• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.375-390
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• 2013

The Kenticha rare-element (Ta-Li-Nb-Be) mineralized zone is located in ophiolitic fold and thrust complex of southern Ethiopia and was firstly discovered by joint exploration program of Ethiopia-Soviet in 1980s. It includes Dermidama, Kilkele, Shuni Hill, Kenticha, and Bupo pegmatites from south to north. The Kenticha pegmatite intruded parallel to NS-striking serpentinite and talc-chlorite schist, and is exposed approximately 2 km length and 400-700 m width. The Kenticha pegmatite is internally zoned and subdivided into lower quartz-muscovite-albite granite, intermediate muscovite-quartz-albite-microcline pegmatite, and upper spodumene-quartz-albite pegmatite, based on their mineral assemblage. The major, trace elements (e.g., Rb, Li, Nb, Ta, and Ga), and element ratios (e.g., K/Rb, Nb/Ta, Mg/Li, and Al/Ga) suggest that the fractionation and solidification of pegmatite have progressed from the lower towards upper pegmatite. In contrast, unlike general magmatic fractionation, Mg/Li ratios of the Kenticha pegmatite tend to be increased towards the upper pegmatite. It may result from post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration and/or interaction with upper ultramafic rock. Rare-element mineralization in Kenticha pegmatite concentrates on the upper pegmatite, which contains up to 3.0 wt % $Li_2O$, 3,780 ppm Rb, 111 ppm Cs, 1,320 ppm Ta, and 332 ppm Nb. Ore minerals in Kenticha pegmatite mostly include tantalite, spodumene, and lepidolite, and tantalite has an association with coarser quartz-spodumene and relatively fine sacchroidal albite. The tantalite is classified into Mn-tantalite as a function of $Mn^*[Mn/(Mn+Fe)]$ and $Ta^*[Ta/(Ta+Nb)]$ values. Its compositions ($Mn^*$, $Ta^*$, and Nb/Ta) between coarse and fine tantalites are different and the former is strongly enriched in Ta and depleted in Nb compared to latter one. In conclusion, rare-element mineralization in the Kenticha pegmatite may has occurred in the latest stage of magmatic fractionation.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 2006

Helicopter-borne aeromagnetic surveys at two different times separated by three years were conducted to better understand the shallow subsurface structure of the Vulcano and Lipari volcanic complex, Aeolian Islands, southern Italy, and also to monitor the volcanic activity of the area. As there was no meaningful difference between the two magnetic datasets to imply an apparent change of the volcanic activity, the datasets were merged to produce an aeromagnetic map with wider coverage than was given by a single dataset. Apparent magnetisation intensity mapping was applied to terrain-corrected magnetic anomalies, and showed local magnetisation highs in and around Fossa Cone, suggesting heterogeneity of the cone. Magnetic modelling was conducted for three of those magnetisation highs. Each model implied the presence of concealed volcanic products overlain by pyroclastic rocks from the Fossa crater. The model for the Fossa crater area suggests a buried trachytic lava flow on the southern edge of the present crater. The magnetic model at Forgia Vecchia suggests that phreatic cones can be interpreted as resulting from a concealed eruptive centre, with thick latitic lavas that fill up Fossa Caldera. However, the distribution of lavas seems to be limited to a smaller area than was expected from drilling results. This can be explained partly by alteration of the lavas by intense hydrothermal activity, as seen at geothermal areas close to Porto Levante. The magnetic model at the north-eastern Fossa Cone implies that thick lavas accumulated as another eruption centre in the early stage of the activity of Fossa. Recent geoelectric surveys showed high-resistivity zones in the areas of the last two magnetic models.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.1 s.176
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• pp.9-25
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• 2006

Baekun gold-silver deposit is an epithermal quartz vein that is filling the fault zone within Triassic or Jurassic foliated granodiorite. Mineralization is associated with fault-breccia zones and can be divided into two stages. Stage I which can be subdivided early and late depositional stages is main ore mineralization and stage II is barren. Early stage I is associated with wallrock alteration and the formation of sulfides such as arsenopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, stannite, galena. Late stage I is characterized by Au-Ag mineralization such as electrum, Ag-bearing tetrahedrite, stephanite, boulangerite, pyrargrite, argentite, schirmerite, native silver, Ag-Te-Sn-S system, Ag-Cu-S system, pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena. Fluid inclusion data indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinity of stage I range from $171.6^{\circ}C\;to\;360.8^{\circ}C\;and\;from\;0.5\;to\;10.2\;wt.\%\;eq.$ NaCl, respectively. It suggest that ore forming fluids were cooled and diluted with the mixing of meteoric water. Also, Temperature (early stage I: $236\~>380^{\circ}C,\;$ late stage $I: <197\~272^{\circ}C$) and sulfur fugacity (early stage $I:\;10^{-7.8}$ a atm., late stage I: $10^{-14.2}\~10^{-l6}atm$.) deduced mineral assemblages from stage 1 decrease with paragenetic sequence. Sulfur ($2.4\~6.1\%_{\circ}$(early stage $I=3.4\~5.3\%_{\circ},\;late\;stage\;I=2.4\~6.1\%_{\circ}$)), oxygen ($4.5\~8.8\%_{\circ}$(quartz: early stage $I=6.3\~8.8\%_{\circ}$, late stage $I=4.5\~5.6\%_{\circ}$)), hydrogen ($-96\~-70\%_{\circ}$ (quartz: early stage $I=-96\~-70\%_{\circ},\;late\;stage\;f=-78\~-74\%_{\circ},\;calcite:\;late\;stage\;I=-87\~-76\%_{\circ}$)) and carbon ($-6.8\~-4.6\%_{\circ}$ (calcite: late stage I)) isotope compositions indicated that hydrothermal fluids may be magmaticorigin with some degree of mixing of another meteoric water for paragenetic time.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.445-466
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• 2017

Yeongdong area is located in the contact zone between central southeastern Ogcheon belt and Yeongnam massif, in which Cretaceous Yeongdong basin exists. Therefore, the study area has complex geological environment of various geological age and rock types such as Precambrian metamorphic rocks, age-unknown Ogcheon Supergroup, Paleozoic/Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic igneous rocks and Quaternary alluvial deposits. This study focuses on the link between the various geology and water type, and discussed the source of some major ions and their related water-rock interaction. For this study, the field parameters and ion concentrations for twenty alluvial/weathered and eighty bedrock aquifer wells were used. Statistical analysis indicates that there was no significant differences in groundwater quality between wet and dry seasons. Although various types were observed due to complex geology, 80 to 84 % of samples showed $Ca-HCO_3$ water type. Some wells placed in alluvial/weathered aquifers of Precambrian metamorphic and Jurassic granitic terrains showed somewhat elevated $NO_3$ and Cl concentrations. $Mg-HCO_3$ typed waters prevailed in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rocks. The deeper wells placed in bedrock aquifers showed complicated water types varying from $Ca-HCO_3$ through $Ca-Cl/SO_4/NO_3$ to $Na-HCO_3$ and Na-Cl type. Groundwater samples with $Na-HCO_3$ or Na-Cl types are generally high in F concentrations, indicating more influences of water-rock interaction within mineralized/hydrothermal alteration zone by Cretaceous porphyry or granites. This study revealed that many deep-seated aquifer had been contaminated by $NO_3$, especially prominent in Jurassic granites area. Based on molar ratios of $HCO_3/Ca$, $HCO_3/Na$, Na/Si, it can be inferred that Ca and $HCO_3$ components of most groundwater in alluvial/weathered aquifer wells were definitely related with dissolution of calcite. On the other hand, Ca and $HCO_3$ in bedrock aquifer seem to be due to dissolution of feldspar besides calcite. However, these molar ratios require other mechanism except simple weathering process causing feldspar to be broken into kaolinite. The origin of $HCO_3$ of some groundwater occurring in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rock area seems to be from dissolution of dolomite($MgCO_3$) or strontianite($SrCO_3$) as well.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.543-553
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• 2023

The current status of domestic a agalmatolite mines in South Korea was investigated with a view to establishing a stable supply of agalmatolite and managing its demand. Most mined agalmatolite deposits were formed through hydrothermal alteration of Mesozoic volcanic rocks. The physical characteristics of pyrophyllite, the main constituent mineral of agalmatolite, are as follows: specific gravity 2.65~2.90, hardness 1~2, density 1.60~1.80 g/cm³, refractoriness ≥29, and color white, gray, grayish white, grayish green, yellow, or yellowish green. Among the chemical components of domestic agalmatolite, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents are respectively 58.2~67.2 and 23.1~28.8 wt.% for pyrophyllite, 49.2~72.6 and 16.5~31.0 wt.% for pyrophyllite + dickite, 45.1 and 23.3 wt.% for pyrophyllite + illite, 43.1~82.3 and 11.4~35.8 wt.% for illite, and 37.6~69.0 and 19.6~35.3 wt.% for dickite. Domestic agalmatolite mines are concentrated mainly in the southwest and southeast of the Korean Peninsula, with some occurring in the northeast. Twenty-one mines currently produce agalmatolite in South Korea, with reserves in the order of Jeonnam (45.6%) > Chungbuk (30.8%) > Gyeongnam (13.0%) > Gangwon (4.8%), and Gyeongbuk (4.8%). The top 10 agalmatolite-producing mines are in the order of the Central Resources Mine (37.9%) > Wando Mine (25.6%) > Naju Ceramic Mine (13.4%) > Cheongseok-Sajiwon Mine (5.4%) > Gyeongju Mine (5.0%) > Baekam Mine (5.0%) > Minkyung-Nohwado Mine (3.3%) > Bugok Mine (2.3%) > Jinhae Pylphin Mine (2.2%) > Bohae Mine. Agalmatolite has low thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, thermal deformation, and expansion coefficients, low bulk density, high heat and corrosion resistance, and high sterilization and insecticidal efficiency. Accordingly, it is used in fields such as refractory, ceramic, cement additive, sterilization, and insecticide manufacturing and in filling materials. Its scope of use is expanding to high-tech industries, such as water treatment ceramic membranes, diesel exhaust gas-reduction ceramic filters, glass fibers, and LCD panels.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.115-127
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• 2020

The Unsang gold deposit has been one of the three largest deposits (Daeyudong and Kwangyang) in Korea. The deposit consists of Au-bearing quartz veins filling fractures along fault zones in Precambrian metasedimentary rock and Jurassic Porphyritic granite, which suggests that it might be an orogenic-type. Based on its mineral assemblages and quartz textures, quartz veins are classified into 1)galena-quartz, 2)pyrrhotite-quartz, 3)pyrite-quartz, 4)pegmatic quartz, 5)muscovite-quartz, and 6)simple quartz vein types. The pyrite-quartz vein type we studied shows the following alteration features: sericitization, chloritization, and silicification. The quartz vein contains minerals including white quartz, white mica, chlorite, pyrite, rutile, calcite, monazite, zircon, and apatite. Rutile with euhedral or medium aggregate occur at mafic part from laminated quartz vein. Two types of rutile are distinguishable in BSE image, light rutile is texturally later than dark rutile. Chemical composition of rutile has 89.69~98.71 wt.% (TiO₂), 0.25~7.04 wt.% (WO₃), 0.30~2.56 wt.% (FeO), 0.00~1.71 wt.% (Nb₂O₅), 0.17~0.35 wt.% (HfO₂), 0.00~0.30 wt.% (V₂O₃), 0.00~0.35 wt.% (Cr₂O₃) and 0.04~0.25 wt.% (Al₂O₃), and light rutile are higher WO₃, Nb₂O₅ and FeO compared to the dark rutile. It indicates that dark rutile and light rutile were formed at different stage. The substitution mechanisms of dark rutile and light rutile are suggested as followed : dark rutile [(V³⁺, Cr³⁺) + (Nb⁵⁺, Sb⁵⁺) ↔ 2Ti⁴⁺, 4Cr³⁺ (or 2W⁶⁺) ↔ 3Ti⁴⁺ (W⁶⁺ ↔ 2Cr³⁺), V⁴⁺ ↔ Ti⁴⁺], light rutile [2Fe³⁺ + W⁶⁺ ↔ 3Ti⁴⁺, 3Fe²⁺ + W⁶⁺ ↔ Ti⁴⁺ + (V³⁺, Al³⁺, Cr³⁺) +Nb⁵⁺], respectively. While the dark rutile was formed by cations including V³⁺, V⁴⁺, Cr³⁺, Nb⁵⁺, Sb⁵⁺ and W⁶⁺ by regional metamorphism of hostrock, the postdating light rutile was formed by redistribution of cations from predating dark rutile and addition of Fe²⁺ and W⁶⁺ from Au-bearing hydrothermal fluid during ductile shear.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.195-214
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• 2020

The Samgwang Au-Ag deposit has been one of the largest deposits in Korea. The deposit consists of eight lens-shaped quartz veins which filled fractures along fault zones in Precambrian metasedimentary rock, which feature suggest that it is an orogenic-type deposit. The Ti-bearing minerals occur in wallrock (titanite, ilmenite and rutile) and laminated quartz vein (rutile). They occur minerals including biotite, muscovite, chlorite, white mica, monazite, zircon, apatite in wallrock and white mica, chlorite, arsenopyrite in laminated quartz vein. Chemical composition of titanite has maximum vaules of 3.94 wt.% (Al₂O₃), 0.49 wt.% (FeO), 0.52 wt.% (Nb₂O₅), 0.46 wt.% (Y₂O₃) and 0.43 wt.% (V₂O₅). Titanite with 0.06~0.14 (Fe/Al ratio) and 0.06~0.15 (X_Al (=Al/Al+Fe³⁺+Ti)) corresponds with metamorphic origin and low-Al variety. Chemical composition of ilmenite has maximum values of 0.07 wt.% (ZrO₂), 0.12 wt.% (HfO₂), 0.26 wt.% (Nb₂O₅), 0.04 wt.% (Sb₂O₅), 0.13 wt.% (Ta₂O₅), 2.62 wt.% (As₂O₅), 0.29 wt.% (V₂O₅), 0.12 wt.% (Al₂O₃) and 1.59 wt.% (ZnO). Chemical composition of rutile in wallrock and laminated quartz vein has maximum values of 0.35 wt.%, 0.65 wt.% (HfO₂), 2.52 wt.%, 0.19 wt.% (WO₃), 1.28 wt.%, 1.71 wt.% (Nb₂O₃), 0.03 wt.%, 0.07 wt.% (Sb₂O₃), 0.28 wt.%, 0.21 wt.% (As₂O₅), 0.68 wt.%, 0.70 wt.% (V₂O₃), 0.48 wt.%, 0.59 wt.% (Cr₂O₃), 0.70 wt.%, 1.90 wt.% (Al₂O₃) and 4.76 wt.%, 3.17 wt.% (FeO), respectively. Rutile in laminated quartz vein is higher contents (HfO₂, Nb₂O₃, As₂O₅, Cr₂O₃, Al₂O₃ and FeO) and lower content (WO₃) than rutile in wallrock. The substitutions of rutile in wallrock and laminated quatz vein are as followed : rutile in wallrock [(Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Cr³⁺) + Hf⁴⁺ + (W⁵⁺, As⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺) ⟵⟶ 2Ti⁴⁺ + V⁴⁺, 2Fe²⁺ + (Al³⁺, Cr³⁺) + Hf⁴⁺ + (W⁵⁺, As⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺) ⟵⟶ 2Ti⁴⁺ + 2V⁴⁺], rutile in laminated quartz vein [(Fe³⁺, Al³⁺) + As⁵⁺ ⟵⟶ Ti⁴⁺ + V⁴⁺, (Fe³⁺, Al³⁺) + As⁵⁺ ⟵⟶ Ti⁴⁺ + Hf⁴⁺, 4(Fe³⁺, Al³⁺) ⟵⟶ Ti⁴⁺ + (W⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺) + Cr³⁺], respectively. Based on these data, titanite, ilmenite and rutile in wallrock were formed by resolution and reconcentration of cations (W⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺, As⁵⁺, Hf⁴⁺, V⁴⁺, Cr³⁺, Al³⁺, Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺) in minerals of wallrock during regional metamorphism. And then rutile in laminated quartz vein was formed by reconcentration of cations (Nb⁵⁺, As⁵⁺, Hf⁴⁺, Cr³⁺, Al³⁺, Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺) in alteration minerals (white mica, chlorite) and Ti-bearing minerals reaction between hydrothermal fluid originated during ductile shear and Ti-bearing minerals (titanite, ilmenite and rutile) in wallrock.