• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2016

Distribution and behavior of baseline soil CO₂ were investigated in a candidate geologic CO₂ storage site in Pohang, with measuring CO₂ concentrations and carbon isotopes in the vadose zone as well as CO₂ fluxes and concentrations through ground surface. This investigation aimed to assess the baseline CO₂ levels and to build the CO₂ monitoring system before injecting CO₂. The gas in the vadose zone was collected using a peristaltic pump from the depth of 60 cm below ground surface, and stored at gas bags. Then the gas components (CO₂, O₂, N₂, CH₄) and δ¹³C_CO2 were analyzed using GC and CRDS (cavity ringdown spectroscopy) respectively in laboratory. CO₂ fluxes and CO₂ concentrations through ground surface were measured using Li-COR in field. In result, the median of the CO₂ concentrations in the vadose zone was about 3,000 ppm, and the δ¹³C_CO2 were in the wide range between −36.9‰ and −10.6‰. The results imply that the fate of CO₂ in the vadose zone was affected by soil property and vegetations. CO₂ in sandy or loamy soils originated from the respiration of microorganisms and the decomposition of C₃ plants. In gravel areas, the CO₂ concentrations decreased while the δ¹³C_CO2 increased because of the mixing with the atmospheric gas. In addition, the relation between O₂ and CO₂, N₂, and the relation between N₂/O₂ and CO₂ implied that the gases in the vadose zone dissolved in the infiltrating precipitation or the soil moisture. The median CO₂ flux through ground surface was 2.9 g/m²/d which is lower than the reported soil CO₂ fluxes in areas with temperate climates. CO₂ fluxes measured in sandy and loamy soil areas were higher (median 5.2 g/m²/d) than those in gravel areas (2.6 g/m²/d). The relationships between CO₂ fluxes and concentrations suggested that the transport of CO₂ from the vadose zone to ground surface was dominated by diffusion in the study area. In gravel areas, the mixing with atmospheric gases was significant. Based on this study result, a soil monitoring procedure has been established for a candidate geologic CO₂ storage site. Also, this study result provides ideas for innovating soil monitoring technologies.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.451-464
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• 2022

The high-level nuclear waste repository is a deep geological disposal system exposed to complex environmental conditions such as high temperature, radiation, and ground-water due to handling spent nuclear fuel. Continuous exposure can lead to cracking and deterioration of the structure over time. On the other hand, the high-level nuclear waste repository requires an ultra-long life expectancy. Thus long-term structural health monitoring is essential. Various sensors such as an accelerometer, earth pressure gauge, and displacement meter can be used to monitor the health of a structure, and a piezoelectric sensor is generally used. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a highly durable sensor based on the durability assessment of the piezoelectric sensor. This study designed an accelerated life test for durability assessment and life prediction of the piezoelectric sensor. Based on the literature review, the number of accelerated stress levels for a single stress factor, and the number of samples for each level were selected. The failure mode and mechanism of the piezoelectric sensor that can occur in the environmental conditions of the high-level waste repository were analyzed. In addition, two methods were proposed to investigate the maximum harsh condition for the temperature stress factor. The reliable operating limit of the piezoelectric sensor was derived, and a reasonable accelerated stress level was set for the accelerated life test. The suggested methods contain economical and practical ideas and can be widely used in designing accelerated life tests of piezoelectric sensors.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.835-848
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• 2021

In Jeju Island which has peculiarity for its geological features and hydrology system, hydrological factor analysis for the effective water management is necessary. Because in-situ hydro-meteorological data is affected by surrounding environment, the in-situ dataset could not be the spatially representative for the study area. For this reason, remote sensing data may be used to overcome the limit of the in-situ data. In this study, applicability assessment of MOD16 evapotranspiration data, Globas Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) based evapotranspiration/soil moisture data, and Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) soil moisture product which were evaluated their applicability on other study areas was conducted. In the case of evapotranspiration, comparison with total precipitation and flux-tower based evapotranspiration were conducted. And for soil moisture, 6 in-situ data and ASCAT soil moisture product were compared on each site. As a result, 57% of annual precipitation was calculated as evapotranspiration, and the correlation coefficient between MOD16 evapotranspiration and GLDAS evapotranspiration was 0.759, which was a robust value. The correlation coefficient was 0.434, indicating a relatively low fit. In the case of soil moisture, in the case of the GLDAS data, the RMSE value was less than 0.05 at all sites compared to the in-situ data, and a statistically significant result was obtained as a result of the significance test of the correlation coefficient. However, for satellite data, RMSE over than 0.05 were found at Wolgak and there was no correlation at Sehwa and Handong points. It is judged that the above results are due to insufficient quality control and spatial representation of the evapotranspiration and soil moisture sensors installed in Jeju Island. It is estimated as the error that appears when adjacent to the coast. Through this study, the necessity of improving the existing ground observation data of hydrometeorological factors is emphasized.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2021

This study aimed to fundamentally understand structural changes of zeolite under pressure and in the presence of different pressure-transmitting media (PTM) for application studies such as immobilization of heavy metal cation or CO₂ storage using pressure. High-pressure X-ray powder diffraction study was conducted on the zeolite-W (K_6.4Al_6.5Si_25.8O₆₄× 15.3H₂O, K-MER) to understand linear compressibility and the bulk moduli in different PTM conditions. Zeolite-w is a synthetic material having the same framework as natural zeolite merlinoite ((K, Ca_0.5, Ba_0.5, Na)₁₀ Al₁₀Si₂₂O₆₄× 22H₂O). The space group of the sample was identified as I4/mmm belonging to the tetragonal crystal system. Water, carbon dioxide, and silicone-oil were used as pressure-transmitting media. The mixture of sample and each PTM was mounted in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and then pressurized up to 3 GPa with an increment of ca. 0.5 GPa. Pressure-induced changes of powder diffraction patterns were measured using a synchrotron X-ray light source. Lattice constants, and bulk moduli were calculated using the Le-Bail method and the Birch-Murnaghan equation. In all PTM conditions, linear compressibility of c-axis (𝛽^c) was 0.006(1) GPa^-1 or 0.007(1) GPa^-1. On the other hand, the linear compressibility of a(b)-axis (𝛽^a) was 0.013(1) GPa^-1 in silicone-oil run, which is twice more compressible than the a(b)-axis in water and carbon dioxide runs, 𝛽^a = 0.006(1) GPa^-1. The bulk moduli were measured as 50(3) GPa, 52(3) GPa, and 29(2) GPa in water, carbon dioxide, and silicone-oil run, respectively. The orthorhombicities of ac-plane in the water, and carbon dioxide runs were comparatively constant, near 0.350~0.353, whereas the value decreased abruptly in the silicone-oil run following formula, y = -0.005(1)x + 0.351(1) by non-penetrating pressure fluid condition.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.250-293
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• 2021

Limestone areas are sedimentary rock outcrops consisting of calcium carbonate created several hundreds of millions of years ago by calcium-secreting marine organisms and subsequently lifted above sea level by tectonic movement. Limestone areas support very high levels of endemic species of plants and are recognized as biodiversity areas with much biological information. The purpose of this study is to devise a strategy for the comprehensive conservation of the vegetation of limestone areas through analyses of the floristics and plant species compositions in ten limestone areas on the Korean Peninsula. The results of 153 field surveys from April of 2010 to October of 2016 identified 1,202 taxa in total, representing 1,096 species, 18 subspecies, 84 varieties, 2 forms, and 2 hybrids in 530 genera and 133 families. Among them, 55 taxa were endemic plants to Korea, and 38 taxa were red data plants. The floristic target plants amounted to 102 taxa, specifically 27 taxa of grade V and 75 taxa of grade IV. In all, 121 alien plants were recorded in the investigated area. Calciphilous plants amounted to 102 taxa, specifically 14 taxa of calciphilous indicator plants, 30 taxa of superlative most calciphilous plants, and 58 taxa of comparative more calciphilous plants. A cluster analysis showed a high degree of similarity between sites that are geographically adjacent with similar habitat environments. Limestone areas also supported groups distinct from those in non-limestone areas, demonstrating the specificity of limestone flora. Plant geography approaches therefore appear to be crucial to gain a better understanding of the level of biodiversity in limestone areas, not only at the interspecific but also at the intraspecific level. These results highlight the importance of protecting limestone habitats to preserve not only their interspecific but also the intraspecific diversity, which is highly threatened.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.13-21
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• 2019

There are many cuts or natural rock slopes that remain stable for a long time in the natural environment with steep slopes ($65^{\circ}$ to $85^{\circ}$). In terms of design practice, the rock mass consisting of similar rock condition and geological structures is defined as a good continuum rock slope, and during the process of decision making angle of this rock slope, it will be important to establish the geotechnical properties estimating method of the continuum rock on the process of stability analysis in the early stages of design and construction. In this study, the stability analysis of a good continuum rock slope that can be designed as a steep slope proposed a practical method of estimating the shear strength by induced from the Hoek-Brown failure criterion, and in addition, the design applicability was evaluated through the stability analysis of steep rock slope. The existing method of estimating the shear strength was inadequate for practical use in the design, as the equivalent M-C shear strength corresponding to the H-B envelope changes sensitively, even with small variations in confining stress. To compensate for this problem, it was proposed to estimate equivalent M-C shear strength by iso-angle division method. To verify the design applicability of the iso-angle division method, the results of the safety factor and the displacement according to the change in angle of the cut slope constructed at the existing working design site were reviewed. The safety factor is FS=16~59 on the 1:0.5 slope, FS=12~52 on the 1:0.3 slope, most of which show a 10~12 percent reduction. Displacement is 0.126 to 0.975 mm on the 1:0.5 slope, 0.152 to 1.158 mm on the 1:0.3 slope, and represents an increase of 10 to 15%. This is a slightly change in normal proportion and is in good condition in terms of stability. In terms practical the working design, it was confirmed that applying the shear strength estimated by Iso-angle division method derived from the H-B failure criterion as a universal shear strength for a good continuum rock mass slope was also able to produce stable and economic results. The procedure for stability analysis using LEM (Limit Equilibrium Analysis Method) and FEM (Finite Element Analysis Method) will also be practical in the rock slope where is not distributed fault. The study was conducted by selecting the slope of study area as a good rock condition, establishing a verification for which it can be applied universal to a various rock conditions will be a research subject later on.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.28-51
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze forest vegetation structure in Marugeum (the ridge line) area between Dakmokryeong and Daetjae in Baekdudaegan through vegetation classification, importance value, species diversity, and CCA using the data that were collected from 245 quadrates through Braun-Blanquet vegetation survey method from May to September in 2017. The results of the forest vegetation classification identified 8 vegetation units with Quercus mongolica community group at the highest level. Q. mongolica community group was classified into the Cornus controversa community, Buxus koreana community, Sasa borealis community, Abies nephrolepis community, and Q. mongolica typical community. C. controversa community was further classified into Quercus dentata group, Filipendula glaberrima group, Larix kaempferi group, and C. controversa typical group. The result of the important value analysis showed that Q. dentata had the highest importance value at 19.1% in vegetation unit 1 while Q. mongolica had the highest importance value at 22.7%, 38.3%, 25.6%, 41.3%, 27.9%, and 41.6% in vegetation unit 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively, and L. kaempferi had the highest importance value at 27.6% in vegetation unit 3. As such, Q. mongolica species generally represented the communities of Marugeum (the ridge line) area of Dakmokryeong to Daetjae in Baekdudaegan. The results of species diversity showed that vegetation unit 1 and 2 were 3.305 and 3.236, respectively, which were relatively higher than other vegetation units. It was considered that this result was due to the influence of high emergence of present species. The results of the CCA analysis of the correlations between biotic environmental factors and vegetation types showed that vegetation unit 1 was mainly correlated with the megaphanerophyte ratio and vine plant ratio. In the correlations between abiotic environmental factors and vegetation types, vegetation unit 7 was significantly correlated with altitude. From the perspective of ecological management, vegetation unit 5 represented by B. koreana community was inhabited by a variety of plants due to the species composition and location environment due to the geological characteristics that are typical of limestone area. Vegetation unit 7 represented by A. nephrolepis community was typified as subalpine vegetation widely distributed by relict species and endemic species. We concluded that it is necessary to manage these vegetation units with an ecologically differentiated approach.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.122-147
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• 2017

The Jungsandong sites are distributed across quartz and mica schist formations in Precambrian, and weathering layers include large amounts of non-plastic minerals such as mica, quartz, felspar, amphibole, chlorite and so on, which form the ground of the site. Neolithic pottery from Jungsandong exhibits various brown colors, and black core is developed along the inner part for some samples, and sharp comb-pattern and hand pressure marks can be observed. Their non-plastic particles have various composition, size distribution, sorting and roundness, so they are classified into four types by their characteristic mineral compositions. I-type (feldspar pottery) is including feldspar as the pain component or mica and quartz. II-type (mica pottery) is the combination of chloritized mica, talc, tremolite and diopside. III-type (talc pottery) is with a very small amount of quartz and mica. IV-type (asbestos pottery) is containing tremolite and a very small amount of talc. The inner and outer colors of Jungsandong pottery are somewhat heterogeneous. I-type pottery group shows differences in red and yellow degree, depending on the content of feldspar, and is similar to III-type pottery. II-type is similar to IV-type, because its red degree is somewhat high. The soil of the site is higher in red and yellow degree than pottery from it. The magnetic susceptibility has very wide range of 0.088 to 7.360(${\times}10^{-3}$ SI unit), but is differentiated according to minerals, main components in each type. The ranges of bulk density and absorption ratio of pottery seem to be 1.6 to 1.7 and 13.1 to 26.0%, respectively. Each type of pottery shows distinct section difference, as porosity and absorption ratio increase in the order as follows: I-type (organic matter fixed sample) < III-type and IV-type < I-type < II-type (including IV-type of IJP-15). The reason is that differences in physical property occur according to kind and size of non-plastic particles. Although Jungsandong pottery consists of mixtures of various materials, the site pottery has a geological condition on which all mineral composition of Jungsandong pottery can be provided. There, it is thought that raw materials can be supplied from weathered zone of quartz and mica schist, around the site. However, different constituent minerals, size and rock fragments are shown, suggesting the possibility that there can be more raw material pits. Thus, it is estimated that there may be difference in clay and weathering degree.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.183-202
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• 2019

For design and performance assessment of a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal system, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior. However, in previous studies for the Korean Reference HLW Disposal System (KRS), thermal analysis was performed to determine the spacing of disposal tunnels and interval of disposition holes without consideration of the coupled THM behavior. Therefore, in this study, TOUGH2-MP/FLAC3D is used to conduct THM modeling for performance assessment of the Korean Reference HLW Disposal System (KRS). The peak temperature remains below the temperature limit of $100^{\circ}C$ for the whole period. A rapid rise of temperature caused by decay heat occurs in the early years, and then temperature begins to decrease as decay heat from the waste decreases. The peak temperature at the bentonite buffer is around $96.2^{\circ}C$ after about 3 years, and peak temperature at the rockmass is $68.2^{\circ}C$ after about 17 years. Saturation of the bentonite block near the canister decreases in the early stage, because water evaporation occurs owing to temperature increase. Then, saturation of the bentonite buffer and backfill increases because of water intake from the rockmass, and bentonite buffer and backfill are fully saturated after about 266 years. The stress is calculated to investigate the effect of thermal stress and swelling pressure on the mechanical behavior of the rockmass. The calculated stress is compared to a spalling criterion and the Mohr-Coulumb criterion for investigation of potential failure. The stress at the rockmass remains below the spalling strength and Mohr-Coulumb criterion for the whole period. The methodology of using the TOUGH2-MP/FLAC3D simulator can be applied to predict the long-term behavior of the KRS under various conditions; these methods will be useful for the design and performance assessment of alternative concepts such as multi-layer and multi-canister concepts for geological spent fuel repositories.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.268-289
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• 2013

The Dinosaur tracksite at Jeori, Geumseongmyeon, Euiseonggun, Gyeongsangbukdo, Korea (National Monument No. 373) has been studied in the aspects of location, stratigraphy, sedimentology, fossil occurrence, unique geological records, literature, significance in natural history, preservation, and management. On the basis of these features, the Jeori tracksite has been assessed semiquantitavely. The Jeori tracksite occurs in the Sagok Formation (Albian) of the Euiseong sub-basin, and over 300 footprints forming 12 sauropod trackways, 10 ornithopod trackways, and 1 theropod trackways are preserved in this tracksite. The track-bearing deposits consist of tabular-bedded medium- to fine-grained arkose with mudstone drape, interlaminated fine-grained sandstone to siltstone and mudstone, and shaly mudstone. The dinosaur tracks are preserved in the interlaminated fine-grained sandstone to siltstone and mudstone, and most of them are observed as underprints. The track-bearing deposits are interpreted as sheetflood deposits on the floodplain under a seasonal paleoclimatic condition with alternating of wetting and drying periods. Multiple tension fractures with NE strike were formed in the track-bearing bed, which resulted in that tracks seem to occur in several horizons. The significance in natural history of the tracksite can be summarized as follows: 1) the historical implication of the Jeori tracksite as the firstly designated National Monument of dinosaur fossil sites, 2) the high density of the occurrence of diverse footprints (over 300) within small area (about $1,600m^2$), and 3) the significance of the tension fractures associated with the track-bearing bed as geoeducational records for the understanding the development of fault. In order to share the value of the Jeori tracksite in the aspect of natural history with the community and public, the interpretive panel should be modified to include figures explaining paleoenvironment and tension fault development. In addition it is recommended that a brochure be published briefly explaining the tracksite and to educate the residents about the natural and social significance of the tracksite. For the safety of visitors it would be desirable for the road in front of the tracksite to be moved at least 10 m southward, which could mitigate the shaking of the track bed caused by traffic.