• Title/Summary/Keyword: Skarn

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Characteristics of Polymetallic Occurrence in Kau Loc Area within Northern Vietnam: Preliminary Study (베트남 북부 카우록 다중금속 산출지의 특성: 예비연구)

  • Heo, Chul-Ho;Chi, Se-Jung;Park, Sung-Won;Lee, Jae-Ho
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.44 no.5
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    • pp.345-357
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    • 2011
  • It was carried out to the survey on the lead-zinc and tungsten occurrences in the Kau Loc mineralized belt within northern Vietnam. The lead-zinc occurrence bear the ore body parallel to the bedding of limestone formation. Assuming the surface grade and geological reserve, Pb+Zn deposit is estimated to the small to medium-sized ore deposit. On the other hand, considering the distribution of small-scale stock intruding the Devonian limestone, it is thought that the tungsten occurrence has the proper geological conditions anticipating the presence of skarn mineralization. However, there is no evidence to recognize economic feasibility in the present situation because of the absence of detailed geology and ore deposit survey on the tungsten occurrence.

Sulfur Isotope Composition and Isotopic Temperatures of the Shinyemi Lead and Zinc Ore Deposits, Western Taebaegsan Metallogenic Belt, Korea (신예미광상산(新禮美鑛床産) 유화광물(硫化鑛物)의 유황동위원소성분(硫黃同位元素成分) 및 동위원소지질온도(同位元素地質溫度)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Kim, Kyu Han;Nakai, Nobuyuki
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.15 no.3
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    • pp.155-166
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    • 1982
  • Sulfur isotope compositions (${\delta}^{34}S$) of seventy one sulfide minerals from the Shinyemi ore deposits were determined to range from -10.1 to +5.0‰ with a mean value of +2.1‰. These values are roughly comparable to those of various hydrothermal ore deposits in Korea, about +2.0 to +7.0‰ in ${\delta}^{34}S$, suggesting that they are to be same in source of sulfur. The Shinyemi deposits are grouped into two types; the western bedded skarn orebodies and the eastern small pipes and veins. The ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of sulfide minerals from the bedded orebodies (early mineralization) are ranging from -10.1 to +2.5‰, which is relatively wide in range, whereas those of the pipes and veins. (later mineralization) have a narrow range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values, +2.7 to +5.0‰, regardless of the kind of sulfide minerals. Isotopic temperature obtained from the sphalerite-galena mineral pairs of the New B orebody appeared to be about 400 to $540^{\circ}C$ are reasonably good agreement with the comparable data of skarn mineral assemblages. It is concluded that the west orebodies were formed in earlier stage at higher temperatures than the east orebodies formed later at lower temperatures. Judging from the various data from the present study, the Shinyemi deposits can be defined as a typical contact metasomatic deposit. The source of sulfur in the hydrothermal solutions is considered to be comagmatic with the Shinyemi granodiorite.

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Geochemical Exploration Technics in the Pungchon Limestone Area (풍촌 석회암지대 탐사에 적용될 새 지화학탐사법 연구)

  • Moon, Kun Joo
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.369-381
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    • 1990
  • Most of significant ore deposits in South Korea such as the Sangdong W - Mo, the Yeonhwa Pb-Zn and the Geodo Cu-Fe skarn ore deposits occur at the southern limb of the Hambaeg syncline in the Taebaeg Basin. The mineralization took place in the interbedded limestone of the Myobong Formation and the Pungchon limestone of the Great Limestone Group of the Cambrian age, generally striking E-W and dipping 25-30 degrees north. There are no outcrops of the skarn-type orebody at the northern limb of the syncline. In order to find a clue of a possible hidden orebody localized at the limestones in the northern limb, a lithogeochemical exploration by using carbon isotope and some elements such as Si, Ca, Fe and Al at the Sangdong Mine area has been attempted as for a modelling study. For this study, 45 samples from the Pungchon limestone which do not show any megascopic indication of mineralization have been taken in both the mineralized zone and the unminerallized zone at the Sangdong Mine area. Analytical data show that there are big differences in the contents of CaO and $Al_2O_3$ between the Pungchon limestone of the mineralized zone and that of the unmineralized zone. Carbon isotope data exhibit that ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of the Pungchon limestone in the mineralized zone are highter than those in the unmineralized zone. The difference in the analytical values of CaO, $Al_2O_3$ and the carbon isotope between the mineralized and the unmineralized zones is as follows ; Unminerallized zone Mineralized zone CaO 51.3% 43.5% $Al_2O_3$ 0.6% 2.4% ${\delta}^{13}C$ -0.39 permil -0.56 permil $Fe_2O_3$ 0.9% 1.4% $SiO_2$ 3.0% 2.4% The decrease in the Si content of the Pungchon limestone in the mineralized zone is contrary to the result of the previous study (Moon, 1987). On the basis of identification of the increase in the Al content of the limestone in the mineralized zone, it could be deduced that the decrease in the Si content of the Pungchon limestone might be due to the result of increase in the alteration products mainly occurred along fracture-system such as joint cracks or minor faults and that the phenomena shown by the Si and Al content in the mineralized zone might be derived from the thermal effect of granite extended mineralizing activity to the overlied limestone on the surface. Higher mean values of Fe and Al as well as lower mean values of carbon content and the ${\delta}^{13}C$ than mean values of those in the Pungchon limestone at the northern limb of the Hambaeg Syncline may be applicable in exploration for blind orebodies.

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A Study on the Precipitation Mechanism of Quartz Veins from Sangdong Deposit by Analyses of Vein Texture and Trace Element in Quartz (상동광산 석영맥의 조직 및 석영의 미량원소 분석을 통한 광맥 침전 기작 도출)

  • Youseong Lee;Changyun Park;Yeongkyoo Kim
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.56 no.3
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    • pp.239-257
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    • 2023
  • Sangdong deposit, a W-Mo skarn deposit, is located in Taebaeksan mineralized district, hosting vertically developed scheelite-quartz veins that formed at the late ore-forming stage. In this study, we tried to examine the geochemical signatures of ore-forming fluids and vein-forming mechanisms by analyzing the micro-texture of quartz veins and trace element concentrations of quartz. As a result of texture analyses, quartz veins in the hanging wall orebody and the foot wall orebody commonly exhibit the blocky and the elongate blocky texture, respectively, whereas quartz veins in the main orebody show both textures. These textural differences indicate that quartz veins from the hanging wall orebody were precipitated by the primary hydrofracturing due to H2O saturation in the igneous body with relatively high temperature and pressure at a vein-skarn stage, and after that, repeated hydrofracturing caused the formation of quartz veins from the main orebody and foot wall orebody. The results of trace element concentrations show that Li++Al3+↔Si4+ is a main substitution mechanism. However, those of the foot wall orebody were clearly divided into a Li+-dominated substitution and a Na+-, K+-dominated substitution. Considering that quartz veins from the foot wall orebody commonly show the elongate blocky texture, such a distinction means that it is a result of repeated injections of fluid with the different composition. Ti concentrations of quartz from the hanging wall, main, and the foot wall orebody are 28.6, 8.2, and 15.7 ppm in average, respectively. Given a proportional relationship between the precipitation temperature and Ti concentrations, it seems that quartz veins from the hanging wall orebody were precipitated at the highest temperature. Al concentrations of the hanging wall, main, and the foot wall orebody having an inverse relationship with fluid pH are 162.3, 114.2, and 182.5 ppm in average, respectively. These results show that Al concentrations in vein-forming fluids were not changed dramatically. Moreover, these concentrations are extremely low in comparison with the other hydrothermal deposits. This indicates that quartz in overall ore veins at Sangdong deposit was precipitated from the constant condition with slightly acidic to near neutral pH.

Silver in Peru: Present Status and Future Challenge (페루의 은: 현황과 미래의 도전)

  • Acosta, Jorge;Santisteban, Alexander;Huanacuni, Dina;Valencia, Michael;Villarreal, Eder;Heo, Chul-Ho;Lee, Bum Han;Nam, Hyeong-Tae
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.169-175
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    • 2015
  • Silver production in Peru was 118 Moz in 2013, which was $3^{rd}$ ranked in the world. Silver production mines which were ranked from $1^{st}$ to $5^{th}$ in Peru in 2013 were Antamina(16.7 Moz), Uchuchacua(12 Moz), Pallancata(7.6 Moz), Anim$\acute{o}$n(7 Moz), and Arcata(5.4 Moz). Total reported silver resources in Peru is about 7,012 Moz, and resources from the belts of Miocene epithermal deposits and the belts of Miocene skarn, replacement and vein deposits are 4,812 Moz, which corresponds to 69% of total resources. There are 14 ongoing projects which will be developed to the production stage from 2014 to 2019. Through these projects, silver production in Peru is expected to be 148 Moz in 2017.

Recently Improved Exploration Method for Mineral Discovery (해외광물자원개발을 위한 최적 탐사기법과 동향)

  • Choi, Seon-Gyu;Ahn, Yong-Hwan;Kim, Chang-Seong;Seo, Ji-Eun
    • 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2009.05a
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    • pp.57-65
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    • 2009
  • Selection of good mineralized area is a combination of the integration of all the available geo-scientific (i.e., geological, geochemical, and geophysical) information, extrapolation of likely features from known mineralized terrenes and the ability to be predictive. The time-space relationships of the hydrothermal deposits in the East Asia are closely related to the changing plate motions. Also, two distinctive hydrothermal systems during Mesozoic occurred in Korea: the Jurassic/Early Cretaceous deep-level ones during the Daebo orogeny and the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary shallow geothermal ones during the Bulguksa event. Both the Mesozoic geothermal system and the mineralization document a close spatial and temporal relationship with syn- to post-tectonic magmatism. The Jurassic mineral deposits were formed at the relatively high temperature and deep-crustal level from the mineralizing fluids characterized by the relatively homogeneous and similar ranges of ${\delta}^{18}O$ values, suggesting that ore-forming fluids were principally derived from spatially associated Jurassic granitoid and related pegmatite. Most of the Jurassic auriferous deposits (ca. 165-145 Ma) show fluid characteristics typical of an orogenic-type gold deposits, and were probably generated in a compressional to transpressional regime caused by an orthogonal to oblique convergence of the Izanagi Plate into the East Asian continental margin. On the other hand, Late Cretaceous ferroalloy, base-metal and precious-metal deposits in the Taebaeksan, Okcheon and Gyeongsang basins occurred as vein, replacement, breccia-pipe, porphyry-style and skarn deposits. Diverse mineralization styles represent a spatial and temporal distinction between the proximal environment of sub-volcanic activity and the distal to transitional condition derived from volcanic environments. However, Cu (-Au) or Fe-Mo-W deposits are proximal to a magmatic source, whereas polymetallic or precious-metal deposits are more distal to transitional. Strike-slip faults and caldera-related fractures together with sub-volcanic activity are associated with major faults reactivated by a northward (oblique) to northwestward (orthogonal) convergence, and have played an important role in the formation of the Cretaceous Au-Ag lode deposits (ca. 110-45 Ma) under a continental arc setting. The temporal and spatial distinctions between the two typical Mesozoic deposit styles in Korea reflect a different thermal episodes (i.e., late orogenic and post-orogenic) and ore-forming fluids related to different depths of emplacement of magma (i.e., plutonic and sub-volcanic) due to regional changes in tectonic settings.

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Microscopic Study of Sangdong Tungsten Ore Deposit, Korea (상동중석광상(上東重石鑛床)의 현미경적(顯微鏡的) 연구(硏究))

  • Lee, Dai Sung;Kim, Suh-Woon
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.1-12
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    • 1969
  • In the Sangdong Mine area, Taebaegsan series (Pre-Cambrian) and Chosun System (Cambro-ordovician) are widely distributed. The Chosun System consists of Yangdug Series (Jangsan Quartzite and Myobong Slate) and The Great Limestone Series (Pungchon Limestone, Shesong Shale, Hwajeol Formation and Dongjeom Quartzite). The mineralized zone containing the main ore body of the Sangdong Mine was developed in the Myobong Slate formation. The result of the field and microscopic study on the mineral paragenesis and it's wall rock alteration in the tungsten ore deposit shows the following features. The orogenic movements of the Post-Chosun System in the Hambaeg Geosyncline are closely related to the tungsten ore deposition in the area, the ore minerals are composed mainly of scheelite, powelite molybdenite and sulfide minerals, and gangue minerals are hornblende, diopside, garnet, quartz, phlogopite, tremolite, biotite, muscovite, fluorite, etc., main ore body was enriched by scheelite bearing quartz vein filling into interstices of formerly mineralized zones, and the minor faults, faults of N $60^{\circ}-70^{\circ}W$, $45^{\circ}-60^{\circ}NE$ and joints, which were formed at the end of the mineralization and the slate. Country rock of the ore body was altered into the following several zones from the outside to the inside; lowgrade recrystalline aureole, silicified sericite zone, and diopside-hornblende zone. Under the microscopic observation of 195 samples taken from throughout ore body can be classified into 10 different groups by their mineral paragenesis as shown in table 2. The garnet-diopside group is primary skarn and it shows gradational change to the groups of later stage by the successive processes of metasomatism. From the stage of quartz-bearing group, the dissemination of scheelite is seen. The crystallization of scheelite in the bed started with the quartz deposition and continued to the last stage when quartz vein intruded into the main ore body. In the field and the under ground investigation a durable limestone bed in thickeness about 20 meters and their remnants in ore body are observed and under microscope calcite remnants are recognized. Hence it is posturated that the ore material moved up through the faults, shear zones or feather cracks and was assimilated with the interbeded limestone, after that the body was affected by the successive differentiated ore solution by gradational increasing in $SiO_2$, $K_2O$ and $H_2O$. Evidently this ore deposit shows the features resulted from pyrometasomatic processes.

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Preliminary Study on the Formation Environment of Serpentinite occurring in Ulsan Area (울산지역 사문암의 형성환경 해석을 위한 예비연구)

  • Koh, Sang-Mo;Park, Choong-Ku;Soh, Won-Ju
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.19 no.4 s.50
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    • pp.325-336
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    • 2006
  • Domestic serpentinite is one of the important industrial minerals utilizing in the iron manufacturing company such as POSCO in Korea. Serpentinite is distributed in the Ulsan Fe deposit, Andong, Hongseong-Cheongyang, and Gapyeong areas. This study tries to interpret the relationship among the formation of carbonate rocks, iron mineralization, and serpentinite alteration throughout the study of field occurrence, mineralogy, and chemical compositions. Serpentine is formed by the break-down of olivine and pyroxene of parent peridotite. The serpentinization is inferred to be formed by the hydrothermal fluid derived from intruded Cretaceous granite and the addition of meteoric water. Variation of major oxides such as $SiO_2,\;Fe_2O_3$, and MgO in serpentinized rocks are controlled by the degree of serpentinization and Fe mineralization. Variation of $Al_2O_3$ and CaO contents of altered rocks is dependent on the amount of the residual minerals such as calcite and homblende, and on the degree of chloritization. The presence of carbonate rocks reported in the sedimentary origin or igneous origin (carbonatite) provided a geological environment to form skarn type Fe deposit regardless of its origin. The geological processes of Ulsan Fe deposits are inferred to be formed as the order of the formation of carbonate rocks ${\to}$ the intrusion of Cretaceous granite ${\to}$ serpentinization ${\to}$ Fe mineralization by the interprelation of field occurrence and mineralogical characteristics.

Spectral Induced Polarization Response Charaterization of Pb-Zn Ore Bodies at the Gagok mine (가곡광산 연-아연 광체의 광대역유도분극 반응 특성)

  • Shin, Seungwook;Park, Samgyu;Shin, Dongbok
    • Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.247-252
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    • 2014
  • Gagok Mine, which is skarn deposits, includes sulfide minerals such as sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. To explore these minerals, spectral induced polarization (SIP) is relatively effective compared to other geophysical exploration methods because there is a strong IP effect caused by electrode polarization. In the SIP, the chargeability related to sulfide mineral contents and the time constant related to the grain size of the minerals are obtained. For this reason, we aim to compare difference in the mineralized characteristics between two orebodies in the Gagok Mine by using the chargeability and the time constant. For this study, we sampled ores from the south of Wolgok orebody and the north of Sungok orebody. In order to recognize the mineralization characteristics, the metal content of the samples was measured by a potable XRF and the SIP data of the samples were acquired by using a laboratory SIP measurement system. As a result, the metals in the samples such as Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe were detected by the portable XRF measurement. In particular, the Fe and Zn contents were far higher than the other metals. The Fe and the Zn were caused by the sphalerite and the pyrrhotite through microscopy. The Wolgok orebody had higher sulfide mineral contents than the Sungok orebody and the result corresponded with the chargeability result. However, we considered that the Sungok orebody had a larger sulfide mineral grain size than the Wolgok orebody because the time constant of the Sungok orebody was larger.

Predictive Exploration of the Cretaceous Major Mineral Deposits in Korea : Focusing on W-Mo Mineralization (한국 백악기 주요 금속광상의 예측 탐사 : W-Mo 광화작용을 중심으로)

  • Choi, Seon-Gyu;Kang, Jeonggeuk;Lee, Jong Hyun
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.52 no.5
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    • pp.323-336
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    • 2019
  • The Mesozoic activity on the Korean Peninsula is mainly represented by the Triassic post-collisional, Jurassic orogenic, and Cretaceous post-orogenic igneous activities. The diversity of mineralization by each geological period came from various geothermal systems derived from the geochemical characteristics of magma with different emplacement depth. The Cretaceous metallic mineralization has been carried out over a wide range of time periods from ca. 115 to 45 Ma (main stage; ca. 100 to 60 Ma) related to post-orogenic igneous activity, and spatial distribution patterns of most metal deposits are concentrated along small granitic stocks. The late Cretaceous metal deposits in the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs are generally distributed along the boundary among the Gongju-Eumseong fault system and the Yeongdong-Gwangju fault system and the Gyeongsang Basin, most of them are in the form of a distal epithermal~mesothermal Au-Ag vein or a transitional mesothermal Zn-Pb-Cu vein. On the other hand, diverse metal commodities in the Taebaeg Basin, the Okcheon metamorphic belt and the Gyeongsang Basin are produced from various deposit types such as skarn, carbonate-replacement, vein, porphyry, breccia pipe, and Carlin type. In the late Cretaceous metallic mineralization, various mineral deposits and commodities were induced not only by the pathway of the hydrothermal solution, but also by the diversity of precipitation environment in the proximity difference of the granitic rocks. The diversity of these types of Cretaceous deposits is fundamentally dependent on the geochemical characteristics such as degree of differentiation and oxidation state of related igneous rocks, and ore-forming fluids generally exhibit the evolutionary characteristics of intermediate- to low-sulfur hydrothermal fluids.