• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2015

If $CO_2$ stored for geological sequestration escapes from deep formations and is introduced to shallow aquifers, it dissolves into groundwater, creates acidic environments, and enhance mineral dissolution from rocks and soils. Among these minerals, dissolution and spread of hazardous trace metals can cause environmental problems with detrimental impacts on groundwater quality. This study aims to investigate geochemical effects of $CO_2$ in groundwater on dissolution of galena, the main mineral controlling the mobility of lead. A series of batch experiments are performed with granulated galena in $CO_2$ solutions under various experimental conditions for $CO_2$ concentration and reaction temperature. Results show that dissolution of galena is significantly enhanced under acidic environments so that both of equilibrium concentrations and dissolution rates of lead increase. For thermodynamic analysis on galena dissolution, the apparent rate constants and the activation energy for galena dissolution are calculated by applying rate law to experimental results. The apparent rate constants are $6.71{\times}10^{-8}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $15^{\circ}C$, $1.77{\times}10^{-7}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $25^{\circ}C$, $3.97{\times}10^{-7}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $35^{\circ}C$ and the activation energy is 63.68 kJ/mol. The galena dissolution is suggested to be a chemically controlled surface reaction, and the rate determining step is the dissociation of Pb-S bond of surface complex.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.301-312
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• 2017

The concept of deep borehole disposal (DBD) for high-level nuclear wastes has been around for about 40 years. Now, the Department of Energy (DOE) in the United States (U.S.) is re-examining this concept through recent studies at Sandia National Laboratory and a field test. With DBD, nuclear waste will be emplaced in boreholes at depths of 3 to 5 km in crystalline basement rocks. Thinking is that these settings will provide nearly intact rock and fluid density stratification, which together should act as a robust geologic barrier, requiring only minimal performance from the engineered components. The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) has raised concerns that the deep subsurface is more complicated, leading to science, engineering, and safety issues. However, given time and resources, DBD will evolve substantially in the ability to drill deep holes and make measurements there. A leap forward in technology for drilling could lead to other exciting geological applications. Possible innovations might include deep robotic mining, deep energy production, or crustal sequestration of $CO_2$, and new ideas for nuclear waste disposal. Novel technologies could be explored by Korean geologists through simple proof-of-concept experiments and technology demonstrations.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

We have carried out laboratory measurements of P-wave velocity and deformation strain during $CO_2$ injection into a porous sandstone sample, in dry and water-saturated conditions. The rock sample was cylindrical, with the axis normal to the bedding plane, and fluid injection was performed from one end. Using a piezoelectric transducer array system, we mapped fluid movement during injection of distilled water into dry sandstone, and of gaseous, liquid, and supercritical $CO_2$ into a water-saturated sample. The velocity changes caused by water injection ranged from $5.61\;to\;7.52\%$. The velocity changes caused by $CO_2$ injection are typically about $-6\%$, and about $-10\%$ for injection of supercritical $CO_2$, Such changes in velocity show that the seismic method may be useful in mapping $CO_2$ movement in the subsurface. Strain normal to the bedding plane was greater than strain parallel to the bedding plane during $CO_2$ injection; injection of supercritical $CO_2$ showed a particularly strong effect. Strain changes suggest the possibility of monitoring rock mass deformation by using borehole tiltmeters at geological sequestration sites. We also found differences associated with $CO_2$ phases in velocity and strain changes during injection.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2016

The objectives of this study were to recover silica and iron oxides and $CO_2$ sequestration using serpentine via various acid dissolution and pH swing processes. Serpentine collected from Guhang-myeon in S. Korea were mainly composed of antigorite and magnetite consisting of $SiO_2$ (45.3 wt.%), MgO (41.3 wt.%), $Fe_2O_3$ (12.2 wt.%). Serpentine pulverized ($${\leq_-}75{\mu}m$$) and then dissolved in 3 different acids, HCl, $H_2SO_4$, $HNO_3$. Residues treated with acidic solution were recovered from the solution (step 1). And then the residual solution containing dissolved serpentine was titrated using $NH_4OH$. And pH of the solution increased up to pH=8.6 to obtain reddish precipitates (step 2). After recovery of the precipitates, the residual solution reacted with $CO_2$ and then pH increased up to pH=9.5 to precipitate white materials (step 3). The mineralogical characteristics of the original sample and harvested precipitates were examined by XRD, and TEM-EDS analyses. ICP-AES analysis was also used to investigate solution chemistry. The dissolved ions were Mg, Si, and Fe. The antigorite became noncrystralline silica after acid treatment (step 1). The precipitate at pH=8.6 was mainly amorphous iron oxide, of which size ranged from 2 to 10 nm and mainly consisting of Fe, O, and Si (step 2). At pH=9.5, nesquehonite [$Mg(HCO_3)(OH){\cdot}2(H_2O)$] and lasfordite [$MgCO_3{\cdot}H_2O$] were formed after reaction with $CO_2$ (step 3). The size of carbonated minerals was ranged from 1 to $6{\mu}m$. These results indicated that the acid treatment of serpentine and pH swing processes for the serpentine can be used for synthesis of other materials such as silica, iron oxides and magnesium carbonate. Also, This process may be useful for the precursor synthesis and $CO_2$ sequestration via mineral carbonation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.359-369
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• 2013

Chronic effects such as reproduction and population dynamics with elevated $CO_2$ concentration were evaluated using two representative marine benthic species, copepod (Tisbe sp.) and amphipod (Monocorophium acherusicum) adopting long-term exposure. Juvenile copepod and amphipod individuals were cultivated in the seawater equilibrated with control air (0.395 mmol $CO_2$/air mol) and high $CO_2$ air having 0.998, to 3.03, 10.3, and 30.1 mmol $CO_2$/air mol during 20 and 46 days, respectively. After the exposure period, the number of benthic invertebrate was counted with separate larval and juvenile stage such as naupliar, copepodid and adult for copepod, or neonate and adult for amphipod, respectively. The individual number of both test species at each life-stage was significantly decreased in seawater with 10.3 mmol $CO_2$/air mol or higher. Recently, the technology of marine $CO_2$ sequestration has been developed for the reduction of $CO_2$ emission, which may cause climate change. However, under various scenarios of $CO_2$ leaks during the injection process or sequestrated $CO_2$ in marine geological structure, the potential risk to organism including various invertebrates can be expected to exposure. So the results of this study suggested that the detailed consideration on the adverse effect with marine ecosystem can be prerequisite for the marine $CO_2$ sequestration projects.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 2013

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a mitigation technology essential in tackling global climate change. In Korea, many research projects are aimed to commercialize CCS business around 2020. Public acceptance can be a key factor to affect the successful proceeds of CCS near future. Therefore this paper provides a concise insight into the application of environmental impact assessment and risk assessment procedures to support the sustainable CCS projects. Futhermore, bottlenecks regarding the environmental impacts assessment and related domestic and foreign legislation are revised. Finally, suggestions to overcome these bottlenecks and recommendations for future research are made in conclusion.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2006

We measured the changes in P-wave velocity that occur when injecting $CO_2$ in gaseous, liquid, and supercritical phases into water-saturated anisotropic sandstones. P-wave velocities were measured in two cylindrical samples of Tako Sandstone, drilled along directions normal and parallel to the bedding plane, using a piezo-electric transducer array system. The velocity changes caused by $CO_2$ injection are typically -6% on average, with maximum values about -16% for the case of supercritical $CO_2$ injection. P-wave velocity tomograms obtained by the differential arrival-time method clearly show that $CO_2$ migration behaviour is more complex when $CO_2$ flows normal to the bedding plane than when it flows parallel to bedding. We also found that the differences in P-wave velocity images were associated both with the $CO_2$ phases and with heterogeneity of pore distribution in the rocks. Seismic images showed that the highest velocity reduction occurred for supercritical $CO_2$ injection, compared with gaseous or liquid $CO_$ injection. This result may justify the use of the seismic method for $CO_2$ monitoring in geological sequestration.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2024

In light of the development of modern high-tech industries, where human sustainability is becoming increasingly important, anorthosite needs to be reevaluated not only for its potential as a new source of aluminum, but also as a primary resource with a wide range of industrial applications. In particular, a relatively simple chemical composition with a high CaO content and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio, along with its relatively low impurity levels and chemically stable nature offers significant advantages in industrial processes. Thus, anorthosite is considered as an important industrial resource in the age of energy transition. In this review, we examine the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of anorthosite that determines their stability and reactivity. Based on their characteristics, we propose the potential use of utilizing the anorthosite as an alternative to the Bayer process which has the limitations. We also explore its application as the eco-friendly geo-synthetic materials, and as the new materials for carbon dioxide storage and utilization. As the demand for aluminum applications accelerates, anorthosite is gaining their importance in the geological industry and clean energy field. Therefore, advanced and extensive research on anorthosite complex occurring in the Hadong and Sancheong regions of Korea is critical to obtain opportunities to enhance economic advantages through efficient utilization of national resources and to lead to sustainable development.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.547-557
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• 2013

The mode II fracture toughness and strength due to shear stress are important parameters in the stability of caprock and injection zone with application to geological sequestration of carbon dioxide. In this research, a short beam compression test has been used to determine the shear strength and the mode II fracture toughness for Coconino sandstone. The average value of the shear strength and mode II fracture toughness are estimated to be 23.53 MPa and 1.58 MPa${\surd}$m respectively. The stress intensity factor is suggested by finite element analysis using the displacement extrapolation method. The effect of biaxial stress and water saturation on the fracture toughness has also been investigated. The fracture toughness increases with confining stresses, but decreases by 11.4% in fully saturated condition.