• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.453-464
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• 2008

This study is to examine a relation between coal mining subsidence occurrence at abandoned underground coal mines and underground goaf with respect to surface geology, subsurface structure, depth and thickness of coal beds and the distribution of drifts. A study is carried out at the site where susceptibility of coal mining subsidence was proven high in a previous study. In that previous study, the susceptibility of coal mining subsidence was spatially analyzed by GIS using digitized geological maps, investigation reports, digitized mining tunnel maps without consideration of subsurface structure and the multi-level arrangement of drifts. Here we analyze geological characteristics around the goaf and the distribution of coal seam based upon digitized geological maps and investigation reports on the study area. And digitized mining tunnel maps are also used to analyze the depth and multi-level arrangement of drifts. The results show that weakened surface rock strength, relatively shallow depth and large thickness of coal seam below the surface are closely related to the coal mining subsidence occurrence. Complicatedly inter-connected drifts, shallow depth of drifts and surface rock fractures are revealed as additional control factors affecting coal mining subsidence. These factors examined in this study as well as original factors should be taken into account for the quantitative estimation of coal mining subsidence occurrence at abandoned underground coal mine.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.85-109
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• 2024

Detrital zircon U-Pb dating was performed to determine the depositional age and provenance of sediments in the Cretaceous Muju Basin in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do. Six samples were collected from the Seolcheon Tuff (SCT), Bangyiri Formation (BYR), Gobang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-G), Seochang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-S), Bukchang Member of the Gilwangri Formation (GWR-B), and Jeogsangsan Formation (JSS). Based on the dating results, the sedimentary strata of the Muju Basin were deposited for approximately 105.6-90.4 Ma corresponding to the Albian to Turonian. The youngest single zircon ages of about 94.4 Ma and 89.6 Ma were confirmed in the samples from the Bangyiri Formation and the Gobang Member of the Gilwangri Formation, respectively, distributed in the western part of the Muju Basin. The relative and numerical ages previously estimated based on the lithostratigraphic correlation of the Gilwangri conglomerate need to be revisited in further research. The results also suggest that most of the sediments filling the Muju Basin were supplied from a limited area adjacent to the basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2020

Geological CO₂ sequestration is a global warming response technology to limit atmospheric emissions by injecting CO₂ captured on a large scale into deep geological formations. The presented results concern mineralogical and hydrogeological investigations (FE-SEM, XRD, XRF, and MICP) of mudstone samples from drilling cores of the Pohang basin, which is the research area for the first demonstration-scale CO₂ storage project in Korea. They aim to identify the mineral properties of the mudstone constituting the caprock and to quantitatively evaluate the hydrogeologic sealing capacity that directly affects the stability and reliability of geological CO₂ storage. Mineralogical analysis showed that the mudstone samples are mainly composed of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase and a small amount of pyrite, calcite, clay minerals, etc. Mercury intrusion capillary pressure analysis also showed that the samples generally had uniform particle configurations and pore distribution and there was no distinct correlation between the estimated porosity and air permeability. The allowable CO₂ column heights based on the estimated pore-entry pressures and breakthrough pressures were found to be significantly higher than the thickness of the targeting CO₂ injection layer. These results showed that the mudstone layers in the Yeongil group, Pohang basin, Korea have sufficient sealing capacity to suppress the leakage of CO₂ injected during the demonstration-scale CO₂ storage project. It should be noticed, however, that the applicability of results and analyses in this study is limited by the lack of available samples. For rigorous assessment of the sealing efficiency for geological CO₂ storage operations, significant efforts on collection and multi-aspect evaluation for core samples over entire caprock formations should be accompanied.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 1992

The Danyang area consists of the thrust and folded sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic Era. The area is bounded by major tectonic units which are the Gagdong Thrust to the west and the Okdong Fault to the east. According to the structural analyses, the area is affected by polyphase deformation. This study establishes deformational sequence in the area. Mylonite zone along the Okdong Fault corresponds to the first generation of structures ($D_1$). $D_1$-structures are discrete shear zone in the Jangsan Formation and bedding parallel extensional deformation in the Cambro-Ordovician sequences. $D_2$-structures were formed prior to the sedimentation of the Jurassic Bansong Group, which are the NW-trending fold and linear structures. After sedimentation of the Bansong Group, the area is strongly affected by the Daebo Orogeny which produces NE-trending thrusts, folds and linear structures. Earlier structures were tightened and rotated toward NE. Some thrust faults did not propagate into the Bansong Group. It is suggested either the Bansong Group acted as a decoupling horizon or rest on unconformably on the thrust faults. The area is weakly affected by $D_4$-event of which structures are E-W trending folds and faults. The Jugryeong Fault clearly cut the earlier folds and thrust faults. The rocks within the fault zone were sliced and rotated during the strike-slip movements. Block rotation and transpressional features can be commonly observed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.489-496
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• 2020

This study proposes a new empirical model to effectively predict the excavation performance of a shield tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM performance is affected by the geological and geotechnical characteristics as well as the machine parameters of TBM. Field penetration index (FPI) is correlated with rock mass parameters to analyze the effective geotechnical parameters influencing the TBM performance. The result shows that RMR has a more dominant impact on the TBM performance than UCS and RQD. RMR also shows a significant relationship with the specific energy, which is defined as the energy required for excavating the unit volume of rock. Therefore, the specific energy can be used as an indicator of the mechanical efficiency of TBM. Based on these relationships with RMR, this study suggests an empirical performance prediction model to predict FPI, which can be derived from the correlation between the specific energy and RMR.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 1988

Geological and electrical resistivity surveys were carried out to investigate subsurface geology and geologic structure of the Bonghwajae area in the Okchon zone. Pseudosections of the apparent electrical resistivity distribution along the three survey lines were obtained by using dipole-dipole electrode array method, and models of subsurface geology and geologic structure by using two dimensional finite difference method. The Bonghwajae fault zone exists around Bonghwajae area in the north-south direction, and is a boundary between Okchon Group and Choson Supper Group. Metabasite and hornblende gabbro intruded along the Bonghwajae fault zone remaining two fracture zones with low resistivity value of 20 ohm-m and widths of about 100m and 70-300m. They strike nearly N-S and dip westward with a high angle of $60-70^{\circ}$. Sochangri fault with a width of about 160m exists between Jisogori and Bonghwajae, by which Bonghwajae fault zone is displaced about 1km in the east-west direction. Hornblende gabbro whose electrical resistivity value is in the range of 5000-8000 ohm-m intruded the metabasite of 2000-4500 ohm-m after the Sochangri fault had formed. Great Limestone Group is widely distributed in the east of Bonghwajae fault zone, and interbeds so called Yongam formation of graphitic black slate with an extremely low electrical resistivity value of 2 ohm-m.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.527-534
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• 2019

Although ground investigation had carried out prior to the construction, many problems have arisen during the civil-engineering works because of the presence of the unexpected underground utility lines or anomalies. In this study, a new geophysical exploration method was developed to solve those problems by improving and supplementing the existing methods. This new method was based on the difference of electrical resistance values between anomalies and surrounding ground medium. A theoretical expression was suggested to define the characteristics of the anomalies such as location, size and direction, by applying the electric field analysis. An inverse analysis algorithm was also developed to solve the theoretical expression using the measured electrical resistance values which were generated by the voltage flowing the subsurface medium. To verify the developed method, field applications were conducted at the sites under construction or planned. From the results of the field tests, it was found that not only the new method was more predictive than the existing methods, but its results were good agreed with the measured ones. Therefore, it is expected that application of the new exploration method reduces the unexpected accidents caused by the underground uncertainties during the underground construction works.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.207-211
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• 2020

In the global economy, trade is not confined in geological boundaries, enhancing the international relation among countries. However, the trade tension between the largest economy and the second-largest economy raise concerns among the world economies, enhancing the uncertainties around world. In particular, the trade tension between the two countries is highly related with South Korea's trade balance, because the country is highly dependent on the trade with the two countries. Given this, we analyzed the news editorials published in Korean quality newsaper, with related to U.S. and China Trade War by looking at the ideological perspectives of news outlets or journalists to the issue within the framework of critical discourse analysis. In particular we gave a special attention to the attitude to each country in order to investigate their ideological stance to the country, following van Dijk (1998)' ideological square. The results are as follows: first, the Chosun Ilbo emphasized 'their' bad properties directly and aggresively, while the Hankyoreh designated the U.S. as a member of an out-group, thus mitigating 'our' bad quatilies; Second, the two strategies of emphasis and mitigation enabled both newspapers to reinforce in-group homogeneity and out-group exclusion. Thus, we could conclude that the editorial is a clear indicator to show the news outlet's ideological stance to each country in regard to the trade issue.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 1977

The study area is located in between Hacheonri and Weolgulri, Jecheon-gun where the formations of Okcheon group and Chosun group come in contact and the stratigraphy and geological age of the Okcheon group have been debated among previous workers. The dolomitic limestone which distributed at Cheongam and Dumusil is clarified as the Hyangsanri dolomite formation and the quartzite distributed at Cheongam and Howeunri as Taehyangsan quartzite formation. The newly named Soorumsan schist interbedded in the Great Limestone Series was previously classified Seochangri formation. It is also classified that the formation formerly named as Seochangri was divided into newly named Manji schist which seems to be correlated to Kemyeongsan and Munjuri formation. The formation formerly named as Buknori is clarified as Hwanggangri formation. The Samtaesan formation has been clarified as the lower and upper limestone beds which belong to the Great Limestone Series. The area divided into two groups, that is, Okcheon system of Pre-cambrian age occupies western part and the Great Limestone Series of Chosun system of Cambro-Ordovician age eastern part of this area. Okcheon system consists in ascending order of Manji schist, Hyangsanri dolomite, Taehyangsan quartzite, Munjuri schist, and Hwanggangri formation of meta-tillite. The Great Limestone Series of Chosun group consists in ascending order of lower limestone, Soorumsan schist, Hoosanri quartzite and upper limestone formations. Busan augen gneiss seems to be igneous origin. Unmetamorphosed shale interbed can be traced in the Soorumsan schist. Previous study (Kims, 1974) reveals that meta-volcanic rocks are distributed from south to north along contact zone of the Okcheon and Chosun groups, and it has been confirmed that the meta-volcanics crop out continuously from the adjacent southern quardrangle into the southern part of the area studied, intruding along the fault zone between the Okcheon and Chosun groups which seems to be upthrust as in the area south. This evidence coincides with Kims' work (1974) which states that the Precambrian Okcheon group is largely overturned and thrusted over the Chosun group.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.577-588
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• 2020

We evaluated the distributions of primordial radionuclides and effective dose rate of the Ogcheon Group, which includes rocks with high uranium content. Terrestrial gamma radiation was measured at 421 points using a portable gamma ray spectrometer. Dividing the study area into five geological units (og1, og2, og3, og4, and igneous rocks) revealed no significant difference in the concentration of surface radioactivity among the types. The concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh for all samples ranged from 0.7% to 10.3% (average 5.2%), 0.6 to 287.0 ppm (average 8.5 ppm), and 4.0 to 102.4 ppm (average 31.3 ppm), respectively. The absorbed dose rate in the study area (calculated from the activity concentrations of 40K, eU, and eTh) was in the range of 28.84 to 1,714.5 nGy/h (average 195.4 nGy/h). Among the five geological units, the lowest average was 166.3 nGy/h (for og1) and the highest average was 233.3 nGy/h (for og2; median 198.1 nGy/h). The outdoor effective dose rate for the area obtained from the absorbed dose rate was in the range of 0.04 to 2.10 mSv/y (average 0.24 mSv/y). Except for the four sites located in the uranium-bearing coal bed of og2, none of the studied sites exceeded 1 mSv/y.