerals, chlorite, illite, calcite and pyrite. Especially pyrite and laumontite, which are known as indicating minerals of hydrothermal alteration, were widely distributed in the study area indicating that the study area was affected by mineralization and/or hydrothermal alteration. Sulfur isotope analysis for the pyrite and oxygen-hydrogen stable isotope analysis for the clay minerals indicated that they were originated from the magma. Therefore, it is considered that the fracture-filling minerals from the study area were affected by the hydrothermal solution as well as the simply water-rock interaction.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.517-535
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• 2007

Two distinctive Mesozoic hydrothermal systems occurred in South Korea: the Jurassic/Early Cretaceous(ca. $200{\sim}130$ Ma) deep-level ones during the Daebo orogeny and the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary(ca. $110{\sim}45$ Ma) shallow hydrothermal ones during the Bulgugsa event. The Mesozoic hydrothermal system and the metallic mineralization in the Korean Peninsula document a close spatial and temporal relationship with syn- to post-tectonic magmatism. The calculated ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values of the ore-forming fluids from the Mesozoic metallic mineral deposits show limited range for the Jurassic ones but variable range for the Late Cretaceous ones. The orogenic mineral deposits were formed at relatively high temperatures and deep-crustal levels. The mineralizing fluids that were responsible for the formation of theses deposits are characterized by the reasonably homogeneous and similar ranges of ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values. This implies that the ore-forming fluids were principally derived from spatially associated Jurassic granitoids and related pegmatite. On the contrary, the Late Cretaceous ferroalloy, base-metal and precious-metal deposits in the Taebaeksan, Okcheon and Gyeongsang basins occurred as vein, replacement, breccia-pipe, porphyry-style and skarn deposits. Diverse mineralization styles represent a spatial and temporal distinction between the proximal environment of subvolcanic activity and the distal to transitional condition derived from volcanic environments. The Cu(-Au) or Fe-Mo-W deposits are proximal to a magmatic source, whereas the polymetallic or the precious-metal deposits are more distal to transitional. On the basis of the overall ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values of various ore deposits in these areas, it can be briefed that the ore fluids show very extensive oxygen isotope exchange with country rocks, though the ${\delta}D_{H2O}$ values are relatively homogeneous and similarly restricted.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 1997

The Early Proterozoic reworked rock association occurs within the Preacmbrian high grade metamorphic rocks in the area of Daqingshan, Inner Molgolia. In this association, the various large scale ductile deformation belts, form a nappe structure where the foliation steeply dips to north and the lineation ($340^{circ}-30^{\circ}$) plunges at $45^{\circ}55^{\circ}$. This result indicates the subduction/extension with northern part thrusting over the southern part at high angle. The southern subducted microlithon has the characteristics of prograde metamorphism. The northern thrusted microlithon shows the evidence of retrograde metamorphism with decreasing pressure and increasing temperature. The main rock types of Early Proterozoic Moyites are biotite adamellite and syenogranites occurring in the form of small batholiths or stocks and alkali-feldspar granites in veins. The biotite adamellites are progressively contacted with the Archean and Early Proterozoic rocks and contain a great deal of enclaves of metamorphosed rocks, suggesting an anatexis origin. The geochemical characteristics of moyites show the typical features of anatexis granite. At middle to late Early Proterozoic time, the continent-continent collision formed the large scale thrusting and imbrication of Archean basement rocks. According to the mineral assemblage and thermobarometer of Paria et al. (1988) give the following P-T condition : up-faulted block; $700-710^{\circ}C$, 0.72-0.78 Gpa (early stage) and $600^{\circ}C$, 0.44 Gpa (late stage), footwall block; $620^{\circ}C$, 0.8 Gpa (early stage), $620-840^{\circ}C$, 0.64-0.45 Gpa (peak) and $620-630^{\circ}C$, 0.35Gpa (late stage). These results suggest a clockwise P-T-t path (jin et al., 1991, 1994). According to the depth-temperature model in the comperature subduction zone and the experimental data of Wyllie et al. (1983), we propose a tectonic-magmatic-thermal model to account for metamorphism-anatexis of moyite occurring in subduction-shear zone.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.295-310
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• 2022

The Weolaksan and Sokrisan granites yield high SiO₂ and alkali (Na₂O+K₂O) contents and low CaO and P₂O₅ contents. The Al saturation index is ≥1.3, which indicates that the granites are peraluminous. The mean U and Th contents are 8.3 and 39.3 ppm, respectively, higher than typical Mesozoic granites in South Korea and about twice the global mean for granitic rocks. The causes of such high radioelement contents are related to high degrees of fractionation and the crustal origin of the granites. U- and Thbearing radioactive minerals occur in the granites include zircon, thorite, monazite, xenotime, fergusonite and uraninite. The fact that the mean Th/U ratio of the granites (5.4) is similar to the global average crustal value suggests that the radioelement contents of granite were controlled by the crustal source material. Given the correlation of Zr, Y, and heavy rare earth elements for U and Th, radioelements are more likely hosted by xenotime than zircon and monazite.