• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.191-199
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• 1994

We have developed an algorithm based on the method of integral equations to simulate the magnetotelluric (MT) responses of three-dimensional (3-D) bodies in a layered half-space. The inhomogeneities are divided into a number of cells and are replaced by an equivalent current distribution which is approximated by pulse basis functions. A matrix equation is constructed using the electric Green's tensor function appropriate to a layered earth, and is solved for the vector current in each cell. Subsequently, scattered fields are found by integrating electric and magnetic Green's tensor functions over the scattering current About a 3-D conductive body near the earth's surface, interpretation using 2-D transverse electric modeling schemes can imply highly erratic low resistivities at depth. This is why these routines do not account for the effect of boundary charges. However, centrally located profiles across elongate 3-D prisms may be modeled accurately with a 2-D transverse magnetic algorithm, which implicitly includes boundary charges in its formulation. Multifrequency calculations show that apparent resistivity and impedance phase are really two complementary parameters. Hence, they should be treated simultaneously in broadband MT interpretation.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2018

A total of 594 reservoirs (17%), which are managed by KRC, equipped with earthquake-resistant facilities whereas remaining ones did not. In addition, reservoirs were placed without the effect of geological structures (i.e., fault and lineament). Therefore, development on technique for alleviating the potential hazards by natural disasters along faults and lineaments has required. In addition, an effective reinforcement guideline related to the geological vulnerabilities around reservoirs has required. The final goal of this study is to suggest the effective maintenance for the safety of earth fill dams. A radius 2 km, based on the center of the reservoir in the study area was set as the range of vulnerability impacts of each reservoir. Seismic design, precise safety diagnosis, seismic influence and geological structure were analyzed for the influence range of each reservoir. To classify the vulnerability of geological disasters according to the fault distribution around the reservoir, evaluation index of seismic performance, precise safety diagnosis, seismic influence and geological structure were also developed for each reservoir, which were a component of the vulnerability assessment of geological disasters. As a result, the reservoir with the highest vulnerability to geological disasters in the pilot district was analyzed as Kidong reservoir with an evaluation index of 0.364. Within the radius of 100km from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake, the number of agricultural infrastructure facilities subject to urgent inspections were 1,180 including reservoirs, pumping stations and intakes. Four reservoirs were directly damaged by earthquake among 724 agricultural reservoirs. As a result of the precise inspection and electrical resistivity survey of the reservoir after the earthquake, it was reported that cracks on the crest of reservoirs were not a cause of concern. However, we are constantly monitoring the safety of agricultural facilities by Pohang aftershocks.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.824-833
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• 2009

We analyzed a total of six months of geomagnetic data obtained at Cheonyang observatory, which is operated by Korean Meteorological Administration, to monitor earthquake precursors. Geomagnetic transfer functions (GTFs) and polarization values, which reflect the time-variations of the resistivity of subsurface, were estimated from 3-component geomagnetic data. The time-variant fluctuations were compared with the earthquake events occurred in the same period. Now that the daily GTFs show fairly irregular variations, we can not identify any correlation with the already occurred earthquakes and Kp index. On the other hand, we detect clear increases of the Ultra-Low-Frequency (ULF) band polarization values before the earthquakes, but the similar features are also observed even though the earthquake did not occur. This result may indicate that these time-variations are not just due to the earthquake precursor. For further understanding about these results, we need to investigate the relationship between the previous earthquake events and the geomagnetic data of other observatories.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.429-435
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• 2005

3D RMR (Rock Mass Rating) analysis has been performed by applying the Geostatistical integration technique for geophysical and borehole data. Of the various geostatistical techniques for the integrated data analysis, in this study, we applied the SKlvm (Simple Kriging with local varying means) method that substitutes the values of the interpreted geophysical result with the mean values of the RMR at the location to be inferred. The substitution is performed by the indicator transform between the result of geophysical interpretation and the observed RMR values at borehole sites. The used geophysical data are the electrical resistivity and MT result, and 10 borehole sites are investigated to obtain the RMR values. This integrated analysis makes the interpretation to be more practical for identifying the realistic RMR distribution that supports the regional geological situation.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2007

An efficient algorithm for inverting static-shifted magnetotelluric (MT) data has been proposed to produce a three-dimensional (3D) resistivity model. In the Gauss-Newton approach, computational costs associated with construction of a full sensitivity matrix usually make 3D MT inversion impractical. This computational difficulty may be overcome by using approximate sensitivities. We use four kinds of sensitivities in particular orders in the inversion process. These sensitivities are computed 1) analytically for an initial, homogeneous earth, 2) exactly for a current model, 3) approximately by the Broyden method, and 4) approximately using the previous adjoint fields. Inversion experiments with static-shifted synthetic and field MT data indicate that inversion results are highly dependent on characteristics of data and thus applying various combinations of sensitivities is helpful in obtaining a good image of the subsurface structure with reasonable computation time.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.291-298
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• 2002

We have developed a two-dimensional (2-D) magnetotelluric (MT) inversion algorithm, which can include topographic effects in inversion. We use the finite element method (FEM) to incorporate topography into forward calculation. Topography is implemented simply by moving nodes of rectangular elements in z-direction according to the elevation of air-earth interface. In the inversion process, we adopt a spatially variable Lagrangian multiplier algorithm in the smoothness-constrained least-squares inversion. The inversion algorithm developed in this study reconstructs subsurface resistivity structure quite well when topography variation exists. Also, it turns out to be effective in both resolution and stability from a model study and field data application.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.257-267
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• 2021

Constraints on the structure and composition of the active layer are important for understanding permafrost evolution. Soil convection owing to repeated moisture-induced freeze-thaw cycles within the active layer promotes the formation of self-organized patterned ground. Here we present the results of ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys across a selected sorted circle near King Sejong Station, Antarctica, to better delineate the active layer and its relation to the observed patterned ground structure. We acquire GPR data in both bistatic mode (common mid-points) for precise velocity constraints and monostatic mode (common-offset) for subsurface imaging. Reflections are derived from the active layer-permafrost boundary, organic layer-weathered soil boundary within the active layer, and frozen rock-fracture-filled ice boundary within the permafrost. The base of the imaged sorted circle possesses a convex-down shape in the central silty zone, which is typical for the pattern associated with convection-like soil motion within the active layer. The boundary between the central fine-silty domain and coarse-grained stone border is effectively identified in a radar amplitude contour at the assumed active layer depth, and is further examined in the frequency spectra of the near- and far-offset traces. The far-offset traces and the traces from the lower frequency components dominant on the far-offset traces would be associated with rapid absorption of higher frequency radiowave due to the voids in gravel-rich zone. The presented correlation strategies for analyzing very shallow, thin-layered GPR reflection data can potentially be applied to the various types of patterned ground, particularly for acquiring time-lapse imaging, when electric resistivity tomography is incorporated into the analysis.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.150-161
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• 2018

Recently, unmanned aircraft EM (electromagnetic) survey based on ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has been widely utilized because of the efficiency in regional survey. We performed the theoretical study on the unmanned airship EM system developed by KIGAM (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral resources) as part of the practical application of unmanned aircraft EM survey. Since this system has different configurations of transmitting and receiving loops compared to the conventional aircraft EM systems, a new technique is required for the appropriate interpretation of measured responses. Therefore, we proposed a method to calculate the EM field for the arbitrary shaped transmitter and verified its validity through the comparison with analytic solution for circular loop. In addition, to simulate the magnetic responses by three-dimensionally (3D) distributed anomalies, we have adapted our algorithm to 3D frequency-domain EM modeling algorithm based on the edge-FEM (finite element method). Though the analysis on magnetic field responses from a subsurface anomaly, it was found that the response decreases as the depth of the anomaly increases or the flight altitude increases. Also, it was confirmed that the response became smaller as the resistivity of the anomaly increases. However, a nonlinear trend of the out-of-phase component is shown depending on the depth of the anomaly and the used frequency, that makes it difficult to apply simple analysis based on the mapping of the magnitude of the responses and can cause the non-uniqueness problem in calculating the apparent resistivity. Thus, it is a prerequisite to analyze the appropriate frequency band and flight altitude considering the purpose of the survey and the site conditions when conducting a survey using the unmanned aircraft EM system.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2007

A three-dimensional (3D) magnetotelluric (MT) survey has been carried out to delineate subsurface structures and possible fractures, for development of low-temperature geothermal resources in Pohang, Korea. Quite good quality MT data could be obtained throughout the survey region by locating the remote reference in Kyushu, Japan, which is ${\sim}480\;km$ from the centre of the field site. 3D modelling and inversion are performed taking into account the sea effect in MT measurements near the seashore. The nearby sea in the Pohang area affects MT data at frequencies below $1\;Hz{\sim}0.2\;Hz$, depending on the distance from the seashore. The most severe sea effects were observed in the south-east parts of the survey area, closer to Youngil Bay. 3D inversion with and without the seawater constraint showed very similar results at shallow depths, roughly down to 2 km. At greater depths, however, a strong sea effect seems to form a fictitious conductive structure in ordinary 3D inversion, especially in the south-eastern part of the survey region. Comparison between drilling results and the resistivity profiles from inversions showed that five layered structures can be distinguished the subsurface beneath the target area. They are: (a) semi-consolidated mudstones with resistivity less than $10\;{\Omega}m$, which are ${\sim}300\;m$ thick in the northern part and ${\sim}600\;m$ thick in the southern part of the survey area; (b) occasional occurrence of trachybasalt and lapilli tuff within the mudstone layer has resistivity of a few tens of${\Omega}m$, (c) intrusive rhyolite ${\sim}400\;m$ thick has resistivity of several hundreds of ${\Omega}m$, (d) alternating sandstone and mudstone down to 1.5 km depth shows resistivity of ${\sim}100\;{\Omega}m$, (e) a conductive structure was found at a depth of ${\sim}3\;km$, but more geological and geophysical study should be carried out to identify this structure.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.56-68
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• 2009

Ongoing and extensive urbanisation, which is frequently accompanied with careless construction works, may threaten important archaeological structures that are still buried in the urban areas. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) methods are most promising alternatives for resolving buried archaeological structures in urban territories. In this work, three case studies are presented, each of which involves an integrated geophysical survey employing the surface three-dimensional (3D) ERT and GPR techniques, in order to archaeologically characterise the investigated areas. The test field sites are located at the historical centres of two of the most populated cities of the island of Crete, in Greece. The ERT and GPR data were collected along a dense network of parallel profiles. The subsurface resistivity structure was reconstructed by processing the apparent resistivity data with a 3D inversion algorithm. The GPR sections were processed with a systematic way, applying specific filters to the data in order to enhance their information content. Finally, horizontal depth slices representing the 3D variation of the physical properties were created. The GPR and ERT images significantly contributed in reconstructing the complex subsurface properties in these urban areas. Strong GPR reflections and highresistivity anomalies were correlated with possible archaeological structures. Subsequent excavations in specific places at both sites verified the geophysical results. The specific case studies demonstrated the applicability of ERT and GPR techniques during the design and construction stages of urban infrastructure works, indicating areas of archaeological significance and guiding archaeological excavations before construction work.