• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.53-69
• /
• 2019

In the Jirisan area of the Yeongnam Massif, Korea, several ductile shear zones are developed within Precambrian gneiss complex (Jirisan metamorphic rock complex). The ductile shear zones have a general NS- and NNE-striking foliation with westward dipping directions. The foliation developed in the shear zones cut the foliation in gneiss complex. The stretching lineations are well developed in the foliated plane of the shear zone, showing ENE-trend with gentle plunging angle to the ESE direction. Within shear zone, several millimetric to centimetric size of porphyroclasts are deformed strongly as a sigmoid form by ductile shearing. The sigmoid patterns of porphyroclasts in the shear zones indicate the dextral shearing. The spatial distribution of ductile shear zone is characterized by the dominant NS- and NNE-striking dextral sense in the central and eastern regions respectively. In the western part, it develops in NE-striking dextral sense which is the general direction of the Honam shear zone. The U-Pb concordant ages obtained from the two samples, the strongly sheared leucocratic gneiss, are $1,868{\pm}3.8Ma$ and $1,867{\pm}4.0Ma$, respectively, which are consistent with the U-Pb ages reported around the study area. We supposed that the ductile shearing in the study area is occurred about 230~220 Ma during late stage of the continental collision around Korea and is preceded by granitic intrusion related to subduction during 260~230 Ma, which are supported by compiling the age data from sheared gneiss, deformed mafic dyke intruded gneiss complex, and non-deformed igneous rocks.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.223-233
• /
• 2018

In this study, SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating was performed on deformed granitic rocks in the Sancheong area in the northeastern part of the Jirisan area, southwest of Yeongnam Massif. Until now, these have been known as Precambrian or age-unknown old igneous rocks, but the U-Pb concordant ages obtained from two samples are $237.8{\pm}4.0Ma$ and $230.2{\pm}3.4Ma$, respectively, showing their emplacements in Early to Middle Triassic. These results indicate that the deformed granite was emplaced at about 238~230 Ma. The study area shows the characteristics of ductile deformation with prominent development of foliation, augen structure, and lineation. It is observed that the deformed granites occur as xenoliths within the syenite, indicating that the time of deformation is earlier than the intrusion of the syenite of about 220 Ma. The emplacement and deformation periods of the deformed granite is similar to that of Permo-Triassic granite gneisses distributed in the Gimcheon and Andong areas of the Yeongnam Massif. Taken together, the eastern part of the Yeongnam Massif, extending from the central part to the southwestern part, granite intrusions occurred at about 260-230 Ma, followed by metamorphism-deformation of about 230-220 Ma.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.521-529
• /
• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the natural origin of fluorine contained in the rocks within the Eulwangsan area via petrological and mineralogical analyses. The main geology of the Yongyudo Eulwangsan area is Triassic biotite granite. Biotite granite and mylonite are the major rock types containing fluorine at high levels (up to 1,700 and 2,400 mg/kg for biotite granite and mylonite, respectively). In the case of the biotite granite, a high concentration of fluorine can be contributed to fluorite, and the results of microscopic analyses show that the fluorite was observed as small veinlets filling cleavages and micro-fractures within alkali-feldspars and plagioclases, or observed together with quartz in ore veins, indicating the secondary formation of fluorite by hydrothermal fluids. In mylonite, on the other hand, a high fluorine concentration is attributable to sericite. Microscopic analyses revealed that the boundary between sericite and surrounding quartz was not clear, the sericite occurred filling the micro-fractures of quartz and encapsulating small quartz cataclasts. These results indicate that the sericite was also formed as a result of hydrothermal alteration. Consequently, it is speculated that the high fluorine level in the rocks of the Eulwangsan area of Yongyudo is of natural origin due to hydrothermal processes.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2019

We present gravity anomaly maps based on KIGAM's gravity data measured from 2000 to 2018. Until 2016, we acquired gravity data on about 6,400 points for the purpose of regional mapping covering the whole country with data density of at least one point per $4km{\times}4km$ for reducing the time of the data acquisition. In addition, we have performed local gravity surveys for the purpose of mining development in and around the NMC Moland Mine at Jecheon in 2013 and in the Taebaeksan mineralized zone from 2015 to 2018 with data interval of several hundred meters to 2 km. Meanwhile, we carried out precise gravity explorations with data interval of about 250 m on and around epicenter areas of Gyeongju and Pohang earthquakes of relatively large magnitude which occurred in 2016 and in 2017, respectively. Thus we acquired in total about 9,600 points data as the result. We also used additional data acquired by Pusan National University for some local areas. Finally, gravity data more than 16,000 points except for the repetition and temporal control points were available to calculate free-air, Bouguer, and isostatic gravity anomalies. Therefore, the presented anomaly maps are most advanced in spatial distribution and the number of used data so far in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.69-81
• /
• 2021

The exposed rocks in the Zacatecas state include mainly Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic, Cenozoic volcanic and plutonic rocks. Paleozoic metamorphic rocks found in the northwestern portion of the state are considered as the most ancient rocks. These rocks correspond to the Caopas Formation which underlays the Later Paleozoic Rodeo Formation. The Mesozoic sequences are represented by a marine sedimentary sequence of the Later Triassic and the red beds of the Triassic-Jurassic Nazas Formation. The marine sediments of the Upper Jurassic overlay the Nazas Formation or metamorphic rocks from the Paleozoic. The Cretaceous sequences comprises marine sedimentary rocks in the north and northeast, and a volcanosedimentary set in the center and southeast. The Cenozoic is represented by volcanic nondifferentiated rocks, intrusive igneous rocks of acid and intermediate composition, and continental conglomerates with evaporitic sediments. The Quarternary sequences includes basalts, piedmont deposits, alluviums and occasionally, layers of evaporites and saltpeter. Furthermore, a great diversity of mineral deposits of both metallic and nonmetallic types occur in Zacatecas state. The rocks composing these deposits are extremely varied and include formations from Paleozoic to Tertiary. The mineralization age of ore deposits corresponds to the Tertiary in approximately 90%, and their genesis is mainly considered as epigenetic.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.577-588
• /
• 2020

We evaluated the distributions of primordial radionuclides and effective dose rate of the Ogcheon Group, which includes rocks with high uranium content. Terrestrial gamma radiation was measured at 421 points using a portable gamma ray spectrometer. Dividing the study area into five geological units (og1, og2, og3, og4, and igneous rocks) revealed no significant difference in the concentration of surface radioactivity among the types. The concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh for all samples ranged from 0.7% to 10.3% (average 5.2%), 0.6 to 287.0 ppm (average 8.5 ppm), and 4.0 to 102.4 ppm (average 31.3 ppm), respectively. The absorbed dose rate in the study area (calculated from the activity concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh) was in the range of 28.84 to 1,714.5 nGy/h (average 195.4 nGy/h). Among the five geological units, the lowest average was 166.3 nGy/h (for og1) and the highest average was 233.3 nGy/h (for og2; median 198.1 nGy/h). The outdoor effective dose rate for the area obtained from the absorbed dose rate was in the range of 0.04 to 2.10 mSv/y (average 0.24 mSv/y). Except for the four sites located in the uranium-bearing coal bed of og2, none of the studied sites exceeded 1 mSv/y.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.753-765
• /
• 2021

The Dongwon Au-Ag deposit is located within the Paleozoic Taebaeksan province, Okcheon belt. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz veins; stage II, barren carbonate veins) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages(early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early, marked by deposition of pyrite with minor magnetite, pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor sulfosalts; late, marked by argentite, Cu-As (and/or Sb) and Ag-Sb sulfosalts with base-metal sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥430℃) and later lower temperatures (≤230℃) from fluids with salinities between 6.0 to 0.4 wt. percent equiv. NaCl. The relationship of salinity and homogenization temperature suggest that ore mineralization at Dongwon was deposited mainly due to fluid boiling, cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Dongwon hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Dongwon deposit may represents a Korean-type and/or Au-Ag type mesothermal/epithermal gold-silver deposit.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2022

This study aims to observe the swelling representative rocks in Korea and to suggest improvements in the use of test methods and prior analysis in relation to the weathering of rocks. The swelling test and analysis were performed on the drilling cores obtained for the ground investigation at the domestic highway construction site. For the method of determining the absorption expansion index of rocks, the method proposed in "Standard Methods for Sample Collection and Specimen Preparation" of ISRM and Korean Rock Engineers Standard Rock Test Method was used. The specimen for the measurement of the expansion displacement was cylindrical with a height of 10 cm and a diameter of 5 cm. The existing swelling analysis method evaluates the sensitivity to weathering by using the maximum expansion displacement, but since the classification by bedrock grade is unclear, it is reasonable to use the rate of change of the expansion displacement according to the immersion time. It is necessary to conduct an experiment to distinguish between weathering and fault deterioration. In addition, long-term weathering prediction technology for each cancer type is needed through the expansion displacement analysis of the chemical weathering stage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.3
• /
• pp.428-434
• /
• 2022

This study was conducted to derive the site index of forest productivity of Robinia pseudoacacia (honey plant) to characterize suitable planting sites and to investigate the effect of the site environmental factors on the site index using the quantification theory I method. The data used in the analysis were growth factors (stand age, dominant height, etc.) of the 6th national forest resources survey and various site environmental factors of a forest soil map (1:5,000). The average site index value of the R. pseudoacacia stand in Korea was 14 (range, 8 to 18). The environmental factors affecting the site index were parent rock, climatic zone, soil texture, local topography, and altitude. The accuracy of the estimation model using quantification theory I was only 33%. However, the correlation between the site index and the site environmental factors was statistically significant at the 1% level. Results of quantification analysis between site index and site environmental factors revealed that metamorphic and igneous rocks received high grades as parent rocks, climate zones received higher grades than central temperate zone, clay loam and silt loam received high grades in soil texture, and hillside received a high grade in local topography. Analysis of the partial correlation between site topographical factors and forest productivity (site index) found that soil class and altitude were partially correlated to x by 0.4129 and 0.4023, respectively, indicating that these factors are the most influential variables.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.377-386
• /
• 2022

In addition to anthropogenic origins, fluorine (F) is naturally enriched in rocks due to geological events, such as magma dissemination, hydrothermal alteration, mineralization, and fault activities. Generally, it has been well known that F is chiefly enriched in the region of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and biotite granite was mostly distributed in the study area. The F enrichment mechanism was not sufficiently elucidated in the previous studies, and the study on a fault zone was conducted to reveal it more precisely. The mineral composition of the fault zone was identical to that of the Eulwangsan biotite granite (EBG), but they were quantitatively different between the two areas. Compared with the EBG, the fault zone showed relatively higher contents of quartz and F-bearing minerals (fluorite, sericite) but lower contents of plagioclase and alkali feldspar. This difference was likely due to hydrothermal mineral alterations. The results of microscopic observations supported this, and the generation of F-bearing minerals by hydrothermal alterations was recognized in most samples. Accordingly, it might be interpreted that the mineralogical and petrological differences observed in the same-age biotite granite widely distributed in the Yongyudo was caused by the hydrothermal alterations due to small-scale geological events.