• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.383-394
• /
• 2014

The surface sediments from the manganese nodule exploration area of Korea in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone were investigated to understand the resource potential of and emplacement mechanism for rare earth elements (REEs). The sediments are categorized into three lithological units (Unit I, II and III from top to bottom), but into two groups (Unit I/II and Unit III) based on the distribution pattern of REEs. The distribution pattern of REEs in Unit I/II is similar to that of Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS), but shows a negative Ce anomaly and enrichment in heavy REEs (HREEs). In Unit III, the HREE enrichment and Ce anomaly is much more remarkable than Unit I/II when normalized to PAAS, which are interpreted as resulting from the absorption of REEs from seawater by Fe oxyhydroxides that were transported along the buoyant plume from remotely-located hydrothermal vents. It is supported by the PAAS-normalized REE pattern of Unit III which is similar to those of seawater and East Pacific Rise sediments. Meanwhile, the PAAS-normalized REE pattern of Unit I/II is explained by the 4:1 mixing of terrestrial eolian sediment and Unit III from each, indicating the much smaller contribution of hydrothermal origin material to Unit I/II. The studied sediments have the potentiality of a low-grade and large tonnage REE resource. However, the mining of REE-bearing sediment needs a large size extra collecting, lifting and treatment system to dress and refine low-grade sediments if the sediment is exploited with manganese nodules. It is economically infeasible to develop low-grade REE sediments at this moment in time because the exploitation of REE-bearing sediments with manganese nodules increase the mining cost.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.54-54
• /
• 2003

The metasedimentary rocks together with various granitoids are the main constituents in Taebaeksan gneiss complex, northern Yeongnam Massif. Chemical compositions of sedimentary rocks may reflect the nature of the provenance and could be crucial for understanding the evolution of early continental crust. Previous workers have suggested that the provenance and tectonic studies based on the geochemistry of sediments are applicable to the Precambrian samples. In this study we analyzed the major, trace and REE elements of metasedimentary rocks to understand their provenance and tectonic setting during sedimentation. The overall geochemical characteristics of metasedimentary rocks are similar to those of average shale of the post-Archean. Major element chemistry indicates mature and sorted nature of the sediments. The degree of weathering in the source rocks the is not uniform, as inferred from a large scatter in chemical indices of weathering (CIW). The immobile trace elements such as Th, Sc, and REE can be used to discriminate various sedimentary processes. The Th/sc ratios (0.9 - 4.4) are larger than those of the upper crust and average shale, suggesting that the felsic source predominates. The contents of Ni and Cr and the variations in the ratio of compatible to incompatible elements are similar to the average post-Archean shale. Uniform chondrite-normalized REE pattern with the LREE enrichment (LaN/SmN = 4.9 ${\pm}$ 0.4) and slight negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu$\^$*/ = 0.7 ${\pm}$ 0.1) also support this observation. The presence of negative Eu anomaly indicates that intracrustal igneous processes involving plagioclase separation have affected the provenance rocks. The LREE enrichment implies the major role of felsic rocks in source rocks. The eNd (1.9 Ga) values of metasediment rocks vary from 9.4 to 6.7, corresponding to TDM of 2.9 - 2.7 Ga. On the other hand, the 147Sm/144Nd ratios are 0.1079 - 0.1101, corresponding to typical tettigenous sediments. The geochemical features of metasedimentary rocks such as high abundances of large ion lithophile elements, high ratios of Th/Sc and La/Sm, commonly high Th/U ratios, negative Eu anomalies, and negative eNd, suggest a provenance consisting virtually entirely of recycled upper continental crust in passive margin environment. Tectonic discrimination diagrams based upon major element compositions also support this suggestion. In conjunction with igneous activity and metamorphism in the convergent margin setting at 1.8 - 1. 9 Ga, the transition from passive margin to active margin characterize the Paleoproterozoic crustal evolution in northern Yeongnam Massif.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.373-386
• /
• 2011

Geochemical study was performed on black slates and interbedded U-bearing coaly slates in Deokpyeongri area, the representative uranium mineralized district of the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt, to discuss the genetic environments of the uranium deposit. REE concentration (254 ppm) of the black slates is higher than that (169 ppm) of the coaly slates and NASC-normalized REE patterns of the coaly slates show remarkable positive Eu anomaly. l11e redox-sensitive trace elements such as V, Cr, Co, Ni, Mo and U in the coaly slates are highly enriched compared to the black slates, especially for V of 24 times, Mo of 62 times, and U of 60 times. In additions, Pd and Pt are also enriched in the coaly slates. Positive Eu anomaly and the noticeable enrichment of the elements listed above compared to those of NASC indicate that those elements were not derived from common seawater but deposited under high temperature and reducing environment of submarine hydrothermal activities. Wide compositional ranges of major elements ($SiO_2/Al_2O_3$: 3.98~11.88, $Al_2O_3/Na_2O$: 25.6~139.06, $K_2O/Na_2O$: 6.80~46.85) also suggest that the source rocks of the sediments are mixtures of sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks. Higher sulfur contents in the coaly slates, 2.6 wt.%, than those in the black slates, 0.6 wt.% also indicates that the former was influenced by hydrothermal activities containing much sulfur. These geochemical characteristics are similar to the genetic environments of South China type PGE deposits (Mo-Ni-Zn-PGE) which is geotectonically correlated with the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt and is known as sedimentary-exhalative deposits. In conclusions, the uranium and other metallic elements mineralization seems to have occurred in the sedimentary basin that was affected by submarine hydrothermal activities and rich in organic materials under oxygen-poor environments as well.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.116-128
• /
• 2007

Detailed geological mapping, petrographic study, analyses of geochemistry and magnetic susceptibility, and K-Ar dating were carried out in order to determine the origin, age, and stratigraphic implications of granitic rock fragments in the pyroclastic rocks, SE Jinhae city, southern part of the Gyeongsang Basin. As a result, it was found that the area is composed of volcanics and tuffaceous sediments of the Yucheon Group, Bulguksa granites, pyroclastics bearing granitic rock fragments, $basalt{\sim}basaltic$ andesite, and rhyolite in ascending stratigraphic order. The granitic rock fragments in the pyroclastic rocks are divided into granodiorite and biotite granite, which have approximately the same characteristics as the granodiorite and the biotite granite of the Bulguksa granites, respectively, in and around the study area including color, grain size, mineral composition, texture (perthitic and micrographic textures), intensity of magnetic susceptibility (magnetite series), and geochemical features (calc-alkaline series and REE pattern). This leads to the conclusion that the rock fragments originated from the late Cretaceous Bulguksa granites abundantly distributed in and around the study area, but not from the basement rocks of the Yeongnam massif or the Jurassic granites. Based on relative and absolute ages of various rocks in the study area, the pyroclastics bearing granitic rock fragments are interpreted to have erupted between 52 and 16 Ma, i.e. during the Eocene and early Miocene. These results indicate that the various volcanisms, acidic to basic in composition, occurred after the intrusion of the Bulguksa granites, contrary to the general stratigraphy of the Gyeongsang Basin. Very detailed and cautious mapping together with relative and absolute age determinations are, thus, necessary in order to establish reliable stratigraphy of the Yucheon Group in other areas of the Gyeongsang Basin.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.111-131
• /
• 1998

The migmatitic gneiss in the Odesan Gneiss Complex has small amount of quartzite, amphibolite and marble and the Kuryong Group which contact with migmatitic gneiss unconformitly, also contains some amphibolite. Preview studies of this area had regarded that the amphibolites contact with marble had been produced by metasomatism from the pelitic and calcareous sediments mixtures, but the amphibolite is reinterpreted as igneous origin. $SiO_2$ content of the amphibolite is 45.9~52.7 wt%, which corresponds to basaltic composition. MgO content has narrow range (4.6~6.87 wt%) and major and trace element are plotted against MgO,$TiO_2, P_2O_5$, Hf, Zr are reduced and Cr and Ni are increased their content with increasing MgO. This phenomenon indicates that the basaltic magma as the protolith of the amphibolite had frationated with the crystallization of the pyroxene and/or olivine. REE pattern has smoothly decrease from LREE to HREE. Eu/Eu(0.83~1.19) show the flat Eu anomaly, which indicate small fractional crystallization of plagioclase. HREE is enriched in the garnet-bearing amphibolites. Several discrimination diagram for the basaltic magma show that the amphibolite of the study area is originated tholeiitic basaltic magma indicating continental rift environment. Due to determine the metamorphic condition garnet-hornblende geothermometry and hornblende-plagioclase geobarometry are used. Peak metamorphic temperature range of the amphibolite $788~870^{\circ}C$ and is deduced toward the northeastern part. The calculated temperature from the amphibolite has slightly higher than the temperature of the metapelites but the trend of metamorphic grade which decrease from western to eastern part progradly is similar to each other. The metamorphic pressure calculated by garnet- hornblede-plagioclase geobarometry is 4~5kb. But ilmenite-plagioclase pair enclosed in garnet show 8 kb at $700^{\circ}C$ by garnet-ilmenite-rutile-plagioclase geobarometery. The zonal profile of garnet in sample 84 shows the bell-shape profile, which grossular content decreases whereas pyrope content increases progressively. This means that the amphibolite has undergone the clockwise P-T-t path which is shown in the migmatitic gneiss of the Odesan Gneiss Complex.