• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.17-29
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• 2009

There has been an increase in the investigation of deep sea sediments with a consequent increase in the amount of energy required to undertake these investigations. The geotechnical characteristics of Ulleung Basin sediment are explored by using depressurized specimens following methane production tests carried out on pressured core samples obtained at 2,100 m water depth and 110 m below sea floor. Geotechnical index tests, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope are conducted to identify the geotechnical index parameters, clay mineralogy, chemical composition, and microstructure of the sediments. Compressibility, and elastic and electromagnetic wave parameters are investigated for two samples by using a multi sensing instrumented oedometer cell. The strength chatracteristics are obtained by the direct shear tests. The dominant clay minerals are mostly kaolinite, illite, chlorite, and calcite. The SEM shows a well-developed flocculated structure of the microfossil. Void ratio, electrical resistivity, real permittivity, conductivity, and shear wave velocity show bi-linear behavior with the effective vertical stress: as the vertical effective stress increases. The friction angle obtained by the direct shear test is about $21^{\circ}$, which is similar to the value observed in the Ulleung Basin sediments. This study shows that the understanding of the behavior acting on the diatomaceous marine sediment is important because it often maintains the useful energy resources such as gas hydrate and so will be the new engineering field in the next generation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.221-234
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• 2013

Laboratory experiments for the reaction with supercritical $CO_2$ under the $CO_2$ sequestration condition were performed to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical weathering process of the sandstones and mudstones in the Pohang basin. To simulate the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction, rock samples used in the experiment were pulverized and the high pressurized cell (200 ml of capacity) was filled with 100 ml of groundwater and 30 g of powdered rock samples. The void space of the high pressurized cell was saturated with the supercritical $CO_2$ and maintained at 100 bar and $50^{\circ}C$ for 60 days. The changes of mineralogical and geochemical properties of rocks were measured by using XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer) and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller). Concentrations of dissolved cations in groundwater were also measured for 60 days of the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction. Results of XRD analyses indicated that the proportion of plagioclase and K-feldspar in the sandstone decreased and the proportion of illite, pyrite and smectite increased during the reaction. In the case of mudstone, the proportion of illite and kaolinite and cabonate-fluorapatite increased during the reaction. Concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ dissolved in groundwater increased during the reaction, suggesting that calcite and feldspars of the sandstone and mudstone would be significantly dissolved when it contacts with supercritical $CO_2$ and groundwater at $CO_2$ sequestration sites in Pohang basin. The average specific surface area of sandstone and mudstone using BET analysis increased from $27.3m^2/g$ and $19.6m^2/g$ to $28.6m^2/g$ and $26.6m^2/g$, respectively, and the average size of micro scale void spaces for the sandstone and mudstone decreased over 60 days reaction, resulting in the increase of micro pore spaces of rocks by the dissolution. Results suggested that the injection of supercritical $CO_2$ in Pohang basin would affect the physical property change of rocks and also $CO_2$ storage capacity in Pohang basin.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.140-151
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• 1999

Groundwater samples from the southern area composed of andesitic rocks and the northwestern area composed of granite in Pusan city, have been collected and analyzed. According to the Piper diagram. groundwater in the southern area belongs to Ca$\^$2＋/－HCO$_3$$\^$－/ and Ca$\^$2＋/－(Cl$\^$－/＋SO$_4$$\^$2－/) types, and that in the northwestern area mostly belongs to Ca$\^$2＋/－HCO$_3$$\^$－/ type and partly Na$\^$＋/－HCO$_3$$\^$－/ type. Two factors (factor 1 and factor 2) were obtained from the result of the factor analysis in the southern area. Factor 1, consisting of Mg$\^$2＋/, Ca$\^$2＋/, Cl$\^$－/, SO$_4$$\^$2－/, NH$_4$$\^$＋/, EC and NO$_3$$\^$－/ is represented by the dissolution of Ca-plagioclase and calcite, and the influence of anthropogenic sources. Factor 2, consisting of K$\^$＋/, Na$\^$＋/. SiO$_2$, SO$_4$$\^$2－/, and HCO$_3$$\^$－/ is mainly represented by the dissolution of feldspar. Three factors were obtained from the result of the factor analysis in the northwestern area Factor 1, consisting of Na$\^$＋/, K$\^$＋/, NH$_4$$\^$＋/, Cl$\^$－/, SO$_4$$\^$2－/ and NO$_3$$\^$－/ explains dissolution of plagioclase and mica, the influence of anthropogenic sources and salt water. Factor 2, consisting of Ca$\^$2＋/ and HCO$_3$$\^$－/ explains the dissolution of Ca-plagioclase. Factor 3, consisting of Mg$\^$2＋/ and SiO$_2$, explains the dissolution of silicate minces. and contaminants. Based on the phase stability diagrams, groundwater both in the southern and in the northwestern area is mostly in equilibrium with kaolinite. Cl$\^$－/ with respect to Na$\^$＋/, Ca$\^$2＋/, Mg$\^$2＋/, K$\^$＋/, SO$_4$$\^$2－/ and HCO$_3$$\^$－/ indicates that both the northwestern area and the southern area are influenced by the salt water.