• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.767-785
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• 2021

World-class magnesite deposits are developed in the Dashiqiao mineralized district of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt in China. This belt extends to the northern side of the Korean Peninsula and hosts major magnesite deposits in the Dancheon region of North Korea. Magnesite ores from the Pailou deposits in the Dashiqiao district is classified into pure magnetite, chlorite-magnetite, chlorite-talc-magnetite, and dolomite groups depending on the constituent minerals. According to the result of petrographic study, magnesite was formed by the alteration of dolomite, and, talc, chlorite, and apatite were produced as late-stage alteration minerals that replaced the magnesite. Fluid inclusions observed in magnesite are a liquid-type inclusion, with a homogenization temperature of 121-250 ℃ and a salinity of 1.7-22.4 wt% NaCl equiv. The chlorite geothermometer, indicating the temperature of hydrothermal alteration, is 137~293 ℃, slightly higher than the homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions, and the pressure is calculated to be less than 3.2 kb. For magnesite mineralization in the study area, the initially formed-dolomite was subjected to replacement by Mg-rich fluid to form a magnesite ore body, and then it was enriched through regional metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration. It seems that altered minerals such as talc were crystallized by Si and Al-rich late-stage hydrothermal fluids. These results are similar to the genetic environments of the Daeheung deposit, a representative magnesite deposit in North Korea, and it is believed that the two deposits went through a similar geological and ore genetic process of magnesite mineralization.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.5-9
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• 2019

This paper is to provide the results of a pilot study of the usability and possibility of impact force response signal induced from impacting an object for the assessment of compressive strength of various materials (rock, concrete, wood, etc.) nondestructively. For this study, a device was devised for impacting an object and measuring the impact force. The impact was carried out by an initial rotating free falling impact and following repetitive impacts from the rebound action which eventually disappears. Wood and rock test specimens for different strengths were tested and an impact force response signal was measured for each test specimen. The total impact force signal energy which is assessed from integrating the impact force response signal was compared with the directly measured compressive strength for each specimen. The comparison showed that the total impact force signal energy has a direct relationship with the directly measured compressive strength and the results clearly indicated that the compressive strength of construction materials can be assessed nondestructively using total impact force signal energy which is assessed from integrating the impact force response signal induced from impacting an object.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.291-305
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• 2015

Microbialites are defined as rocks formed by microbial organisms. After their first appearance around 3.5 billion years ago, microbialites occur in various depositional environments throughout geological periods. Microbial organisms form microbialites by trapping and binding detrital sediments and/or precipitating carbonate cements, resulting in formation of various microstructures and mesostructures. Four major types of microbialites are distinguished based on their mesostructures: stromatolite, thrombolite, dendrolite, and leiolite. In the geological records, occurrences of microbialites are influenced by calcium carbonate saturation of seawater and interaction of microbialites with metazoans. Stromatolites mainly flourished during the Precambrian, and diminished as level of atmospheric carbon dioxide declined. On the other hand, thrombolites, mainly formed by calcified microbes, began to flourish from the Neoproterozoic. As metazoans diversified in the Phanerozoic, proportion of the microbialites within sedimentary record declined. Since then, microbialites only occasionally flourished during the Phanerozoic, such as shortly after mass-extinction events. In the Korean Peninsula, microbialites occur in the Neoproterozoic Sangwon System, the Early Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup, and the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup, which form different shapes according to their age and depositional environments. By performing detailed studies on these Korean microbialites, it is possible to understand how microbes affected geological records and sedimentary environments, as well as their interaction with other organisms.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 1998

Dangsanbong volcano, which is located on the coast of the western promontory of Cheju Island, occurs in such a regular pattern on the sequences which represent an excellent example of an eruptive cycle. The volcano comprises a horseshoe-shaped tuff cone and a younger nested cinder cone on the crater floor, which are overlain by a lava cap at the top of the cinder cone, and wide lava plateau in the moat between two cones and in the northern part. The volcanic sequences suggest volcanic processes that start with Surtseyan eruption, progress through Strombolian eruption and end with Hawaiian eruption, and then are followed by rock fall from sea cliff of the tuff cone and by air fall from another crater. It is thought that the eruptive environments of the tuff cone could be mainly emergent because the present cone is located on the coast, and standing body of sea water could play a great role. It is thought that the now emergent part of the tuff cone was costructed subaerially because there is no evidence of marine reworking. The emergent tuff cone is characterized by distinctive steam-explosivity that results primarily from a bulk interaction between rapidly ascending magma and external water. The sea water gets into the vent by flooding accross or through the top or breach of northern tephra cone. Dangsanbong tuff cone was constructed from Surtseyan eruption which went into with tephra finger jetting explosion in the early stage, late interspersed with continuous upruch activities, and from ultra-Surtseyan jetting explosions producting base surges in the last. When the enclosure of the vent by a long-lived tephra barrier would prevent the flooding and thus allow the vent to dry out, the phreatomagmatic activities ceased to transmit into magmatic activity of Strombolian eruption, which constructed a cinder cone on the crater floor of the tuff cone Strombolian eruption ceased when magma in the conduit gradually became depleted in gas. In the Dangsanbong volcano, the last magmatic activity was Hawaiian eruption which went into with foundation and effusion of basalt lava.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.447-460
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• 2001

The geothermal waters from the Busan area belong to Na-CI type and are characterized by much higher EC (921 ~6,520${\mu}$S/cm) and TDS (608-3,390 mg/L) than other geothermal waters in Korea. The concentration of majorions shows a weakly positive relationship with temperature except for Mg ion. The concentrations of the major cat ions have the order of Na>Ca>K>Mg. Ca ion is enriched and Mg ion is depleted compared with seawater. All Br concentrations of geothermal water are lower than those of seawater, showing a positive relationship with temperature. Generally geochemical characteristics of geothermal waters of the Busan area indicate that these waters have relatively increased Ca and Sr contents and depleted Mg, Na and K contents caused by seawater interaction with wall rock at depth during deep circulation of seawater. Base on the relationship between major ions and temperature, saline geothermal waters are diluted and are cooled by mixing of groundwaters during ascent. Isotope study and reaction path modeling of the overall geochemical system are required in order to better quantify the evolution and origin of geothermal waters in the Busan area.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2003

Geochemical characteristics of groundwater in the different kinds of various lithology such as Haman formation, Panyaweol formation, Jusan andesitic formation and Palgongsan granite is distinguished by mineralogical and chemical compositions. The Concentration of the majority of solutes in groundwaters of Haman and Panyaweol formation is higher than in that of andesite and granite. Higher concentration of $HCO_3^{-}{\;}and{\;}SO_4^{2-}$ anions in the groundwater is peculiar. High concentrations of $Ca^{2+},{\;}Mg^{2+},{\;}HCO_3^{-}$ in the groundwaters of the sedimentary rocks result mainly from reaction of $CO^{2-}$ charged water with calcite and weathered feldspars. With the Piper diagram, the groundwaters of Haman formations are mainly plotted in $CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ type, whereas those of Panyaweol formations are plotted in the bothside of $Ca(HCO_3)_2{\;}and{\;}CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ type. Thses two different types of $Ca(HCO_3)_2{\;}and{\;}CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ groundwater were originated from dissolution of calcite($Ca(HCO_3)_2)$ and the oxidation of pyrite($CaSO_4-CaCl_2$), respectively. And it also is influenced by anthropogenic contamination. Three factors were extracted from the factor analysis for chemical data. Factor 1, controlled by $SO_4^{2-},{\;}Na^{+},{\;}Ca^{2+}$ and Fe, explains the dissolution of calcite, plagioclase and oxidation of pyrite. Factor 2, controlled by $HCO_3^{-}{\;}and{\;}Mg^{2+}$, mainly explains the dissolution of Mg-carbonates and dolomitization. Factor 3, controlled by $Cl^{-},{\;}K^{+}{\;}and{\;}NO_3^{-}$, is subject to the influence of artificial pollution including industrial waste water disposal. In this study area, some industrial complex which is close to Keumho river show the higher score of factor 3.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 1997

The hydrogeochemical study on the 15 natural waters was carried out in the vicinity of tunnel excavation site of Donghae largely composed of granite and limestone. The water samples can be classified based on their chemical characteristics into two groups; waters draining in the granitic region(group 1) and the limestone region(group 2). This classification was also confirmed by statistical examination through cluster analysis, and the tunnel seepage waters collected at the same site appear to be included in group 1 and 2 by their sampling period, respectively. According to factor analysis, the waters of group 1 art mainly represented by the weathering of plagioclase to kaolinite and those of group 2 are characterized by the dissolution of calcite. Different properties of the tunnel seepage waters are thought to be resulted from the effective waterproofing processes conducted during the sampling interval to the surface and subsurface leakage zones at the granitic region, which contributed to the change of groundwater flow system. However both the tunnel seepage waters seem to have thermodynamically interacted with rock-forming minerals in their wallrocks. The mixing ratio of the waters from two groups and water-rock interactions are evaluated quantitatively for the tunnel seepage waters through the mass balance approach, and the results are identical with the previous conclusions in this study.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.423-435
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• 2001

The gold-silver vein deposits in the Mugeug mineralized area are emplaced in late Cretaceous biotite granite associated with the pull-apart type Cretaceous Eumseong basin. Mugeug mine in northern part is composed of multiple veins showing relatively high gold fineness and is characterized by sericitization, chloritization and epidotization. The ore-forming fluids were evolved by dilution and cooling mechanisms at relatively high temperature and salinity (=30$0^{\circ}C$,1~9 equiv. wt. % NaCl) and highly-evolved meteoric water ($\delta$$^{18}$ O;-1.2~3.7$\textperthousand$) and gold mineralization associated with sulfides tormed at temperatures between 260 and 22$0^{\circ}C$ and within sulfur fugacity range of 10$^{-11.5}$ ~ 10$^{-13.5}$ atm. In contrast, Geumwang, Geumbong and Taegueg mines show the low fineness values, in southern part are characterized by increasing tendency of simple and/or stockwork veins and by kaolinitization, silicificatitan, carbonatization and smectitization. These droposits formed at relatively low temperature and salinity (<23$0^{\circ}C$, <3 equiv. wt. % NaCl) from ore-forming fluids containing greater amounts of less-evolved meteoric waters ($\delta$$^{18}$ O;-5.5~4.0$\textperthousand$), and silver mineralization representing various gold-and/or silver-bearing minerals formed at temperatures between 200 and 15$0^{\circ}C$ and from sulfur fugacity range of 10$^{-15}$ ~10$^{-18}$ atm These results imply that mineralization in the Mugueg area formed at shallow-crustal level and categorize these deposits as low-sulfidation epithermal type. The genetic differences between the northern and southern parts reflect the evolution of the hydrothermal system due to a different physicochemical environment from heat source area (Mugeug mine) to marginal area (Taegeum mine) in a geothermal field.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2024

The Melanesian region in the western Pacific is dominated by complex plate tectonics, with the largest oceanic plateau, the OntongJava plateau, and a hotspot, the Caroline Islands. To better understand the complex geodynamics of the region, we estimate P- and S-velocity models and 𝛿 (V_P/V_S) model by using relative teleseismic travel times measured at seismometers on land and the seafloor. Our results show high-velocity anomalies in the subduction zones of the Melanesian region to a depth of about 400 km, which is thought to be subducting Solomon Sea, Bismarck, and Australian plates along plate boundaries. Along subduction zones, positive 𝛿 (V_P/V_S) anomalies are found, which may be caused by partial melting due to dehydration. A broad high-velocity anomaly is observed at 600 km depth below the Ontong-Java plateau, with a negative 𝛿 (V_P/V_S) anomaly. This is thought to be a viscous and dry remnant of the Pacific plate that subducted at 45-25 Ma, with a low volume of fluids due to dehydration for a long period in the mantle transition zone. Beneath the Caroline Islands, a strong low-velocity anomaly is obseved to a depth of 800 km and appears to be connected to the underside of the remnant Pacific plate in the mantle transition zone. This suggests that the mantle plume originating in the lower mantle has been redirected due to the interaction with the remnant Pacific plate and has reached its current location. The mantle plume also has a positive 𝛿 (V_P/V_S) anomaly, which is thought to be due to the influence of embedded fluids or partial melting. A high-velocity anomaly, interpreted as an effect of the thick lithosphere beneath the Ontong-Java plateau, is observed down to 300 km depth with a negative 𝛿 (V_P/V_S) anomaly, which likely indicate that little fluid remains in the melt residue accumulated in the lithosphere.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 1994

As the groundwater flows along the fractures of crystalline rocks, it will be in contact with the fracture walls mostly coated by secondary minerals which are quite different form those of host rocks. The presence of fracture-filling minerals in crystalline rocks is important on the view point of radioactive waste disposal because of their great surface reactivity. The Surichi drill hole of 200 m in depth in the Yugu area composed mainly of Precambrian gneiss was selected to study the formation process of clay minerals on the fracture wall of gneiss, and their relation with present groundwater. The water-rock interaction in fractures resulted in the formation of gibbsite and clay minerals. They are formed by two different processes : (1) Incongruent dissolution of feldspar by groundwater diffused from a fracture path into rock matrix produced smectite and illite in situ, (2) on the wall of fracture, gibbsite, kaolinite, smectite and illite are formed by precipitation of dissolved species in groundwater. They show the paragenetic sequence such as gibbsite${\leftrightarrow}$kaolinite${\leftrightarrow}$smectite or illite. The paragenetic sequence of fracture-filling minerals was controlled by increase of pH of groundwater, decrease of fracture permeability by precipitation of fillings, and immobility of alkali or alkaline earths in groundwater. The groundwater from the Surichi borehole is a $Na-HCO_{3}$ type with pH range of 8.6-9.2. The sodium and bicarbonate in groundwater would be supplied by the dissolution of albite and calcite, respectively. The saturation index of groundwater and surface water calculated by WATEQ4F indicates that gibbsite and kaolinite are under precipitation to equilibrium state, and that smectite and illite are under equilibrium to redissolution environment. The stability relation of clay minerals in the $Na_{2}O-Al_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2}-H_{2}O$ system shows that kaolinite is stable for all waters.