• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.272-279
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• 2002

During field survey of ground penetrating radar or borehole radar, we often encounter some problems which could be solved easily by modifying structure of the system such as antenna length, shape or array. In addition, it is necessary that the user could easily modify configuration of the radar system na test various array of antennas in order to verify and confirm numerical modeling results concerning radar antennas. We have developed network-analyzer-based, stepped-frequency georadar system. This system had been comprised with coaxial cable to confirm possibility of the system, then we have upgraded the system to use optical cable that is composed of optical/electric transducers, electric/optical transducers, amp, pre-amp and antennas. The software for the aquisition of data has been developed to control the system automatically using PC with GPIB communication and to display the obtained data graphically. We have tested the system in field survey na the results have been compared with those of RAMAC/GPR system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.261-271
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• 1987

Muguk gold deposits are composed of quartz veins emplaced along faults in Mesozoic granodiorite. General strikes and dips of the veins are $N15{\sim}20^{\circ}W$ and $70{\sim}80^{\circ}NE$. Associated ore minerals are pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, native silver, argentite, tetrahedrite and electrum. Vein mineral paragenesis is complicated by repeated fracturing, but five distinct depositional stages can be recognized. Electrum grains are associated mainly with sulfide bands formed along both margins of pale pink quartz of stage 3, and with patches of pyrite aggregate of stage 4. Before the close down in 1972, Muguk gold mine yielded more than 8 tons of gold of which major portion was produced from the No.2 vein. No.2 vein, extending about 1,500m laterally, was exploited to a depth of about 750m. In 1984, Young-poong mining company acquired the mining property and began geologic mapping, geochemical and geophysical exploration, diamond drilling and exploration tunnelling around the mine area to seek for other rich gold-bearing quartz veins. As the Samhyungje vein was disclosed to be the most rich vein, exploration works were focussed on the Samhyungje vein. As of August 1987, 22,338m of diamond drilling and 9,652m of exploration tunnelling have been undertaken. Owing to the successful result of exploration, the Muguk mine commenced normal operation on January 1987, treating 5,500 tons of ore per month.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.367-371
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• 2014

In early 1990s, the Korean government has launched a deep-sea research program to secure the stable long-term supply of strategic metallic minerals including Cr, Cu and Ni. Through the pioneering surveys, Korea registered $150,000km^2$ of Mn-nodule field in the Clarion-Clipperton area, the NE equatorial Pacific to the international sea-bed authority (ISA) in 1994. Following the ISA exploration code, the final exclusive exploration area of $75,000km^2$ was assigned in 2002, based on results of eight-year researches of chemico-physical properties of nodules, bottom profiles and sediment properties. Since that time, environmental studies, mining technical developments including robot miner and lifting system and establishment of smelting systems were accompanied with the detailed geophysical studies to decipher the priori mining area until 2009. Major points of the recent Korea Mn-nodule program are deployed on a commercial scale until 2015. In order to meet the goals, we developed a 1/5 scaled robot miner compared to commercial one in 2012 and performed a mining test at the water depth of 1,370 m in 2013. In addition, detailed 25,000 scaled mining maps in the priori area, which can provide operation roots of the miner, will be prepared and an environmental-friendly mining strategy will be pursued based on the environmental impact test and environmental monitoring.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2013

Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through a seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently extract petroleum which lies in rock formations beneath the seabed. There are many different type of facilities from which offshore drilling operations take place. These include bottom founded drilling rigs, combined drilling and production facilities either bottom founded or floating platforms, and deepwater mobile offshore drilling units including semi-submersibles and drillships. These are capable of operating in water depths up to 3,000 m. In this paper, we introduce the drilling system, which is mounted on the offshore drilling facilities.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.665-676
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• 1996

Domestic metal mines have contributed to the national industrialization of Japan for over a century through their stable supply of raw materials. However, due to the changes which have taken place in the industries structure, mining industry has been shifted to downstream industries. At present, only three major mines are in production. In recent times, changing economic conditions have made it increasingly difficult to develop new base metal mines. Subsequently, the deposit type targeted has shifted from base metals to epithermal associated gold deposits which, if of sufficient grade and tonnage, can be economical. Accompanying the dramatic rise in the price of gold during the late 1970's, has been an increase in the geological information and our understanding of epithermal gold deposits around the Pacific rim region. In particular, the common acceptance of the plate tectonic theory and the correlation's between modem geothermal systems and fossil epithermal systems were most important developments. In 1988, the Mining Council authorized the domestic exploration of 19 districts, targeting epithermal gold mineralization. Since 1989 the Metal Mining Agency of Japan, semi-government organization, has been conducted gold exploration in such area. With new genetic concepts and new technologies, promising gold mineralization has been discovered. Two such areas which are at an advanced stage of exploration are Seta, in northern Hokkaido, and Noya, in central Kyushu.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.101-111
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• 2000

In order to assess the seawater intrusion, induction, temperature and conductivity of fluid, and natural gamma logs were obtained in nine wells at the three study areas having different hydrogeologic characteristics. Besides surface geophysical exploration, supplementary geophysical well logs were carried out to understand the hydrogeological characteristics related to the seawater intrusion in the study areas. The geophysical well logs have been proved to increase the accuracy of interpretation of the surface geophyscial exploration's data for assessment of seawater intrusion, and to get the optimum depth for a long monitoring of groundwater. They, also, revealed that the identification of hydrogeological units for strata's porosity was able to be achieved and were illustrated the applicability of geophysical well logs monitoring. Finally, geophysical well logs are expected to play to get the more quantitative information of seawater infusion, if it is fully collaborated with a better method that is strata's resistivity determination with not relatively much effected by seawater within the drilled borehole and that is the porosity measurement with built on small diameter PVC casing.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2005

Geophysical logging is routinely undertaken as part of most coal mine exploration programs. Currently, the main application for the logs is to determine coal seam depth and to qualitatively estimate coal quality, lithology, and rock strength. However, further information can be obtained, if quantitative log interpretation is made. To assist in the uptake of quantitative interpretation, we discuss log responses in terms of the mineralogy of the clastic sedimentary rocks frequently found in the Australian black coal mining areas of the Sydney and Bowen Basins. We find that the log responses can be tied to the mineralogy with reasonable confidence. Ambiguities in the interpretation will be better resolved if a full suite of logs is run. A method for checking for internal consistency, by comparing calculated and observed velocities, is also described. A key driver for quantitative interpretation is geotechnical characterisation. We propose a classification system for clastic rocks that takes into consideration physical rock properties that can be inferred from geophysical logs.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.223-235
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• 2002

Since weak Bones or geological lineaments are likely to be eroded, there may develop weak Bones beneath rivers, and a careful evaluation of ground condition is important to construct structures passing through a river. DC resistivity method, however, has seldomly applied to the investigation of water-covered area, possibly because of difficulties in data aquisition and interpretation. The data aquisition having high quality may be the most important factor, and is more difficult than that in land survey, due to the water layer overlying the underground structure to be imaged. Through the numerical modeling and the analysis of a case history, we studied the method of resistivity survey at the water-covered area, starting from the characteristics of measured data, via data acquisition method, to the interpretation method. We unfolded our discussion according to the installed locations of electrodes, ie., floating them on the water surface, and installing them at the water bottom, because the methods of data acquisition and interpretation vary depending on the electrode location. Through this study, we could confirm that the DC resistivity method can provide fairly reasonable subsurface images. It was also shown that installing electrodes at the water bottom can give the subsurface image with much higher resolution than floating them on the water surface. Since the data acquired at the water-covered area have much lower sensitivity to the underground structure than those at the land, and can be contaminated by the higher noise, such as streaming potential, it would be very important to select the acquisition method and electrode array being able to provide the higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) data as well as the high resolving power. Some of the modified electrode arrays can provide the data having reasonably high S/N ratio and need not to install remote electrode(s), and thus, they may be suitable to the resistivity survey at the water-covered area.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.355-360
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• 2009

This paper presents mobile robot based down-scale mineral resources exploration test system for the USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) based exploration. The system emulates the actual exploration environment. Underneath the metal free test plate, a metal object is attached. A magneto-meter mounted mobile robot runs around on the plate to find the metal. The measured magneto-meter values are transferred to the host PC via wireless network. The system enables to improve the reliability of simulation as well as to help efficient exploration system design. Metal-detecting experiments were carried out to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed system.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2002

Conventional electromagnetic (EM) method using small loops as a source and receiver has been used in detection of conductive buried objects like a metal detector or in qualitative estimation of the subsurface conductivity variation. Recently, however, since detection of buried objects and imaging of the subsurface conductivity distribution in a relatively conductive area are in a high demand for environmental and engineering purposes, the quantitative interpretation technique of EM data is actively studied. In this regard, we introduce a brief principle of EM survey and show an example of the detection of buried conductive material and imaging of the subsurface conductivity distribution based on data measured at a test survey area. Through this study, we show that multi-frequency EM surveys using small loops may be a good solution to give quick and detail information of subsurface in a conductive survey area.