• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.335-344
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• 2008

The acid rock drainage (ARD) production potential of rock was assessed for a tunnel construction area, Kimhae and the damage reduction strategy was discussed based on the ARD risk evaluation. The geology of the studied area consisted of Mesozoic quartz porphyry, sandstone, tuff and granite. Sulfides occurred as a disseminated type in quartz porphyry and granite, and a vein type in sandstone. Quartz porphyry and sandstone with a high content of sulfide were classified as a potentially ARD forming rock. The drainage originated from those rocks may acidify and contaminate the surrounding area during the tunnel construction. Therefore, the drainage should be treated before it is discharged. A slope stability problem due to the ARD was also expected and the coating technology was recommended for the reduction of ARD generation before the application of supplementary work for enhancing slope stability such as shotcrete and anchor. From the ARD risk analysis, those rocks should not be used as aggregate and be used as bank fill material with the system for the minimum contact with rain water and ground-water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

The Haman mineralized area is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin along the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. Almost all occurrences in the Haman area are representative of copper-bearing polymetallic hydrothermal vein-type mineralization. Within the area are a number of fissure-filling hydrothermal veins which contain tourmaline, quartz and carbonates with Fe-oxide, base-metal sulfide and sulfosalt minerals. The Gunbuk, Jeilgunbuk and Haman mines are each located on such veins. The ore and gangue mineral paragenesis can be divided into three distinct stages: Stage I, tourmaline + quartz + Fe-Cu ore mineralization; Stage II, quartz + sulfides + sulfosalts + carbonates; Stage III, barren calcite. Equilibrium thermodynamic data combined with mineral paragenesis indicate that copper minerals precipitated mainly within a temperature range of $350^{\circ}C$ to $250^{\circ}C$. During early mineralization at $350^{\circ}C$, significant amounts of copper ($10^3$ to $10^2\;ppm$) could be dissolved in weakly acid NaCl solutions. For late mineralization at $250^{\circ}C$, about $10^0$ to $10^{-1}\;ppm$ copper could be dissolved. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation indicates that the copper in the Haman-Gunbuk systems could have been transported as a chloride complex and the copper precipitation occurred as a result of cooling accompanied by changes in the geochemical environments ($fs_2$, $fo_2$, pH, etc.) resulting in decrease of solubility of copper chloride complexes.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.623-641
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• 2012

The Janggun lead-zinc-silver deposit is hydrothermal-metasomatic deposit. We have sampled wallrock, hydrother-maly-altered rock and lead-zinc-silver ore vein to study the element dispersion during wallrock alteration. The hydrothermal alteration that is remarkably recognized at this deposit consists of rhodochrositization and dolomitization. Wallrock is dolomite and limestone that consisit of calcite, dolomite, quartz, phlogopite and biotite. Rhodochrosite zone occurs near lead-zinc-silver ore vein and include mainly rhodochrosite with amounts of calcite, dolomite, kutnahorite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and stannite. Dolomite zone occurs far from lead-zinc-silver ore vein and is composed of mainly dolomite and minor calcite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena and stannite. The correlation coefficients among major, trace and rare earth elements during wallrock alteration show high positive correlations(dolomite and limestone = $Fe_2O_3(T)$/MnO, Ga/MnO and Rb/MnO), high negative correlations(dolomite = MgO/MnO, CaO/MnO, $CO_2$/MnO, Sr/MnO; limestone = CaO/MnO, Sr/MnO). Remarkable gain elements during wallrock alteration are $Fe_2O_3(T)$, MnO, As, Au, Cd, Cu, Ga, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sn and Zn. Remarkable loss elements are CaO, $CO_2$, MgO and Sr. Therefore, elements(CaO, $CO_2$, $Fe_2O_3(T)$, MgO, MnO, Ga, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sn, Sr and Zn) represent a potential tools for exploration in hydrothermal-metasomatic lead-zinc-silver deposits.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 1993

Ag-Au vein ores from the Weolyu mine, Youngdong district, contain significant germanium (up to 145g/t, average 34.9g/t), in the form of argyrodite ($Ag_8GeS_6$). Mineral chemistries of argyrodite and its associated minerals were determined by electron probe microanalysis. Twenty eight elements in thirteen ore samples were analyzed using an ICP mass spectrometer. Argyrodite occurs in the paragenetically later mineral assemblage consisting of carbonates+quartz+native silver+argentite+Ag-sulfosalts, indicating that the germanium mineralization represents the culmination of a complex mineral sequence which includes early gold and late silver deposition. The mean formula of the argyrodite is $Ag_{7.90}\;(Ge_{0.76}Sn_{0.04})S_6$, with minor amounts of Cu, Fe, Sb, As, Sn, and Zn. The Weolyu argyrodite shows systematic substitutions of Ag by Cu, and of Ge by Sb. Chemical analyses of vein ores indicate that metals were precipitated in the order of $Fe{\rightarrow}Pb$, $Zn{\rightarrow}Cu{\rightarrow}Ag$, Sb, As, Ge. Germanium has a strong geochemical affmity with As and Sb, and Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo, and Sr show weak positive correlations with Ge. Germanium deposition at Weolyu was mainly a result of cooling of hydrothermal fluids (down to $175^{\circ}C{\sim}210^{\circ}C$, due to increasing involvement of cooler meteoric waters in the epithermal system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.753-765
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• 2021

The Dongwon Au-Ag deposit is located within the Paleozoic Taebaeksan province, Okcheon belt. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz veins; stage II, barren carbonate veins) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore 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 with minor magnetite, pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor sulfosalts; late, marked by argentite, Cu-As (and/or Sb) and Ag-Sb sulfosalts with base-metal sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥430℃) and later lower temperatures (≤230℃) from fluids with salinities between 6.0 to 0.4 wt. percent equiv. NaCl. The relationship of salinity and homogenization temperature suggest that ore mineralization at Dongwon was deposited mainly due to fluid boiling, cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Dongwon hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Dongwon deposit may represents a Korean-type and/or Au-Ag type mesothermal/epithermal gold-silver deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.163-173
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• 1986

Black and graphite slates from the Okcheon metamorphic belt contain enriched values of uranium (average 200~250ppm) and molybdenum (average 150~200ppm). Uranium mineralization is closely associated with quartz and sulfide veinlets which are formed diagenetically in graphite slate. The uranium minerals were concentrated in outer part of graphite nodules. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of organic carbon from the metasediments including uranium bearing graphite slate range from -15.2 to -26.1‰ with a mean of -23.5‰. Meanwhile, ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of coal and coaly shale from some Paleozoic coal fields of South Korea vary from -19.4 to -23.9‰ with an average of -22.5‰. Isotopic compositions of vein calcite in uranium bearing slate range from -13.4 to -15.4‰ in ${\delta}^{13}C$ and +11.3 to +15.1‰ in ${\delta}^{18}O$ could indicate a reduced organic carbon source isotopically exchanged with a graphite of biogenic origin. Metamorphic temperature determined by a calcite-graphite isotope geothermometer was 383~$433^{\circ}C$ which corresponded to greenschist facies by Miyashiro (1973) and is consistent with metamorphic facies estimated by mineral assemblages (Lee, et al., 1981, and Kim, 1971). The fixation of uranyl species by carbonaceous matter in marine epicontinental environment, and remobilization of organouranium by diagenetic processes have attributed to the enrichment of uranium and heavy metals in the graphite slate of Okcheon metamorphic belt.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.123-142
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• 1981

Granitic complex in the Woosanbong area is composed of schistose granite, two-mica granite, biotite granite, porphyritic granite and pink feldspar granite in order of intrusion. In their boundary aspects, the gradational change between porphyritic granite and pink feldspar granite is observed in field relations. All the granites of the complex are classified to quartz monzonite by the modal compositions following Bateman's classification (1961) with the exception of pink feldspar granite which belongs to granite according to the petrographical classification. The first three granites are characterized by highly development of vein and/or lens-like pegmatites in their bodies, and two others contain green hornblende uniquely. These leucocratic two-mica granite shows an unusual character in ratio of muscovite to biotite 1: 0.7 to 1:13, and contains dominantly microcline. The content of muscovite varies in places in the field. Under the polarizing microscope it is revealed that the muscovite flakes occur as the products altered from biotite partly or completely, and it usually associates with chlorite flakes nearby. These features, therefore, suggests that biotite probably has been altered to muscovite and chlorite by hydration during deuteric processes. At the same stage, sericitization of plagioclase by the hydrolytic decomposition, and transformation of orthoclase to microcline may be taken place. Accordingly, it is obviously permissible to consider the two-mica granite as a kind of 'apo-granite' by deuteric alterations during the consolidation of magma.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2001

K-Ar ages of the altered rocks from the Barton Peninsula are belows; altered tuffaceous andesite from southwestern part is 42 Ma, altered rocks contacted with quartz vein from southern part are 28 and 33 Ma, and advanced argillic altered andesite from northeastern part are 33 and 35 Ma. Those K-Ar ages are 10 My younger than granitic rocks of the Barton Peninsula. Hydothermal alteration of the Barton Peninsula was originated from mixing of magmatic water from parent magma of granitic rocks with meteoric water. The Al content in the hostrock is relatively constant during hydrothermal alteration, on the contrary the Mg content is in proportion to total alkali. The variation of total alkali and Mg contents in hydrothermal alteration indicates that those elements was washed out during hydrothermal alteration. The sequences of hydrothermal alteration of the Barton Peninsula is chloritization of amphiboles, sericitization of feldspars and kaolitization of sericite.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.117-128
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• 2017

Occurrence characteristics and existing forms of U-Th containing minerals in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) granite are investigated to understand long-term behavior of radionuclides in granite considered as a candidate rock for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. KURT granite primarily consists of quartz, feldspar and mica. zircon, REE(Rare Earth Element)-containing monazite and bastnaesite are also identified. Besides, secondary minerals such as sericite, microcline and chlorite including quartz vein and calcite vein are observed. These minerals are presumed to be accompanied by a post-hydrothermal process. U-Th containing minerals are mainly observed at the boundaries of quartz, feldspar and mica, mostly less than $30{\mu}m$ in size. Quantitative analysis results using EPMA (Electron Probe Micro-Analyzer) show that 74.2 ~ 96.5% of the U-Th containing minerals consist of $UO_2$ (3.39 ~ 33.19 wt.%), $ThO_2$ (41.61 ~ 50.24 wt.%) and $SiO_2$ (15.43 ~ 18.60 wt.%). Chemical structure of the minerals calculated using EPMA quantitative analysis shows that the U-Th minerals are silicate minerals determined as thorite and uranothorite. The U-Th containing silicate minerals are formed by a magmatic and hydrothermal process. Therefore, KURT granite formed by a magmatic differentiation is accompanied by an alteration and replacement owing to a hydrothermal process. U-Th containing silicate minerals in KURT granite are estimated to be recrystallized by geochemical factors and parameters such as temperature, pressure and pH owing to the hydrothermal process. By repeated dissolution/precipitation during the recrystallization process, U-Th containing silicate minerals such as thorite and uranothorite are formed according to the variation in the concentrated amount of U and Th.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.278-291
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• 2001

Mesothermal gold vein minerals of the Seolhwa mine were deposited in a single stage of massive quartz veins which filled the mainly NE-trending fault shear zones exclusively in the granitoid of the Gyeonggi Massif. The Seolhwa mesothermal gold mineralization is spatially associated with the Jurassic granitoid of 161 Ma. The vein quartz contains three main types of fluid inclusions at 25$^{\circ}$C: 1) low-salinity (< 5 wt.% NaCl), liquid CO$_{2}$-bearing, type IV inclusion; 2) gas-rich (> 70 vol.%), aqueous type II inclusions; 3) aqueous type I inclusions (0${\sim}$15 wt.% NaCl) containing small amounts of CO$_{2}$. The H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl inclusions represent immiscible fluids trapped earlier along the solvurs curve at temperatures from 430$^{\circ}$ to 250$^{\circ}$C and pressures of 1 kbars. Detailed fluid inclusion chronologies may suggest a progressive decrease in pressure during the auriferous mineralization. The aqueous inclusion fluids represent either later fluids evelved through extensive fluid unmixing (CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$ effervescence) from a homogeneous H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl fluid due to decreases in temperature and pressure, or the influence of deep circulated meteoric waters possibly related to uplift and unloading of the mineralizing suites. The initial fluids were homogeneous containing H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl components and the following properties: the initital temperature of >250$^{\circ}$ to 430$^{\circ}$C, X$_{CO}\;_{2}$ of 0.16 to 0.62, 5 to 14 mole% CH$_{4}$, 0.06 to 0.3 mole% N$_{2}$ and salinities of 0.4 to 4.9 wt.% NaCl. The T-X data for the Seolhwa gold mine may suggest that the Seolhwa auriferous hydrothermal system has been probably originated from adjacent granitic melt which facilitated the CH$_{4}$ formation and resulted in a reduced fluid state evidenced by the predominance of pyrrhotite. The dominance of negative ${\delta}\;^{34}$S values of sulfides (-0.6 to 1.4$%_o$o) are consistent with their deep igneous source.