• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.1372-1377
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• 2009

For the remediation of the subsurface contaminated by nonaqueous phase liquids(NAPLs), it is important to characterize the NAPL zone properly. Conventional characterization methods provide data at discrete points. To overcome the weak points of conventional characterization methods, the partitioning tracer method has been developed and studied. The average saturation of NAPL($S_n$), which is the representative and continuous saturation value within contaminated site, can be calculated by comparing the transport of the partitioning tracers to that of the conservative tracer in the partitioning tracer method. In this study, the application of the partitioning tracer method in heterogeneous media was investigated. To represent the heterogeneous condition of subsurface, a two-dimensional soil box was divided into four layers and each layer contained different sized soils. Soils in the soil box were contaminated by the mixture of kerosene and diesel, and partitioning tracer tests were conducted before and after the contamination using methanol as conservative tracer and 4-methyl-2-pentanol, 2-ethyl-1-butanol, and hexanol as partitioning tracers. The response curves of partitioning tracers from contaminated soils were separated and retarded in comparison with those from non-contaminated soils. The contamination of soils by NAPLs, therefore, can be detected by partitioning tracer method considering these retardations of tracers. From our experiment condition, the average saturation of NAPLs calculated by partitioning tracer method using the methanol as conservative tracer and hexanol as partitioning tracer showed the highest accuracy, though all results were underestimated. Further studies, therefore, were needed for improving the accuracy using the partitioning tracer test in heterogeneous media.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.470-488
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• 1996

The end products of the metabolism of the oral microorganism, organic acids, are an element that produces dental caries. Four organic acids in plaque fluid, lactic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, propionic acid which take the important role in producing dental caries, were chosen to evaluate the effect of acid type and concentration. The subject, $100{\mu}m$ in thickness, were immersed in acid-buffer solution which has the different acid concentration of 10mM, 25mM, 50mM, 100mM and pH 4.3 and degree of saturation was $0.153{\pm}0.003$ kept in constant and were operated to produce artificial caries under different demineralization time (1, 2, 3 day) at x25. The results were obtained by observing under polarizing microscope at x25. 1. The subsurface lesion, specific finding of incipient enamel caries, showed positive birefringence. but surface zone and sound enamel showed negative birefringence. 2. The demineralization rate of enamel was increased as the acid concentration increased. 3. The subsurface lesion showed increasing depth in the order of lactic, acetic, propionic acid, succinic acid. 4. The concentration of organic acid in artificial caries system had an independent effect on demineralization rate in enamel under the constant pH and degree of saturation. The result of this study showed that not only pH and the acid strength but the concentration of organic acid had an independent effect on demineralization rate in early enamel caries. And through the further research on the factors influencing enamel demineralization, it will be necessary to develop an effective caries preventive therapy.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-65
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• 2003

A series of numerical simulations were carried out using STOMP( Subsurface Transport over Multiple Phase) simulator. The flow and distribution of LNAPL were analyzed in homogeneous fine and coarse sand. Vertical movement of LNAPL is faster in the coarser sand. But the total volume of LNAPL retained in the unsaturated zone is larger in the finer sand. A fine layer in the coarse sand domain is also simulated. The results showed that the retained LNAPL volume and shape are highly influenced by the Position of the fine layer. Flow and distributions of LNAPL were simulated when there were heterogeneous lenses in the sand domain. Water table fluctuation was also considered. In these cases, it was found that the heterogeneous lens was a barrier to LNAPL flow, and water table fluctuation stimulated the downward movement of retained LNAPL. The LNAPL flow and distribution observed in these numerical experiments show that in the subsurface environment, the behaviors of LNAPL highly depend on heterogeneities of unsaturated zone and the dynamic hydrogeologic condition such as water table fluctuation. These results can explain some of the complexity of LNAPL flow and distribution Patterns in LNAPL contaminated field sites.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2008

Recent earthquakes near nuclear power plants in Korea have triggered public concerns about possible seismicity of the Ulsan Fault Zone in the south-eastern part of the Korean peninsula. To reveal subsurface structures of this fault zone, we conducted high-resolution seismic refraction and reflection surveys, and closely spaced gravity measurements in the Dongchon River valley north of Ulsan, Korea. Here alluvium covers the north-south trending fault zone in a 1-km wide valley. Both source points and receivers were spaced at 5-m intervals for the 24-channel seismic refraction and reflection methods, along two profiles of 835 m and 415 m length. Gravity data were also measured along these profiles at 131 stations using a 10-m interval. Synergetic interpretation of seismic refraction, high-resolution seismic reflection, and gravity surveys across the valley indicates that the Ulsan Fault Zone was formed by apparent north-south strike-slip motions during the Cretaceous, and that some faults may have been reactivated by east-west compressional or transpressional stresses during the Tertiary or Quaternary.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2003

An immobilization zone can be constructed by modifying soils in the vadose zone with surfactants, which can be used to promote retardation of organic contaminants in the subsurface. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the behavior of surfactants and organic contaminants in unsaturated and saturated conditions with different water contents (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). Transport and sorption of surfactant (dialkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide) in the columns containing aluminum oxide was similar under the conditions at different water contents. However, transport of a model organic compound (naphthalene) was retarded as the water content decreased by enhanced partitioning of the compound into the surfactants that were sorbed on the aluminum oxide. This suggests that the immobilization method could well be applied to vadose zone as well as to saturated zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.313-324
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• 2015

This study constructed a 3D geological model for Uggi Nuur Fe-Mn mineralization zone in Mongolia, and the 3D geological distribution is cross-analyzed with magnetic anomaly distribution to figure out relationship between ore zone and subsurface geology. As a result of 4 step 3D modeling procedures including geological cross section, surface modeling, foliation modeling and solid modeling, the geology of the both study area is bordered by faults in NW direction with Munguntessj formation being located in the west side of the fault while Yashill formation is located on the other side of the fault. Moreover, the strike direction of foliation in the both formation shows same directional pattern with the NW faults. The magnetic anomaly distribution reveals that higher anomaly values are concentrated to near the ground surface. The analyses of 3 dimensional distribution between subsurface geology and magnetic anomaly indicates that higher anomaly is mainly distributed over the Munguntessj formation as a elongated lens bodies whereas the magnetic anomaly is evenly found in the both of Munguntessj formation and Yashill formation in the study area 2. It infers that volcanic activities associated mineralization occurred during silurian period, and the mineralized zone is thought to be realigned along the geological structures caused by later stage tectonic activities.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.289-302
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• 2020

To determine the shallow subsurface structure and sliding surface of land creeping in 2016 at Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, geophysical surveys (electric resistivity, and refraction seismic methods, borehole televiewer) and slope stability analysis were conducted. The subsurface structure delineated with borehole lithologies and seismic velocity structures provided the information that the sediment layer on the top of the slope was rather as thick as 20 m and the underlying weathered rock (anorthosite) was thinner than 1 m. Based on the tension cracks observed during the geological mapping, televiewer scanning was performed at the borehole BH-2 and detected the intensive fracture zones at the ground-water level, associated with the slip weak zones mapped in dipole-dipole electrical resistivity section. Downslope sliding and slightly upward pushing at the apex of high resistive bedrock explains the curved slip plane of the land creeping. Such a convex structure might play a role of natural toe abutment for preventing the downward development of slip weak zones. In slope stability analysis, the safety factors of the slip weak zone are calculated with varying the groundwater levels for dry and rainy seasons and the downslope is founded to be unstable with safety factor of 0.89 due to fully saturated material in rainy season.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.1 s.182
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• pp.87-101
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• 2007

A variety of informations obtained from satellite image, digital elevation relief map (DEM), borehole logging, televiewer, geophysical prospecting, etc were synthetically analyzed to investigate subsurface geological and structural characteristics and to evaluate geohazard pertinent to fault-damage in the Busan metropolitan city. It is revealed that the geology is composed of the Cretaceous andesitic$\sim$dacitic volcanics, gabbro, and granitoid and that at least three major faults including the Dongrae fault are developed in the study area. Based on characteristics of topography, fault-fractured zone, and isobath maps of the Quaternary sediments and weathered residuals of the basement, the Dongrae fault is decreased in its width and fracturing intensity of damaged zone from south toward north, and the fault is segmented around the area between the Seomyeon and Yangieong junctions. Meanwhile, we drew a geohazard sectional map using the five major parameters that significantly suggest damage intensity of basement by fault, i.e. distance from fault core, TCR, RQD, uniaxial rock strength, and seismic velocity of S wave. The map is evaluated as a suitable method to express the geological and structural characteristics and fault-damaged intensity of basement in the study area. It is, thus, concluded that the proposed method can contribute to complement and amplify the capability of the present evaluation system of rock mass.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.371-377
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• 1997

This paper presents the geophysical applications to the environmenml problem in an abandoned mine area. We would like to focus our attention on the mapping of the soil contamination and the detection of the buried mine tailings. For mapping the soil contamination. measurements of both in-situ magnetic susceptibility (k) and terrain conductivity were carried out. In-situ magnetic susceptibilities of the contaminated soil due to the acid mine drainage show higher values than those of the uncontaminated area. However. those data do not show the correlation with the degree of the soil contamination observed on the surface. The least-squares fitted formula obtained with the measured insitu magnetic susceptibilities is $k=4.8207{\times}W^{0.6332}$, where W is the $Fe^{+2}$ weight percentage. This weight gives most effect to magnetic susceptibility of the soil. Lateral variations of the soil contamination in the shallow subsurface can be detected by the electrical conductivity distributions from EM induction survey. TDIP (Time Domain Induced Polarization) and EM induction surveys were conducted to detect the buried mine tailings. From the results of TDIP, the spatial zone, which shows high chargeability-low resistivity, is interpreted as the buried mine tailings. Therefore, it is concluded that it is possible to discriminate the spatial zone from the uncontaminated ground.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2023

Ground subsidence in urban areas due to excessive development and degraded underground facilities is a serious problem. Geophysical surveys have been conducted to estimate the distribution and scale of cavities and subsidence. In this study, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was performed near an area of road subsidence in an urban area. The subsidence arose due to groundwater leakage that carried soil into a neighboring excavation site. The ERT survey line was located between the main subsidence area and an excavation site. Because ERT data are affected by rapid topographic changes and surrounding structures, the influence of the excavation site on the data was analyzed through field-scale numerical modeling. The effect of an excavation should be considered when interpreting ERT data because it can lead to wrong anomalous results. A method for performing 2D inversion after correcting resistivity data for the effect of the excavation site was proposed. This method was initially tested using a field-scale numerical model that included the excavation site and subsurface anomaly, which was a loosened zone, and was then applied to field data. In addition, ERT data were interpreted using an existing in-house 3D algorithm, which considered the effect of excavation sites. The inversion results demonstrated that conductive anomalies in the loosened zone were greater compared to the inversion that did not consider the effects of excavation.