• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.371-380
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• 2016

This study aims to identify the mineraloical and petrographical characteristics of caprock from drilling cores of Pohang basin as a potential $CO_2$ storage site. Experiments and modeling were conducted in order to investigate the geochemical and mineralogical caprock effects of carbon dioxide. A series of autoclave experiments were conducted to simulate the interaction in the $scCO_2$-caprock-brine using a high pressure and temperature cell at $50^{\circ}C$ and 100 bar. Geochemical and mineralogical alterations after 15 days of $scCO_2$-caprock-brine sample reactions were quantitatively examined by XRD, XRF, ICP-OES investigation. Results of mineralogical studies, together with petrographic data of caprock and data on the physicochemical parameters of brine were used for geochemical modeling. Modelling was carried out using the The Geochemist's Workbench 11.0.4 geochemical simulator. Results from XRD analysis for caprock sample showed that major compositional minerals are quartz, plagioclase, and K-feldspar, and muscovite, pyrite, siderite, calcite, kaolinite and montnorillonite were included on a small scale. Results from ICP-OES analysis for brine showed that concentration of $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$, $K^+$ and $Mg^{2+}$ increased due to dissolution of plagioclase, K-feldspar and muscovite. Results of modeling for the period of 100 years showed that the recrystallization of kaolinite, dawsonite and beidellite, at the expense of plagioclase and K-feldspar is characteristic. Volumes of newly precipitation minerals and minerals passing into brine were balanced, so the porosity remained nearly unchanged. Experimental and modeling results indicate the interaction between caprock and $scCO_2$ during geologic carbon sequestration can exert significant impacts in brine pH and solubility/stability of minerals.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.249-259
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• 2009

The objective of this research was to find out the physical properties, such as dispersion and coagulation, of soil minerals depending on the types and concentrations of the cations in aqueous solution. Hwangto samples were obtained from 90 to 130 cm from surface at Jangdong-ri, Donggang-Myon, Naju, Chonnam Province. The clay fraction (< $2\;{\mu}m$) was separated by sedimentation method from the bulk soils. Both Hwangto and clay fractions, and the same samples after removal of amorphous and crystalline iron oxides were used in this experiment. The effect of 4 cations ($Na^+$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$) and their concentrations on settling speed and basal spacing of the minerals were observed to examine the physical properties of the soil and clay minerals. Hwangto mainly consisted of quartz, and the clay fractions consisted of kaolinite, illite, and vermiculite. The bulk soils contained 16.3 mg/kg of amorphous iron oxides and 436 mg/kg of crystalline iron oxides. Clay fractions were dispersed better than bulk soils due to their smaller particle size than that of the bulk samples in the aqueous solution. The bulk and clay samples were dispersed better when iron oxides were removed because of coating of minerals by the iron oxides. Clay minerals were settled faster as the charge and the concentration of cations added increased. The d-spacing of kaolinite and illite did not change when 4 types of cations were added. The d-spacing of vermiculite showed $14.04\;{\AA}$ when divalent cations were added while that of vermiculite showed $13.9\;{\AA}$ when monovalent cations were added. It may be attributed to the hydration radii of cations. This study indicated that both coating of iron oxides on minerals and types and concentrations of cations affect dispersion of minerals in solution and d-spacing of expanding clay minerals such as vermiculite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 2009

In Gosung, the symptoms similar to itai-itai disease from neighboring residents of the Samsanjeil mine have been social issues. Therefore, various researches on the behavior of heavy metals of the tailings impoundment of 280,000 ton in the Samsanjeil mine are required. In this paper, mineralogical and geochemical studies on the tailings at different depths in the Samsanjeil mine were investigated and the factors on the behavior of heavy metals were also studied. At two sampling sites (NN and SN), samples were collected at different depths down to 1 m. At NN sites, pH values decreased with depth, while those at SN sites did not show significant changes. XRD analysis showed that the main minerals in the tailings were quartz, microcline, muscovite, and chlorite with minor amount of gypsum. There were no noticeable changes in the mineral composition with depth. At NN sites, the amount of calcite was negligible, and jarosite, which usually occurs at acid soil or acid mine drainage at pH lower than 4, was identified. However, the samples at SN site contained relatively high contents of calcite with pyrite. Therefore, calcite seemed to buffer the acid and control pH at SN site. The contents of heavy metals in tailings were in the order of Cu > As > Zn > Pb > Co > Cr > Ni > Cd. The heavy metal concentrations in the tailings were closely related with pH changes. The concentrations of Cd and Co were much lower at NN site at which pH values are low than those at SN sites. Contrary to that, Cr and As which exist as oxyanions showed higher concentrations at SN sites. This result showed that the behaviors of heavy metals in our study area were controlled by pH which is influenced by the contents of calcite.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 1993

At the Janggun mine, boulangerite usually occurs as needles or irregularly-shaped grains, up to $500{{\mu}m}$ in longer dimensions, closely associated with galena, minerals of a tetrahedrite-freibergite series and bournonite in the peripheries of South A and B orebodies and the zone of manganoan carbonates surrounding them. In some places, especially at the top of South B orebody, it occures as "feather ore" consisting of its fine needles or "hairs" in small drusy cavities together with fine-grained euhedral galena, pyrite, manganoan carbonates, quartz, etc. In reflected light, it is bluish grey in colour exhibiting moderate bireflectance and is strongly anisotropic without any internal reflections. Reflectance in air is $R_{max}=43.2$, $R_{min}=35.7$ percent at wavelength of 580 nm, and VHN: $146-173\;kg/mm^2$ at a 50 g-load. The chemical composition on the average from 23 complete spot analyses by electron microprobe is, Pb 56.1, Sb 25.1, S 18.5, Total 99.6 (all in weight percent); the corresponding chemical formula calculated on the basis of S=11 is; $Pb_{5.16}Sb_{3.93}S_{11.0}$ which fulfils approximately the ideal formula $Pb_5Sb_4S_{11}$. The strongest reflections on the X-ray diffraction pattern are; $3.73\;{\AA}\;(10)$, $3.22\;{\AA}\;(5)$, $3.03\;{\AA}\;(4)$ and $2.82\;{\AA}\;(5)$ and the pattern is in harmonic with space group $C^5_{2h}-P2_1/a$. From the textural evidence of the microscopic observations, the mineral is considered to have been formed at the latest stage of hydrothermal lead-zinc-silver mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.179-189
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• 2002

The Geology of the Shizhuyuan W-Sn-Bi-Mo deposits, situated 16 Ian southeast of Chengzhou City, Hunan Province, China, consist of Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks, Devonian carbonate rocks, Jurassic granitic rocks, Cretaceous granite porphyry and ultramafic dykes. The Shizhuyuan polymetallic deposits were associated with medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite of stage I. According to occurrences of ore body, ore minerals and assemblages, they might be classified into three stages such as skarn, greisen and hydrothernlal stages. The skarn is mainly calcic skarn, which develops around the Qianlishan granite, and consists of garnet, pyroxene, vesuvianite, wollastonite, amphibolite, fluorite, epidote, calcite, scheelite, wolframite, bismuthinite, molybdenite, cassiterite, native bismuth, unidetified Bi- Te-S system mineral, magnetite, and hematite. The greisen was related to residual fluid of medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite, and is classified into planar and vein types. It is composed of quartz, feldspar, muscovite, chlorite, tourmaline, topaz, apatite, beryl, scheelite, wolframite, bismuthinite, molybdenite, cassiterite, native bismuth, unknown uranium mineral, unknown REE mineral, pyrite, magnetite, and chalcopyrite with minor hematite. The hydrothermal stage was related to Cretaceous porphyry, and consist of quartz, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Scheelite shows a zonal texture, and higher MoO) content as 9.17% in central part. Wolframite is WO); 71.20 to 77.37 wt.%, FeO; 9.37 to 18.40 wt.%, MnO; 8.17 to 15.31 wt.% and CaO; 0.01 to 4.82 wt.%. FeO contents of cassiterite are 0.49 to 4.75 wt.%, and show higher contents (4.]7 to 4.75 wt.%) in skarn stage (Stage I). Te and Se contents of native bismuth range from 0.00 to 1.06 wt.% and from 0.00 to 0.57 wt.%, respectively. Unidentified Bi-Te-S system mineral is Bi; 78.62 to 80.75 wt.%, Te; 12.26 to 14.76 wt.%, Cu; 0.00 to 0.42 wt.%, S; 5.68 to 6.84 wt.%, Se; 0.44 to 0.78 wt.%.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.473-483
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• 2018

Green-blue coloured supergene minerals are covering host rocks along the gallery wall in the Gukjeon mine, a lead - zinc skarn deposit located in Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do. These minerals have been described as azurite or malachite, but recent study recognized that the green minerals are devilline and blue minerals are Cu-Zn hydrated sulfates, but exact identification and detailed mineral characteristics are also not well known. In this study, we divide green-blue minerals into five groups (GJG) according to their external features and conducted XRD and SEM analyzes in order to identify mineral name and clarify the mineralogical characteristics. GJG-1, a bright bluish green group, consists of brochantite and quartz and GJG-2, a pale green colour with easily crumbly, of schulenbergite and a small amount of gypsum. Although pale blue GJG-3 and glassy lustrous bluish green GJG-4 have the same mineral assemblages with serpierite and gypsum in spite of different colour and luster, gypsum content may control the physical properties. GJG-5 with a gel phase mixture of pale blue and dark blue mineral is comprised of hydrowoodwardite, glaucocerinite, bechererite, serpierite and gypsum. The six green-blue minerals from the Gukjeon mine could be classified by Cu:Zn ratio, (Si + Al) content, Si:Al ratio, and Ca content. The physico-chemical environment of mineral formation is considered to be controlled by the geochemical factors in the surrounding fluid, and it looks forward that the accurate formation environment will be revealed through additional research. This paper gives greater mineralogical significance in the first report of several hydrated sulfate such as serpierite, glaucocerinite and bechererite in Korea. It has also rarely been reported the occurrence of several Cu-Zn hydrated sulfate in the same deposit in the world.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.153-168
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• 2022

Petrological and mineralogical analyses were conducted to identify minerals containing radioactive elements (uranium) in the Chiaksan gneiss complex and to confirm their association with the surrounding groundwater. Fourteen minerals were identified through the microscopic and electron microscopy (SEMEDS) investigation. The principal minerals included plagioclase, biotite, quartz, alkali feldspar, chlorite, and calcite. Minor minerals were sphene, allanite, apatite, zircon, thorite, titanite, pyrite, and galena. A small amount of thorite was observed in the size of ~1 mm within macrocrystalline allanite. Allanite, which includes a large amount of rare earth elements, appeared in three distinctive patterns. The results of the EPMA analyses indicated that macrocrystalline allanite had higher elemental contents of TiO₂~1.70 wt.%, Ce₂O₃~11.86 wt.%, FeO ~13.31 wt.%, MgO ~0.90 wt.% and ThO₂ ~1.06 wt.% with the lowest average content of Al₂O₃ 17.35 ± 2.15 wt.% (n = 7), CaO 12.13 ± 1.81 wt.% (n = 7). An allanite existing at the edge of the sphenes encompassing titanites had a higher element content of Al₂O₃ ~24.00 wt.%, Nd₂O₃ ~5.10 wt.%, Sm₂O₃~0.66 wt.%, Dy₂O₃~0.86 wt.% and Y₂O₃~1.38 wt.% with the lowest average content of TiO₂ 0.35 ± 0.21 wt.% (n = 11), Ce₂O₃ 5.25 ± 1.03 wt.% (n = 11), FeO 9.84 ± 0.26 wt.% (n = 11), MgO 0.12 ± 0.05 wt.% (n = 11), and La₂O₃ 1.49 ± 0.29 wt.% (n = 11). Allanites in a matrix of parental rocks exhibited intermediate values between the two elemental compositions mentioned above. None of the uranium-rich minerals were observed in the migmatitic gneiss within the study area. Consequently, the origin of uranium in the groundwater was not associated with the geology of the surrounding environment, but our investigation proved the existence of abundant allanites containing significant amounts of radioactive thorium and rare earth elements.