• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.6C
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• pp.275-284
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• 2012

The Antarctic continent exposed to strong wind, very low temperature, and extremely dry condition. The freezing-thawing cycles under this extreme environment change the mechanical characteristics of rocks near the ground surface. To investigate the effect of freezing-thawing cycles under the extreme environment understand on geotechnical properties of rocks, rocks from the Antarctica were collected from two places: (1) West Antarctic Cape Burks and (2) East Antarctic Terra Nova Bay areas. The rock characteristics of these two areas were described and compared. For Terra Nova Bay area, rock characteristics of rocks near the surface and depths exceeding 2.9 m were examined. The 'near-the-surface rocks' averages of absorption rate, P-wave velocity, and unconfined compressive strength were 0.56%, 3,717 m/s, and 109MPa, respectively; while, those values of 'deep-sited rocks' were 0.24%, 4,670 m/s, and 88MPa. From the measurements, it was found that the effects of weathering were not significant on mechanical characteristics (strength) but were pronounced on physical characteristics(absorption and P-wave velocity).

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 1992

Geophysical methods applied to water seepage problem in earth-fill embankment attempt to detect and map the estimate of size and depth of the seepage path. Seepage zones generally produce lOW resistivity anomalies due to high saturation of water. Dipole-dipole resistivity surveying technique, which is actually a combined sounding-profiling procedure, was used to delineate the seepage path through this study. In this study, the finite difference methods to solve the electric potential distribution in 2 112 dimension, was adopted as the numerical scheme for the forward problem. Second order Marquart's method, one the iterative damped least square methods, was selected for the automatic inversion. The computer program was implemented in FORTRAN 77 for 1 6-bit personal computer. In this paper, we present a case history which illustrates the application of dipole-dipole resistivity method to the delineation of water flow in earth-fill structures. Also the automatic two-dimensional resistivity inversion was applied to a field data where the interpretive advantages of the program become evident.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.417-427
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• 2017

This study aims to present cases of rock slope failures caused by geological structures. Status of slope failures, results of cause analysis and stabilizing methods are introduced, focusing primarily on rock slope failures caused by specific geologic structures, such as intersection of faults infilled with clay, foliation and fault shear zone by dike intrusion and deep-seated clayey layer along lithologic boundary. Detailed geological survey, geophysical exploration and boring survey were conducted for cause analysis. Stabilizing method to prevent further slope failures and to ensure long-term stability of slopes were established, considering characteristics of geological structures, types of failure and geological conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.4 s.179
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• pp.485-494
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• 2006

This paper summarizes the history of geothermal research in Korea since 1920s and also describes the present status of research on heat flow, origin of thermal waters and geothermal exploitation and utilization. Geothermal research in Korea has been mainly related with hot spring investigation until 1970s. 1t was not until 1980s before heat flow study became continuous by research institute and academia and first nation-scale geothermal gradient map and heat flow map were published in 1996. Also in 1990s, geochemical isotope analysis of Korean hot spring waters and measurements of heat production rate of some granite bodies were made. Attempts to develop and utilize the deep geothermal water has been tried from early 1990s but field scale exploitations for geothermal water was activated in 2000s. Considering recent increase of demands on both deep and shallow geothermal energy utilization, outlook on future goethermal research and development is encouraging.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

The Korean government has been making efforts to use renewable energy to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels for the heating system in greenhouses. The number of greenhouses that installed a geothermal heat pump system is 201 EA with the volume of 132.8 ha and 108,467kW from 2010-2014. The geothermal system, called a shallow geothermal system, with the temperature of $10-20^{\circ}C$ has accessories composed of a BHE and heat pump. Moreover, it is necessary to have a wide area to install the BHE and to drill to the depth of 200 m. On the other hand, even though the deep geothermal system needs a high drilling cost to obtain the temperature of $40-150^{\circ}C$, the system has the advantages of the small area required for the BHE and operation without a heat pump. In this study, the temperature of the return water and heat capacity were measured to obtain the geothermal energy efficiently on the condition of the water flow being changed in the BHE. The temperature according to the return water changes through the heat conduction based on the increase of ground temperature up to the underground depth has been calculated to conduct a simulation and is compared with the field experiment test results.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

The necessity of exploration in deep sea increases to develop the natural resources. The deep marine sediments, which were recovered from the hydrate occurrence regions during the Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Expedition 2 (UBGH2), East Sea, Korea in 2010, are explored to obtain the geotechnical characteristics and strength parameters. The index properties of the specimens including the atterberg limits, specific surface, and particle size distribution are measured and compared with the previous studies. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy are conducted to analyze the clay mineralogy, chemical composition, and microstructure of the sediments. Strength parameters and shear wave velocities are measured with the axial strain by using an instrumented triaxial device. The strength parameters estimated by empirical equations are compared with the experimental results.

• 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).

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.423-429
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• 2014

Development of a reservoir pressure core sampler (PCS) with a built-in data logging system (DLS) for recording real-time temperature and pressure observations is critical in domestic hydrocarbon production to accurately measure and monitor reserves of shale gas, coalbed methane, and gas-hydrate. Another purpose of this new technology is to minimize the loss of gas from the core as the drill core is collected. This is accomplished by maintaining the pressure of the sample from the moment the drill core is obtained at depth, thus allowing an accurate analysis of shale gas, coalbed methane gas, and gashydrate within the core. Currently, the United States and European countries have monopolized the development and marketability of PCS technologies. We are thus developing a reservoir PCS by analyzing the operating principle and mechanisms of the existing PCS, and by conducting tests on the existing PCS. We further aim to develop a PCS with a maximum operating pressure of 100 bar, a maximum operating temperature of $-20^{\circ}C$ to $40^{\circ}C$, and a pressure loss rate of 10%.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.751-759
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• 2007

To better understand the subsurface geological structure of the Kunsan Basin in the Yellow Sea, the mean depths of the density discontinuous layers (DDLs) of the Kunsan Basin were calculated by power spectrum analysis using satellite altimetry gravity data. The calculated mean depths of DDLs were -1.1km, -3.4km, -9.1km and -31.0km. The mean depth of -1.1km DDL was interpreted as regional unconformity shown in about 1 second in two way travel time (TWTT) in the seismic reflection profiles, and the mean depth of -3.4km DDL was also interpreted as top of the acoustic basement in the seismic reflection profiles. Comparing with well data, seismic reflection profiles and regional geology in the study area, the mean depth of -9.1km DDL was interpreted as top of the igneous origin basement. This means that the acoustic basement of the study area is composed mainly of sediments which are disregarded in previous study. The mean depth of -31.0km DDL was interpreted as the Moho discontinuity because this mean depth is similar to one of the normal continental crust thickness. The detection of top of the igneous origin basement suggests that oil gas potential analysis in Kunsan Basin needs to be extended to the deeper part of sediments (acoustic basement).

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.575-587
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• 2013

DC electrical and electromagnetic survey was applied to evaluate the reserve of an iron mine site. We analyzed the borehole cores and the cores sampled from outcrops in order to decide which geophysical method was efficient for the evaluation of iron mine site and to understand the geological setting around the target area. Based on the core tests for specific weight, density, porosity, resistivity and P-wave velocity, showing that the magnetite could be distinguishable by the electrical property, we decided to conduct the electrical survey to investigate the irone mine site. According to previous studies, the DC electrical survey was known to have various arrays with high resolutions effective to the survey of the iron mine site. However it was also known that the skin depth is too shallow to grasp the deep structure of iron mine. To compensate the weakness of the DC electrical method, we applied the MagnetoTelluric (MT) survey. In addition, a Controlled Source MT (CSMT) method was also applied to make up the shortcoming of MT method which is weak for shallow targets. From the DC electrical and MT survey, we found a new low resistivity zone, which is believed to be a magnetite reserve beneath the old abandoned mine. Therefore, this study was confirmed for additional utility value.