• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_1
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• pp.495-505
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• 2023

The Musan mine, situated in Musan County, Hamgyong Province, North Korea, stands as a prominent open-pit iron mine on the Korean Peninsula. This study focuses on estimating the mining and dumping activities within the Musan mine area by analyzing digital elevation model (DEM) changes. To calculate the long-term volume changes in the Musan mine, we digitized and converted the 1:200,000-scale third topographic map of the Joseon published in 1918 and compared with interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) DEMs, including Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM (2000) and Copernicus DEM (2011-2015). The findings reveal that over a century, Musan mine yielded around 1.37 billion tons of iron ore, while approximately 1.06 billion tons of waste rock were dumped. This study is particularly significant as it utilizes a historical topographic map predating the full-scale development of Musan mine to estimate a century's mining production and waste rock deposition. It is expected that this research provides valuable insights for future investigation of surface change of North Korea where the acquisition of in situ data remains challenging.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.243-261
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• 2016

This research study focuses on utilizing sandstone which is overburden waste rock in coal mines to use in concrete as a replacement of fine aggregate. Physical properties of sandstone like water absorption, moisture content, fineness modulus etc., were found to be similar to conventional fine aggregate. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis was carried out for analysing elemental composition of sandstone. There was no sulphur content in sandstone which is a good sign to carry the replacement. Fine aggregate was replaced with sandstone at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by volume and moulds of concrete cubes and cylinders were prepared. Compressive strength of concrete cubes was tested after 3, 7 and 28 days and split tensile & flexural strength was determined after 28 days. The strength was found to be increasing marginally with increase in sandstone content. Fine aggregate that was replaced by 100% sandstone gave highest strength among all the replacements for the compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths. Though increase in strength was marginal, still sandstone can be an effective replacement for sand in order to save the natural resource and utilize the waste sandstone.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2014

Environmental problems typically occurring in abandoned mine lands (AML) include: contaminated and acidic surface water and groundwater; stockpiled waste rock and mill tailings; and ground subsidences due to mining operations. This study examines the effectiveness of various geophysical techniques for mapping potential hazard and contaminated zones. Four AML sites with sedimentation contamination problems, acid mine drainage (AMD) channels, ground subsidence, manmade liner leakage, and buried mine tailings, were selected to examine the applicability of various geophysical methods to the identification of the different types of mine hazards. Geophysical results were correlated to borehole data (core samples, well logs, tomographic profiles, etc.) and water sample data (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and heavy metal contents). Zones of low electrical resistivity (ER) corresponded to areas contaminated by heavy metals, especially contamination by Cu, Pb, and Zn. The main pathways of AMD leachate were successfully mapped using ER methods (low anomaly peaks), self-potential (SP) curves (negative peaks), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) at shallow penetration depths. Mine cavities were well located based on composite interpretations of ER, seismic tomography, and well-log records; mine cavity locations were also observed in drill core data and using borehole image processing systems (BIPS). Damaged zones in buried manmade liners (used to block descending leachate) were precisely detected by ER mapping, and buried rock waste and tailings piles were characterized by low-velocity zones in seismic refraction data and high-resistivity zones in the ER data.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.418-426
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• 2008

A surface blasting method with a single tree face is currently used in Pasir Coal Mine in Indonesia. The single free face is usually the ground surface. This kind of blasting method is easy to use but inevitably causes enormous ground vibrations, which, in turn, can affect the stability of the slopes comprising the various boundaries of the open pit mine. In this regard, we decided to make a specific blasting guideline for the control of found vibrations to ensure the safety of the pit slopes and waste dumps of the mine. Firstly, we derived a prediction equation for the ground vibration levels that could be occurred during blasting in the pits. Then, we set the allowable levels of ground vibrations for the pit slopes and waste dumps as peak particle velocities of 120mm/s and 60mm/s, respectively. From the prediction equation and allowable levels, safe scaled distances were established for field use. The blast design equations for the pit slopes and waste dumps were $D_s{\geq}5\;and\;D_S{\geq}10$ respectively. We also provide several standard blasting patterns for the hole depths of $3.3{sim}8.8m$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.213-227
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• 2006

The geochemical evolution of mine drainage and leachate from waste rock dumps and stream water in Pb-As-rich abandoned Sechang mine area was investigated to elucidate mechanisms of trace metals. Total and sequential extractions were applied to estimate the distribution of trace metals in constituent phases of the waste rocks and to assess the mobility of trace metals according to physicochemical conditions. These discharged waters varied largely in chemical composition both spatially and temporally, and included cases with significant]y low pH (in the range 2.1-3.3), and extremely sulphate (up to 661 mg/l and metal contents (e.g. up to 169 mg/l for Zn, 27 mg/l for As, 3.97 mg/l for Pb, 2.99 mg/l for Cu, and 1.88 mg/l for Cd). Arsenic and heavy metal concentrations at the down-stream of Sechang mine have been decreased nearly to the background level in downstream sites (sites 8 and 16) without any artificial treatments. The oxidation of Fe-sulfides and the subsequent hydrolysis, of Fe(II), with precipitation of poorly crystallized minerals, constituted an efficient mechanism of natural attenuation which reduces considerably the transference of trace metals (i.e. Fe and As) to rivers. The dilution of drainage by mixing with pristine waters provoked an additional decrease of trace metal concentrations and a progressive pH increase. On the other hand, the most soluble cations (i.e. Zn) remained significantly as dissolved solutes until the pH was raised to approximately neutral values. With respect to ecotoxicity, it is likely that the Zn pollution is of particular concern in Sechang mine area. This was confirmed by the sequential extraction experiment, where Zn in wet waste-rock samples occurred predominantly in the exchangeable fraction (65-89% of total), while Pb was the highest in the reducible and carbonate fractions, and Cd, Cu and As in the residual fraction. Pb concentration in the readily available exchangeable fraction (34-48% of total) was dominated for dried waste rock samples. Considering the proportion of metals bound to the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, the comparative mobility of metals probably decreased in the order of Zn>Pb>Cd>As=Cu.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.95-105
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• 2011

Total extraction method and environmental standards for heavy metals in soils were revised in regulation recently. In case of Area 3, as the law amended, the soil pollution level has gone up to 4 to 13 times higher depending on the type of heavy metal. In this study, it compares the properties of heavy metals of soil by sequential extraction and total extraction methods depending on the analysis method, using the soil around mine. In case of arsenic, the soil pollution level has gone up to 4 times higher, but 6 to 10 times in the sample soil. Also, according to the results of portability evaluation depending on the type of existence form of heavy metal it exists as residual form in mine waste rock, which is less likely to move, while it exists as migrated form in tailing. Therefore, it should be considered to evaluate the soil pollution and decide the contaminated bounds depending on the existence form of heavy metals on soil to restore the polluted soil.

• 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.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.54-70
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• 2024

Utilization of completed open-pit for mining waste disposal is an alternative method of tailing storage facility (TSF), which can minimize the area and cost required for the installation of TSF. However, long-term tailing disposal into open-pit has a potential risk of reducing mechanical stability of surrounding rock mass by acting as an additional load. In this research, a realistic open-pit tailing disposal scenario of 60,400 hours was established based on the case of Marymia gold mine, Australia. Mechanical stability of surface pillar between open-pit and underground stope was analyzed numerically by using Sigma/W, under different stope geometry and rock mass conditions. Simulation results showed that long-term tailing disposal into open-pit can significantly increase the failure probability of surface piller. This result suggests that mechanical stability of mine geometry should be conducted beforehand of open-pit tailing disposal.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2006

Most of limestone mines in Korea have been developed by a open-cut mining method in consideration of a deposited condition of ore, ore recovery, safety, economic efficiency, etc.. But it has produced environmental problems such as dust flying, blasting noise & vibration, and spoil of farmlands due to slope failure of waste rock mass caused by access road construction, fragmentation & crush of rocks, blasting, transportation, and mineral processing. In this study, it has been suggested for measures to reduce mine hazards caused by open- cut mining of limestone nines.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.577-586
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• 2008

The formation of acid mine drainage is closely related to water chemistry and ochreous sprecipitates formed at the bottom of creeks because it is initially derived from the possible water-rock interaction in abandoned waste metals at the mine. According to analyses on water, precipitates, and alteration characters of ore metals in Dalseone mine, whitish precipitates formed at pHs above 5 while schwertmannite formed at pH $3{\sim}4$. Water chemistry vary with seasons. The water chemistry of the treatment site measured ir Octoter 2002 is characterized by lower pH, and higher Al, Zn, Cu contents relative to those in March, 2003. In the latter case, As and Cl contents are very high. $^{27}Al$ MAS NMR data show the presence of predominant octahedral Al in whitish precipitates. Metal ore minerals dissolve at margins, cleavage, or comer of crystals where reactive sites are potential. Pyrite dissolves, forming etch pits or smooth faces on the edge.