• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.799-816
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• 2023

Mineralogical and geochemical studies of shales within the Lower Anambra Basin was conducted to unravel the depositional environment, provenance, maturity, paleo-weathering conditions, and tectonic settings. Mineralogical studies conducted using X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the samples were composed of kaolinite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and illite. KaolinIite is the dominant mineral, constituting approximately 41.5% of the bulk composition, whereas the non-clay minerals are quartz, ilmenite, and sillimanite. Geochemical analysis showed a predominance of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃ contents of the shale samples with mean values of 52.29%, 14.09%, and 6.15% for Imo Shale (IS); 52.31%, 16.70%, and 7.39% for Mamu Shale (MS); 43.21%, 21.33%, and 10.36% for Enugu Shale (ES); 53.35%, 15.64%, and 7.17% for Nkporo Shale (NS); and 51.24%, 17.25%, and 7.78% for Agwu Shale (AS). However, the shales were depleted in Na₂O, MgO, K₂O, MnO, TiO₂, CaO, and P₂O₅. The trace element ratios of Ni/Co and Cu/Zn of the shale suggest an oxic depositional environment. The average SiO₂ vs. Al₂O₃ ratio of the shales indicated textural maturity. Compared to the PAAS standard, the shales plot below the PAAS value of 0.85, suggesting a high degree of maturity and intensive chemical weathering, further confirmed on a CIA vs. PIA plot. On log (K₂O/Na₂O) against SiO₂ and tectonic setting discriminant function diagrams, the shales plot mostly in the field of passive continental margin tectonic setting. The discriminant function diagrams as well as Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ratio of the shales showed that they were derived from a mixed source (mafic and intermediate igneous rocks).

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• autumn
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• pp.63-65
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• 2001

The Chosen Supergroup (Cambro-Ordovician), mid-east Korea consists mainly of shallow marine carbonates and contains a variety of limestone conglomerates. These conglomerates largely comprise oligomictic, rounded lime-mudstone clasts of various size and shape (equant, oval, discoidal, tabular, and irregular) and dolomitic shale matrices. Most clasts are characterized by jigsaw-fit (mosaic), disorganized, or edgewise fabric and autoclastic lithology. Each conglomerate layer is commonly interbedded with limestone-dolomitic shale couplets and occasionally underlain by fractured limestone layer, capped by calcareous shale. According to composition, characteristic sedimentary structures, and fabric, limestone conglomerates in the Hwajol, Tumugol, Makkol, and Mungok formations of Chosen Supergroup can be classified into 4 types: (1) disorganized polymictic conglomerate (Cd), (2) horizontally stratified polymictic conglomerate (Cs), (3) mosaic conglomerate (Cm), and (4) disorganized/edgewise oligomictic conglomerate (Cd/e). These conglomerates are either depositional (Cd and Cs) or diagenetic (Cm and Cd/e) in origin. Depositional conglomerates are interpreted as storm deposits, tidal channel fills, or transgressive lag deposits. On the other hand, diagenetic conglomerates are not deposited by normal sedimentary processes, but formed by post-depositional diagenetic processes. Diagenetic conglomerates in the Chosen Supergroup are characterized by autoclastic and oligomictic lithology of lime-mudstone clasts, jigsaw-fit (mosaic) fabric, edgewise fabric, and a gradual transition from the underlying bed (Table 1). Autoclastic and oligomictic lithologies may be indicative of subsurface brecciation (fragmentation). Consolidation of lime-mudstone clasts pre-requisite for brecciation may result from dissolution and reprecipitation of CaCO3 by degradation of organic matter during burial. Jigsaw-fit fabric has been considered as evidence for in situ fragmentation. The edgewise fabric is most likely formed by expulsion of pore fluid during compaction. The lower boundary of intraformational conglomerates of depositional origin is commonly sharp and erosional. In contrast, diagenetic conglomerate layers mostly show a gradual transition from the underlying unit, which is indicative of progressive fragmentation upward (Fig. 1). The underlying fractured limestone layer also shows evidence for in situ fragmentation such as jigsaw-fit fabric and the same lithology as the overlying conglomerate layer (Fig, 1). Evidence from the conglomerate beds in the Chosen Supergroup suggests that diagenetic conglomerates are formed by in situ subsurface fragmentation of limestone layers and rounding of the fragments. In situ subsurface fragmentation may be primarily due to compaction, dewatering (upward-moving pore fluids), and dissolution, accompanying volume reduction. This process commonly occurs under the conditions of (1) alternating layers of carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor sediments and (B) early differential cementation of carbonate-rich layers. Differential cementation commonly takes place between alternating beds of carbonate-rich and clay-rich layers, because high carbonate content promotes cementation, whereas clay inhibits cementation. After deposition of alternating beds and differential cementation, with progressive burial, upward-moving pore fluid may raise pore-pressure in the upper part of limestone layers, due to commonly overlying impermeable shale layers (or beds). The high pore-pressure may reinforce propagation of fragmentation and cause upward-expulsion of pore fluid which probably produces edgewise fabric of tabular clasts. The fluidized flow then extends laterally, causing reorientation and further rounding of clasts. This process is analogous to that of autobrecciation, which can be analogously termed autoconglomeration. This is a fragmentation and rounding process whereby earlier semiconsolidated portions of limestone are incorporated into still fluid portions. The rounding may be due mainly to immiscibility and surface tension of lime-mud. The progressive rounding of the fragmented clasts probably results from grain attrition by fluidized flow. A synthetic study of limestone conglomerate beds in the Chosen Supergroup suggests that very small percent of the conglomerate layers are of depositional origin, whereas the rest, more than $80\%$, are of diagenetic origin. The common occurrence of diagenetic conglomerates warrants further study on limestone conglomerates elsewhere in the world.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 1991

This study reports on the physical and chemical properties of the whole soils (<2mm) derived from five major rocks of granite, granite-gneiss, limestone, shale, and basalt in Korea. The properties were considered from the kind and frequency distribution of rock-forming minerals in the parent rocks. In particle size distribution, sand fractions were high in the soils from granite-gneiss, silt fractions mainly, in the residual soils from limestone, shale, and basalt. And clay fractions were particularly high in the colluvial soil from limestone and the old alluvial soil from basalt. pH, extractable Ca and Mg, and cation exchange capacity of the soils derived from limestone might be considered to be high due to the presence of sand and/or silt-sized calcite and dolomite inherited from the parent rocks. However, the soils derived from granite and granite-gneiss, being abundant in feldspars, quartz, and micas, showed a tendency to the contrary. A soil from shale composing of high quartz tended to have pH. extractable Ca, base saturation, and low exchangeable Al. In total element analysis, the soils derived from parent rocks with high contents of (i) orthoclase and micas, (ii) biotite, primary chlorite, and augite, and (iii) carbonate minerals and plagioclase as a rock-forming mineral showed a tendency to decrease the contents of $K_2O$, $Fe_2O_3$ and MgO, and CaO in comparison with those of their parent rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.491-508
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• 2002

While about 80% of Jeju soils are classified as Andisols, the soils derived from volcanic ash in Dangsanbong are not Andisols. There is a significant difference of precipitation in localities of Jeju island. The study area is characterized by the lowest amount of annual rainfall in Jeju Island, and by the layered silicates as dominant solid phase in clay fraction. The purpose of this study was to characterize the mineralogy of the non-Andie soils in detail, especially hydroxy-interlayered silicates. Two major soil horizons are recognized in the soil profile developed in the Dangsanbong area, which can be designated as A and C. The soil pH($H_{2}0$), ranges from 6.6 to 7.3 increasing with depth, is higher than that of typical Andisols(pH<6.0). While the pH(NaF), ranges from 9.49 to 9.81, indicates that significant amount of amorphous phases might be present as exchanging complexes. It is estimated to about 1.542.88 wt% by using chemical selective dissolution. The organic content of surface horizon is about 2 wt%. This soil are composed of quartz, feldspar and olivine as major constituents with minor of silicate clays. Quartz is frequently observed in A and distinctly decreases in its amount with depth, while olivine is dominant phase in C and rarely observed in A. In the <0.2$\mu\textrm{m}$ size fraction, smectite and kaolinite/smectite interstratification are dominant with minor of illite. The amounts of smectite decrease with depth, while the amounts of kaolinite/smecite interstratification increase with depth, which indicates the trend of mineral transformation with increasing the degree of weathering. The proportion of kaolinite in kaolinite/smectite interstratification is about 85%, and is not changed significantly through the profile. In the 2-0.2$\mu\textrm{m}$size fraction, vermiculite, smectite, illite and kaolinite are major components with minor of chlorite. Most of chlorite are interstratified with smectite. Chlorite which is not interstratified with smectite occurs only in surface horizon. The proportion of the chlorite in the chlorite/smectite interstratification is 59-70(%) and increases with depth. Hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite(HIV) with hydroxy-Fe/AI in their interlayers occurs in both A and C horizon. The amounts of hydroxy-Fe/AI decrease with depth. Hydroxy-interlayered smectite(HIS) of which interlayers might be composed of hydroxy-Mg/Al occurs only in C horizon. As the results of mineralogical investigation for the soil profile in the study area, clay minerals might be changed and evolved through the following weathering sequences: 1) Smectite Kaolinite, HIS, Vermiculite, 2) Vermiculite HIV Chlorite.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.471-483
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• 2001

The pH values of the mine and surface water from the Tohyun mine creek were higher compared with those of groundwater, and 2nd round samples in same sites were even alkaline. The stream and mine waters belong to the characteristics of (Ca+Mg)-(SO$_4$) and (Ca+Mg)-(HCO$_3$) types, and groundwaters have to the (Ca+Mg+Na+K)-(HCO$_3$+SO$_4$) type. As the 2nd samples. concentrations of mostly anions are increasing compared with the forder samples. However, the mostly cation concentrations are decreasing. The hydrogeochemistry indicate that water quality is different chemical characteristics and evolution trends. The range of $\delta$D and $\delta$$^{18}$ valutes (relative to SMOW) in the waters are shown in -62.2 to -70.1$\textperthousand$, and -8.1 to -9.4$\textperthousand$. The values are plowed parallel to $\delta$D=8$\delta$$^{18}$ O+ (6$\pm$4). The d values of groundwater show 2.4, which is lower than the surface (5.2) and mine (7.6) waters. Strontium concentra titans range from 0.025 to 11.844 mg/$\ell$ in all kinds of water samples, but the groundwater has the highest contents The $^{87}$ Sr/$^{86}$ Sr ratios (0.7115 to 0.7129) show more lightened to the groundwater. The $\delta$$^{18}$ O value, Ca and Sr contents are decreased with $^{87}$ Sr/$^{86}$ Sr increasing, because it is support to the altitude effects of the sampling sites rather than a water-rock interaction of environmental isotope. Using computer code of WATEQ4F, saturation indices of albite, Quartz, gibssite and gypsum are calculated to be soluble. The calcite and dolomite show super saturation state, however, clay mineral species are plotted boundary between undersaturation and supersaturation. In the Tohyun mine creek, reaction materials with ore wastes arid precipitation have influence upon increasing EC and TDS of the waters independent of pH. The SO$_4$ concentrations in the mine water is 181.845 mg/$\ell$. This is abruptly increase in surface water and then detected 249.727 mg/$\ell$ in the groundwater. As a results of the calculated sulfate mineral solubilities, the sulfate ions became saturation states an above 150 mg/$\ell$ concentrations.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2003

Various applied-mineralogical characterization including measurements of surface area, size distribution, swelling index, and viscosity were done for some domestic bentonites in order to decipher the rheological properties and their controlling factors. The bentonites, which are Ca-type and relatively low-grade (rnontmorillonite contents: 30 ∼ 75 wt%), occur mostly as subhedral lamellas with the size range of 2 ∼ 4 $\mu\textrm{m}$. The size distribution of mineral fractions in bentonite suspension is dominant in the range of 10 ∼ 100 $\mu\textrm{m}$, and though rather complicated, exhibits roughly bimodal patterns. The feature is more conspicuous in the case of zeolitic bentonite. The bentonites have surface areas ranging 269 ∼ 735 $\m^2$/g, which are measured by EGME adsorption method. The EGME surface areas are nearly proportional to the rnontmorillonite contents, moisture contents, or total CEC. In the surface area measurements, zeolitic bentonites have slightly higher values than those zeolite- free types. The measured swelling index and viscosity of domestic bentonites are comparatively low in values. The swelling values of bentonites were measured to be 250∼500% at maximum by progressively mixing amounts of 2 ∼ 5 wt% Na$_2$CO$_3$, which varies depending on the contents of rnontmorillonite and other impurities, especially zeolite. Much amount of sodium carbonate is required for optimum swelling property of zeolitic bentonited which has usually strong Na- exchanged capacity. The bentonites, which are comparatively feldspar-rich and low in size and crystallinity, tend to be higher in viscosity values. Tn addition, the viscosity is largely higher in case of the bentonites with higher pH in suspension. However, the rheological properties of bentonites such as swelling index and viscosity do not show any obvious relationships with rnontmorillonite contents and mean particle size in suspension. In contrast, roughly speaking, the swelling index of bentonites is reversely proportional to the values of surface area which can be regarded as a collective physico-chemical parameter encompassing all the effects caused by mineral composition, surface charge, particle size, morphological farm, and etc. in bentonites. Thus, the rheological properties in bentonite suspension appear to be rather complicated characteristics which mainly depend on the flocculation of clay particles and the mode of particle association, i.e. quasicrystals, controlled by surface charge, morphology, size, and texture of rnon-tmorillonite, and which partly affected by the finer impurities such as zeolite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.329-344
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• 2002

Mineralogical and chemical characterization of some domestic bentonites, such as quantitative XRD analysis, chemical leaching experiments, pH and CEC determinations, were done without any separation procedures to understand their relationships among mineral composition, characteristics, and cation exchange properties. XRD quantification results based on Rietveld method reveal that the bentonites contain totally more than 25 wt% of impurities, such as zeolites, opal-CT, and feldspars, in addition to montmorillonite ranging 30～75 wt%. Cation exchange properties of the zeolitic bentonites are deeply affected by the content of zeolites identified as clinoptilolite-heulandite series. Clinoptilolite is common in the silicic bentonites with lighter color. and occurs closely in association with opal-CT. Ca is mostly the dominant exchangeable cation, but some zeolitic bentonites have K as a major exchangeable cation, The values of cation exchange capacity (CEC) determined by Methylene Blue method are comparatively low and have roughly a linear relationship with the montmorillonite content of the bentonite, though the correlated data tend to be rather dispersed. Compared to this, the CEC determined by Ammonium Acetate method, i.e.‘Total CEC’, has much higher values (50～115 meq/100 g). The differences between those CEC values are much greater in zeolitic bentonites, which obviously indicates the CEC increase affected by zeolite. Other impurities such as opal-CT and feldspars seem to affect insignificantly on the CEC of bentonites. When dispersed in distilled water, the pH of bentonites roughly tends to increase up to 9.3 with increasing the alkali abundance, especially Na, in exchangeable cation composition. However, some bentonites exhibit lower pH (5～6) so as to regard as ‘acid clay’. This may be due to the presence of $H^{＋}$ in part as an exchangeable cation in the layer site of montmorillonite. All the works of this study ultimately suggest that an assesment of domestic bentonites in grade and quality should be accomplished through the quantitative XRD analysis and the ‘Total CEC’measurement.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 1994

The Deogbong napseok clay deposit which is composed mainly of dickite and pyrophyllite has been formed by hydrothermal alteration of the Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks consisting of andesitic tuff and andesite. The mineralogy of the napseok ores and the hydrothermal alteration processes have been studied in order to know the nature of the interaction between minerals and fluids for the formation of the deposit. Chemical distribution shows that alkali elements and silica were mobile but alumina was relatively immobile during the hydrothermal processes. It is evident that enrichment of alumina and leaching of silica from the host rock led to the formation of the napseok ore, whereas the enrichment of silica in the outer zone of the deposit gave rise to the silica zone. A large amount of microcrystalline quartz closely associated with dickite and pyrophyllite suggests the increasing activity of silica. Thus Si which was released away from the argillic zone by the increasing activity of silica. Thus Si which was released away from the argillic zone by the increasing activity of silica solubility moved out precipitating in the margin of the deposit to form the silica zone. Variation in dickite crystallinity implies the local change in the stability of the system. Thermodynamic calculation shows that the invariant point of pyrophyllite-dickite (kaolinite)-diaspore-quartz assemblages at 500 bars in the system $Al_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2}-H_{2}O$ is about 300 $^{\circ}C$. Based on the mineral assemblages and the experimental data reported, it is estimated that the main episode of hydrothermal alteration occurred at least above 270 to 300 $^{\circ}C$ and $X_{CO_2}$ <0.025. Mineral occurrence and chemical variation indicate that the activity of Al is high in the upper part of the deposit, whereas the activity of Si is high in the lower part and the margin of the deposit. The nonequilibrium phase relations observed in the Deogbong deposit might be due to local change in intensive thermodynamic variables and fluid transport properties that resulted in the formation of nonequilibrium phases b of several stages.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.41-54
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• 2012

The weathering process of rocks leads to the reduction of geotechnical bearing capacity. The weathering of granite is frequently used to refer to the degradation of geotechnical property in the design and construction of infra-structure. In this study, the range of values of CIA (chemical index of alteration) and the change of mineral compositions by weathering have been analysed with igneous rock, which covers 45.5% in South Korean territory. Several weathering indices were studied for various rocks found in Korea and significant relationships between different indices were delineated via statistical analysis. The applicability of CIA was found to be the most significant among all weathering indicies. The composition of illite, the secondary weathering residual, generally increases for the felsic rock, and swelling clay material is not included. The weathering of felsic rock will follow a sequential process, starting from bed rock, illite, and chlorite to kaoline. The mafic rock will show weathering process, from bed rock, smectite, and chlorite to kaoline. The intermediate rocks such as andesite and tuff will show similar weathering procedure and the composition of kaoline, chlorite, and smectite tends to increase more than that of illite when the mafic rock is dominated. This means the increase of rock material which has high CEC (cation exchange capacity) during secondary weathering process. However, the characteristics of a specific rock cannot be completely analyzed using merely CIA, since it is exclusively based on chemical composition and corresponding alteration. The CIA can be used to quantify the weathering process in a limited range, and further considerations such as rock composition, strength characteristics will be required to configure the comprehensive weathering impact on any specific region.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2001

Environmental pollution of the Tohyun mine creek area was investigated on the basis of geology, mineralogy and geochemistry. In soils and sediments of the mine area, ${Al_2}{O_3}/{Na_2O}$ and ${K_2}O/{Na_2}O$ ratios are partly negative correlation against ${SiO_2}/{Al_2}{O_3}$, respectively. Geochemical characteristics of some trace and rare earth elements such as V/Ni, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, Th/U, La/Th, ${La_N}/{Yb_N}$, La/Sc and Sc/Th are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by simple source lithology. These results suggest that sediments source of the host shale around the mine area could be originated by basic to intermediate igneous rocks. Mineral compositions of soil and sediment near the mine area were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, clay minerals and some pyrite. Soils and sediments with highly concentrated heavy minerals, gravity separated mineralogy, are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and various kinds of hydroxide minerals on the polished sections. As normalized by bed rock composition, average enrichment indices of major elements in sediments, precipitates, farmland soils and paddy soils are 1.0, 1.7, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Maximum concentration of environmental toxic elements in the mine creek are detected with Ag = 186 ppm, As = 17,100 ppm, Bi = ]27 ppm, Cd = 77 ppm, Cu = 12,299 ppm, Pb = 8,897 ppm, Sb = 1,350 ppm, W = 599 ppm and Zn = 12,250 ppm, which are increasing with total FeO increasing, and extremely high concentrations of surface sediments and precipitates near the waste rock dump. These toxic elements (As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, W and Zn) of the samples, normalizing by host rock concentration, revealed that average enrichment index is 106.0 for sediments, 279.6 for precipitates, 3.5 for farmland soils and 1.6 for paddy soils. However, on the basis of EPA values, enrichment indices of all the samples are 40.7, 121.4, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively.