• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.379-393
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• 2002

Within the Boseong-Jangheung area of Korea, five hydrothermal gold (-silver) quartz vein deposits occur. They have the characteristic features as follows: the relatively gold-rich nature of e1ectrurns; the absence of Ag-Sb( -As) sulfosalt mineral; the massive and simple mineralogy of veins. They suggest that gold mineralization in this area is correlated with late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, mesothermal-type gold deposits in Korea. Fluid inclusion data show that fluid inclusions in stage I quartz of the mine area homogenize over a wide temperature range of 200$^{\circ}$ to 460$^{\circ}$C with salinities of 0.0 to 13.8 equiv. wt. % NaCI. The homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions in stage II calcite of the mine area ranges from 150$^{\circ}$ to 254$^{\circ}$C with salinities of 1.2 to 7.9 equiv. wt. % NaCI. This indicates a cooling of the hydrothermal fluid with time towards the waning of hydrothermal activity. Evidence of fluid boiling including CO2 effervescence indicates that pressures during entrapment of auriferous fluids in this area range up to 770 bars. Calculated sulfur isotope composition of auriferous fluids in this mine area (${\delta}^34S$_{{\Sigma}S}$$\textperthousand$) indicates an igneous source of sulfur in auriferous hydrothermal fluids. Within the Sobaegsan Massif, two representative mesothermal-type gold mine areas (Youngdong and Boseong-Jangheung areas) occur. The ${\delta}^34S values of sulfide minerals from Youngdong area range from -6.6 to 2.3$\textperthousand$ (average=-1.4$\textperthousand$, N=66), and those from BoseongJangheung area range from -0.7 to 3.6$\textperthousand$ (average=1.6$\textperthousand$, N=39). These i)34S values of both areas are comparatively lower than those of most Korean metallic ore deposits (3 to 7TEX>$\textperthousand$). And, within the Sobaegsan Massif, the ${\delta}^34S values of Youngdong area are lower than those of Boseong-Jangheung area. It is inferred that the difference of ${\delta}^34S values within the Sobaegsan Massif can be caused by either of the following mechanisms: (1) the presence of at least two distinct reservoirs (both igneous, with ${\delta}^34S values of < -6 $\textperthousand$ and 2$\pm$2 %0) for Jurassic mesothermal-type gold deposits in both areas; (2) different degrees of the mixing (assimilation) of 32S-enriched sulfur (possibly sulfur in Precambrian pelitic basement rocks) during the generation and/or subsequent ascent of magma; and/or (3) different degrees of the oxidation of an H2S-rich, magmatically derived sulfur source ${\delta}^34S = 2$\pm$2$\textperthousand$) during the ascent to mineralization sites. According to the observed differences in ore mineralogy (especially, iron-bearing ore minerals) and fluid inclusions of quartz from the mesothermal-type deposits in both areas, we conclude that pyrrhotite-rich, mesothermal-type deposits in the Youngdong area formed from higher temperatures and more reducing fluids than did pyrite(-arsenopyrite)-rich mesothermal-type deposits in the Boseong-Jangheung area. Therefore, we prefer the third mechanism than others because the ${\delta}^34S values of the Precambrian gneisses and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks occurring in both areas were not known to the present. In future, in order to elucidate the provenance of ore sulfur more systematically, we need to determine ${\delta}^34S values of the Precambrian metamorphic rocks and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks consisting the basement of the Korean Peninsula including the Sobaegsan Massif.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.129-141
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• 2020

The Mogok metamorphic belt is a highland area mainly consisting of Archean crystalline rocks, where many ruby mines were distributed in the past, and jewelry has been identified in its alluvium as placer deposit. Minerals that are usually identified with ruby include spinel, garnet, and rubellite. The conglomerates that form the alluvium in which jewelry is found mainly consist of gneiss and clastic pegmatites. In Singu, Mogok, and Momeik areas, a number of pegmatites containing jewelry are distributed in the intrusions of Mogok metamorphic rocks, diorites, and granites. In Singu pegmatites, rubellite, goshenite, and blue and violet apatite occur as gems. In Momeik pegmatites, mushroom-type rubellite, petalite, hambergite, pollucite, and aquamarine can be found. In Mogok pegmatites, topaz, aquamarine, goshenite, and herderite occur are present.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.423-433
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• 2017

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources and Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration in Myanmar have explored the Kalaymyo chromitite deposit, Myanmar since 2013. It is now necessary to find a geochemical indicator for efficient mineral exploration in the future and building a 3D geological model for this ore deposit. Mantle podiform chromitite is a major type of Cr ore in this region, which is considered to be formed by mantle-melt interaction beneath the mantle-crust boundary of oceanic lithosphere. In this study we measured major element composition of spinels in harzburgite, dunite and chromitite, and examined the hypothesis that spinel Cr#(molar Cr/(Cr+Al)${\times}$100) can be used as a geochemical indicator in exploration for the Kalaymyo chromitite. The results show that there is a clear correlation between spinel Cr# and distribution of chromitite. The spinel Cr# of harzburgite increases with decreasing the distance from the chromitite bodies. The spinel composition is also closely associated with texture and occurrence of spinels. The high Cr# spinels (30-48) are subhedral to euhedral and enclosed by olivine whereas the low Cr# spinels (16-27) are anhedral and commonly associated with pyroxenes. Often the low Cr# spinels show symplectite intergrowths with pyroxenes, indicating their residual nature. These petrological and geochemical results suggest that the high Cr# spinels have resulted from mantle-melt interaction. We suggest that spinel Cr# can be used as a geochemical indicator for Cr ore exploration and as one of critical factors in 3D geological model in the Kalaymyo chromitite deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.395-404
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• 2014

We conducted the geophysical survey of possible hydrothermal vent sites at 2009, in the Lau Basin, the south western Pacific and analyzed the magnetic characteristics of TA19-1 and TA19-2 seamounts. TA19-1 is a cone-shaped seamount with a caldera summit. TA19-2 seamount is bigger and shows more complicated topography than TA19-1 seamount. TA19-2 has a large caldera, a summit in the west side of the caldera and several crests. Simple dipole anomalies with a high over the north and a low over the south occur in TA19-1 seamount. High magnetic anomalies are located in the northern flank and the summit of TA19-2 seamount and low anomalies around the summit and the caldera. The results of bathymetry and magnetic data suggest that TA19-2 seamount might have more complicated magmatic process than TA19-1. Low magnetization zones are located over the summit, the calderas and the caldera rims. The magnetization lows indicate that submarine hydrothermal vents, along faults and fracture zones, could have caused an alteration of magnetic minerals. The magnetization highs over the summit and the calderas might have been related with later magmatisms like volcanic sills, intrusions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2013

This study is for the genetic differences of two closed asbestos mines from Jeongjeon and Ocheon areas in Boryoung, Chungnam. They are mined asbestos for past several decades. Host rocks are serpentinites for Jeongjeon mine and dolomites for Ocheon mine. Asbestos samples and their host rocks are collected from the field trips and examined with microscopes and FESEM, and analysed with XRD and EDX to confirm for the type and/or compositions of the minerals. The asbestos occur as layers, cracks and fractures assummed as a pathway of the hydrothermal water, but show different characteristics. The serpentinites from the Jeongjeon mine contain chrysotile, tremolite and actinolite asbestos. Non-asbestos minerals including tremolite and actinolite were also found. The chrysotiles occur as a cross fiber or slip fiber at veins and along cracks of several mm to cm thickness. Tremolite and actinolite asbestos occur along cracks and fractures of several cm to ten cm thickness. It suggests that the asbestos from Jeongjeon area were formed by the reactions between serpentinite and hydrothermal water. The dolomites of the Ocheon mine only contain tremolite and actinolite asbestos. The asbestos occur along layers, cracks and fractures, suggestive of asbestos from Ocheon area formed by the reactions between dolomite and hydrothermal waters influxed along layers, cracks and fractures. Overall results suggest that two asbestos mines showing different host rocks are located in a Boryoung area. They show a different type of asbestos minerals, reflecting variety of petrogeneses.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2001

A small of carbonate rocks and spatially-associated ultramafic rocks uniquely occur in the ulsan iron-serpentine mine of the sourtheastern Kyungsang basin. The study of field geology, core drilling data and stable isotope analysis suggest that the carbonate rocks are carbonatite formed from the melt reflecting intrusive natures. Based on this study, the geology of the Ulsan iron-serpentinite mining area consists of Cretaceous sedimentary, volcanic, granitic ultramafic and carbonate rocks in ascending order. The carbonate and ultramafic rocks show concentric and ellipsoidal shapes at the outcrop and a funnel shape in the cross sectional view. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis show a bimodal pattern rather than a typical mantle pattern, which may indicate that the melt was a secondary melt generated within the crus not in the mantle directly. The uprising of ultramafic melts would have melted lime-contained rocks forming a secondary carbonate melt in the upper crus. Then, the intrusion of the ultramafic melts would have melted lime-contained rocks forming a secondary carbonate melt in the upper crust. Then, the intrusion of the ultramafic melt was followed by the intrusion of the carbonate melt along deep-seated fractures. Well-developed major fractures in this area, fluid inclusion characteristics of the carbonate rocks, the spatial relation between the ultramafic and carbonate rocks and stable isotope data support interpreting the Ulsan carbonate rocks as carbonatite.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.73-77
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• 2021

Induced polarization (IP) is useful for mineral exploration and hydrogeological studies by visualizing the electrochemical reactions at the interface between polarized minerals and groundwater. Frequency-domain IP (FDIP) is not actively applied to field surveys because it takes longer to acquire data, despite its higher data quality than conventional time-domain IP. However, data quality is more important in current mineral exploration as the targets gradually shift to deep or low-grade ore bodies. In addition, the measurement time reduced by automated instrumentation increases the potential for FDIP field applications. Therefore, we demonstrate that FDIP can detect mineral exploration targets by performing geophysical logging in the boreholes of a skarn deposit, in South Korea. Alternating current (AC) resistivity, percent frequency effect (PFE) and metal factor (MF) were calculated from impedance values obtained at two different frequencies. Skarn zones containing magnetite or pyrite showed relatively low AC resistivity, high PFE, and high MF compared to other zones. Therefore, FDIP surveys are considered to be useful for mineral exploration.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2017

High-grade limestone applied to various chemical industries is abundant within upper Pungchon formation in Taebaeksan basin, South Korea. Geophysical exploration is one of the most efficient methods to investigate subsurface geological structure in an extensive area. Since the geophysical exploration for the high-grade limestone has rarely been conducted in Korea, its appropriate strategy has not been set up yet. In this study, we focused on to suggest the reasonable strategy and accumulate geophysical databases which are essential for interpreting geophysical images by characterizing laboratory physical properties of in-situ rocks. Hence, rocks were obtained from drilled cores consisting of lower Hwajeol formation, Pungchon formation, and dykes in Jeongseon area, Gangwon province. Geophysical laboratory experiments and petrography of the rocks were conducted. Since susceptibility values of the rocks in Pungchon Formation were obviously lower than those of upper Hwajeol and dykes, it is considered that the lithological boundaries could be distinguished by magnetic survey. In addition, electrical properties of the rocks in middle Pungchon formation were relatively different compared with those of upper/lower Pungchon formations. Thus, induced polarization is shown to be able to detect the high-grade limestone in upper Pungchon formation.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.161-174
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• 2013

The geology of the weondong deposit area consists mainly of Cambro-Ordovician and Carboniferous-Triassic formations, and intruded quartz porphyry and dyke. The skarn mineralized zone in the weondong deposit is the most prospective region for the useful W-mineral deposits. To determine the skarn-mineralization age, U-Pb SHRIMP and K-Ar age dating methods were employed. The U-Pb zircon ages of quartz porphyry intrusion (WD-A) and feldspar porphyry dyke (WD-B) are 79.37 Ma and 50.64 Ma. The K-Ar ages of coarse-grained crystalline phlogopite (WD-1), massive phlogopite (WDR-1), phlogopite coexisted with skarn minerals (WD-M), and vein type illite (WD-2) were determined as $49.1{\pm}1.1$ Ma, $49.2{\pm}1.2$ Ma, $49.9{\pm}3.6$ Ma, and $48.3{\pm}1.1$ Ma, respectively. And the ages of the high uranium zircon of hydrothermally altered quartz porphyry (WD-C) range from 59.7 to 38.7 Ma, which dependson zircon's textures affected by hydrothermal fluids. It is regarded as the effect of some hydrothermal events, which may precipitate and overgrow the high-U zircons, and happen the zircon's metamictization and dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. Based on the K-Ar age datings for the skarn minerals and field evidences, we suggest that the timing of W-skarn mineralization in weondong deposit may be about 50 Ma. However, for the accurate timing of skarn mineralization in this area, the additional researches about the sequence of superposition at the skarn minerals and geological relationship between skarn deposits and dyke should be needed in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.605-622
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• 2007

Elemental, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and isotopic analysis of the core sediments from the northwestern and eastern Ulleung Basin of the East were carried out to identify their geochemical characteristics, spatial and vertical variation and origin of organic matter in Upper Quaternary sediments from the northwestern and eastern Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. TOC, m and TS did not show spatial variation between the sampling locations whereas they showed systematic vertical variation associated with MIS stages related to the sea-level change of the East Sea. It is suggested that these past changes of sea-level influenced the sedimentary depositional environments and/or diagenesis which resulted the patterns observed in this study. Based on the results of TOC/N, TS/TOC, ${\delta}^{13}C_{org}\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N_{org}$ analysis, organic matters in the study area appears to be predominantly originated from the marine algae rather than land plant and deposited under normal marine oxic condition during MIS I and MIS III period, and under euxinic/anoxic condition during MIS II period. TOC/N, ${\delta}^{13}C_{org}\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N_{org}$ have a relatively constant value irrespective of MIS stages, implying that the organic matter source does not change by the sea-level fluctuations. However, the results of Rock-Eval pyrolysis indicates that the organic matter is in immature stage and originated from land-plant (Type III), locating in the immature stage land plant (Type III). Similar differences were reported from other areas such as the Atlantic Ocean, Iberia Abyssal Plain, Mediterranean Sea, suggesting that Rock-Eval method does not exactly reflect the characteristic of immature organic matters. Accordingly, the application of Rock-Eval pyrolysis for delineating the source of immature organic matters should be approached with caution and all other geochemical proxies should be considered altogether at the same time.