• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2008

The seismic interpretation was carried out to understand the evolution of the Sora and North Sora Sub-basins, South Sea of Korea. Both sub-basins belong to the Domi Basin, which is located in the northeastern margin of East China Sea Basin with Fukue Basin of Japan. Age assignment of each strata in this study was based on the data of boreholes and seismic interpretation in NW Japan. Four regional horizons were identified, and five geological units; Y(basement), Q(Eocene$\sim$Middle Oligocene), M(Middle Oligocene$\sim$Early Miocene), L(Early Miocene$\sim$Late Miocene) and D(Late Miocene$\sim$Present) groups in ascending order. Structural trends of the main boundary faults and the basin-fill sediment are different between the Sora and North Sora Sub-basins; i.e., trend of the main boundary-faults, dip of horizons, distribution of basin and development of growth fault. These results imply that the Sora Sub-basin would have opened earlier than the North Sora Sub-basin.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.5-12
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• 2011

When choosing the support pattern of tunnel, the characteristics of rock are identified from the result of the surface geologic survey, boring, and geophysical prospecting and laboratory test. And a rock mass rating is classified and excavation method and standard support pattern are designed considering rock classification, domestic and international construction practices, numerical analysis. According to the revised design standard for tunnel, it was recommended to classify the rock mass rating for the design of tunnel into a rating based on RMR. If necessary, it proposed a flexible standard allowed applying more atomized the rock mass rating and Q-System. Also, the resonable verification of the support pattern must be accompanied because the factors affecting the structure and behavior of ground during the construction of tunnel are the main factors of uncertainty factors such as the nature of ground, ground water and the characteristics of structural materials. These days, such verification method is getting more specialized and diversified. In this study, the empirical method, numerical analysis and comparative analysis of in situ measurements were used to prove the reasonableness in the support pattern by RMR and Q-value on the Imha Dam emergency spillway.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2021

Although underground works are essential to use underground spaces in urban areas efficiently, various damages caused by constructions have often occurred, making them major social problems. Since 2018, it is stipulated in the Special Act on Underground Safety Management that appropriate construction methods must be used in the design stage to prevent various damage cases. This Special Act includes establishing an area subject to underground safety impact assessment, analysis of ground and geological status, review of effects caused by changes in groundwater, review of ground safety, and establishment of measures to secure underground safety. This study area consists of various strata in order of landfill, sedimentary silt, sedimentary sand, sedimentary gravel, weathering zone, and foundation rock. Also, the slurry wall, a highly rigid underground continuous wall, was chosen as a construction method to consider high water table distribution and minimize the influence of the surroundings in this area. However, ground subsidence occurred on the road nearby in December 2019 due to the inflow of loosening soil to the construction area. Thus, several types of site investigations were conducted to suggest an appropriate analysis method and to find out loosed ground behavior and its area for the subsided site. As a result, new design soil properties were re-calculated, and the reinforcement measures were proposed through analytical verification.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2022

Excavation-Disturbed Zone (EDZ) is an important design factor in constructing final disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel, since EDZ affects mechanical stability including a spacing between disposal holes, and the hydraulic properties within EDZ plays a significant role in estimating in-flow rate of groundwater as well as a subsequent corrosion rate of a canister. Thus, it is highly required to characterize in-situ EDZ with precision and control the EDZ occurrence while excavating disposal facilities and constructing relevant underground research facilities. In this report, we not only reviewed EDZ-related researches carried out in the ONKALO facility of Finland but also examined appropriate methods for field inspection and quality control of EDZ occurrence. From the review, GPR can be the most efficient method for in-situ characterization of EDZ since it does not demand drilling a borehole that may disturb a surrounding environment of caverns. And the EDZ occurrence was dominant at a cavern floor and it ranged from 0 to 70 cm. These can provide useful information in developing necessary EDZ-related regulations for domestic disposal facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.55-66
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• 2009

At the mudstone slope located on the roadside of the Seokri area in Donghae-myeon, Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, this study was performed to analyze the effects of rainfall on the stability of slope through seepage analysis according to the precipitation type of the mudstone slope, referring to the actual case of slope failure. For this, precise geological survey, geophysical exploration and drilling survey for the slope where the failure occurred were performed and followed by analysis of detailed soil layer. For the section where failure surface located, the durability reduction of rocks was measured through slaking/swelling tests and the permeability was measured through in-situ permeability tests for each soil layer. In addition, the change of strength parameter and process of instability were analyzed by back analysis, using Talren 97 and Slope/W programs, in the slope. By applying different precipitation conditions to the geographical conditions of the slope that had actual failure records, the slope stability was analyzed by seepage analysis according to duration of rainfall and rise of groundwater level resulting from the flow of rainfall caused by development of geological structures and the slope surface condition.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.373-385
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• 2009

A new indexing methodology so called KTH-index was developed to quantitatively evaluate a potential level for tunnel collapse hazard, which has been successfully applied to tunnel construction sites to date. In this study, an attempt is made to apply this methodology for validating an outcome of tunnel design by checking the variation of KTH-index along longitudinal tunnel section. In this KTH-index simulation, it is the most important to determine the input factors reasonably. The design factor and construction condition are set up based on the designed outcome. Uncertain ground conditions are arranged based on borehole test and electro-resistivity survey data. Two scenarios for ground conditions, best and worst scenarios, are set up. From this simulation, it is shown that this methodology could be successfully applied for providing quantitative validity of a tunnel design and also potential hazard factors which should be carefully monitored in construction stage. The hazard factors would affect sensitively the hazard level of the tunnel site under consideration.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.611-626
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• 2023

Overseas examples of the characterization stage of site selection proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency were reviewed to highlight the factors necessary for consideration in the deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Studies in Sweden, Finland, the USA, and Canada were considered. Site investigations in Sweden and Finland commonly covered the fields of geology, hydrogeology, and hydrogeochemistry using similar field investigation techniques. The USA considered survey groups and factors under pre- and post-lockdown guidelines, as well as those for desaturated and saturated surveys. involving geophysical, hydrological, hydrogeological, hydrogeochemical, mechanical/physical, and thermal-characterization investigations. Canada provided a list of investigative methods for both preliminary and detailed site assessments including geological, physical, boring, hydrological, laboratory testing, and chemical analysis studies. Results of this study should elucidate site-selection investigation factors and survey methods applicable to Korea.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.693-698
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• 2024

As there are various types of discontinuities developing along with various rock types, the orientation and density of each type of discontinuities were measured to analyze the behavior of groundwater within the rock mass. Among the orientations of discontinuities, the strike was measured in azimuth and expressed as a discontinuity trajectory, and the density of discontinuities was quantified as the sum of the lengths of discontinuities developed per unit area. The overall discontinuity trajectory in the study area is predominantly in the northeast direction, the north-south and east-west directions are dominant in the igneous rock distribution area, and the east-west and northeast directions are dominant in the sedimentary rock distribution area. Among the types of discontinuities, they show discontinuity trajectories similar to the northeast direction, which is the dominant orientation of stratum boundaries, stratification, and foliation. The discontinuity density ranges from 0.1 m^-1 to 1,000 m^-1. The density distribution of discontinuities was expressed in the form of discontinuity contour diagrams. As a result, the crushed rock near Demiseam in the southern and southwestern part of the study area, the igneous rock area around Maryeong-myeon, the igneous rock area near Yongdam Dam in the northeast, and the igneous rock area near Unilam and Banilam in the northwest showed the highest density of discontinuities at over 100m^-1., the sedimentary rock area near Maisan Mountain showed relatively low values. It suggests that the results of geophysical exploration and drilling survey data in the existing study area, as well as the geological structure and density and trajectory of discontinuities, may be important factors in the behavior of groundwater in rock mass in the future.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 2006

Three differing sandstones, two synthetic and one field sample, have been tested ultrasonically under a range of confining pressures and pore pressures representative of in-situ reservoir pressures. These sandstones include: a synthetic sandstone with calcite intergranular cement produced using the CSIRO Calcite In-situ Precipitation Process (CIPS); a synthetic sandstone with silica intergranular cement; and a core sample from the Otway Basin Waarre Formation, Boggy Creek 1 well, from the target lithology for a trial $CO_2$ pilot project. Initial testing was carried on the cores at "room-dried" conditions, with confining pressures up to 65 MPa in steps of 5 MPa. All cores were then flooded with $CO_2$, initially in the gas phase at 6 MPa, $22^{\circ}C$, then with liquid-phase $CO_2$ at a temperature of $22^{\circ}C$ and pressures from 7 MPa to 17 MPa in steps of 5 MPa. Confining pressures varied from 10 MPa to 65 MPa. Ultrasonic waveforms for both P- and S-waves were recorded at each effective pressure increment. Velocity versus effective pressure responses were calculated from the experimental data for both P- and S-waves. Attenuations $(1/Q_p)$ were calculated from the waveform data using spectral ratio methods. Theoretical calculations of velocity as a function of effective pressure for each sandstone were made using the $CO_2$ pressure-density and $CO_2$ bulk modulus-pressure phase diagrams and Gassmann effective medium theory. Flooding the cores with gaseous phase $CO_2$ produced negligible change in velocity-effective stress relationships compared to the dry state (air saturated). Flooding with liquid-phase $CO_2$ at various pore pressures lowered velocities by approximately 8% on average compared to the air-saturated state. Attenuations increased with liquid-phase $CO_2$ flooding compared to the air-saturated case. Experimental data agreed with the Gassmann calculations at high effective pressures. The "critical" effective pressure, at which agreement with theory occurred, varied with sandstone type. Discrepancies are thought to be due to differing micro-crack populations in the microstructure of each sandstone type. The agreement with theory at high effective pressures is significant and gives some confidence in predicting seismic behaviour under field conditions when $CO_2$ is injected.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2011

Extra heavy oil reservoirs are distributed over the world but most of them is deposited in the northern part of the Orinoco River in Venezuela, in the area of 5,500 $km^2$, This region, which has been commonly called "the Orinoco Oil Belt", contains estimated 1.3 trillion barrels of original oil-in-place and 250 billion barrels of established reserves. The Venezuela extra heavy oil has an API gravity of less than 10 degree and in situ viscosity of 5,000 cP at reservoir condition. Although the presence of extra heavy oil in the Orinoco Oil Belt has been initially reported in the 1930's, the commercial development using in situ cold production started in the 1990's. The Orinoco heavy oil deposits are clustered into 4 development areas, Boyaco, Junin, Ayachoco, and Carabobo respectively, and they are subdivided into totally 31 production blocks. Nowadays, PDVSA (Petr$\'{o}$leos de Venzuela, S.A.) makes a development of each production block with the international oil companies from more than 20 countries forming a international joint-venture company. The Eastern Venezuela Basin, the Orinoco Oil Belt is included in, is one of the major oil-bearing sedimentary basins in Venezuela and is first formed as a passive margin basin by the Jurassic tectonic plate motion. The major source rock of heavy oil is the late Cretaceous calcareous shale in the central Eastern Venezuela Basin. Hydrocarbon materials migrated an average of 150 km up dip to the southern margin of the basin. During the migration, lighter fractions in the hydrocarbon were removed by biodegradation and the oil changed into heavy and/or extra heavy oil. Miocene Oficina Formation, the main extra heavy oil reservoir, is the unconsolidated sand and shale alternation formed in fluvial-estuarine environment and also has irregularly a large number of the Cenozoic faults induced by basin subsidence and tectonics. Because Oficina Formation has not only complex lithology distribution but also irregular geology structure, geological evolution and characteristics of the reservoirs have to be determined for economical production well design and effective oil recovery. This study introduces geological formation and evolution of the Venezuela extra heavy oil reservoirs and suggest their significant geological characteristics which are (1) thickness and geometry of reservoir pay sands, (2) continuity and thickness of mud beds, (3) geometry of faults, (4) depth and geothermal character of reservoir, (5) in-situ stress field of reservoir, and (6) chemical composition of extra heavy oil. Newly developed exploration techniques, such as 3-D seismic survey and LWD (logging while drilling), can be expected as powerful methods to recognize the geological reservoir characteristics in the Orinoco Oil Belt.