• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2021

The Geumhwa Au-Ag deposit is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang basin. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I and II) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage II is economically barren. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages(early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early substage, marked by deposition of pyrite with minor wolframite; middle substage, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with Cu-As and/or Cu-Sb sulfosalts; late substage, marked by hematite and Bi-sulfosalts with secondary minerals. Changes in vein mineralogy reflect decreases in temperature and sulfur fugacity with a concomitant increase in oxygen fugacity. Fluid inclusion data indicate progressive decreases in temperature and salinity within each substage with increasing paragenetic time. During the early portion of stage I, high-temperature (≥410℃), high-salinity fluids (up to ≈44 equiv. wt. % NaCl) formed by condensation during decompression of a magmatic vapor phase. During waning of early substage, high-temperature, high-salinity fluids gave way to progressively cooler, more dilute fluids associated with main Au-Ag mineralization (middle) and finally to ≈180℃ and ≥0.7 equiv. wt. % NaCl fluids associated with hematite and sulfosalts (± secondary) mineralization (late substage). These trends are interpreted to indicate progressive mixing of high- and medium to low-salinity hydrothermal fluids with cooler, more dilute, oxidizing meteoric waters. The Geumhwa Au-Ag deposit may represent a vein-type system transitional between porphyry-type and epithermal-type.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.103-114
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• 2015

Jinsan gold deposit is a hydrothermal vein type deposit consisting of several fissure filling quartz veins developed within the Changri Formation of the Ogcheon Supergroup in Geumsan, Chungnam. This study is to provide an efficient exploration and development strategies based on the characteristics of the geology, geological structure, core logging, and ore vein occurrence and grade for the four pits (New pit, Main pit, Yanghapan pit and Teugho pit). Quartz veins are mostly developed with the strike of $N10^{\circ}-25^{\circ}W$ and $N5^{\circ}-20^{\circ}E$, and the thickness is in the range of 0.1~0.5 m, sometimes extending to over 1m. Although the quartz veins commonly form massive shape, they sometimes show zonal structure, comb structure as well as brecciated texture. Major ore minerals are pyrite and chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, marcasite, electrum and chalcocite are also accompanied as minor phases. Gray and milky white quartz veins, which are occasionally crosscut by calcite vein, also include fluorite. Ore evaluations for the 22 samples revealed that the samples from the pits generally have very low Au contents, lower than 1 g/t, but some clay samples of drilled core show very high Au concentrations, up to 141 g/t, indicating that Au content is much higher within fault gouges rather than within fresh quartz veins. This may represent that gold might have been reworked and reprecipitated by hydrothermal fluids in association with reactivation of the faults, and thus suggest that ore occurrence in this deposit is very complex and irregular and therefore more precise and systematic exploration is required.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 1994

Copper-bearing hydrothermal vein mineralization of the Samsan area was deposited in two stages (I and II) of quartz-calcite-sulfide veins which fill fissures in Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Gyeongsang basin. The major ore minerals, chalcopyrite and sphalerite, together with pyrite, galena, hematite, and minor sulfosalts, occur with epidote and chlorite as gangue minerals in stage I quartz veins. Chlorite geothermometry, fluid inclusion and stable isotope data indicate that copper ore was deposited mainly at temperatures between $330^{\circ}C$ and $280^{\circ}C$ from fluids with salinities between 12 and 3 equiv. wt % NaCl. Evidence of fluid boiling indicates a range of pressures from ${\leq}100$ to 200 bars bars. Within ore stage I there was an apparent decrease in ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of $H_{2}S$ with paragenetic time, from 8.0 to 2.3 per mil. This pattern was likely achieved through progressive increases in activity of oxygen accompanying boiling and mixing. In the early part of the first stage, the high temperature, high salinity fluids gave way to progressively cooler and more dilute fluids of the late parts in the first stage and of the second stage. There is a systematic decrease in calculated ${\delta}^{18}O_{water}$ values with decreasing temperature in the Samsan hydrothermal system, from values of -86 per mil for early portion of stage I through -5.9 per mil for late portion of stage I to -6.3 per mil for stage II. The ${\delta}D$ values of fluid inclusion waters also decrease with paragenetic time from -76 per mil to -86 per mil. These trends combined with mineral paragenesis and fluid inclusion data are interpreted to indicate progressive cooler, more oxidizing meteoric water inundation of an early exchanged meteoric hydrothermal system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.579-585
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• 1995

The Samkwang mine is Cretaceous gold-silver-bearing deposits located in the western part of the Ogcheon belt The ore deposits have been emplaced within granite gneiss of the Precambrian age. The Au-Ag deposits are hydrothermal-vein type, characterized by arsenic-, gold- and silver-bearing sulphides, in addition to the principal ore-forming sulphides arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Their proven reserves are 355,000 MT, and grades are 8.4 g Au/t and 13.6 g Ag/t. On the basis of their structural characters, the Au-Ag-bearing quartz veins are classified into three types of ore veins; (1) The Main vein shows $N40^{\circ}-80^{\circ}E$ strike and $55^{\circ}-90^{\circ}SE$ dip, (2) the Sangban vein shows E-W strike and $30^{\circ}-40^{\circ}S$ dip, and (3) the Gukseong vein has $N25^{\circ}-40^{\circ}W$strike and $65^{\circ}-80^{\circ}SW$ dip. The emplacements of the ore veins are closely related to the minimum stress axis $({\sigma}_3)$ during the strike-slip movement of the study area. The ore-bearing veins filled with extension fractures during strike-slip movements were sequentially emplaced as follows: I) When ${\sigma}_1$ operates obliquely to NE-series discontinous surface, the Main fault zone $(F_1)$ developes. 2) During the same time, extension fractures ($T_1$ Gukseong veins) take place. 3) When the fault progress continuously, the existing $T_1$, may be high angle and $T_2$ (Daehung vein) developes continuously. 4) When ${\sigma}_1$ changes to sinistral sense, $T_3$ (basic dyke) occurs. 5) When a reverse fault becomes active, the Sangban vein is branched from the Guksabong vein.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 1998

Heavy metal contamination in subsurface soils and stream sediments at the Suggok mine area were investigated on the basis of major, trace and rare earth elements geochemistry and mineralogy. The Sanggok mine area is mainly composed of Cambro-Ordovician carbonate rocks. The mine had been mined for Pb-Zn-Fe and Au- Ag, but already closed in past. For major elements, especially Fe (mean value=18.58 wt.%) and Mn (mean value=4. 18 wt.%) are enriched in soils, and the average enrichment indices of soils and sediments are 6.84 and 1.54, respectively. The average enrichment index of rare earth elements are 0.92 of mining drainage sediments and 0.52 of subsurface soils on the tailing dam. Concentrations of minor and/or environmental toxic elements in those samples range from 29 to 3400 for As,1 to 11 for Cd, 35 to 292 for Cu, 50 to 1827 for Pb, 1 to 22 for Sb and 112 to 2644 for Zn. Extremely high concentrations (mean values) are found in subsurface soils on the tailing dam (As=2278, Cd=7, Cu=206, Pb=1372, Sb=14 and Zn=2231 ppm, respectively). Average enrichment index normalized by composition of non-mining drainage sediments is 2.42 in mining drainage sediments and 25.47 in subsurface soils on the tailing dam. Based on EPA value, enrichment index of toxic elements is 0.53 in non-mining drainage sediments, 1.84 in mining drainage sediments and 23.71 in subsurface soils on the tailing dam. As a results from X-ray powder diffraction method, mineral composition of soils and sediments near the mine area varied in part, and are calcite, dolomite, magnesite, quartz, mica, chlorite and clay minerals. With the separation of heavy minerals, soils and sediments of highly concentrated toxic elements included some pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and hydroxide minerals on the polished sections.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2020

The Samgwang deposit has been one of the largest deposits in Korea. The deposit consists of series of host rocks including Precambrian metasedimentary rocks and Jurassic Baegunsa formation, which unconformably overlies the Precambrian metasedimentary rocks. The deposit consists of eight lens-shaped quartz veins which filled fractures along fault zones in Precambrian metasedimentary rock, which feature suggest that it is an orogenic-type deposit. Laminated quartz veins are common in the deposit which contain minerals including quartz, ankerite, white mica, chlorite, apatite, rutile, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. The structural formulars of white micas from laminated quartz vein and wallrock alteration are determined to be (K_1.02-0.82Na_0.02-0.00Ca_0.00)(Al_1.73-1.58Mg_0.26-0.16Fe_0.23-0.10Mn_0.00Ti_0.03-0.01Cr_0.01-0.00)(Si_3.35-3.22Al_0.79-0.65)O₁₀(OH)₂ and (K_0.75-0.67Na_0.01Ca_0.00) (Al_1.78-1.74Mg_0.16-0.15Fe_0.15-0.13Mn_0.00Ti_0.04-0.02Cr_0.01-0.00)(Si_3.33-3.26Al_0.74-0.67)O₁₀(OH)₂, respectively. It suggest that white mica from laminated quartz vein has higher interlayer cation (K+Na+Ca) and Fe+Mg+Mn+Ti content in octahedral site compared to the white mica from the wallrock alteration. Compositional variations in white mica from laminated quartz vein can be caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution ((Al³⁺)^VI+(Al³⁺)^IV <-> (Fe²⁺ or Mg²⁺)^VI)+(Si⁴⁺)^IV) and (Fe³⁺)^VI <-> (Al³⁺)^VI substitution. Ankerite from laminated quartz vein has compositional variations of FeO and MgO contents along crystal growth direction. The geochemical and textural features suggest that laminated quartz vein from the Samgwang gold-silver deposit was formed during ductile shear stage, which is an important main gold-silver ore-forming event in orogeinc deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2001

Environmental pollution of the Tohyun mine creek area was investigated on the basis of geology, mineralogy and geochemistry. In soils and sediments of the mine area, ${Al_2}{O_3}/{Na_2O}$ and ${K_2}O/{Na_2}O$ ratios are partly negative correlation against ${SiO_2}/{Al_2}{O_3}$, respectively. Geochemical characteristics of some trace and rare earth elements such as V/Ni, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, Th/U, La/Th, ${La_N}/{Yb_N}$, La/Sc and Sc/Th are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by simple source lithology. These results suggest that sediments source of the host shale around the mine area could be originated by basic to intermediate igneous rocks. Mineral compositions of soil and sediment near the mine area were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, clay minerals and some pyrite. Soils and sediments with highly concentrated heavy minerals, gravity separated mineralogy, are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and various kinds of hydroxide minerals on the polished sections. As normalized by bed rock composition, average enrichment indices of major elements in sediments, precipitates, farmland soils and paddy soils are 1.0, 1.7, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Maximum concentration of environmental toxic elements in the mine creek are detected with Ag = 186 ppm, As = 17,100 ppm, Bi = ]27 ppm, Cd = 77 ppm, Cu = 12,299 ppm, Pb = 8,897 ppm, Sb = 1,350 ppm, W = 599 ppm and Zn = 12,250 ppm, which are increasing with total FeO increasing, and extremely high concentrations of surface sediments and precipitates near the waste rock dump. These toxic elements (As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, W and Zn) of the samples, normalizing by host rock concentration, revealed that average enrichment index is 106.0 for sediments, 279.6 for precipitates, 3.5 for farmland soils and 1.6 for paddy soils. However, on the basis of EPA values, enrichment indices of all the samples are 40.7, 121.4, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.299-316
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• 2002

The Samkwang gold-silver deposits consist of gold-silver-bearing hydrothermal massive quartz veins which filled the fractures along fault shear (NE, NW) zones within Precambrian banded or granitic gneiss of Gyeonggi massif. Ore mineralization of this deposits occurred within a single stage of quartz vein which was formed by multiple episodes of fracturing and healing. Based on vein mineralogy and paragenesis, massive quartz veins are divided into two main paragenetic stages which are separated by a major faulting event. Main ore mineralization occurred at stage I. Wall-rock alteration from this deposits occur as mainly sericitization, chloritization, silicification and minor amounts of pyritization, carbonitization, propylitization and argillitization. Ore minerals are composed mainly of arsenopyrite (29.21-32.24 As atomic %), pyrite, sphalerite (6.45-13.82 FeS mole %), chalcopyrite, galena with minor amounts of pyrrhotite, marcasite, electmm (39.98-66.82 Au atomic %) and argentite. Systematic studies of fluid inclusions in early quartz veins and microcracks indicate two contrasting physical-chemical conditions: 1). temperature (215-345$^{\circ}$C) and pressure (1296-2022 bar) event with $H_{2}O-CO_{2}-CH_{4}-NaCl$fluids (0.8-6.3 wt. %) related to the early sulfide deposition, 2). temperature (203-441$^{\circ}$C) and pressure (320 bar) event with $H2_{O}$-NaCI $\pm$ $CO_{2}$ fluids (5.7-8.8 wt. %) related to the late sulfide and electrum assemblage. The H20-NaCI $\pm$ $CO_{2}$ fluids represent fluids evolved through fluid unmixing of an $H_{2}O-CO_{2}-CH_{4}-NaCl$fluids due to decreases in fluid pressure and influenced of deepcirculated meteoric waters possibly related to uplift and unloading of the mineralizing suites. Calculated sulfur isotope compositions (${\delta}^{34}S_{fluid}$) of hydrothermal fluids (1.8-4.9$\textperthousand$) indicate that ore sulfur was derived from an igneous source. Measured and calculated oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions (${\delta}^{18}O_{I120}$, ${\delta}D$) of ore fluids (-5.9~10.9$\textperthousand$, -102~-87$\textperthousand$) indicate that mesothermal auriferous fluids at Samkwang gold-silver deposits were likely mixtures of $H_{2}O$-rich, isotopically less evolved meteoric water and magmatic fluids.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2017

The Hadong-Sancheong Proterozoic anorthosite complex occurs in the southwestern region of the Ryongnam massif. The geology of the area mainly consists of metamorphic rocks of the Jirisan metamorphic complex as basement rocks, charnockite, and the Hadong-Sancheong anorthosite, which are intruded by the Mesozoic igneous rocks. Hadong-Sancheong anorthosite complex is divided into the Sancheong anorthosite and the Hadong anorthosite which occur at north-southern and south area of the Jurassic syenite, respectively. The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing dike-like ore bodies developed intermittently in the Hadong anorthosite with north-south direction and extend about 14 km. The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing ore bodies consist mainly of magnetite and ilmenite with rutile, titanite, and minor amounts of sulfides(pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite). The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing ore bodies show a paragenetic sequence of magnetite-ilmenite ${\rightarrow}$ magnetite-ilmenite-pyrrhotite ${\rightarrow}$ ilmenite-pyrrhotite-rutile-titanite(and/or pyrite) ${\rightarrow}$ sulfides. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation of the mineral paragenesis and assemblages indicate that early Fe-Ti-bearing ore mineralization in the ore bodies occurs at about $700^{\circ}C$ which corresponds to oxygen fugacity of about $10^{-11.8}{\sim}10^{-17.2}$ atm with the decrease tendency of sulfur fugacity to about $10^0$ atm as equilibrium of $Fe_3O_4-FeS$. The change of ore mineral assemblages from Fe-Ti-bearing minerals to sulfides in late ore mineralization of the ore bodies indicates that oxygen fugacity would have slightly decreased to ${\geq}10^{-20.2}$ atm and increased sulfur fugacity to ${\geq}10^0$ atm.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2010

The Yugeum deposit in Youngduk in Gyungsangbuk-do is emplaced in the Cretaceous granitoids located in the Northeastem Gyeongsang Basin. Gold-bearing quartz veins filling the fracture with a direction of $N19^{\circ}{\sim}38^{\circ}W$ are most abundantly distributed within the Younghae granodiorite body. The formation of quartz veins can be classified into three main stages: barren quartz stage, auriferous quartz vein stage, and finally the extensive sulfide mineralization stage. Various sulfide minerals such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, and arsenopyrite were precipitated during the hydrothermal gold mineralization process. Gold commonly occurs as fine-grained electrum in sulfides with high Au concentration (up to 93 wt%) compared to Ag. During the early gold mineralization stage, the temperature and pressure of the fluids are in the range of $220{\sim}250^{\circ}C$ and 730~1800 bar, and the oxygen fugacity is between $10^{-27}$ and $10^{-31.7}$ atm. On the other hand, the fluids of the late stage mineralization are characterized by temperature of $290{\sim}350^{\circ}C$ and pressure of 206~472 bar, and the oxygen fugacity is in the range of $10^{-26.3}{\sim}10^{-28.6}$ atm. The sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals are in the range of $0.2{\sim}4.2^{\circ}/_{\circ\circ}$, while the ${\delta}^{34}SH_2S$ values range from 1.0 to $3.7^{\circ}/_{\circ\circ}$. The Ag/Au atomic ratios of electrum ranges from 0.15 to 1.10, and Au content is higher than Ag in most electrum. During the main gold mineralization stage at the relatively high temperature condition and with pH from 4.5 to 5.5, the stability of ${AuCl_2}^-$ increased while the stability of ${Au(HS)_2}^-$ decreased. Considering the pressure estimated in this deposit, the temperature of the ore fluid reached higher than $350^{\circ}C$ and ${AuCl_2}^-$ became an important species for the gold transportation. As mineralization proceeded with decreasing temperature and increasing pH and $f_{o2}$, the precipitation of sulfide minerals and accompanying electrum occurred.