• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.561-573
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• 1999

Mesothermal gold deposits of the Heungdeok, Daewon and Ilsaeng mines in the Youngdong area occur in fault shear zones in Precambrian metamorphic rocks of central Sobaegsan Massif, Korea, and formed in single stage of massive quartz veins (0.3 to 3 m thick). Ore mineralogy is simple, consisting dominantly of pyrrhotite, sphalerite and galena with subordinate pyrite, chalcopyrite, electrum, tetrahedrite and native bismuth. Fluid inclusion data indicate that hydrothermal mineralization occurred at high temperatures (>240$^{\circ}$ to 400$^{\circ}$C) from $H_{2}O-CO_{2}(-CH_{4})$-NaCI fluids with salinities less than 12 wt. % equiv. NaC!. Fluid inclusions in vein quartz comprise two main types. These are, in decreasing order of abundance, type I (aqueous liquid-rich) and type II (carbonic). Volumetric proportion of the carbonic phase in type II inclusions varies widely in a single quartz grain. Estimated $CH_4$ contents in the carbonic phase of type II inclusions are 2 to 20 mole %. Relationship between homogenization temperature and salinity of fluid inclusions suggests a complex history of fluid evolution, comprising the early fluid's unmixing accompanying $CO_2$ effervescence and later cooling. Estimated pressures of vein filling are at least 2 kbars. The ore mineralization formed from a magmatic fluid with the ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}S}$, ${\delta}^{18}O_{water}$ and ${\delta}D_{water}$ values of -2.1 to 2.2$\textperthousand$, 4.7 to 9.3$\textperthousand$ and -63 to -79$\textperthousand$, respectively. This study validates the application of a magmatic model for the genesis of mesothermal gold deposits in Youngdong area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2022

The Gasado Au-Ag deposit is located within the south-western margin of the Hanam-Jindo basin. The geology of the Gasado is composed of the late Cretaceous volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks and acidic or intermediate igneous rocks. Within the deposit area, there are a number of hydrothermal quartz and calcite veins, formed by narrow open space filling along subparallel fractures in the late Cretaceous volcaniclastic sedimentary rock. Vein mineralization at the Gasado is characterized by several textural varieties such as chalcedony, drusy, comb, bladed, crustiform and colloform. The textures have been used as exploring indicators of the epithermal deposit. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz veins; stage II, barren carbonate veins) considering major tectonic fracturing event. Stage I, at which the precipitation of Au-Ag bearing minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages (early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early, marked by deposition of pyrite and pyrrhotite with minor chalcopyrite, sphalerite and electrum; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor argentite; late, marked by argentite and native silver. Au-Ag-bearing mineralization at the Gasado deposit occurred under the condition between initial high temperatures (≥290℃) and later lower temperatures (≤130℃). Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur (≈10^-10.1 to ≤10^-18.5atm) by evolution of the Gasado hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Gasado deposit may represents an epithermal gold-silver deposit which was formed near paleo-surface.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.227-237
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• 1986

The Duk-Eum mine located in Kongsan-myeon, Naju-gun, Cheolanamdo is producing silver ore mainly, with rare gold association. The grade-up and recovery of the concentrates have been concerned to the main problem. And then, this study aimed at applying the basic data for ore processing. In the first half of the study, the attempts were made to identify the ore minerals, this followed by determination of the mineral texture, paragenesis, grain size, and size distribution by employing the microscopical method and the etching test. The results of the study are as follows: 1. The ore deposit is composed of the hydrothermal fissure linked veins, and filling cavities are mostly tensile fractures or joints, in rhyolitic rocks as a wall rock. 2. The principle ore minerals are native silver, acanthite, canfieldite, pyrargyrite, galena, tetrahedrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite, zincite, and the gangue minerals are quartz and calcite. 3. The grain size of each ore minerals before grinding are; max. $2\frac{1}{2}$ mesh, medium 48-100 mesh(main size, contained over 80%), min. 3200mesh. And the grain size of each ore minerals after grinding is; max. 42mesh, medium 65-250mesh(main size, contained over 80%), min. 3200mesh. 4. The properties of the mineral texture effected on the ore dressing are follows; a) Inclusion texture; the fine grains of chalcopyrite is included in most acanthite, and rarely, that of galena included in acanthite. b) Exsolution texture; pyrargyrite is exsolved in acanthite. c) Replacement texture; native silver replaced pyrargyrite, and acanthite replaced galena. d) Interlocking paragenetic texture; the interlocking paragenetic minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, canfieldite. e) Fissure filling texture; chalcopyrite was filled along the cracks in acanthite. Among of the above texture, it is impossible to liberate the grains of a), and more difficult to liberate those of b) and c), while easy to liberate those of d) and e).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.183-199
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• 1990

Ore deposits of Dongwon mine are composed of numerous gold and silver veins emplaced in sedimentary rocks of Cambrian Choseon Supergroup and granitoids of Cretaceous age. Ore veins of the mine can be divided into gold and silver veins on the base of vein structure, mineral assemblage and vein trends. Mutual relationships between gold and silver veins are uncertain. Gold veins are simple veins which are composed of base-metal sulfides, and electrum with quartz and ankerite. On the other hand, silver veins are complex veins which reveal three distinct stages of mineral deposition based on vein structure; stage I, deposition of small amounts of oxides and pyrite with quartz; stage II, deposition of base-metal sulfides, small amounts of Ag-bearing minerals, calcite and quartz; stage III, deposition of base metal sulfides, electrum, Ag-sulfosalts, native silver, carbonates and quartz. Homogenization temperature and salinity of fluid inclusion from quartz of gold vein are as follows; $229^{\circ}$ to $283^{\circ}C$, 4.7 to 6.4 wt.% equivalent NaCI. The ore mineralogy suggests that temperature(T) and sulfur fugacity($fs_2$) of the formation of the gold vein and stage III of silver vein are estimated as T ; $294^{\circ}$ to $318^{\circ}C$, $fs_2\;10^{-9.4}$ to $10^{-10.1}$ atm. and T; $240^{\circ}$ to $279^{\circ}C$, $fs_2;10^{-11.1}$ to $10^{-17.3}$ atm. respectively. Pressure condition during gold vein formation estimated from data of ore mineralogy and fluid inclusion range 500 to 750 bar.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1994

The industrial minerals play an important role in mining sector. More than 70 % of total mineral production come from industrial mineral sector. This paper reviews geological occurrence of kaolin, pyrophyllite and limestone, and current demand-supply status of major industrial minerals in the Republic of Korea. The kaolin is mainly distributed in the Kyeongsang province, formed by deep weathering of Precambrian anorthosite on mountainside of gentle slope. The pyrophyllite mainly occurs in the Kyeongsang and Chulla provinces, formed by hydrothermal alteration of late Cretaceous andesitic and rhyolitic rocks. Pyrophyllite comprises massive and lenticular bodies and contains minor amounts of kaolin, alunite and pyrite, in some places andalusite and illite. The limestone(Great Limestone Series of Cambrian age) is distributed widely in the Kwangwon and Chungcheong provinces. The limestone bodies are approzimately 70 km long and 3 km wide, elongated NE-ward, and show high grade of CaO content. In 1992, the self-sufficiency ratio of 44 nonfuel (metallic and non-metallic) minerals was no more than 30 percent. However, the ratio of 27 industrial minerals (non-metallic) represents high value of about 72 percent. The export/productjon ratio of the industrial minerals shows decreasing patterns from 12.2 % in 1983 to 4.2 % in 1992. Also the import/production ratio shows rapidly decreasing pattern from 84 % in 1983 to 38.2 % in 1992.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1998

Copper mineralization of the Donghwa and Hwanghagsan mines was deposited in hydrothermal quartz veins which filled fissures in Cretacous sedimentary rocks. Ore minerals are pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite, galena, wittichenite and unidentified Cu-Bi-Pb-Sb-S mineral. On the basis of salinities and homogenization temperatures for fluid inclusions, the Donghwa deposit was deposited from $300^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$ with 2.5 to 0.2 wt.% eq. NaCl, and the Hwanghagsan deposits was deposited from $300^{\circ}C$ to $160^{\circ}C$ with 4.0 to 0.0 wt.% eq. NaCl. Evidence of boiling suggests pressure of 170 to 60 bar, these pressures correspond to 1700 m to 600 m. The ${\delta}^{34}S_{H_2S}$ values of the Donghwa deposit (4.8~7.4%) are higher than those of the Hwanghagsan deposit (3.5~4.5%), sulfur isotope compositions indicate that ore fluids partially reacted with meteoric water and wall-rock. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation indicates that the temperature versus $fs_2$ of the Donghwa deposit (> $420^{\circ}C$, $10^{-3.2}atm$) is higher condition than that of the Hwanghagsan deposit (> $290^{\circ}C$, $10^{-7.0}atm$). K-Ar ages for biotite granite and quartz porphyry in the study area are 64.7 Ma, and 60.9 Ma, reapectively. Mineralization age using sericite in the Donghwa deposits is 59.8 Ma. Therfore, Copper mineralization in the study area was associated with acidic igneous activity such as biotite granite or quartz porphyry.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.151-165
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• 1991

The Au-Ag deposits of the Euiseong area occurred in quartz veins which filled fissures in Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks. These ore veins can be classified in two types of deposits based on metallic mineral assemblages as follow: a pyrite type gold-silver deposit (Hoedong mine), characterized by Cu sulfides with Au-Ag alloy, and a Sb-rich silver deposit (Keumdongdo mine), characterized by base metal with Ag-bearing sulfosalts. Mineralogic and fluid inclusion evidences suggest that the ore minerals of these deposits was deposited from initial high temperatures (near $350^{\circ}C$) to later lower temperatures ($200^{\circ}C$) with moderate salinity fluids ranging from 5.8 to 3.8 eq. wt. % NaCl. The gold-silver mineralization of the Hoedong mine occurred at temperatures between 300 and $200^{\circ}C$ from fluids with log $f_{s_2}$ of -10 ~ -16 atm. The antimony - silver mineralization of the Keumdongdo mine were deposited at the higher temperatures (350 to $250^{\circ}C$) and $f_{S_2}$ (-10 ~ -13 atm) than gold mineralization of the Hoedong mine. The calculated log f02 of fluids at $250^{\circ}C$ in two deposits are -32 to -34 atm and -36.5 to -38.5 atm, respectively. Boiling evidences indicate that the ore mineralization of the Hoedong mine occurred at more shallow depth (0.5km) than that (1km) of the Keumdongdo mine. The above differences of depositional environments between two deposits caused the compositional changes of ore minerals such as electrum and sphalerite.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.325-333
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• 1994

Gold and/or silver mineralization in the southeast province, Korea, occurred in hydrothermal quartz vein that fills fracture zones in Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Gyeongsang basin or granites and Precambrian gneiss. Most of the gold-silver-bearing veins in the province occur in Hapcheon, Suncheon and Haman-Gunbuk area where they are associated with Cretaceous Bulgugsa granites. On the basis of the Ag/Au ratio on amounts produced and ore grades, mode of occurrence, and associated mineral assemblages, hydrothermal Au-Ag deposits in southeast province, Korea, can be classified as follows: pyrite-type gold deposit (Group IIB, Samjeong and Sangchon deposits), antimony-type gold-silver deposit (Group IV, Gisan and Geochang deposits), and antimony-type silver deposit (Group V, Sanggo, Seweon, Seongju and Gahoe deposits). All of the gold-silver deposits in the province are generally characteristics of the gold-silver or silver-dominant type deposit which contains more silver-bearing minerals than those deposits in central Korea. The gold-silver mineralization in the deposits consist of two generation; the early characterized by gold precipitation and the late represented by silver-rich (as silver-bearing sulfosalts minerals) mineralization. All but one deposit (Samjeong deposit) having relatively lower Au content in electrum values between ${\approx}20$ and ${\approx}50$ atomic %. The mineralogical data on electrum-sphalerite and/or arsenopyrite geothermometry and fluid inclusion data indicate that the gold and silver mineralizations were occurred at temperatures of $190{\sim}280^{\circ}C$ and $150{\sim}180^{\circ}C$, respectively. These suggest that the gold-silver mineralization in the province occurred in the lower temperature and pressure conditions as epithermal-type hydrothermal vein deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.171-183
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• 1998

Early Tertiary volcanics, volcanoclastics and granodiorite occur in the Barton Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. In the granodioritic stock and volcanic rocks, propylitic alteration characterized by actinolite, epidote, chlorite and calcite is widespread, and disseminations and veinlets of sulfide minerals such as pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite are ubiquitious. The study on the hydrothermal alteration near granodioritic stock can be summarized as follows; (1) granodiorite intrusion is a small, high level stock associated with calc-alkaline volcanism, and have high copper content, (2) high temperature type of propylitic alteration and common occurrence of copper sulfides in and around granodiorite intrusion, (3) low ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of pyrites by oxidational conditions of sulfide deposition, (4) low ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of quartz and feldspar in the granodiorite, and isotopic non-equilibrium by hydrothermal alteration. It suggest that hyrothermal alteration and mineralization near granodioritc stock should be genetically related to granodiorite intrusion in the Barton Peninsula.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.185-197
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• 1995

Tungsten skarns in the Chungju mine which consists mainly of strata-bound type iron ore deposits are found in the vicinity of the contact between the age-unknown Kyemeongsan Formation and granitic rock intrusions of Mesozoic age($134{\pm}2Ma$). Tungsten skarns were formed extensively from alumina and silica-rich schistose rocks by the introduction of calcium and iron from hydrothermal solution. The skarns comprise a metasomatic column and are subdivided into four facies; garnet facies, wollastonite facies, epidote facies and chlorite facies. The skarn process in time-evolutional trend can be divided broadly into the four facies in terms of the paragenetic sequence of calc-silicates and their chemical composition. Skarn and ore minerals were formed in the following sequence; (1) garnet facies, adjacent to biotite granite, containing mainly garnet(>Ad96) and magnetite, (2) wollastonite facies containing mainly wollastonite and garnet(Ad95~60), (3) epidote facies, containing mainly epidote(Ps35~31), quartz, andradite-grossular(Ad63~50), and scheelite, (4) chlorite facies, adjacent to and replacing schist, containing mainly chrolite, muscovite, quartz, calcite, epidote(Ps31~25), hematite and sulfides. The mineral assemblage and mineral compositions. suggest that the chemical potentials of Ca and Fe increased toward the granitic rock, and the component Al, Mg, K, and Si decreased from the host rock to granitic rock. The homogenization temperature and salinity of fluid inclusion in scheelite, quartz and epidote of epidote facies skarn is $300-400^{\circ}C$ and 3-8wt.% eqiv. NaCl, respectively. ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of pyrite and galena associated with chlorite facies skarn is $9.13{\sim}9.51%_{\circ}$ and $5.85{\sim}5.96%_{\circ}$, respectively. The temperature obtained from isotopic com· position of coexisting pyrite-galena is $283{\pm}20^{\circ}C$. Mineral assemblages and fluid inclusion data indicate that skarn formed at low $X_{CO_2}$, approximately 0.01. Temperature of the skarn mineralization are estimated to be in the range of $400^{\circ}C$ to $260^{\circ}C$ and pressure to be 0.5 kbar. The oxygen fugacity($fo_2$) of the skarn mineralization decreased with time. The early skarn facies would have formed at log $fo_2$ values of about -25 to -27, and late skarn facies would have formed at log $fo_2$ values of -28 to -30. The estimated physicochemical condition during skarn formation suggests that the principal causes of scheelite mineralization are reduction of the ore·forming fluid and a decrease in temperature.