• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.543-552
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• 2015

This study examines the processes of rock weathering and tafoni formation targeting tafoni at Mt. Cheonsaeng, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. In the study area, a frequency of tafoni is high in conglomerate and conglomeratic sandstone among regional sedimentary rocks, which means that an initial stage of the formation begins a breakaway of gravel from bedrock and also exfoliation from rock surface. Geomorphologically tafoni have intensively been developed at the southfacing slope with exposed rocks, which means that its formation was favorably controlled by environmental conditions including strong influences of mechanical weathering in winter and chemical weathering in summer times. The results of measuring water content at a tafoni-bearing rock surface using GIS interpolation analysis indicate that moisture rate in/around tafoni is higher than the periphery. Thus, it is considered that moisture distribution at a rock surface plays a role in its formation. Analysis of percipitation and secondary minerals induced by chemical weathering is in progress.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.339-350
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• 2022

There are a variety of types in tafoni formed in Miocene tuff from Golgulsa, Gyeongju. Tuff bearing tafoni was quite weathered, composed of quartz, feldspars, micas, vermiculite, chlorite, smectite, and analcite. In the early stage of the tafoni development, tafoni preferentially formed from cavities where volcanic breccias were removed or from microcavities where microcrystals were chemically altered. Small tafoni grew into large one by merging each other. The orientation of tafoni is inversely arranged to slopes, with slight inclination toward the inner cavity. Height, width, and depth of tafoni are closely interrelated: the correlation coefficients are 0.839 (width-height), 0.900 (width-depth), and 0.856 (height-depth), respectively. Removal of walls between tafoni resulted in lenticular or crescent forms, and small tafoni laterally combined to large tafoni. Large tafoni is weak because of high porosity and low strength compared to normal slope. Therefore, systematic monitoring for slope strength, pore proportion and volume, and growth of cavity needs to secure the slope stability where tafoni in Golgulsa is widespread.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.422-437
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• 2007

Dokdo has historical and political meaning in relation to the territorial problems with Japan. The area can be the main factor to explain the formation and development process of East-Sea as exposure volcanic island at East-Sea with Ulreong-island. Accordingly, it also has an important meaning of physical geography aspects In this research, it is perceived the geomorphological development process of slope due to the salt weathering which is considered as the most important factor to understand whole geomorphology of Dokdo. And researched how a geomorphology of this sort affects to animal and plants. The peculiar geomorphology is tafoni which is a weathering geomorphology and one of the remarkable geomorphology in preservation of Dokdo. Tafoni at west part of Dongdo is distributed intensively near shoreline which is composed tuff. The shape of tafoni is mainly massive, circle and oval in Massive tuff breccia layer also is formed toward horizontality bedding direction in Bedded lapilli tuff. Tafoni in Dokdo is constituted after middle of Holocene. This fact can be proved by ranging at surface of sea-cliff which is formed wave erosion after middle of Holocene sea-level reaching to present level. Tafoni is also the most contribute factor of geomorphology dissection of Dokdo as it is eroded the bed rock with salt weathering. In bottom part of tafoni it has an important function for habitat of birds. Herbaceous plants are on it. To procrastinate of bed rock dissection by growth of Tafoni, conservation of vegetation and soil are most important factor.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.552-560
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• 2017

This study investigates the development process of Mt. Deok on Bigeum Island, Shinan, on the basis of geomorphological and geological analyses. K-Ar dating was carried out on two samples of the acidic lapilli tuff developed in the study area, and the obtained K-Ar ages are $70.4{\pm}1.4$ and $76.9{\pm}1.5Ma$, which correspond to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). Mt. Deok is surrounded by rock cliff, and various weathering microtopographic features, such as tafoni, tor and gnamma, are developed. Tafoni with diverse morphologic types is the most dominant feature, indicative of intense salt weathering. Geological characteristics such as porous tuff and joint have played an important role in the development of tafoni and rock cliff. Geomorphology and geology of Mt. Deok reflect paleoenvironmental change and interaction between human and nature in the coastal area.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.37-50
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• 2013

This study analyzes results of published studies of weathering pits in Korea focusing on tafoni and gnamma and it suggests new types of weathering pits and next subjects through the analysis. 34 papers, published between 1978 and February 2012, have been analyzed and the following are details of the analysis. In terms of the study results, weathering pits are commonly developed on coarse-grained rocks such as granite, but also found on various rocks. Multiple reasons including mechanical, chemical and salt weathering create weathering pits and they are closely related to the geological structure. Weathering pits are classified as tafoni and gnamma but the forms have not been verified. In the future, quantitative analysis must be conducted find the factors influencing creation, forms and development of weathering pits.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.168-177
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• 2017

In order to reveal formation factors and developmental processes of tafoni this study was conducted with petrological analysis including microscopic observation, measurement of water content and water analysis at Golgulsa temple in Gyeongju, South Korea. The direction of the entrance to tafoni at Golgulsa temple tends to coincide with the direction of slope, and this is thought to be related to the direction of wind flow and water supply. Tafoni's initial developmental processes is judged to have grown as a result of a breakaway of rock fragments along with beddings and cracks in rock. Then, tafoni have been enlarged along at the spots that sufficiently accommodate water supply depending on the direction of wind. The results of water analysis of the stagnant water in gnamma implies that a high meltage of Na and Cl compared to other inland areas can be from the adjacent shore. The effects of such saline substances on rock weathering and development of taponi are currently under way through electronic microscopy and geochemical analysis.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.211-221
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• 2009

This study illustrates the relationship between the petrographic characteristics of micrographic granite and the topographic features around Ijin-ri. Light-brown to light- gray granite is composed of intergrown fine-grained quartz + orthoclase, displaying micrographic textures. Miarolitic cavities are abundant. Many micro-landforms including tor, tafoni, and gnamma occurred in the micrographic granite of the study area. Tafoni is dominant in the north and gnamma is dominant in south. From our study of the occurrence and textural properties, two alteration zones were clearly identified; one is an external zone (A) characterized by abundant of small sized miarolitic cavities and the other is an internal zone (B) having them less than zone A. The former is dominant in north, and the latter is dominant in south. Particular geomorphologic features such as fluting cores and raised rims are present in the Ijin-ri area. This suggests that development of miarolitic cavities played an important role in the formation of the various geomorphologic features. Consequently, the petrogenesis of the micrographic granite is related to geomorphologic features in the external zone typified by abundant tafoni such as the tiger rock, and the formation of a platform as micro-landforms is influenced by thetextural differences of host rock in the internal zone.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

Typical weathering landforms and phenomena including tafoni and gnamma are usually interpreted as man-made alteo (praying water bowl) or dragon-alteo by folklore researchers. Despite some terminological ambiguity, they are certainly natural weathering pits and are introduced in our discipline for fifty years, however, unfortunately most of them are interpreted as petroglyphs used and prepared for ritual ceremony. Several seemingly artificially-made rock holes are also found in many places, but most of them are weathered landforms by salt weathering. Author believes that communication effort to use common language and publish more researches in interdisciplinary journals are very essential to propagate scientific achievements made by geomorphologists to other discipline. Also geomorphologists specialized in weathering processes are encouraged to participate in preservation of stone artifacts and archaeological remains.

• The Safety technology
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• no.106
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• pp.40-41
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• 2006

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.459-472
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• 2015

Weathering hollows which develop on various rocks are the terrain whose lithological characteristics and formation of the bed rock is under active discussion. The shore in Dapyeong-ri, Sacheon-si has alternation of strata of pelite and sandstone, and the weathering hollows develop on the shore platform and the sea cliff where sandstone is exposed. To analyze the development characteristics of weathering hollows by development of joints, interpenetration of veins and physical and chemical features of the stone, the study conducted a topographic investigation, XRD analysis and an observation using a polarizing microscope. As the result of the investigation and analysis, tafoni and gnamma are spread in the same area and new tafoni is being formed as the existing weathering hollows are destroyed by the expansion and growth of the joint. The vein, which was found to be a quartz vein, may accelerate the development of weathering hollows combining with the joint but may also hamper their growth if the veins are penetrating perpendicularly. It is generally known that weathering hollows develop regardless of the type of rocks, however, the analysis on the lithological features show that the development is limited on the fractured and broken rocks.