• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 1998

Heavy metal contamination in subsurface soils and stream sediments at the Suggok mine area were investigated on the basis of major, trace and rare earth elements geochemistry and mineralogy. The Sanggok mine area is mainly composed of Cambro-Ordovician carbonate rocks. The mine had been mined for Pb-Zn-Fe and Au- Ag, but already closed in past. For major elements, especially Fe (mean value=18.58 wt.%) and Mn (mean value=4. 18 wt.%) are enriched in soils, and the average enrichment indices of soils and sediments are 6.84 and 1.54, respectively. The average enrichment index of rare earth elements are 0.92 of mining drainage sediments and 0.52 of subsurface soils on the tailing dam. Concentrations of minor and/or environmental toxic elements in those samples range from 29 to 3400 for As,1 to 11 for Cd, 35 to 292 for Cu, 50 to 1827 for Pb, 1 to 22 for Sb and 112 to 2644 for Zn. Extremely high concentrations (mean values) are found in subsurface soils on the tailing dam (As=2278, Cd=7, Cu=206, Pb=1372, Sb=14 and Zn=2231 ppm, respectively). Average enrichment index normalized by composition of non-mining drainage sediments is 2.42 in mining drainage sediments and 25.47 in subsurface soils on the tailing dam. Based on EPA value, enrichment index of toxic elements is 0.53 in non-mining drainage sediments, 1.84 in mining drainage sediments and 23.71 in subsurface soils on the tailing dam. As a results from X-ray powder diffraction method, mineral composition of soils and sediments near the mine area varied in part, and are calcite, dolomite, magnesite, quartz, mica, chlorite and clay minerals. With the separation of heavy minerals, soils and sediments of highly concentrated toxic elements included some pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and hydroxide minerals on the polished sections.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2020

The Samgwang deposit has been one of the largest deposits in Korea. The deposit consists of series of host rocks including Precambrian metasedimentary rocks and Jurassic Baegunsa formation, which unconformably overlies the Precambrian metasedimentary rocks. The deposit consists of eight lens-shaped quartz veins which filled fractures along fault zones in Precambrian metasedimentary rock, which feature suggest that it is an orogenic-type deposit. Laminated quartz veins are common in the deposit which contain minerals including quartz, ankerite, white mica, chlorite, apatite, rutile, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. The structural formulars of white micas from laminated quartz vein and wallrock alteration are determined to be (K_1.02-0.82Na_0.02-0.00Ca_0.00)(Al_1.73-1.58Mg_0.26-0.16Fe_0.23-0.10Mn_0.00Ti_0.03-0.01Cr_0.01-0.00)(Si_3.35-3.22Al_0.79-0.65)O₁₀(OH)₂ and (K_0.75-0.67Na_0.01Ca_0.00) (Al_1.78-1.74Mg_0.16-0.15Fe_0.15-0.13Mn_0.00Ti_0.04-0.02Cr_0.01-0.00)(Si_3.33-3.26Al_0.74-0.67)O₁₀(OH)₂, respectively. It suggest that white mica from laminated quartz vein has higher interlayer cation (K+Na+Ca) and Fe+Mg+Mn+Ti content in octahedral site compared to the white mica from the wallrock alteration. Compositional variations in white mica from laminated quartz vein can be caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution ((Al³⁺)^VI+(Al³⁺)^IV <-> (Fe²⁺ or Mg²⁺)^VI)+(Si⁴⁺)^IV) and (Fe³⁺)^VI <-> (Al³⁺)^VI substitution. Ankerite from laminated quartz vein has compositional variations of FeO and MgO contents along crystal growth direction. The geochemical and textural features suggest that laminated quartz vein from the Samgwang gold-silver deposit was formed during ductile shear stage, which is an important main gold-silver ore-forming event in orogeinc deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2001

Environmental pollution of the Tohyun mine creek area was investigated on the basis of geology, mineralogy and geochemistry. In soils and sediments of the mine area, ${Al_2}{O_3}/{Na_2O}$ and ${K_2}O/{Na_2}O$ ratios are partly negative correlation against ${SiO_2}/{Al_2}{O_3}$, respectively. Geochemical characteristics of some trace and rare earth elements such as V/Ni, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, Th/U, La/Th, ${La_N}/{Yb_N}$, La/Sc and Sc/Th are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by simple source lithology. These results suggest that sediments source of the host shale around the mine area could be originated by basic to intermediate igneous rocks. Mineral compositions of soil and sediment near the mine area were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, clay minerals and some pyrite. Soils and sediments with highly concentrated heavy minerals, gravity separated mineralogy, are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and various kinds of hydroxide minerals on the polished sections. As normalized by bed rock composition, average enrichment indices of major elements in sediments, precipitates, farmland soils and paddy soils are 1.0, 1.7, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Maximum concentration of environmental toxic elements in the mine creek are detected with Ag = 186 ppm, As = 17,100 ppm, Bi = ]27 ppm, Cd = 77 ppm, Cu = 12,299 ppm, Pb = 8,897 ppm, Sb = 1,350 ppm, W = 599 ppm and Zn = 12,250 ppm, which are increasing with total FeO increasing, and extremely high concentrations of surface sediments and precipitates near the waste rock dump. These toxic elements (As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, W and Zn) of the samples, normalizing by host rock concentration, revealed that average enrichment index is 106.0 for sediments, 279.6 for precipitates, 3.5 for farmland soils and 1.6 for paddy soils. However, on the basis of EPA values, enrichment indices of all the samples are 40.7, 121.4, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2001

Contrasts in the style of the gold-silver mineralization in geologic and tectonic settings in Korea, together with radiometric age data, reflect the genetically different nature of hydrothermal activities, coinciding with the emplacement age and depth of Mesozoic magmatic activities. It represents a clear distinction between the plutonic settings of the Jurassic Daebo orogeny and the subvolcanic environments of the Cretaceous Bulgugsa igneous activities. During the Daebo igneous activities (about 200-130 Ma) coincident with orogenic time, gold mineralization took place between 197 and 127 Ma. The Jurassic deposits commonly show several characteristics: prominent association with pegmatites, low Ag/Au ratios in the ore-concentrating parts, massive vein morphology and a distinctively simple mineralogy including Fe-rich sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, Au-rich eIectrum. pyrrhotite and/or pyrite. During the Bulgugsa igneous activities (120-60 Ma), the precious-metal deposits are generally characterized by such features as complex vein morphology, medium to high AgiAu ratios in the ore concentrates, and abundance of ore minerals including base-metal sulfides, Ag sulfides, native silver, Ag sulfosalts and Ag tellurides. Vein morphology, mineralogical, fluid inclusion and stable isotope results indicate the diverse genetic natures of hydrothermal systems. The Jurassic Au-dominant deposits were formed at the relatively high temperature (about 300 to 450$^{\circ}$C) and deep-crustal level (>3.0 kb) from the hydrothermal fluids containing more amounts of magmatic waters (3180; 5-10 %0). It can be explained by the dominant ore-depositing mechanisms as CO2 boiling and sulfidation, suggestive of hypo/mesothermal environments. In contrast, mineralization of the Cretaceous Au-Ag type (108-71 Ma) and Agdominant type (98-71 Ma) occurred at relatively low temperature (about 200 to 350$^{\circ}$C) and shallow-crustal level «1.0 kb) from the ore-fonning fluids containing more amounts of less-evolved meteoric waters (15180; -10-5%0). These characteristics of the Cretaceous precious-metal deposits can be attributed to the complexities in the ore-precipitating mechanisms (mixing, boiling, cooling), suggestive of epilmesothermal environments. Therefore, the differences of the emplacement depth between the Daebo and the Bulgugsa igneous activities directly influence the unique temporal and spatial association of the deposit type.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

The geology of the Seungryung Zn deposit, located in the Muzu basin, consists of Precambrian leucocratic granitic gneiss, Cretaceous clastic rocks, pyroclastic rocks, and intrusive rocks. The deposit shows a weakly skarnized hydrothermal replacement ore developed along limestone bed in the gneiss. The mineralization can be divided into three stages: the early skarnization producing garnet and pyroxene, the main mineralization in the middle stage precipitating most metallic minerals such as magnetite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, Pb-Ag-Bi-S system minerals, and the late stage for altered or low temperature minerals such as chlorite and marcasite. Pb-Ag-Bi-S system minerals include heyrovskite-eskimoite solid solution, lillianite-gustavite solid solution, and vikingite. Chalcopyrite diseases are quite common in sphalerite showing bead chains and dusting textures. The ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of sulfides minerals are concentrated within the narrow range of 3.4~4.1‰ for pyrite, 3.3~4.3‰ for sphalerite, 4.0~4.3‰ for chalcopyrite, and 2.8‰ for galena, suggesting that most sulfur is of igneous origin. Sulfur isotope geothermometry is calculated to be $346{\sim}431^{\circ}C$, implying that the mineralization occurred at relatively high temperature. FeS contents of sphalerite are relatively high in the range of 6.58~20.16 mole% (avg. 16.58 mole%) with the enrichment of Mn compared to Cd, similarly to representative skarn Pb-Zn deposits in South Korea. On the contrary, sphalerite from Au-Ag deposits in the Seolcheon mineralized zone around the Seungryung deposit is enriched in Cd, showing similar feature like representative epithermal Au-Ag deposits. This suggests that around the related igneous rocks, magnetite and sphalerite were produced at high temperature in the Seungryung deposit, and with decreasing temperature and compositional change of mineralizing fluids, Au-Ag mineralization proceeded in the Seolcheon mineralized zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.321-328
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• 2003

The epithermal gold and base metal deposit of the Tanggeung district of West Java consists of four major veins(Celak, Cigodobras, Cilangkap and Pasirbedil) with NS to N10$^{\circ}$∼20$^{\circ}$E and N75$^{\circ}$W strikes. The veins occur within fractures cutting the crystal and lithic tuff of Jampang Formation(Oligo-Miocene) in and around the Mt. Subang of the western Java, Indonesia. The ore mineralization is characterized by the occurrence of pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and small amounts of bornite and Fe-oxides. Hydrothermal alteration, associated with the mineralization, was dominantly silicified and enveloped by the phyllitic(sericitic), argillic and propylitic alteration containing the disseminated pyrite. Gangue minerals consist of interstratified smectite-illite, chlorite, sericite, and minor kaolinite. The presence of vapor-rich fluid inclusions in quartz veins suggests that boiling occurred locally throughout ore deposition. Fluid inclusion studies suggest that the ore fluid evolved from initial high temperatures(〓34$0^{\circ}C$) to later lower temperatures(〓19$0^{\circ}C$). Salinities range from 0.0 to 8.3 wt percent NaCl equiv. The relatively high increase in salinity(up to 8.3 wt percent NaCl equiv) might be explained by a local boiling and by a participation of magmatic fluids, supported by the sulfur isotope results. Evidence of fluid boiling suggests that the pressure decreased from 200 bars to 120 bars. This corresponds to the depths of approximately 750 to 1,200 m in a hydrothermal system that changed from lithostatic to hydrostatic conditions. Using homogenization temperatures and paragenetic constraints, the calculated $\delta$$^{34}$ S values of $H_2S$ in ore fluid are -0.2 to 1.8 permil close to the 0 permil isotopic value of magmatic sulfur.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-73
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• 1979

The zinc-lead deposits at the Yeonhwa I mine were investigated in terms of ore-forming geologic setting, structural style of ore control, geometry of individual orebodies, zoning, paragenesis and chemical composition of skarn minerals, as well as metal grades and ratios of selected orebodies. The Yeonhwa I mine is characterized by a large swarm of chimney type massive orebodies with thin skarn envelopes, boldly developed through a thick sequence of Pungchon Limestone, the overlying Hwajeol Formation, and the underlying Myobong Slate of Cambrian age. Nearly 20 orebodies of similar shape, but of varying size are arranged in a V-shaped pattern with northwest and northeast trends, clearly indicating an outstanding ore control by a conjugate system of fractures with these trends. Important orebodies are the Wolam 1, 2, 3, and 5 orebodies in the west, and the Namsan 1, 2, 3. and 5 orebodies in the east, among others. The Wolam 1 orebody, which was observed from the -360 level through the -240, -120, and 0 levels to the surface outcrops (totaling a vertical height of about 500m), shows a vertical variation in skarn mineralogy, ranging from pyroxene-garnet zone on the lower levels. through pyroxene (without garnet) zone on the intermediate levels, and finally to rhodochrosite vein on the upper levels and surface. Microprobe analyses of pyroxene and garnet on a total of 14 mineral grains revealed that pyroxenes are manganoan salitic in most samples, with downward increase of Fe and Mn, whereas garnets are highly andraditic, containing fractions of subordinate grossular with downward decrease of Fe. This indicates a reverse relationship of Fe-contents between pyroxene and garnet with depth. Ore minerals are major sphalerite, subordinate galena, and minor chalcopyrite. Sulfide gangue minerals include major pyrrhotite, and minor pyrite and marcasite of later age. Two types of variational trends in metal grades and ratios with depth are present on the plots of assay data from the Wolam orebodies: one is a steady upward increase in Pb, Zn, and Pb:Zn ratios, with a terminal decline at the top of orebody: the other is an irregular or sinusoidal change. The former is characteristic of chimney-type orebodies, whereas the latter is of vein· shaped orebodies. The Pb grades show large variations among orebodies and from level to level, whereas the Zn grades are relatively constand or less variable.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.63-79
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• 2008

Physicochemical characteristics of stream water, leachate, mine water and groundwater were investigated to estimate the influences of the tailing and waste rock from the abandoned Uljin mine area. Total extraction analysis and mineralogical studies were carried out to understand sulfide weathering and to determine the distributions of trace elements in the soil affected by mine waste (tailing, waste rock and leachate). The pH and EC value of the leachate from the tailing disposal ranged 2.9-6.0, $99{\sim}3,990{\mu}S/cm$, respectively, and the concentrations of dissolved major (up to 492 mg/l Ca; 83.8 mg/l Mg; 45.2 mg/l Na; 44.7 mg/l K, 50.8 mg/l Si) and trace elements (up to $826,060{\mu}g/l$ Fe; $131,230{\mu}g/l$ Mn; $333,600{\mu}g/l$ Al; $61,340{\mu}g/l$ Zn; $2,530{\mu}g/l$ Cu; $573{\mu}g/l$ Cd; $476{\mu}g/l$ Pb) were relatively high. The stream water showed the variation of dissolved metal concentrations in seasonally and spatially. The dissolved metal contents of the stream water increased by influx the leachate from the tailing disposal, but these of the down stream have been considerably decreased by mixing of dilute tributaries. The dissolved metal concentrations of the stream water at dry season (as February) were lower than these at rainy season (as May and July). These represent that the amounts of the leachate varied with season. However, stream water could not be effectively diluted by confluence with uncontaminated tributaries, because the flux of tributaries and streams reduced at dry season. Thus attenuations by dilution had been dominantly happened in rainy seasons. The order of accumulations of trace element in soils compared with background values revealed Mn>Fe>Pb>Cu>Zn. Sulfide minerals were mainly pyrrhotite, sphalerite and galena and chalcopyrite. Pyrrhotite was rapidly weathered along the edge and fractures, and results in the formation of Fe-(oxy)hydroxides, which absorbed a little amount of Zn.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.73-84
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• 2010

Gold and silver deposits within the Eunjeok and Sangeun mines are located in Yeongam district, Cheollanamdo-province. They are composed of vein ore bodies infilling the fractures of Cretaceous rhyolitic tuff. The Eunjeok mine have three gold and silver bearing hydrothermal veins which is infilling the fracture of rhyolitic tuff. Major ore minerals within the Eunjeok and Sangeun mines are arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena and minor ores are electrum, native silver and argentite. Sericitization is dominant in alteration zone and chloritization and dickitization is minor. Quartz veins in the Eunjeok and Sangeun mine have the similar paragenesis and vein textures such like breccia, crustiform, comb and vuggy morphology indicating the formation of typical epithermal environment. In order to carry out the preliminary feasibility study of mine according to the commodity and elucidate the occurrence features of mineral resources from Eunjeok and Sangeun mine, common commodity (Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mo, W, Au and U), and industrial commodity (In, Re, Ga, Ge, Se, Te, Y, Eu and Sm) for 17 ore specimen were analyzed. It is tentatively thought that there is no exploitable mine for iron, lead, zinc, copper, tungsten and uranium based on the preliminary result. If the reserves are secured through the detailed prospecting in case of molybdenum and silver, it is tentatively thought that there will be exploitable deposits depending on international metal price. If we assume the vein width from 0.25 m to 2 m including alteration zone with the gold grade of 80g/t, it is inferred that the resources amount of the Eunjeok-Sangeun mines range from 6.5 to 65ton. However, as the vein structure of the Eunjeok and Sangeun mines is developed together with alteration zone, it should be estimated to include potential alteration zone in order to yield the average grade. It is needed to carry out more exploration in the near future because the reserves can be flexibly estimated according to the change of average grade considering the alteration zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 1982

The Wolak tungsten-molybdenum deposits are tungsten-molybdenum bearing quartz veins which filled the fractures in Pre-Cambrian pebble-bearing calcareous hornfels, hornfels and Cretaceous granite. There are two vein groups in this mine, Dongsan vein group in the west and Kwangcheon vein group in the east. The ore minerals are wolframite, scheelite, molybdenite, native bismuth, bismuthinite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, cubanite, stannite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, marcasite, Pb-Bi sulfosalt and ilmenite. Quartz, calcite, beryl, fluorite, muscovite, rhodochrosite and siderite are gangue minerals. Fluid inclusion studies were carried out for the quartz, beryl, scheelite, early and late fluorite. Fluid inclusion studies reveal that liquid-gas inclusions are most common and occur in all of the minerals examined. Filling degree of the inclusions in the late fluorite is much higher than that of the inclusions in quartz and early fluorite. Liquid $CO_2$ bearing liquid-gas inclusions occur in quartz and early fluorite. Liquid, gas and solid phase inclusions occur in quartz, beryl and scheelite. Salinities of inclusions in quartz and beryl from Dongsan vein group range from 3.9 to 8.0, from 5.3 to 7.7 wt.% NaCl equivalent respectively. Salinities in the late fluorite range from 1.5 to 3.2 wt.% NaCl equivalent. In Kwangcheon vein group salinities range from 3.9 to 9.6 wt.% NaCl equivalent in quartz, from 2.8 to 7.3 wt.% NaCl equivalent in early fluorite, from 1.3 to 1.5 wt.% NaCl equivalent in late fluorite. Homogenization temperatures of inclusions range from $239^{\circ}$ to higher than $360^{\circ}C$ in quartz, over $360^{\circ}C$ in scheelite, from $288^{\circ}C$ to higher than $360^{\circ}C$ in beryl, and from $159^{\circ}$ to $202^{\circ}C$ in late fluorite of the Dongsan vein group. In Kwangcheon vein group, homo genization temperatures of inclusions range from $240^{\circ}C$ to higher than $360^{\circ}C$ in quartz and from $240^{\circ}$ to $328^{\circ}C$ in early fluorite. As a whole, in Dongsan and Kwangcheon vein groups it seems that there are no distinct differences in mineralogy, salinities and homogenization temperatures. No distinct variations in homogenization temperatures are revealed through about 300 m vertically in both district. The faint trend of increase in salinities in the lower level can be detected. The salinity, $CO_2$ content and the temperature of ore fluid were much higher in the early vein stage and then dropped off in the late stage of mineralization as represented by the quartz and fluorite inclusion data.