• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.499-510
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• 2015

Artificial accelerated weathering test evaluated rocks from near the circuit road of Ulleungdo island, approximately 120 km from east of the Korean Peninsula. The tests subjected rock specimens to conditions based on the climate of the island. The specimens (such as basaltic breccia, trachyte, volcanic breccia) were preliminarily classified using a TAS diagram (XRF data) and based on the constituent minerals (XRD data); they were further classified by weathering degree according to their absorption ratios. During the artificial accelerated weathering, the absorption ratio of most of the specimens increased, but the point-load strength did not decrease in most cases, except for the volcanic breccia. The greater initial absorption ratio of trachyte rock specimen in comparison with the other specimens led to a greater increase of its absorption ratio during the artificial accelerated weathering test. The volcanic breccia specimens showed the greatest increase of absorption ratio and the biggest reduction ratio of the point- load strength during the tests. These results could aid prediction of the weathering rate of rocks in Ulleungdo island subjected to weathering processes; trachyte which appears to accelerate with time, and volcanic breccia whose mechanical strength can largely decrease in a relative short period of time. Proper measures therefore appear necessary for the prevention of natural disaster such as rock fall and landslide around the circuit road.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.11-24
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• 2008

A physical characteristics and chemical compositions change by weathering on the granite were examined for the conservation treatment of the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda. The natural weathered granite was collected from the Mt. Mireuk, and divided into the classification standards based on weathering degrees and strength measured by rock-test hammer. The results from comparison of the strength measured by undestructive rock-test hammer and the strength values converted from ultrasonic velocity showed that each strength measurement value was proportionate. The water absorption of the sample was 1.68 to 0.20%. The F-type of fresh rock was not naturally saturated and the WW-type was naturally saturated but took quite a long time. The water absorption was increased gradually in order of SW-type, the MW-type and the HW-type according to weathering condition. The CW-type samples showed the highest water absorption among the weathered classification samples. Through dyeing test, it was found out that only the feldspar was dyed out of the F-type and the WW-type. The SW-type and the MW-type were distinguished by the fact that plagioclase being dyed. And dyed area was expanded to quartz crack in HW-type and CW-type. Physical change by weathering of the rock-forming minerals could be classified with 3 grades. Through the XRD analysis, albite among the rock-forming mineral showed remarkable decrease. SEM-EDX analysis of the component change in the rock-forming minerals such as biotite, plagioclase, and orthoclase, showed that in case of highly-weathered grade samples compared with fresh samples, contents of the $Al_2O_3$, $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ increase and CaO, MgO decrease in the biotite, the CaO, $K_2O$ increase and $Na_2O$ decrease in the plagioclase, the $Al_2O_3$ a little increase and $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ decrease in the orthoclase. The results of extracted cation analysis using the powder samples of each weathering grade, the CaO, $Na_2O$, $K_2O$ and MgO are highly chemical variations in rock forming minerals and positive variation show high in the weathering grade of the WW-type and CW-type. This research will be used as an importance data to establish a plan for conservation treatment of composed stone in the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.175-184
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• 1974

Weathering of granites has a great geochemical significance, because of their chemical stability near the earth surface which is more pronounced than in most other rocks. The author intended to observe the relative mobility of major elements in weathering process of the granite, distributed on outskirts of Iri city Jeolla-bugdo, Korea. He analysed fresh granites and weathered ones from the Baeg-Gu granite mass and obtained following conclusions in the triangle-diagrams and the oxidized variation diagrams of the samples. 1) The increasing phenomena of $H_2O$ was observed clearly in early and late stages of weathering process. 2) The early stage of weathering is commenced by physical weathering and followed by chemical weathering. 3) The ratio of $FeO/Fe_2O_3$, FeO/MgO, and $SiO_2/Al_2O_3$ decreased uniformly from early to late stage of weathering processes. 4) It was proved that weathering potential of granite was larger than that of basaltic rock. 5) The order of mobility in major elements was Ca, Na and K

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2006

A basic research was conducted on the mineral weathering and geochemical characteristics in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel), which was recently constructed at a site in KAERI. Some rock samples exposed during the KURT construction were examined using a microscope and chemical analysis for some micro-changes of the rocks caused by the chemical weathering. The weathered granite has some small and fine cracks around the rock-forming minerals. In particular, there are a characteristic weathering of feldspar mineral and a preferential leaching of Ca component from the mineral dissolution. In addition, by the dissolution of biotite containing $Fe^{2+}$ component there were iron-oxides precipitates as secondary products into the microcracks of around minerals. The results also show that the micro-cracks initiated from the mineral interior are extended and connected into the larger cracks along the grain boundary with the progress of the weathering. Thus, it is considered that some chemicals dissolved from the fresh rock would be involved in the formation of secondary minerals and migrate interacting with them.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.435-449
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• 2015

Physical and microstructural properties of Pungchon and Maggol limestone were investigated quantitatively during 50 cycles of artificial freezing and thawing test. There were decrease in dry weight and P,S-wave velocity, and increase in absorption rate in both rock types. Porosity, pore volume, equivalent diameter, throat thickness and pore orientation were analyzed using X-ray computed tomography images. Porosity increased, and initiation and expansion of pores were investigated as weathering progresses. Physical and microstructural variation in Maggol limestone was larger than that of Pungchon limestone because Maggol limestone has more pores and microcracks at initial state. As this study analyzes physical and microstructural properties of rock specimens comprehensively, it can be applied to further rock weathering study and can be used as fundamental data of construction and resource development in cold regions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.771-784
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• 2007

This study shows the weathering characteristics of mica-schist affected by faulting and metamorphism through laboratory tests. Frozen-thaw test, which simulate the physical-chemical weathering processes in the laboratory, shows the important influence of foliation developed in mica-schist, resulting in $20{\sim}40%$ reduction of UCS according to weathering grade of rock. Slaking durability test was carried out for different weathering grade rock specimens and indicated that the specimens from fault area had a low durability index compared to other relatively fresh samples. XRD analysis allowed to estimate the dynamic evolution of mineral composition through wet-dry cycle in which the chlorite was the most important mineral leached out during slaking test. The creep test indicated that the main deformation produced along the foliation plane. The compacted clay minerals between discontinuity planes influence on the discontinuity shearing properties and result in a big difference between peak shear strength and residual strength. The results of laboratory tests on mica-schist show the possibility of a important deformation along the foliation plane or discontinuity.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

Typical weathering landforms and phenomena including tafoni and gnamma are usually interpreted as man-made alteo (praying water bowl) or dragon-alteo by folklore researchers. Despite some terminological ambiguity, they are certainly natural weathering pits and are introduced in our discipline for fifty years, however, unfortunately most of them are interpreted as petroglyphs used and prepared for ritual ceremony. Several seemingly artificially-made rock holes are also found in many places, but most of them are weathered landforms by salt weathering. Author believes that communication effort to use common language and publish more researches in interdisciplinary journals are very essential to propagate scientific achievements made by geomorphologists to other discipline. Also geomorphologists specialized in weathering processes are encouraged to participate in preservation of stone artifacts and archaeological remains.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.145-150
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• 2011

Variations of physical properties such as weight loss rate, wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength after performing freeze-thaw cyclic test were measured in order to define weathering characteristics of sandstone and andesite. Weight change in specimens of the two rocks decreased with increasing the repetition number of freeze-thaw cyclic test. In particular, weight loss of andesite specimens was very irregular. P-wave velocity of sandstone specimens decreased more than 5%. On the other hand, P-wave velocity of andesite specimens do not vary up to 500 cycles and decreased more than 5% after 1000 cycles. This implies that the sandstone are easily weakened and loosened by weathering processes, while the andesite are relatively strong. In addition, the wave velocity changes of the andesite specimens coincident with the weight change. Uniaxial compressive strengths of the sandstone specimens slightly decreased at the early stage of the freezing-thawing cyclic test, then tended to be irregular after 64 cycles. In conclusion, the rock specimens showed smaller weight loss, less had lower strength reduction rate.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.342-359
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• 2010

The Bangudae Petroglyphs locate at Bangudong, Daegok-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan and was designated as the No. 285 national treasure since 1995. After the construction of Sayeon-dam in 1965, there were many controversies of the rock weathering problems by the periodic immersion for approximately a few months. The isopleths of water content on the rock are drawn and the result shows relationships between the isopleths and distribution of joints or exfoliations. The distributions of water content rates in the Petroglyphs show the downward increasing pattern. This may suggest that the rates of water content are further influenced by the duration of immersion. Also, the upper part of the Petroglyphs with dense joints shows high rates of water content. If the water content rates in rocks increase, the water absorption rates increase too, because of the increasement of coefficient of permeability and porosity. The weathering damages of the Petroglyphs in which the pores are saturated by the periodic immersion are in the critical conditions.