• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 2011

The major Mo deposits in South Korea were formed during the Jurassic Daebo orogeny, the Late Cretaceous and the Tertiary post-orogenic igneous activities, and are characterized by a variety of genetic types such as pegmatite, greisen, skarn, porphyry and vein types. The Jangsu mine is a pegmatite-style deposit which is genetically related to the Jurassic ilmenite-series two-mica granite with the Mo mineralization age of $159.6{\pm}4.5$ Ma. The Geumseong mine occurs as a skarn/porphyry-style deposit associated with highly fractionated granite. Its age of Mo mineralization within aplitic cupola is about 96.5~l07.5 Ma. The Yeonil mine is a porphyry-style deposit, and the Geumeum mine is a veinlet-style deposit along the fracture zone with their mineralization ages of $58.4{\pm}1.6$ and $54.4{\pm}1.2$ Ma, respectively. The contrasts in the style of Mo mineralization in Korea reflect the different environment of the related magmatism. The Jurassic mineralization, being related to deep-seated granitoids, occurs as a pegmatite-style deposit, whereas the Cretaceous one, being related to subvolcanic granitoids, occurs as skarn/porphyry/vein-type ore deposits. The Tertiary Mo mineralization has a close relationship with the igneous activities associated with the Tertiary basin formation along the east coast, Korean peninsular.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.323-336
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• 2019

The Mesozoic activity on the Korean Peninsula is mainly represented by the Triassic post-collisional, Jurassic orogenic, and Cretaceous post-orogenic igneous activities. The diversity of mineralization by each geological period came from various geothermal systems derived from the geochemical characteristics of magma with different emplacement depth. The Cretaceous metallic mineralization has been carried out over a wide range of time periods from ca. 115 to 45 Ma (main stage; ca. 100 to 60 Ma) related to post-orogenic igneous activity, and spatial distribution patterns of most metal deposits are concentrated along small granitic stocks. The late Cretaceous metal deposits in the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs are generally distributed along the boundary among the Gongju-Eumseong fault system and the Yeongdong-Gwangju fault system and the Gyeongsang Basin, most of them are in the form of a distal epithermal~mesothermal Au-Ag vein or a transitional mesothermal Zn-Pb-Cu vein. On the other hand, diverse metal commodities in the Taebaeg Basin, the Okcheon metamorphic belt and the Gyeongsang Basin are produced from various deposit types such as skarn, carbonate-replacement, vein, porphyry, breccia pipe, and Carlin type. In the late Cretaceous metallic mineralization, various mineral deposits and commodities were induced not only by the pathway of the hydrothermal solution, but also by the diversity of precipitation environment in the proximity difference of the granitic rocks. The diversity of these types of Cretaceous deposits is fundamentally dependent on the geochemical characteristics such as degree of differentiation and oxidation state of related igneous rocks, and ore-forming fluids generally exhibit the evolutionary characteristics of intermediate- to low-sulfur hydrothermal fluids.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.301-314
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• 2009

The Taebaeksan mineralized province, which is the most important one in South Korea, is rich in zinc-lead-tungsten-iron-copper-molybdenum-silver-gold mineral resources and has a diversity of deposit styles. These deposits principally coexist in time and space with porphyry-related epigenetic deposit such as skarn, hydrothermal replacement, mesothermal vein, and Carlin-like deposits. The magmatic-hydrothermal systems in the Taebaek fold belt is genetically characterized by the Bulguksa subvolcanic rocks(ca. $110{\sim}50\;Ma$) related to northwestward subduction of the paleo-Pacific Plate. The most important zinc-lead deposits in the area are the Uljin, Yeonhwa II and Shinyemi skarn, the Janggun hydrothermal replacement, and the Yeonhwa I intermediate-mixed (skarn/hydrothermal replacement) ones. In the present study, we present a compilation of metal production and mineral assemblage of the zinc-lead deposits. The metal difference of deposit styles in the area indicates a cooling path from intermediate-sulfidation to low-sulfidation state in the polymetallic hydrothermal system, reflecting spatial proximity to a magmatic source.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.1 s.182
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The Guemseong mine is located near the southern margin of the Jurassic Jecheon granitoids collectively with the Cambro-Ordovician mixed dolostone-limestone series of the Yeongweol Group, Choseon Supergroup. Here, two spatially distinct types of skarn formation have been observed. The upper transitional skarn is the calcic Mo skarn which has the mineral assemblage of $garnet+hedenbergite+epidote{\pm}wollastonite{\pm}magnetite{\pm}hematite{\pm}amphibole{\pm}chlorite{\pm}vesuvianite$ within the calcite marble. On the other hand, the lower proximal skarn occurs as a discordant magnesian Fe skarn at the contact of Mo-bearing aplitic cupolas with unidirectional solidification texture(UST) within the dolomitic marble. The magnesian Fe skarn has the mineral assemlage $olivine+diopside+magnetite+tremolite+serpentine+talc+chlorite{\pm}phlogopite$. The formation of two different types of skarn and ore mineralization in Geumseong mine have been attributed to multistage and complex metasomatic replacements that ultimately resulted in silicate-oxide-sulfide sequence of metasomatism. An early prograde stage with anhydrous skarn minerals such as olivine, clinopyroxene and/or garnet with magnetite, formed from high temperature (about $500^{\circ}\;to\;400^{\circ}C$) at an environmental condition of low $CO_2$ fugacity ($XCO_2<0.1$) and 0.5 kbar. The later retrograde stage with hydrous silicates such as amphibole, serpentine, phlogopite, epidote and chlorite with molybdenite or hematite, termed from relatively lower temperature (about $400^{\circ}\;to\;300^{\circ}C$).

• 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.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.161-174
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• 2013

The geology of the weondong deposit area consists mainly of Cambro-Ordovician and Carboniferous-Triassic formations, and intruded quartz porphyry and dyke. The skarn mineralized zone in the weondong deposit is the most prospective region for the useful W-mineral deposits. To determine the skarn-mineralization age, U-Pb SHRIMP and K-Ar age dating methods were employed. The U-Pb zircon ages of quartz porphyry intrusion (WD-A) and feldspar porphyry dyke (WD-B) are 79.37 Ma and 50.64 Ma. The K-Ar ages of coarse-grained crystalline phlogopite (WD-1), massive phlogopite (WDR-1), phlogopite coexisted with skarn minerals (WD-M), and vein type illite (WD-2) were determined as $49.1{\pm}1.1$ Ma, $49.2{\pm}1.2$ Ma, $49.9{\pm}3.6$ Ma, and $48.3{\pm}1.1$ Ma, respectively. And the ages of the high uranium zircon of hydrothermally altered quartz porphyry (WD-C) range from 59.7 to 38.7 Ma, which dependson zircon's textures affected by hydrothermal fluids. It is regarded as the effect of some hydrothermal events, which may precipitate and overgrow the high-U zircons, and happen the zircon's metamictization and dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. Based on the K-Ar age datings for the skarn minerals and field evidences, we suggest that the timing of W-skarn mineralization in weondong deposit may be about 50 Ma. However, for the accurate timing of skarn mineralization in this area, the additional researches about the sequence of superposition at the skarn minerals and geological relationship between skarn deposits and dyke should be needed in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2011

The Taebaegsan Mineralized District is the most prospective region for the useful mineral commodities such as a coal, non-metallic, metallic mineral in South Korea. From a general point of view, Cambro- Ordovician limestone formations, Myobong slate and Pungchon (Daegi) limestone, are the most fertilizable formations in the Taebaegsan Mineralized District. The geology around Weondong mine area consists mainly of Carboniferous-Triassic formations and Cambro-Ordovician formations intruded by rhyolite/quartz porphyry. The great overthrusted fault of N40~$50^{\circ}E$ direction, so called Weondong overthrust fault, is observed in the central part of the mine area and the NS fault system cuts the overthrusted fault. By postulating from the favorable geological and structural condition around Weondong area, the possibility of deep seated hidden ore bodies is expected. In 2010, on the basis of the results of LOTEM and CSAMT survey, the cross-hole survey was performed for the investigation of the hidden polymetallic ore body in the deep parts of the Weondong mine area and the grade of the newly-discovered orebody is as follows; (1) The cut-off grade for lead-zinc 3%; an weighted average grade 5.50% (2.7 m), (2) The cutoff grade for copper 0.1%; an weighted average grade 0.91% (14.65 m), (3) The cut-off grade for iron 30%; an weighted average grade 38.18% (3.3 m), (4) $WO_3$ for each cut-off grade(0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.29 wt. % (8.8 m), 1.15 wt. % (2.1 m), 1.97 wt. % (1.2 m), (5) $MoS_2$ for each cut-off grade(0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.15 wt. % (6.3S m), 0.28 wt. % (3.15 m), (6) $Ta_2O_5$ for each cut-off grade (0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.13% (19.S m), 1.11% (1.8 m), (7) $Nb_2O_5$ for each cut-offgrade (0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.06% 11.5 m), 0.15% (3.0 m).