• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.301-312
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• 2010

Geochemical data have been regarded as one of the important environmental variables in the environmental management. Since they are often sampled at sparse locations, it is important not only to predict attribute values at unsampled locations, but also to assess the uncertainty attached to the prediction for further analysis. The main objective of this paper is to exemplify how indicator geostatistics can be effectively applied to geochemical data processing for providing decision-supporting information as well as spatial distribution of the geochemical data. A whole geostatistical analysis framework, which includes probabilistic uncertainty modeling, classification and risk analysis, was illustrated through a case study of cadmium mapping. A conditional cumulative distribution function (ccdf) was first modeled by indicator kriging, and then e-type estimates and conditional variance were computed for spatial distribution of cadmium and quantitative uncertainty measures, respectively. Two different classification criteria such as a probability thresholding and an attribute thresholding were applied to delineate contaminated and safe areas. Finally, additional sampling locations were extracted from the coefficient of variation that accounts for both the conditional variance and the difference between attribute values and thresholding values. It is suggested that the indicator geostatistical framework illustrated in this study be a useful tool for analyzing any environmental variables including geochemical data for decision-making in the presence of uncertainty.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.423-433
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• 2017

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources and Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration in Myanmar have explored the Kalaymyo chromitite deposit, Myanmar since 2013. It is now necessary to find a geochemical indicator for efficient mineral exploration in the future and building a 3D geological model for this ore deposit. Mantle podiform chromitite is a major type of Cr ore in this region, which is considered to be formed by mantle-melt interaction beneath the mantle-crust boundary of oceanic lithosphere. In this study we measured major element composition of spinels in harzburgite, dunite and chromitite, and examined the hypothesis that spinel Cr#(molar Cr/(Cr+Al)${\times}$100) can be used as a geochemical indicator in exploration for the Kalaymyo chromitite. The results show that there is a clear correlation between spinel Cr# and distribution of chromitite. The spinel Cr# of harzburgite increases with decreasing the distance from the chromitite bodies. The spinel composition is also closely associated with texture and occurrence of spinels. The high Cr# spinels (30-48) are subhedral to euhedral and enclosed by olivine whereas the low Cr# spinels (16-27) are anhedral and commonly associated with pyroxenes. Often the low Cr# spinels show symplectite intergrowths with pyroxenes, indicating their residual nature. These petrological and geochemical results suggest that the high Cr# spinels have resulted from mantle-melt interaction. We suggest that spinel Cr# can be used as a geochemical indicator for Cr ore exploration and as one of critical factors in 3D geological model in the Kalaymyo chromitite deposit.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2007

Nine surface sediments from Masan Bay and Gadeog Channel were taken for grain size and geochemical and foraminiferal analyses in August 2002. The sediments consist of mud with 7.29-8.54 $\phi$ in mean grain size. Average concentrations of Al, Fe and Mn are higher in Gadeog Channel than those in Masan Bay. On the other hand, average concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and V are higher in Masan Bay than those in the channel. The latter group of elements show the highest concentration at station M4, off the outfall of treated wastewater disposal. Eighty-one foraminiferal species are identified in total assemblages, including 21 species of living populations. The number of individuals, species number, species diversity and equitability in Masan Bay have lower values than those in Gadeog Channel. The foraminiferal fauna off the outfall is relatively poor. Compared to geochemical and foraminiferal data obtained in 1996, heavy metals are more enriched, and the characteristics of foraminifera are little changed. These features indicate that the pollution of Masan Bay has not been reduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.450-452
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• 2004

Using factor analysis and bivariate comparisons of major components in ground water, three geochemical processes were identified as controlling factors of ground water chemistry; 1) natural mineralization by water rock interactions, 2) effect of seawater which includes salinization by seawater near seashores and deposition of sea salt, and 3) nitrate contamination by N fertilization. Contribution of rainfall was also estimated from the measured composition of wet deposition. The geochemical processes were separated using total alkalinity as an indicator for natural mineralization, Cl for effect of seawater, and nitrate for N fertilization. Relatively high correlation of major components with nitrate suggests that nitrification of nitrogenous fertilizers significantly affects ground water chemistry. Total cations derived from nitrate sources have good linearity for nitrate in equivalent basis with a slope of 1.8, which is a mean of proton production coefficients in nitrification of two major compounds in nitrogenous fertilizers, ammonium and urea. Contribution of nitrate sources to base cations, Cl, and SO$_4$ in ground water was determined considering maximum contribution of natural mineralization to estimate a threshold of the effect of N fertilization for ground water chemistry, which shows W fertilization has a greatest effect than any other processes in ground water with nitrate concentration greater than 50 mg/L for Ca, Mg, Na and with concentration greater than 30 mg/L for Cl and SO$_4$.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.221-244
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• 2014

We suggested several implications by examining geochemical properties of sediments in Simjeok, Jangdo, and Hwaeomneup mountain wetlands which are natural preservation areas. Geochemical properties of wetland sediments show that all wetlands were included in the type of fens, but their distribution patterns were different from one another. We classified three sub-groups of sediments using the two step cluster analysis on the ratio of exchangeable cations. Wetland sediments can be grouped into Ca-dominated, Mg-dominated, and K-dominated types. Simjeok wetland have Ca-dominated sediments, while the sediments of Jangdo wetland indicate the Mg-dominated and Ca-dominated characteristics. Hwaeomneup wetland is composed of K-dominated sediment mainly. Different properties in the ratio are affected by various environmental factors such as geological, pedological, and vegetational settings. Because these geochemical properties will be affected by climate change and human impacts, these will be environmental indicator in mountain wetlands and be used in wetland management. This scheme can be used for classification of mountain wetlands. Therefore, we should work on geochemical properties of wetland sediments and classification schemes based on geochemical properties not only to widen understanding in geomorphic system or ecosystem of mountain wetlands but to conserve mountain wetlands properly.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.169-181
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to develop geochemical tracers to identify a specific source desert of mineral dust in China using the published data. In addition, we tested the applicability of these tracers to wet-deposits and soil samples collected in Jeju, Korea. Because of similarity in trace elemental compositions of mineral dust from the major arid regions in China, such as Taklimakan, West Ordos (Badain Jaran), East Ordos (Mu Us and Hobq), East Northern China (Horqin), West Northern China (Gurbantunggut), and Chinese Loess Plateau, there has been limited to the use of geochemical data for source identification. Here we propose the four (4) plots using combination of seven (7) geochemical variables as a source indicator to distinguish one from other source regions in China: $\frac{Y}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\frac{Th}{{\Sigma}REE_N}$, $\(\frac{La}{Gd}\)_N$ vs. $\frac{Y}{{\Sigma}REE_N}$, $\frac{Th}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\frac{Y}{Nd_N}$, and $\frac{Th}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\(\frac{Ce}{Ce}\)_N^*$, where $_N$ and $\(\frac{Ce}{Ce}\)_N^*$ stand for values normalized to Post-Archean Average Shale composition and Ce anomaly, respectively. Mineral dusts from aforementioned six major deserts are distinguished one from the others by the combined use of these variables. Jeju rock and soil samples form a separate domain from Chinese mineral dusts in all four plots. In contrast, most of Jeju dust samples were comparable with the West Ordos desert (Badain Jaran) domain, indicative of strong influence of Badain Jaran dust in Jeju in spring season when the mineral dust was collected. A weak positive Ce anomaly in Jeju samples implies minimal local contribution. Our study suggests that the combination of $\frac{Y}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\frac{Th}{{\Sigma}REE_N}$, $\(\frac{La}{Gd}\)_N$ vs. $\frac{Y}{{\Sigma}REE_N}$, $\frac{Th}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\frac{Y}{Nd_N}$, and $\frac{Th}{Tb_N}$ vs. $\(\frac{Ce}{Ce}\)_N^*$ can be used to identify a specific source region of mineral dust in China as well as Jeju mineral particles.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.509-521
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to find out geochemical characteristics of stream sediments which are good indicator of geochemical hazard valuation and water in primary channels of the Jangheung area. We separated three groups which were granitoid area, granite gneiss area and tuffeous area by petrological properties. Physical and chemical characteristics of stream water such as temperature, pH, and EC were measured in the field between 1999 and 2001 and stream sediments samples were collected from April to May in 1999. For the chemical analysis of stream sediments samples, XRF, ICP-AES and NAA were used. The contents of the major elements had a similar contents in three groups and those of rare earth elements in granite gneiss area were lower value than those of other two groups. Zn and Cu were higher value than the other toxic elements. Through the enrichment factor and enrichment index features of the elements, we knew that $Fe_2O_3$, MgO, $TiO_2$, MnO and Eu, Yb of the tuffeous area samples and Co, Cr, Zn were enriched.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.321-338
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• 2009

The objective of this paper is to compare spatial prediction capabilities of univariate kriging algorithms for generating GIS-based thematic maps from ground survey data with asymmetric distributions. Four univariate kriging algorithms including traditional ordinary kriging, three non-linear transform-based kriging algorithms such as log-normal kriging, multi-Gaussian kriging and indicator kriging are applied for spatial interpolation of geochemical As and Pb elements. Cross validation based on a leave-one-out approach is applied and then prediction errors are computed. The impact of the sampling density of the ground survey data on the prediction errors are also investigated. Through the case study, indicator kriging showed the smallest prediction errors and superior prediction capabilities of very low and very high values. Other non-linear transform based kriging algorithms yielded better prediction capabilities than traditional ordinary kriging. Log-normal kriging which has been widely applied, however, produced biased estimation results (overall, overestimation). It is expected that such quantitative comparison results would be effectively used for the selection of an optimal kriging algorithm for spatial interpolation of ground survey data with asymmetric distributions.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 1970

River water and industrial waste water in Seoul were studied by means of chemical oxygen demand(COD) as an indicator for water pollution, from August 1967 to July 1968. Rivers flowing through residential and industrial areas are badly contaminated and COD of water in Han River increases as it progresses to downstream. Seasonal variation of COD showed that higher value of COD was observed in spring and lower in autumn. It is clear that the seasonal variation of COD is influenced by the precipitation. Close relationship was found between COD and population density. The lowest COD curve obtained by plotting COD values against population density and show that the curve slopes upward. The discontinuation of the curve was shown at the population density of 14,000/km$^2$; an increase in COD was acute over the population density of 14,000/km$^2$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.387-396
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• 1994

Mineralogical and geochemical studies on gold-bearing quartz veins and wallrock from the Mugeug mine were carried out in order to investigate the variation of mineralogical composition and the geochemical behavior of elements with distance from the gold-bearing quartz veins. Gold-bearing quartz veins occur in early Cretaceous medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite. The unaltered wallrock is composed mainly of quartz, plagioclase, orthoclase, microcline, biotite and hornblende with accessory minerals of sphene and apatite. Mineralogical changes in altered wallrock around the gold-bearing quartz veins were observed as follows; 1) biotite and hornblende altered into chlorite, and next to sericite, 2) plagioclase, orthoclase and microcline altered into sericite, and 3) calcite and quartz introduced into wallrock. Contents of $K_2O$, Rb, Cs, Au, As and Sb in altered wallrock increase, whereas those of $Na_2O$, CaO, Ba, and Sr decrease with proximity to the gold-bearing quartz veins. The loss on ignition also increases with the increase of alteration mineral. The width of primary dispersion increases in order $Au=SiO_2<As=Cs=Rb<K_2O=Sb$ and $MnO<Na_2O=CaO=Ba<Sr$. The sericitization index, $K_2O/(K_2O+Na_2O)$, is an important indicator to interpret the degree of alteration at the Mugeug mine, which is more than 0.8 in strongly and moderately altered granite, 0.5~0.8 in wea altered granite, and less than 0.5 in unaltered granite. Alteration indices for major and trace elements, and the ratio of Rb/Sr are also useful to discriminate alteration zones.