• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.249-261
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• 2012

Olivine is a dominant mineral in the upper mantle and is elastically very anisotropic. When olivine is deformed under stress at high pressure and high temperature, lattice preferred orientation (LPO) is formed. It is known that the LPO of olivine is affected by water, stress, and pressure. In this paper, I reviewed the papers dealing with the effects of water, stress, and pressure on the LPO of olivine, summarized the papers on the LPOs of olivine in natural mantle rocks, and discussed its implications for seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle. In addition, I also described four types of LPOs of orthopyroxene recently found in natural spinel lherzolite.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.675-685
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• 2015

Weathering is the breaking/cutting down process of rocks due to physical and chemical processes in natural as well as artificial environment including $CO_2$ injection for storage in the sediment, or natural resource recovery process. This study suggests an alternative method to estimate the degree of weathering for granites. A series of laboratory and field experiments are performed to measure electrical resistivities on various rock samples experienced different degrees of weathering and their residual soils under different saturation conditions. It is found that the normalized electrical resistivity increases with a decrease in water absorption and the saturation. Simple boundaries are suggested to identify the weathering degree of granites, based on limited data. Field test results for three sites confirm that the suggested method could be estimated well the degree of weathering of granites compared with the other methods suggested previously. Although further research is required, this study suggests that an electrical resistivity could be an effective approach to estimate the degree of weathering of granites compared with the other methods suggested previously.

• Proceedings of the Petrological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.3-11
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• 2000

The earth environment consists of four spheres : geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. The geosphere consists mostly of minerals. It, however, contains some water and air in its shallow depth. Although hydrosphere and atmosphere consist predominantly of water and air, respectively, both contain some minerals. The biosphere consisting of various organisms is present in the interfaces of geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The natural environment of the earth is continuously changing by the interaction of four spheres. It suggests that out relevant environmental problems can not be revolved without understanding the natural relationship of these four spheres. Minerals in our environment are very important because they are the main constituent materials of the earth and they control our environment. The roles of minerals in our environment have not been understood even in the scientific society. Thus their roles have been neglected. Review of studies on the environmental mineralogy so far made at our laboratory and others show that minerals control the environment in various ways. Minerals neutralize the acid water as well as acid rain. Minerals in soils and rocks are major neutralizer of the acid rain. Salinization of sea water is attributed to the ionic substitution between minerals and sea water. Some minerals control the humidity of the air. Corals, the products of biomineralization, are the main carbon controller of the air. Minerals also adsorb heavy metals, organic pollutants and radioactive nuclides. Such remarkable functions for controlling the environment come from the mineral-water reaction and biomineralization. All these phenomena are subjects of the environmental mineralogy, a new field of earth science.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.518-530
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• 1998

A natural analogue study has been performed for the Koongarra uranium ore deposit in Australia as an international agreement of the Analogue Studies in the Alligator Rivers Region (ASARR). Rocks obtained from the Koongarra deposit, Northern Territory of Australia, were examined in order to understand uranium migration processes of primary and secondary ore-body in both weathered and unweathered zones. Total alpha activities of rock samples were measured to compare the relative amount of uranium in the sample. Uranium distributions have been investigated by means of both the alpha-autoradiography and the fission track registration technique after irradiation in a flux of thermal neutrons (~10$\times$$10^{13}$nㆍ$cm^{-2}$ㆍs$^{-1}$) for 2 minutes. The mineral phases corresponding to the registered alpha-tracks and fission tracks were identified by petrological observation with optical microscope as well as X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA). Uranium was found mostly inside of the fracture of the quartzite and its mineral phase was identified as sklodowskite. The mineral phase associated with high uranium concentration was found as illeminite by petrological observation with optical microscope as well as EPMA.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.166-169
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify the natural habitat of Bulbophyllum inconspicuum Maxim. in Hongdo, Jeonnam Province, South Korea. A field investi gation was conducted between May 2019 and May 2021. The growth of B. inconspicuum species was confirmed in three known regions based on National Survey on the Distribution of Endangered Species. Additionally, in the area investigated, 37 new regions harboring B. inconspicuum were detected. The newly observed B. inconspicuum grew naturally on Quercus mongolica, Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata, Carpinus turczaninowii, and rocks. Most of them were found on southeast and southwest slopes with altitude above 250 m. As few as 10 up to hundreds of B. inconspicuum were found in clusters. Close to their habitat, Calanthe sieboldii Decne. ex Regel, C. aristulifera Rchb. f. and C. × kibanakirishima Maek. were also found. As Hongdo is an island, multiple endangered species were found together. Thus, once the habitat of a certain plant is discovered, it is very likely that illegal collection of several other species will also occur. Proactive internal and external measures are needed to preserve these species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.203-209
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• 1998

The quality of groundwater used for natural mineral water should be strictly regulated on international level by hydrogeology experts and officials because groundwater is greatly subjected to contaminations and its aquifer system may be easily destroyed by external reasons. A total of 18 natural mineral water plants exist in Precambrian metamorphic terrains of the Gyunggi massif and Yeungam massif. The g개undwater quality for the natural mineral water investigated in hydrochemical aspects shows that pH ranges from 6.85 to 8.02 with an average of 7.52. The electric conductivity (EC) and hardness average 134.1 $\mu$S/cm and 43.5, respectively, which are relatively low to the total average (151.4 $\mu$S/cm and 57.9). The contents of major cations and anions are in the order of $Ca^{2＋}$＞$Na^{＋}$＞Mg$^{2＋}$＞K$^{＋}$ and HCO$_3$$^{-}$ ＞SO$_4$$^{2－}$ ＞Cl$^{-}$ ＞F$^{-}$ , respectively. The dominant water types determined by Piper diagram are $Ca^{2＋}$－$Na^{＋}$－HCO$^{-}$ $_3$and $Ca^{2＋}$-HCO$^{-}$ $_3$, mainly due to the dissolution of plagioclase in the host rocks. Representative correlation coefficients between chemical species are $Ca^{2＋}$－HCO$^{-}$ $_3$(0.92), $Ca^{2＋}$－Cl$^{-}$ (0.63), $Na^{＋}$－F$^{-}$ (0.67), HCO$^{-}$ $_3$－Cl$^{-}$ (0.66), and $Na^{＋}$－HCO$^{-}$ $_3$(0.63). The determinative. coefficients between $Ca^{2＋}$ and HCO$^{-}$ $_3$, and (Ca$^{2＋}$＋$Na^{＋}$＋K$^{＋}$ and EC art highest among the elements. According to the saturation index, most chemical species are undersaturated with respect to major minerals, except for some silica phases. In viewpoint of phase equilibrium, the chemical evolution of the groundwater may continue to proceed with increasing pH because the groundwater is undersaturated with respect to feldspars.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.585-594
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• 2019

In-situ leaching could be one of the promising mining methods to extract the minerals from deep fractured rock mass. Constrained by the low permeability at depth, however, the performance does not meet the expectation. In fact, the rock mass permeability mainly depends on the pre-existing natural fractures and therefore play a crucial role in in-situ leaching performance. More importantly, fractures have various characteristics, such as aperture, persistence, and density, which have diverse contributions to the promising method. Hence, it is necessary to study the variation of fluid rate versus fracture parameters to enhance in-situ leaching performance. Firstly, the subsurface fractures from the depth of 1500m to 2500m were mapped using the discrete fracture network (DFN) in this paper, and then the numerical model was calibrated at a particular case. On this basis, the fluid flow through fractured rock mass with various fracture characteristics was analyzed. The simulation results showed that with the increase of Fisher' K value, which determine the fracture orientation, the flow rate firstly decreased and then increased. Subsequently, as another critical factor affecting the fluid flow in natural fractures, the fracture transmissivity has a direct relationship with the flow rate. Sensitive study shows that natural fracture characteristics play a critical role in in-situ leaching performance.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.763-778
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• 2019

Abrasive waterjet cutting technology has been used for rock excavation of tunnels and underground structures due to various advantages. In order to cut rocks by using the abrasive waterjet system, abrasive is essential to enhance impact energies for fracturing the target rock. Since garnet abrasives are not produced in Korea, alternative abrasives, instead of garnets, are needed to achieve the economical waterjet cutting. This study is to analyze cutting performance for rocks with sandy particles as alternative abrasive. Cutting tests were carried out on granite specimens at the constant waterjet energy (e.g., water pressure or water flow rate). The five kinds of sands, sampled by construction fields and natural sites, were prepared to perform the experimental tests. When sea sand was used as an alternative abrasive, cutting performance was secured to be 60~70% compared to the commercial garnet abrasive. Thus, it is expected that sand abrasives can be applied on the waterjet cutting process for the economical excavation construction.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.259-268
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• 1988

Clay deposits in the vicinity of the Gwangpo Bay, southern coast of Korea, occur restrictively in anorthositic masses. Laumontite and meta-halloysite are the predominant clay minerals with iron oxides at the uppermost surface. Chlorite and halloysite occur in deeper zone. Beneath the main clay horizon, but not above, some anorthositic rocks are pervasively altered to quartz, sericite, chlorite, pyrite and montmorillonite along the hydrothermal channels. The hypotheses of hydrothermal and weathering origins of the clay minerals are tested by multi-component equilibrium calculations of the reactions of modified hydrothermal water and rain water with anorthositic rocks at $100^{\circ}C\;and\;25^{\circ}C$, respectively. The calculated mineralogy from the reaction with rain water resembles natural mineral assemblage except for abundance in laumontite. The result implies that the weathering process is the main machanism of the formation of clay deposits in the area.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-109
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• 2008

This work is to describe the geomorphological features of Dongcheon-gugok in the Eastern Part of Gyeongsang Province, and attempt to develop a basic data for traditional natural heritage. The bedrocks of the study area is typically sedimentary rocks of Gyeongsang Series. Dongcheon-gugok in the study area is almost distributed in the valley of Taebaek Mountain range in Gyeongbuk Province. These valleys almost belong to tributaries of Nakdong River, and are characterized by narrow meandering valley in the moutainous region. Dongcheon-gugok in the study area is located in these valleys with steep slopes or rocky cliffs. And there are pools, point-bar with sands and gravels, riffles, etc in the river valley. Ancesters named these landscape with Jeolbyuk(rocky cliff), Bong(peak), Dam(pool), Tan(ripple), Cheonsa(point-bar), Pok(waterfall), Dae(hill), etc.