• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.257-267
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• 2003

Deep-sea bottom photographs acquired in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific were analyzed to reveal the controlling processes for the spatial variation of manganese nodule. The results show that regional-scale occurrence variations of manganese nodule are mainly controlled by primary productivity of surface water, sedimentation rate, and water depth (or carbonate compensation depth). As a result, the diagenetic accretion on nodules increases toward southwest while hydrogenetic accretion increases toward northeast. Considering the northwestward movement of Pacific Plate, this regional-scale variation of manganese nodule occurrence seems to be affected by oceanic environment during the active growth period (Oligocene-Miocene) of Pacific Plate.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.32-38
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• 2009

An FMEA for the waterjet-lifter of a DSNM is performed to prevent the occurrence of device failure. A waterjet-lifter raises and transports manganese nodules from the deep-sea floor up to a somewhat elevated place, from which a pin-scraper transports the lifted nodules to the inner space of the DSNM. A concept design for a device using the axiomatic design methodology is shown as the mapping between the functional domain and physical domain. The FMEA for a DSNM is introduced briefly and the rating criteria of severity, occurrence, and detection for the DSNM are defined. The FMEA of the functional requirements of a DSNM device is accomplished. Three kinds of failure modes, as well as their effects and causes, are predicted. Current design control methods for detecting potential failures, such as physical or computational experiments, design confirmation, and mathematical calculation, are described and the recommended actions for several significant causes are suggested.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.429-437
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is to correct the nodule abundance of FFG (Free Fall Grab) sampler on KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area in North-East Pacific Ocean. The image analysis of sea-floor photography was carried out for correcting the abundance of nodules, and the image enhancement techniques and edge detection method were used to discriminate between nodules and sediments. The trace of nodules on sediments was detected to reduce the fractionation effect in calculating the coverage of nodules. The three methods, using the coverage of nodules, using the volume density, and using corrected volume density, were utilized for the correction of the nodule abundance. The method using the coverage of nodules was more convenient and available for the correction of nodule abundance than the other two methods. The method using the corrected volume density had the highest confidence level compared with the other methods.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.355-359
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• 1987

Texture and mineralogy of different microlayers of deep-sea manganese nodules are investigted to reveal the environmental changes of nodules during a nodule formation. Basically a nodule can have three types (A, B and C) of microlayer. Some nodules show only one or two types of microlayer. The classification is based primarily on the texture. The surface torture of type A is coarsely porous globular microstructure whereas type B and C are intermediate to finely porous textures. The type A is characterized by its highest Mn content $(30.6\%)$ and relatively well-crystallized todorokite as veil as the rapid growth rate. Smectite and biogenic silica (radiolaria) are also easily observed in the type A layer. It appears that the hydrothermal activity is one of the favorable mechanism of formation for the type A layer. The hydrothermal solution is possibly supplied from nearby fracture zone and spreading center.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.489-499
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• 2010

The securing of raw material is an important requirement for economic development. Many countries, including Korea, actively seek out a stable supply of minerals such as manganese. Manganese nodules are rock concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core and include several strategic minerals necessary for economic development. In particular, the manganese nodule development project (MNDP) plays an important role in the Korean national economy. This study attempts to apply input-output (I-O) analysis in investigating the economic impacts of the MNDP in the Korean national economy. A static I-O framework was employed, focusing on four topics in its application; the production-inducing impacts, the value-added-inducing impacts, the employment-inducing impacts and R&D-inducing impacts of MNDP investments on other sectors. To this end, several versions of the demand-driven models are utilized. In addition, inter-industry linkage analysis is performed to obtain information on the forward and backward linkage effects of industries, including MNDP, to quantify the strength of causation among these industries.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.31-37
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Petrological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.31-37
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• 2001

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.304-310
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• 2009

Recently, manganese nodule has been focused on alternative resources because of its high grade of noble metallic elements such as Co, Ni, and Cu etc. From the viewpoint of an optimization the operating variables for energy efficiency of smelting reduction process, thermodynamic model for smelting reduction process of Manganese nodule was developed by using energy and material balance concept. This model provided that specific consumption of pure oxygen and coke was strongly depended on post combustion ratio (PCR) and heat transfer efficiency (HTE). The dressing and dehydrating process of low grade manganese can be proposed an essential process to minimize the specific energy consumption with decreasing slag volume. The effect of electricity coal base smelting reduction process was also discussed from the energy optimizing point of view.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.14-20
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• 2006

During the 11 year period of 1995-2005, there was about a 40% increase in the world copper demand mainly because of the Asian economic growth. In the increase, about a half was consumed by China. Most of the China's copper demand increase has been taken place over the final 5-6 years of that period. The growth is expected to continue for several years, and in 10 years or sooner the same situation is expected for India. Copper is the third metal in global demand, but its little abundance in the Earth's crust is not well recognized. From the production rate and the abundance, a copper shortage, or crisis, has a high probability than the other metals. Deep ocean mineral resources such as manganese nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zones, Kuroko-type massive seafloor sulfides (SMS), and cobalt-rich manganese crusts in the EEZ and the high sea areas have big potentials for the future sources. We need to re-evaluate their potentials as copper resources and other metals to realize their developments. The same situation is under progress in the hydro-carbon markets. Methane hydrates that are classified into non-conventional hydro-carbon resources have an important role as the future sources, too.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.68-72
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• 2005