• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2013

Water vapor isotopes can be excellent tools for understanding complex mechanisms in the water cycle and atmospheric hydrological cycle and they can be applied to various fields of paleoclimatology, atmospheric science, hydrogeology, oceanography, and ecohydrology. Thus, studies of global or local transport of water vapor may be able to provide a very useful clue to better understand the movements of water and energy in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. In this study, the isotopic compositions of water vapor have been observed for moisture transport during the passage of Typhoon Bolaven at Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon, in the western part of Korea, from August 27 to August 29, 2012. In the clear sky, the isotopic compositions of water vapor at KOPRI exhibited relatively higher isotopic ratios, which were near isotopic equilibrium with sea surface water (${\delta}^{18}O$=-14‰). On the other hand, a largely depleted isotopic ratios in surface water vapor were observed in association with the passage of Typhoon Bolaven (approximately 10‰ depleted compared to the clear sky). The fact that the isotopic minima in water vapor are encountered during the onset period of the Typhoon Bolaven with increases of relative humidity, which is consistent with, so called, "the amount effect".

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.433-444
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• 2016

The U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Baengnyeong Group were determined by LA-MC-ICPMS, yielding condensed age population in the range from 1100 Ma to 1800 Ma corresponding to the Mesoproterozoic to late Paleoproterozoic. However, detrital zircons of ca.1800-2000 Ma or ca. 2500 Ma ages, which appear frequently in the lower Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup and the upper Paleozoic Pyeongan Supergroup are lacking in the Baengnyeong Group. Such characteristics are identical to those of the Neoproterozoic Sangwon System of North Korea, suggesting that the Baengnyeong Group might be the southwestern extension of the Sangwon System. The zircon age distribution patterns from the Impi Formation in the Gunsan area closely resemble those of the Baengnyeong Group, implying possible correlation of the Impi Formation to the Sangwon System. Therefore, the Mesoproterozoic detrital zircons reported from the Hwangangni Formation of the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt and the Myobong, Sambangsan and Sesong Formations of the Taebaeksan Basin might be derived from the provenances within the Korean peninsula.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.722-735
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• 2002

In order to reveal sedimentary facies and geochemical characteristics on sediments distributed in upper intertidal zone, the southwestern coast of Korea, grain size and metal content analyses to the sediments were carried out. The grain size distribution of sediments shows very wide range from gravel to mud. The sediments are very well sorted to very poorly sorted and mostly positively skewed. Geochemical behavior of metals in the sediments is dependant on grain size, in part, but might be much controlled by complex submarine topography, highly varied tidal currents and surrounding land geology in the study area. Igeo (index of geoaccumulation) representing metal condensation in the sediments moderately/strongly polluted in Co and Cr and moderately polluted in Cu and Ni. But notable metal condensations are not found in the study area. So, it might be interpreted that grain size and metal content distribution tendencies in the sediments are considerably influenced by complex submarine topography, highly varied tidal currents and surrounding land geology.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.461-471
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• 2007

A temperature of deformation and the state and direction of paleostress at that time when twins in calcite grains had been produced were observed, using analysis of calcite twins as indicators of paleostress history. The study was performed with the target of carbonate rocks distributed randomly small size in the southern area of south Korea. Considering the appearance of twins (thin or thick straight twins with one or two twin sets), average twin strain (1.235-7.453%), thickness ($0.77-1.94{\mu}m$) and intensity (25.26-41.99 twins/mm) from the results of calculated calcite twins, it is estimated that calcite twins were produced under temperatures lower than approximately $150-200^{\circ}C$. In the magnitudes and directions of principal strains, the maximum shortening strain axis ($e_3\leftrightarrow{\sigma}_1$) is approximately N-S direction in the GS-1 area in the southern Gyeongsang Basin as well as in the BS-1 area in the southern Yongnam Massif, whereas E-W direction in the NR-1 area in the southwestern Ogcheon Fold Belt. In case of the maximum extension strain axis ($e_1\leftrightarrow{\sigma}_3$), it is oriented in NW-SE and NE-SW directions in the GS-1 and BS-1 area, respectively, and in N-S direction in the NR-1 area. That is, it is suggested that the paleostress which produced the calcite twins may be applied at least more than two times in the study area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.439-453
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• 2018

The Eocene Gyeongju granitoids in SE Korea are alkali feldspar granite (AGR), biotite granite (BTGR), and hornblende biotite granodiorite (HBGD) along Yangsan fault and Ulsan fault. According to their geochemical characteristics, these granitoids are classified as A-type (AGR) and I-type (BTGR and HBGD) granitoids, and regarded that were derived from same parental magma in upper mantle. The hornblende and biotite of AGR as an interstitial phase indicate that influx of F-rich fluid during the crystallization of AGR magma. AGR is enriched LILE (except Sr and Ba) and LREE that indicate the influences for subduction released fluids. The highest HFSE contents and zircon saturation temperature of AGR among the Eocene Gyeongju granitoids may indicate that it was affected by partial melting rather than magma fractionation. These characteristics may represent that the high F contents of AGR was affected by F-rich fluid derived from the subducted slab and partial melting. It corresponds with the results of the REE modeling and the dehydrated fluid component (Ba/Th) modeling showing that AGR (A-type) was formed by the partial melting of BTGR (I-type) with the continual influx of F-rich fluid derived from the subducted slab.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 2011

The major Mo deposits in South Korea were formed during the Jurassic Daebo orogeny, the Late Cretaceous and the Tertiary post-orogenic igneous activities, and are characterized by a variety of genetic types such as pegmatite, greisen, skarn, porphyry and vein types. The Jangsu mine is a pegmatite-style deposit which is genetically related to the Jurassic ilmenite-series two-mica granite with the Mo mineralization age of $159.6{\pm}4.5$ Ma. The Geumseong mine occurs as a skarn/porphyry-style deposit associated with highly fractionated granite. Its age of Mo mineralization within aplitic cupola is about 96.5~l07.5 Ma. The Yeonil mine is a porphyry-style deposit, and the Geumeum mine is a veinlet-style deposit along the fracture zone with their mineralization ages of $58.4{\pm}1.6$ and $54.4{\pm}1.2$ Ma, respectively. The contrasts in the style of Mo mineralization in Korea reflect the different environment of the related magmatism. The Jurassic mineralization, being related to deep-seated granitoids, occurs as a pegmatite-style deposit, whereas the Cretaceous one, being related to subvolcanic granitoids, occurs as skarn/porphyry/vein-type ore deposits. The Tertiary Mo mineralization has a close relationship with the igneous activities associated with the Tertiary basin formation along the east coast, Korean peninsular.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1998

Broadband receiver functions are developed from teleseismic P waveforms recorded at Wonju (KSRS), Inchon (IRIS), and Pohang (PHN), and are analyzed to examine the crustal structure beneath the three stations. The teleseismic receiver functions are inverted in the time domain to the vertical P wave velocity structure beneath the stations. Clear P-to-S converted phases from the Moho interface are observed in teleseismic seismograms recorded at the three stations. We estimated the crustal velocity structures beneath the stations using the receiver function inversion. The general features of inversion results are as follows: (1) For Pohang station, there is a high velocity gradient at a 4~5 km deep for SE and NW back azimuth and a low velocity zone at around 10 km deep. The Moho depth is 28 km for NW direction. (2) The shallow crustal structure beneath Wonju station is somewhat complex and there is a high-velocity zone ($V_p{\simeq}6.8km/sec$) at 3 to 4 km deep. The average crustal thickness is 33 km, and a transition zone exists at a 30~33 km deep of lower crust, of which velocity is abruptly changed 6.4 to 7.9 km/sec. (3) For Inchon station, the crustal velocity gradient monotonously increases up to the Moho discontinuity and the velocity is abruptly changed from 6.2 km/sec to 7.9 km/sec at 29 km deep.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2012

A theoretical $CO_2$ storage capacity is estimated on the southwestern continental shelf margin of Ulleung Basin, offshore Korea using 2D/3D multi-channel seismic and wellbore data acquired in the area over the two decades since the late 1980s. For the first time in Korea, the present study applies an efficiency factor to the capacity calculation, together with the other required parameters. For possible $CO_2$ storage volume estimation of the study area, we interpreted the seismic data in the Gorae area from 800 m to 3,000 m below the seafloor integrated with the well data, and identified five different seismic units; the limited depth interval is considered because of fluid state of $CO_2$ and tightness of the formation. The total volumes of each seismic unit were converted with a time-depth relation inferred from the checkshot surveys before the other required parameters including porosity and density were applied to compute the potential storage capacity. The accumulated possible storage volume from the five depositional units in the study area is estimated to be approximately 5,100 Mton ($P_{50}$). The approaches made in this study will be applied to the rest area of the basin and other continental shelves (i.e., Yellow Sea and northern part of East China Sea) in the next phase.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.541-548
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• 2009

The Dongrae thermal water area located at the southeastern marginal part of the Korean Peninsula is one of the oldest hot springs in Korea. The Dongrae thermal water shows Na-Cl type of water chemistry, whereas the shallow cold groundwater is Ca(-Na)-$HCO_3$ type. In this paper, we discuss the age of the Dongrae hot spring, i.e. groundwater cycle among meteoric water-surface water-shallow groundwater-hot spring water. The $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios of the thermal water in Dongrae area range from 0.705663 to 0.705688 and are lower than those of groundwater, surface water and rain water as well as aquifer bearing granite. These Sr isotopic signatures in the Dongrae thermal water indicate that the circulation rate between thermal water and current meteoric water including groundwater, surface water and rain water in the Dongrae area should be very slow. The $^{14}C$ age of the Dongrae hot spring water range from $1,271{\pm}36$ BP(before present) to $2,467{\pm}36$ BP whereas that of the shallow groundwater is $-495{\pm}33$ BP. This suggests that the period of groundwater cycle among meteoric water, surface water, shallow groundwater and hot spring should be more than 1,270 years. Then, it also indicates that the present Dongrae hot spring may be a mixed water between the old thermal water heated for at least 1,270 years and the present shallow cold groundwater.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2017

Here we present the timings of reactivated events from a fault in the northern Pohang area, which should be located at the northern-end of Yangsan fault line, the major fault in the southeastern Korean Peninsula. Recently developed illite-age-analysis (IAA) approach was employed for determining the fault-activated timing, combined with illite-polytype quantification using the optimized full-pattern-fitting (FPF) method, and K-Ar age-dating for each size fraction($<0.1{\mu}m$, $0.1-0.4{\mu}m$, and $0.4-1.0{\mu}m$) of 4 fault clay samples. Two chronological records of brittle fault-activation events were recognized at $19.6{\pm}1.86Ma$ and $26.1{\pm}2.55-27.9{\pm}3.46Ma$. The ages are much younger than those of fault clays from Sangcheon-ri area (41.5~43.5 and 50.7 Ma), the southern part of Yangsan fault line, and are close to the timing of East Sea-opening event. Further chronological analysis for additional sites of the Yangsan fault should be needed to reveal the time-scheme of the tectonic events and their spatial distributions along the fault line.