• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.111-125
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• 1998

Dispersion, migration and enrichment of environmental toxic elements from the Samkwang Au-Ag mine area were investigated based upon major, minor and rare earth element geochemistry. The Samkwang mine area composed mainly of Precambrian granitic gneiss. The mine had been mined for gold and silver, but closed in 1996. According to the X-ray powder diffraction, mineral composition of stream sediments and soils were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, orthoclase, plagioclase, amphibole, muscovite, biotite and chlorite, respectively. Major element variations of the host granitic gneiss, stream sediments and soils of mining and non-mining drainage, indicate that those compositions are decrese $Al_2O_3$, $Fe_2O_3$, MgO, $TiO_2$, $P_2O_5$ and LOI with increasing $SiO_2$ respectively. Average compositional ranges (ppm) of minor and/or environmental toxic elements within those samples are revealed as As=<2-4500, Cd=<1-24, Cu=6-117, Sb=1-29, Pb=17-1377 and Zn=32-938, which are extremely high concentrations of sediments from the mining drainage (As=2006, Cd=l1, Cu=71, Pb=587 and Zn=481 ppm, respectively) than concentrations of the other samples and host granitic gneiss. Major elements (average enrichment index=6.53) in all samples are mostly enriched, excepting $SiO_2$, $Na_2O$ and $K_2O$, normalized by composition of host granitic gneiss. Rare earth element (average enrichment index=2.34) are enriched with the sediments from the mining drainage. Minor and/or environmental toxic elements within all samples on the basis of host rock were strongly enriched of all elements (especially As, Br, Cu, Pb and Zn), excepting Ba, Cr, Rb and Sr. Average enrichment index of trace elements in all samples is 15.55 (sediments of mining drainage=37.33). Potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) of the samples revealed that average enrichment index is 46.10 (sediments of mining drainage=80.20, sediments of nonmining drainage=5.35, sediments of confluent drainage=20.22, subsurface soils of mining drainage=7.97 and subsurface soils of non-mining drainage=4.15). Sediments and soils of highly concentrated toxic elements are contained some pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena and goethite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.231-245
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• 2007

The forged iron axe of the middle 3rd Century found in the No. 2 wood-framed tomb from the Hwangseongdong site, Gyeongju is rectangular on the plane level. The iron axe shines in met-allic luster, which is light grey with pale creamy tint. The result of X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the axe consists of magnetite and geothite, which can explain why the composition and texture of the original ore has been kept intact. There are fine-grained quartz, calcite, mica, magnetite, amphibole, unknown tungsten minerals, pyroxene and olivine inside the axe. Those must be the impurities that they failed to remove in the thermal treatment process. Generally, the iron axe consists mainly of pearlite texture coexisting ferrite and cementite, and show high carbon contents with homogeneous distribution. It can be interpreted the axe was carburized after the material was made to resemble pure iron. The decarbonization work didn't go well along the process marks. Crude ores of the iron axe are possible utilized by magnetite from the Ulsan mine on the basis of the occurrences and inclusions. It's estimated that the original ore was bloom produced in low-temperature reduction and formed around in $727^{\circ}C$, which is eutetic temperature.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.91-106
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• 2019

The Donghachong tomb from Royal Tombs at Neungsanri is composed of 15 sides including the floor, and the most highly proportion of rock, two-mica granite, are used on the 7 sides (46.6%). Also, augen gneiss consist with another 3 sides (20.0%), and each of the remaining 3 sides (6.7%) are made up of granodiorite, gneissous granite and leucocratic granite, all of which were used to comprise the tabural stone. Meanwhile, the two floors of the burial chamber and the front chamber, are made up of brick-shaped amphibole schist (13.3%). These rocks are occurred in the Buyeo area and their provenance sites are located at the side of Guemgang river. The Memorial Stone for Liu Renyuen in Tang China is a typical augen gneiss showing distinct schistosity and augen texture. This rock has the same petrographic characteristics with the rocks used to build the Donghachong tomb, Sanjikri dolmens and Setapri pagoda in Buyeo. This augen gneiss is distributed from the Jeungsanri in Buyeo to Dukjiri in Gongju as a large scaled rock body, and where currently are the quarries to produce stone aggregates, garden and landscape rocks. Thus, it is highly probable that the site around Buyeo was the source area of augen gneisses since the Bronze Age. However, while augen gneiss is easier to form into shapes it should have disadvantages when it comes to painting on the tomb wall because of their petrographic characteristics of low strength and dark color. Therefore, it is very intriguing to investigate which transportation method the people of Baekje chose with consideration of the distance and terrain, efficiency and convenience.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.122-143
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• 2010

The Shilla Stone Monument in Jungseongri was found during the road-construction in Pohang. It has approximately two hundreds of letters inscribed on the surface of one side, and it is estimated to be older than Shilla Stone Monument in Naengsuri which had been known for the oldest stele in Shilla Period. This monument is made of fine to medium-grained biotite granite, while the Shilla Stone Monument in Naengsuri is made of fine-grained granodioritic porphyry bearing feldspar and amphibole phenocrysts. Both rock types of the monuments are interpreted to be cognate with biotite granite in Shinkwangmyeon, and with granodioritic porphyry in Gigyemyeon. They are characterized by xenolith and miarolitic cavity. Damage aspects in both monuments are discoloring, cracking and breaking. These damages do not cause structural instability of the monuments, but attenuate aesthetic value. Black and brown discoloring contaminants on the surface of the Jungseongri Monument contain a high amount of manganese and iron. As a result of ultrasonic test, both monuments were evaluated to be medium-weathered (MW), although the velocity of the Shilla Monument in Jungseongri was slightly lower than the Shilla Monument in Naengsuri. This is because the Monument in Juengseongri had been exposed to outdoor environment for long time until the discovery. It is necessary for Shilla Monuments to be protected by appropriately environmental control and management.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.467-477
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• 2014

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) occurs in rocks and soils as a result of natural weathering and human activities. The asbestos have been associated with ultramafic and mafic rocks, and carbonate rock. The previous studies on NOA were mainly limited to ultramafic and mafic rock-hosted asbestos in Korea. But, studies on carbonatehosted asbestos are relatively rare. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate mineralogical characteristics of carbonate-hosted and metapelite-hosted NOA and to examine genesis of NOA occurred in the both rocks. The study area was Daerori, Seosan, Chungnam Province, Korea. The major rock formation consisted of limestone and schist which have been known to contain asbestos. Sampling was performed at outcrop which contained carbonate rock showing acicular asbestos crystals as well as pegmatitic intrusion that contacted with carbonate rock. PLM, XRD, EPMA, and EDS analyses were used to characterize mineral assemblages, mineralogical characteristics, and crystal habits of amphiboles and other minerals. BSEM images were also used to examine the genesis of asbestos minerals. The amphibole group was observed in all of the carbonate rocks, and actinolite and tremolite were identified in all rocks. These mineral habits were mainly micro-acicular crystals or secondary asbestiform minerals on the surface of non-asbestiform minerals appearing split end of columnar crystals produced by weathering. BSEM images showed residual textures of samples. The residual textures of carbonate rocks showed dolomite-tremolite-diopside mineral assemblages that formed during prograde metasomatism stage. Some carbonate rock also showed diopside-tremolite-talc mineral assemblages which were formed during retrograde metasomatism stage, as the residual textures. In result the presence of asbestos actinolite-tremolite in the carbonate rocks were confirmed in the areas where actinolite-tremolite asbestos was influenced by low temperature hydrothermal solution during metasomatism stage. These asbestos minerals showed the acicular asbestiform minerals, but even non-asbestiform minerals, a bundle or columnar shape, could transform to asbestiform minerals as potential NOA by weathering because the end of columnar shape of non-asbestiform minerals appeared as multiple acicular shaped fibers.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2011

Some industrial minerals used in domestic industries such as monazite, apatite, bauxite, and ilmenite belong to NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) because they show a high radioactivity. Products, semi-products, wastes, and by-products which show higher radioactivity than NORM belong to TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). Apatite used for manufacturing phosphate fertilizer in Namhae Chemical company belongs to NORM, and its by-product, phospo-gypsum, belongs to TENORM. A geological investigation is needed for the future environmental impact assessment of the Namhae Chemical company's site. According to survey results of the Namhae Chemical company's site, soil mineral composition indicated the mixture of minerals derived from the country rock (quartz, feldspar, mica, $l4{\AA}$ mineral, kaolin and amphibole) and minerals from the gypsum open-air storage yard (gypsum and apatite). Soil samples showed average content of U 4.6 ppm and Th 10 ppm, which are similar to average crustal abundances. They also show average contents of $^{40}K$ 191-1,166 Bq/kg, $^{226}Ra$ 15.6-710 Bq/kg, and $^{232}Th$ 17.4-72.7 Bq/kg, which indicate moderate levels of radio nuclide. But $^{226}Ra$ anomaly in the gypsum open storage yard is clearly confirmed and $^{232}Th$ anomaly is also confirmed in the east road side of the factory and nearby mountain areas. Soil external hazard indices ranged 0.24-2.01 with the average 0.54. Although most external hazard indices were lower than 1, which means radiation hazard index to be negligible, 5 samples out of total 40 samples showed higher values than 1, and further detailed investigation is needed.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.99-118
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• 2000

The variation of Na(A), K, Na(M4), A l O and Al(VI)+Fe3++Ti+Cr in the zonal amphiboles from the amphibolites of the Hwanggangri area indicates that the tschermakite-, edenite- and glaucophane substitutions are higher in the rim than in the core, in which actinolite changes to hornblende with going outward from core to rim. The contents of substitutional elements of hornblende~ of three samples@l29-2, M76-2, M78), which include diopside and greenish brown hornblende and are thought to represent the highest metamorphic grade, are lower than those of rim homblendes of the lower metamorphic grade and are higher than those of core actinolite that they conform to the middle domain in those of the whole amphiboles. Considerations about the origin of zonal amphiboles are as follows. Firstly, two samples(R102-1, R210-9) have the same amphibole composition like core is actinolitic hornblende, and rim is magnesian hastingsite although plagioclases such as albite(R102-1) and labradorite (R210-9) show the wide compositional difference. It is impossible to produce both albite and labradorite by one metamorphic event. Judging from this wide compositional difference, the existence of zonal amphiboles does not indicate the miscibility gap but is thought to be the result of the polymetamorphism. Secondly, the crystallographically sharp and gradational interfaces between actinolite and hornblende fonned in the amphibolites rgardless of the distance from the granite. In case of the samples(R210-9, M128, M130) having the sharp interface between two amphiboles, the plagioclase show the compositions produced at the low grade and the medium grade. Because such variable compositions of plagioclase indicates the overprinting of metamorphism of higher metamorphic grade than that of the formation of miscibility gap, it implies that zonal amphiboles were formed by polymetarnorphism. In case of the gradational interface between two amphiboles, this texture is also thought to be the effect of polymetamorphism from the fact that this texture mainly occur near the granite and from the consideration of the metamporphic grade. The relationship between the compositional variations of the amphiboles and the pressure types of metamorphism suggests that actinolitic core is considered to be grown by the metamorphism of medium pressure, while hornblende rim is shown to have genetic relations with the metamorphism of low pressure type.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.349-358
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• 2000

Compressional and shear wave velocities (Vp and Vs) and densities have been measured for serpentinite, amphibolite, amphibole and biotite schist, and gneiss from western part of Chungnam Province at room temperature. Ranges of the density are 2.6${\sim}$2.86g/cm$^3$ for serpentinite, 2.25${\sim}$2.81g/cm$^3$ for talc, and 2.74${\sim}$3.07g/cm$^3$ for metamorphic rocks. Of these rocks, talc shows wider ranges than serpentinite and amphibolites due to its metamorphic process from serpentinite. Values of Vp and Vs are 5719${\sim}$6062m/s and 2898${\sim}$3351m/s for serpentinites, 4019${\sim}$5478m/s and 2241/${\sim}$2976m/s for talc, 5375${\sim}$6372m/s and 3042${\sim}$3625m/s for amphibolite, 5290${\sim}$5499m/s and 2968${\sim}$3137m/s for schist, and 4788m/s and 2804m/s for gneiss, respectively. Velocity of P wave increases 1.47 times faster than S wave with increase of density. The results of seismic velocity measurement show anisotropy, higher velocity across than along the schistocity of rocks, especially in metamorphic rocks. This fact indicates that there were regional metamorphism related with tectonic forces. Values of seismic velocity increase with increasing pressure from 20 MPa to 70 MPa, especially in metamorphic rocks. Overall recalculated Vp and Vs values suggest that the serpentinite indicates for upper mantle in the respects of seismic characteristics, in spite of high degree of serpentinization. In addition, those of the amphibolite do for low crust, and gneiss and schist for upper crust.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.395-415
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• 2001

In the Singok area, western part of Chungcheongnam-Do, two ultramafic ma~ses, Singok mass and Kaewol mass, occur as isolated lenticular bodies in the Precambrian Kyeonggi gneiss complex. The masses extend for several hundred meter to NNE direction, parallel to the main fault line of this area. The rocks are dunite and harzburgite, but partially and absolutely serpentinized. They dominantly show porphyroclastic and recrystallized textures with equigranular-mosaic and protogranular textures. In spite of differences among the alteration and metamorphism, the ultramafic masses are characterized by varying amounts of high fosteritic olivine ($Fo_{0.88-0.93}$), magnesian pyroxene ($En_{0.93-0.97}$), and tremolitic to tschermakitic hornblende with minor spinel, serpentine, chlorite, calcite, magnetite, phlogopite and talc. It is compared with adjacent gneiss complex containing amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, alkali-feldspar and quartz. Geochemically, these rocks show high magnesium number (Mg>90.38), and transitional element (Ni=595-2480, Cr==IOlO-4400, Co=36-120 ppm), low alkali element ($Na_{2}O$<0.3, $K_{2}O$<0.11, $Al_{2}O_3$<2.95 wt%) and depleted incompatible element contents, which is compared with adjacent rocks (Mg < 83.69, $Na_{2}O$=1.02-3.42 wt%, $K_{2}O$=O.67-5.65 wt%, $Al_{2}O_3$=9.15-16.86 wt%, Ni < 435 ppm, Cr < 1440 ppm, Co<59 ppm, enriched incompatible element contents). Overall characteristics of ultramafic rocks from the Singok and Kaewol masses are similar to the those of adjacent ultramafic bodies in Chungnam with worldwide orogenic related Alpine type ultramalic rocks. Calculated geothermometries suggest that the ultramafic rocks have experienced metamorphism in the condition ranging from the greenschist facies to granulite facies.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.351-363
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• 2012

In order to develop the evaluation techniques for the potential sulfide ore reserves, the relationships between the modal vol.%, grain sizes and textural characteristics of the constituent minerals (e.g., sulfides, oxides and skarn minerals) and the Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) phase differences are examined for the nine rock cores collected from the Gagok Pb-Zn skarn deposit. The Gagok Pb-Zn skarn deposit occurs mainly along the intrusive contact between the Cretaceous granitic rocks and Cambrian Myobong slate and Pungchon limestone. The nine rock cores have been grouped into three showing distinctive SIP phase differences: the highest (Group I), intermediate (Group II) and lowest (Group III). In relation with the modal vol.% of minerals, Group I is characterized by higher pyrrhotite (25-38 vol.%) and amphibole (40-55 vol.%); Group II by intermediate pyrrhotite (7-13 vol.%) and higher garnet (44-68 vol.%); and lower pyrrhotite (1-7 vol.%) and higher pyroxene (24-66 vol.%) stand for Group III. Furthermore, the grains of all the major constituent minerals become smaller from Group I (<5 mm) through Group II (<2.5 mm) to Group III (<1.6 mm). In particular, the pyrrhotite contents and their grain sizes show logarithmic correlation with the SIP phase differences, Although we present here the results solely from nine samples, the systematic interrelations especially for pyrrhotite indicate the potential ability of SIP measurements as a new mine-evaluation technique for the sulfide ore reservoir.