• Resources Recycling
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.69-74
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• 2014

Slags generated in the smelting reduction of deep sea manganese nodule could be utilized as an additional materials for making Fe-Si-Mn alloys by mixing with cokes and re-smelting at an arc furnace. In this re-melting process slag is also generated, and the secondary slag is treated as waste. In this survey, recycling of the waste slag of Mn nodule was studied. It is tried to utilize the waste slag as ceramic materials or construction materials. However, it is difficult to use the waste slag directly as an additional material to ceramics such as portland cement or castable refractory material due to the much difference of chemical compositions. As an altercation road constructing material is considered, and toxicity on the soil of the waste slag was tested according to Korean Standard for testing permissible amount of toxic substances. The test result was satisfied with the requirements on the standard. So, it should be suggested that the waste slag of the Mn nodule could be utilized as constructing materials such as road filler or base materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.689-702
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• 2019

This paper deals with the verification of the functions about mining robot, which is the system for developing deep seabed resources by applying V&V(verification and validation). In order to overcome water pressure of 500 bar and to travel on soft ground, and to operate in deep sea environment with bad conditions, it is necessary to develop a robot that can satisfy various deepsea conditions. A mining robot has been developed based on simulation based design and Multidisciplinary design optimization. In order to verify the developed robot, lab test and real sea test should be performed for various marine environment conditions. There are too many requirements to consider, such as space, time, cost, personnel, and environment to do performance test. So it is costly and time consuming for developing robot. In order to solve this problems, V&V technique was applied to mining robot. The stages of mining robot design, fabrication and commission were verified.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.6 s.181
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• pp.739-752
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• 2006

Deep-sea surface sediments acquired by multiple corer from 69 stations in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific, were examined to understand the correlation of mass physical properties and sedimen-tological processes. The seabed of the middle part ($8-12^{\circ}N$) of the study area is mainly covered by biogenic siliceous sediment compared with pelagic red clays in the northern part ($16-17^{\circ}N$). In the southern part ($5-6^{\circ}N$), water depth is shallower than carbonate compensation depth (CCD). The mass physical properties such as grain size distribution, mean grain size, water content, specific grain density, wet bulk density, void ratio, and porosity of sediments are distinctly different among the three parts of the study area. Surface sediments in northern part are characterized by fine grain size and low water contents possibly due to low primary productivity and high detrital input. Conversely, sediments in the middle part are characterized by coarse grain size and high water contents, which might be caused by high surface productivity and deeper depth than CCD. The sediments show low water contents and high density in the southern part, which can be explained by shallower depth than CCD. Our results suggest that the variations in mass physical properties of sediments are influenced by combined effects including biogenic primary productivity of surface water, water depth, especially with respect to CCD, sedimentation rate, detrital input, and the geochemistry of the bottom water (for example, formation of authigenic clay minerals and dissolution of biogenic grains).

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.385-400
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• 2004

The Lago Sofia Conglomerate encased in the 2km thick hemipelagic mudstones and thinbedded turbidites of the Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation, southern Chile, is a deposit of a gigantic submarine channel developed along a foredeep trough. It is hundreds of meters thick kilometers wide, and extends for more than 120km from north to south, representing one of the largest ancient submarine channels in the world. The channel deposits consist of four major facies, including stratified conglomerates (Facies A), massive or graded conglomerates (Facies B), normally graded conglomerates with intraformational megaclasts (Facies C), and thick-bedded massive sandstones (Facies D). Conglomerates of Facies A and B show laterally inclined stratification, foreset stratification, and hollow-fill structures, reminiscent of terrestrial fluvial deposits and are suggestive of highly competent gravelly turbidity currents. Facies C conglomerates are interpreted as deposits of composite or multiphase debris flows associated with preceding hyperconcentrated flows. Facies D sandstones indicate rapidly dissipating, sand-rich turbidity currents. The Lago Sofia Conglomerate occurs as isolated channel-fill bodies in the northern part of the study area, generally less than 100m thick, composed mainly of Facies C conglomerates and intercalated between much thicker fine-grained deposits. Paleocurrent data indicate sediment transport to the east and southeast. They are interpreted to represent tributaries of a larger submarine channel system, which joined to form a trunk channel to the south. The conglomerate in the southern part is more than 300 m thick, composed of subequal proportions of Facies A, B, and C conglomerates, and overlain by hundreds of m-thick turbidite sandstones (Facies D) with scarce intervening fine-grained deposits. It is interpreted as vertically stacked and interconnected channel bodies formed by a trunk channel confined along the axis of the foredeep trough. The channel bodies in the southern part are classified into 5 architectural elements on the basis of large-scale bed geometry and sedimentary facies: (1) stacked sheets, indicative of bedload deposition by turbidity currents and typical of broad gravel bars in terrestrial gravelly braided rivers, (2) laterally-inclined strata, suggestive of lateral accretion with respect to paleocurrent direction and related to spiral flows in curved channel segments around bars, (3) foreset strata, interpreted as the deposits of targe gravel dunes that have migrated downstream under quasi-steady turbidity currents, (4) hollow fills, which are filling thalwegs, minor channels, and local scours, and (5) mass-flow deposits of Facies C. The stacked sheets, laterally inclined strata, and hollow fills are laterally transitional to one another, reflecting juxtaposed geomorphic units of deep-sea channel systems. It is noticeable that the channel bodies in the southern part are of feet stacked toward the east, indicating eastward migration of the channel thalwegs. The laterally inclined strata also dip dominantly to the east. These features suggest that the trunk channel of the Lago Sofia submarine channel system gradually migrated eastward. The eastward channel migration is Interpreted to be due to tectonic forcing imposed by the subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the Andean Cordillera just to the west of the Lago Sofia submarine channel.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.6 no.1_2 s.7
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• pp.20-24
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• 1998

Expert system is one type of artificial intelligence softwares that incorporate problem-solving knowledges and experiences of human experts by use of symbolic reasoning and rules about a specific topic. In this study, an expert system, PLAYMAKER2, is used to interpret sedimentary facies and depositional settings of the sedimentary sequence. The original version of the expert system, PLAYMAKER, was developed in University of South Carolina in 1990, and modified into the present PLAYMAKER2 with some changes in the knowledge-base of the previous system. The late Cenozoic sedimentary sequence with maximum 10,000 m in thickness, which is located in the Korean Oil Exploration Block VI-1 at the southwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin, is analysed by the expert system, PLAYMAKER2. The Cenozoic sedimentary sequence is divided into two units-lower Miocene and upper Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments. The depositional settings and sedimentary facies of the Miocene sediments interpreted by PLAYMAKER2 in terms of belief values are: for depositional settings, slope; $57.4\%$, shelf; $21.4\%$, basin; $10.1\%$, and for sedimentary facies, submarine fan; $35.7\%$, continental slope; $26.3\%$, delta; $16.1\%$, deep basinplain; $6.1\%$ continental shelf; $3.2\%$, shelf margin; $1.4\%$. The depositional settings and sedimentary facies of the Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments in terms of belief values we: for depositional settings, slope; $59.0\%$, shelf; $22.8\%$, basin; $7.0\%$, and for sedimentary facies, delta; $24.1\%$, continental slope; $22.2\%$, submarine fan; $17.3\%$, continental shelf; $7.0\%$, deep basinplain; $4.8\%$, shelf margin; $2.6\%$. The comparison of the depositional settings and sedimentary facies consulted by PLAYMAKER2 with those of the classical interpretation from previous studies shows resonable similarity for the both sedimentary units-the lower Miocene sediments and the upper Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments. It demonstrates that PLAYMAKER2 is an efficient tool to interpret the depositional setting and sedimentary facies for sediments. However, to be a more reliable system, many sedimentologists should work to refine and add geological rules in the knowledge-base of the expert system, PLAYMAKER2.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2007

It is well known that manganese nodules enriched with valuable metals are abundantly distributed in the abyssal plain area in the Clarion-Clipperton (C-C) fracture zone of the northeast Pacific. Previous studies using deep-sea camera (DSC) system reported different observations about the relation of seafloor topographic change and nodule abundance, and they were sometimes contradictory. Moreover, proper foundation on the estimation of DSC underwater position, was not introduced clearly. The variability of the mining condition of manganese nodule according to seafloor topography was examined in the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) area, located in the C-C zone. In this paper, it is suggested that the utilization of deep towing system such as DSC is very useful approach to whom are interested in analysing the distributional characteristics of manganese nodule filed and in selecting promising minable area. To this purpose, nodule abundance and detailed bathymetry were acquired using deep-sea camera system and multi-beam echo sounder, respectively on the seamount free abyssal hill area of southern part ($132^{\circ}10'W$, $9^{\circ}45'N$) in KODOS regime. Some reasonable assumptions were introduced to enhance the accuracy of estimated DSC sampling position. The accuracy in the result of estimated underwater position was verified indirectly through the comparison of measured abundances on the crossing point of neighboring DSC tracks. From the recorded seafloor images, not only nodules and sediments but cracks and cliffs could be also found frequently. The positions of these probable unminable area were calculated by use of the recorded time being encountered with them from the seafloor images of DSC. The results suggest that the unminable areas are mostly distributed on the slope sides and hill tops, where nodule collector can not travel over.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.241-253
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• 2021

Manganese nodules have been found in the shallow water depth of the Arctic Ocean as well as in the abyssal plains of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but detailed study for them were rarely investigated. Manganese nodules, collected from the East Siberian Sea through the Arctic Expedition using Araon ice braking vessel, have a high potential for Mn mineral resources because they have high Mn content with high Mn/Fe ratio. This study investigated the external form, size and weight, internal texture for the non-spherical manganese nodule, which has about 7 % of total nodule from the East Siberian Sea. This study also researched the relative Mn-oxide mineral composition using the peak area ratio of X-ray diffraction pattern and their chemical composition. All data obtained from non-spherical nodules were compared with the spherical ones. Ellipsoidal, platy and irregular types are common among 5 groups of non-spherical manganese nodule based on the external form, and major axis and weight have positive relationship. All non-spherical manganese nodules have core mainly composed of mud sediments. The average Mn oxide mineral contents in nodules are birnessite, buserite and todorokite in descending order. Although mineral composition does not show any correlation with the external form, kind of core or internal structure, todorokite and buserite contents tend to increase and birnessite content decrease from the surface to the core in the nodule. Non-spherical manganese nodules have higher Mn content and Mn/Fe ratio than those from the shallow water depth of the Arctic Sea and even in the deep-sea of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Although non-spherical nodule is larger and heavier, and has lower Mn content and Mn/Fe ratio than spherical nodule, there are not any differences in mineral composition and internal structure between them. Almost all manganese nodules collected from the East Siberian Sea are attributed to diagenetic process, because they are higher than 5 in Mn/Fe ratio.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.890-893
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• 2012

Gas hydrates are solid crystal structures formed by enclathration of gaseous guest species into 3-dimensional lattice structure of hydrogen-bonded water molecules. These compounds can be potentially used as an energy storage/transportation medium because they can hold a large amount of gas in a small volume of the solid phase. In addition, huge amount of natural gas, buried in seabeds or permafrost region in the form of the solid hydrate, is regarded as a future energy source. In this study, synthesized natural gas, whose composition is 90.0 mol% of methane, 7.0 mol% of ethane, and 3.0 mol% of propane, was used to identify formation behaviors of natural gas hydrates for the purpose of applying the gas hydrate to a storage/transportation medium of natural gas. According to the experimental results obtained by means of the solid-state NMR and high-resolution powder XRD methods, it is found that formed natural gas hydrates have crystal structure of the structure-II hydrate, and that methane occupies both small and large cages, while the others only occupy large ones. In addition, both the NMR spectroscopy and the gas chromatograph showed that there exists preferential occupation among the natural gas components during the hydrate formation. Compositional changes after the hydrate formation revealed that the preferential occupation is in order of propane, ethane, and methane (propane is the most preferential guest species when forming natural gas hydrates).

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1991

A multi-disciplinary geophysical study including gravity, magnetic, and seismic reflection profiling was carried out in the area between the Clarion fracture zone and the Clippertone fracture zone o the northeastern equatorial Pacific basin. There are small free-air gravity anomalies of less than 20 mgal over seamounts and the east-west trending abyssal hills. The negative residual gravity anomalies over seamounts may indicate the existence of low density seamount roots compared to surrounding oceanic crust. Non-existence of magnetic lineations and the magnetic anomalies of small smplitude with no polarity change in the east-west direction support that the study area belongs to the Cretaceous magnetic quite zone. Positive magnetic anomalies over seamounts offset 100 km in the east-west direction in the southern part of the study area suggest a possibility of left-lateral movement of those seamounts along unknown fractures. The sedimentary section in the study area can be divided into three units (Unit I, unit IIA, and Unit IIB) n the basis of reflection characteristics. the total thickness of sedimentary section varies from 200 to 400 meters and the sedimentary section is thicker in the southern area of rough topography near the seamount belt than in the northern flat area. Manganese nodules are abundant in the southern part of the study area where the ridges are developed and the Unit I layer is thicker than 100 meters.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2002

Microbial metal reduction influences the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and metals as well as plays an important role in the bioremediation of metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. The use of bacteria to facilitate the production of magnetite nanoparticles and the formation of carbonate minerals may provide new biotechnological processes for material synthesis and carbon sequestration. Metal-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of extreme environments, such as deep terrestrial subsurface, deep marine sediments, water near Hydrothemal vents, and alkaline ponds. Metal-reducing bacteria isolated from diverse extreme environments were able to reduce Fe(III), Mn(IV), Cr(VI), Co(III), and U(VI) using short chain fatty acids and/or hydrogen as the electron donors. These bacteria exhibited diverse mineral precipitation capabilities including the formation of magnetite ($Fe_3$$O_4$), siderite ($FeCO_3$), calcite ($CaCO_3$), rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$), vivianite [$Fe_3$($PO_4$)$_2$ .$8H_2$O], and uraninite ($UO_2$). Geochemical and environmental factors such as atmospheres, chemical milieu, and species of bacteria affected the extent of Fe(III)-reduction as well as the mineralogy and morphology of the crystalline iron mineral phases. Thermophilic bacteria use amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide plus metals (Co, Cr, Ni) as an electron acceptor and organic carbon as an electron donor to synthesize metal-substituted magnetite. Metal reducing bacteria were capable of $CO_2$conversion Into sparingly soluble carbonate minerals, such as siderite and calcite using amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide or metal-rich fly ash. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III)-reduction may not only play important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry in natural environments, but also be potentially useful f3r the synthesis of submicron-sized ferromagnetic materials.