• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2022

Monthly monitoring, 3D scan survey, and electrical resistivity survey were conducted from January 2018 to August 2022 to identify the cause of rockfall occurring in Daljeon-ri Columnar Joint (Natural Monument No. 415), Pohang. A total of 3,231 rocks fell from the columnar joint over the past 5 years, and 1,521 (47%) of the falling rocks were below 20 cm in length, 978 (30.3%) of 20-30 cm, and 732 (22.7%) of rocks over 30 cm. While the number of rockfalls by year has decreased since 2018, the frequency of rockfalls bigger than 30 cm tends to increase. Large-scale rockfalls occurred mainly during the thawing season (March-April) and the rainy season (June-July), and the analysis of the relationship between cumulative rainfall and rockfall occurrence showed that cumulative rainfall for 3 to 4 days is also closely related to the occurrence of rockfall. Smectite and illite, which are expansible clay minerals, were observed in XRD analysis of the slope material (filling minerals) in the columnar joint, and the presence of a fault fracture zone was confirmed in the electrical resistivity survey. In addition, the confirmed fault fracture zone and the maximum erosion point analyzed through 3D precision measurement coincided with the main rockfall occurrence point observed by the BTC-6PXD camera. Therefore, the main cause of rockfall at Daljeon-ri columnar joint in Pohang is a combination of internal factors (development of fault fracture zones and joints, weathering of rocks, presence of expansive clay minerals) and external factors (precipitation, rapid thawing phenomenon), resulting in large-scale rockfall. Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that the Pohang-Gyeongju earthquake, which was continuously raised, was not the main cause.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.65-70
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• 2005

A low resistivity zone is found in many places such as a fractured fault zone, weathered zone and aquifer. The electrical resistivity is influenced mainly by pore fluid as well as the clay mineral types and contents, Hence, it is very important to understand the relationship between the electrical resistivity and clay contents associated with the low resistivity zone for geotechnical applications such as civil engineering. This study examines the characteristics of clay mineral types and contents to electrical resistivity through sample measurements, and proposes an expression relating the resistivity and clay content. The electrical resistivity is measured for an artificial agar specimen with clay minerals instead of a natural rock. The clay minerals used are Kaolinite and Montmorillonite. Montmorillonite shows remarkably lower resistivity than Kaolinite, although its clay content is fewer than that of Kaolinite. Also, the proposed expression shows a good correlation coefficient as high as 0.89 or more in all clay minerals.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.109-121
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• 2012

Rock-surface temperatures were observed at a trachytic lava dome, called as Baeknokdam Northwest Face, in the summit area of Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, to examine the frequency and occurrence season of freeze-thaw cycles and the rate of temperature changes during a freezing period. Long-term measurements were recorded over 18 months from November 2006 to April 2008, at a 1-hour logging interval and rock depth of 1.5 cm. Both diurnal freeze-thaw cycles and effective freeze-thaw cycles appear in larger numbers on a south-facing rock face than a north-facing rock face. The diurnal cycles were dominantly observed on February and March for the south face and on November and April for the north face, respectively. The annual freeze-thaw cycles were confirmed in terms of the presence of seasonal freezing periods lasting from mid-November to mid-April for the south face and from early-November to late-April for the north face, respectively. The rate of decreasing temperatures during the seasonal freezing periods is larger on the north face than the south face. Notwithstanding the lower numbers of freeze-thaw events, the north face experiences a higher frost intensity since the number of hours below $-3^{\circ}C$ is larger on the north face than the south face. The number of freeze-thaw events and the duration of days with continuous sub-zero rock temperatures largely depend on the solar radiation controlled by the aspect of the monitored rock surfaces, and thus the high-frequency short-term frost cycle dominantly appears on the south face and the annual frost cycle on the north face, respectively.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.11-24
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• 2008

Stratified slope was formed on the SSE-facing slope in the southwest region of Haenam, South Korea. Field and laboratory investigations into the geomorphology and sedimentology of stratified slope deposit that is inactive. Outcrops of this deposit show an alteration of coarse debris-supported matrix and tiny debris-supported matrix layers. Sedimentological analysis(particle-size analysis) indicates that this deposit is not fluvial process or only gravitation like rock-fall. Many clasts and fine materials on the slope is supposed to be product by congelifraction under Pleistocene periglacial climatic environment. Also The processes responsible for the genesis of this deposit probably are to move downward by gelifluction and to remove fine materials by slope wash in thawing cycle and in situ debris congelifraction on gelifluction slope. Now It is impossible to account for the time range of genesis(diurnal, seasonal). In conclusion, this stratified slope formed in cold and humid periglacial environmental in pleistocene, therefore, this slope is a periglacial relic landform, indicates that in south korea there was a cold and humid paleo-climate such as periglacial environmen.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2006

Most of limestone mines in Korea have been developed by a open-cut mining method in consideration of a deposited condition of ore, ore recovery, safety, economic efficiency, etc.. But it has produced environmental problems such as dust flying, blasting noise & vibration, and spoil of farmlands due to slope failure of waste rock mass caused by access road construction, fragmentation & crush of rocks, blasting, transportation, and mineral processing. In this study, it has been suggested for measures to reduce mine hazards caused by open- cut mining of limestone nines.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.175-188
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• 1998

This paper describes the internal structures and K-Ar ages of fault gouges collected from the Dongnae fault zone. This fault zone is internally zoned and occurs in the multiple fault cores. A fault core consists of thin gouge and narrow cataclastic zones that are bounded by a much thicker damage zone. Intensity of deformation and alteration increases from damage zone through cataclastic zone to gouge zone. It is thought that cataclasis of brittle deformation was the dominant strain-accomodation mechanism in the early stage of deformation to form the gouge zone and that crushed materials in the regions of maximum localization of fault slip subsequently moved by cataclastic flow. Deformation mechanism drastically changed from brittle processes to fluid-assisted flow along the gouge zone as the high porosity and permeability of pulverzied materials during faulting facilitated the influx of the hydrothermal fluids. Subsequently, the fluids reacted with gouge materials to form clay minerals. Fracturing and alteration could have repeatedly taken place in the gouge zone by elevated fluid pressures generated from the reduction of pore volume due to the formation of clay minerals and precipitation of other materials. XRD analysis revealed that the most common clay minerals of the gouge zones are illite and smectite with minor zeolite and kaolinite. Most of illites are composed of 1Md polytype, indicating the products of hydrothermal alteration. The major activities of the Dongnae fault can be divided into two periods based upon K-Ar age data of the fault gouges : 51.4∼57.5Ma and 40.3∼43.6Ma. Judging from the enviromental condition of clay mineral formation, it is inferred that the hydrothermal alteration of older period occured at higher temperature than that of younger period.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2009

A magentotelluric (MT) survey at the Uiseong area has been performed for the site investigation of pilot scale $CO_2$ sequestration. The purpose of the MT survey is to delineate deeply extended fracture systems that can act as a leakage path of injected $CO_2$ Plume. Since the target area is extremely noisy in electromagentic sense, low frequency data below 1 Hz cannot be used for inversion. Two- and three-dimensional interpretation of the MT data showed a very clear conductive anomaly, which has the direction of $N55\sim65^{\circ}W$ and is extended roughly down to 1.6 km. It have the same direction with the strike-slip faults, the Gaeum and Geumcheon Faults. On the contrary, the eastern part of the survey area shows relatively homogeneous to the depth of 2 km though some small fractures at shallow depths can be found. Test drilling and high-definition borehole surveys should be followed at the eastern part of the survey area and hydraulic fracturing is required for injection of $CO_2$, because mean porosity of the sedimetary rock in the area is only 1.47%.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.349-363
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• 2005

Many Quaternary faults are recognized as thin gouge and narrow cataclastic zone juxtaposing the Bulguksa granite and Quaternary deposit bed in the eastern block of the Using Fault, Korea: Gaegok 1, Caegok 2, Singye, Madong Wonwonsa and Jinhyeon faults. This study was performed to calculate chemical change, volume change, silica loss and fluid-rock ratio taken place in gouge zones of these Quaternary faults using XRF, XRD, EPMA. The chemical compositions of fault rocks reveal that the fault gouges are depleted in $SiO_2,\;Na_2\;O,and\;K_2O$ and enriched in $Al_2O_3,\;Fe_2O_3,\;P_2O_5,\;MgO,\;MnO,\;CaO,\;and\;LOI(H_2O+CO_2)$ relative to protoliths. The fact that there is enrichment of relatively immobile elements and depletion of the more soluble elements in the fault gouges relative to protoliths can be explained by fluid-assisted volume loss of $56\%$ for Caegok 1 fault, $22\%$ for Caegok 2 fault,$34\%$, for Singye fault, $8\%$ for Madong fault, $2\%$ for the Wonwonsa fault and $53\%$ for the linhyeon fault. Madong fault and Wonwonsa fault where ratios of the volume change, silica loss and fluid-rock are low might have acted as a closed system for fluid activity, whereas Caegok 1 fault and Jinhyeon fault with high ratios in those factors be an open system. The volumetric fluid-rock ratios range $10^2\sim10^4$ for all faults, being highest in Caegok 1 fault and Jinhyeon fault whose fluid activity was most significant.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.181-191
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• 2011

It is very difficult to prepare a lab. test specimen from weak rock masses affected by faults, highly fractured zone or weathered zone. In conventional method of in situ direct shear test a rock block is sheared inside galleries, where reactions for the hydraulic jacks are available. A new in situ direct shear test apparatus has been developed in this study to perform the test inside galleries as well as open pit conditions. The apparatus is composed of normal and shear reaction plates including load transfer plates, hydraulic cylinder systems, load cells, multistage shear boxes with fixing devices, and needle rollers. Maximum size of the test block is $400{\times}400{\times}460$ mm, and procedures of the test block preparation has been suggested. To explore the field applicability of in situ direct shear test apparatus, proper test block site was investigated by extensive geological field survey. In situ direct shear test has been successful in producing most of information related to strength and deformability of the weak rock.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.41-53
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• 2006

The brittle materials like rocks show complicated strain-softening behavior after the peak which is hard to model using the classical constitutive models based on the relation between strain and stress tensors. A kinematically constrained three-dimensional microplane constitutive model is developed for granite. The model is verified by fitting the experimented data of Westerly granite and Bonnet granite. The triaxial behavior of granite is well reproduced by the model as well as the uniaxial behavior. We studied the development of the fracture zone in granite during blasting impact using the model with the standard finite element method. All the results obtained from the microplane model developed are compared to those from the linear elasticity model which is commonly used in many researches and practices. It is found that the nonlinearity of rocks sigificantly affects the results of analysis.