• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.227-237
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• 1986

The Duk-Eum mine located in Kongsan-myeon, Naju-gun, Cheolanamdo is producing silver ore mainly, with rare gold association. The grade-up and recovery of the concentrates have been concerned to the main problem. And then, this study aimed at applying the basic data for ore processing. In the first half of the study, the attempts were made to identify the ore minerals, this followed by determination of the mineral texture, paragenesis, grain size, and size distribution by employing the microscopical method and the etching test. The results of the study are as follows: 1. The ore deposit is composed of the hydrothermal fissure linked veins, and filling cavities are mostly tensile fractures or joints, in rhyolitic rocks as a wall rock. 2. The principle ore minerals are native silver, acanthite, canfieldite, pyrargyrite, galena, tetrahedrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite, zincite, and the gangue minerals are quartz and calcite. 3. The grain size of each ore minerals before grinding are; max. $2\frac{1}{2}$ mesh, medium 48-100 mesh(main size, contained over 80%), min. 3200mesh. And the grain size of each ore minerals after grinding is; max. 42mesh, medium 65-250mesh(main size, contained over 80%), min. 3200mesh. 4. The properties of the mineral texture effected on the ore dressing are follows; a) Inclusion texture; the fine grains of chalcopyrite is included in most acanthite, and rarely, that of galena included in acanthite. b) Exsolution texture; pyrargyrite is exsolved in acanthite. c) Replacement texture; native silver replaced pyrargyrite, and acanthite replaced galena. d) Interlocking paragenetic texture; the interlocking paragenetic minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, canfieldite. e) Fissure filling texture; chalcopyrite was filled along the cracks in acanthite. Among of the above texture, it is impossible to liberate the grains of a), and more difficult to liberate those of b) and c), while easy to liberate those of d) and e).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.117-130
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• 1994

Titanomagnetite ore bodies in the Yonchon iron mine are closely associated with alkali gabbroic rocks of middle Proterozoic age which intruded Precambrian metasedimentary rocks. The orebodies can be divided into massive ores in gabbroic rock, skarn ores in calcareous xenoliths and banded ores in gneissic gabbro. Gabbroic rocks from the Yonchon iron mine have unusually high content of $TiO_2$ with an average values of 3.46 wt%. Iron ores are ilmenite (42.25~51.56 wt% in $TiO_2$) and titanomagnetite (1.29~6.57 wt% in $TiO_2$) and the former is dominant Small amount of magnetite, hematite, sphene and sulfide minerals are included in the ores. Grandite garnet, titanoaugite and tschermakite are in iron skarn ores. Hornblendes from ores and gabbroic rocks have a relatively homogeneous isotopic composition with ${\delta}D$ between -110.0 and -133.9‰, and ${\delta}^{18}O$ of +4.5 to +6.5‰, and calculated to have formed in fluids with ${\delta}O_{H_2O}$ of + 6.7 to +8.7‰. and ${\delta}_{H_2O}$ of -87.9 to -111.8‰, which has a similar isotopic value of primary magmatic water. Based on intrusive age, occurrence, mineral chemistry and isotopic compositions of magnetite ores and gabroic rocks, it will be concluded that the gabbroic rocks are responsible for the titanomagnetite mineralization. The titaniferous magnetite melt was immiscibly separated from the high titaniferous gabbroic melts of Proterozoic age.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.325-336
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• 2006

Domestic serpentinite is one of the important industrial minerals utilizing in the iron manufacturing company such as POSCO in Korea. Serpentinite is distributed in the Ulsan Fe deposit, Andong, Hongseong-Cheongyang, and Gapyeong areas. This study tries to interpret the relationship among the formation of carbonate rocks, iron mineralization, and serpentinite alteration throughout the study of field occurrence, mineralogy, and chemical compositions. Serpentine is formed by the break-down of olivine and pyroxene of parent peridotite. The serpentinization is inferred to be formed by the hydrothermal fluid derived from intruded Cretaceous granite and the addition of meteoric water. Variation of major oxides such as $SiO_2,\;Fe_2O_3$, and MgO in serpentinized rocks are controlled by the degree of serpentinization and Fe mineralization. Variation of $Al_2O_3$ and CaO contents of altered rocks is dependent on the amount of the residual minerals such as calcite and homblende, and on the degree of chloritization. The presence of carbonate rocks reported in the sedimentary origin or igneous origin (carbonatite) provided a geological environment to form skarn type Fe deposit regardless of its origin. The geological processes of Ulsan Fe deposits are inferred to be formed as the order of the formation of carbonate rocks ${\to}$ the intrusion of Cretaceous granite ${\to}$ serpentinization ${\to}$ Fe mineralization by the interprelation of field occurrence and mineralogical characteristics.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.153-171
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• 2004

This study was carried out to define the geochemical and mineralogical relationship between stream sediments and regional geology on upstream of Hahn river area. Geochemical characteristic including for major elements, trace elements and rare earth elements of the South and North Hahn river bed sediments are similar to those of acid igneous rocks which are distributed around both Hahn river basin. The chemical variation of major elements against SiO$_2$ and trace elements contents between South and North Hahn river bed sediments doesn't show the difference. REE patterns of both area show a distinct negative Eu anomaly, but total contents of rare earth elements are higher in North Hahn river sediments than South Hahn river sediments. The heavy minerals in the river bed sediments in this study area are identified as tremolite-actinolite, hematiteㆍmagnetite, common hornblende, ilmenite, garnet, epidote, rutile and sphene. In conclusion, it is elucidated that South and North Hahn river bed sediments are being originated from igneous rocks or metamorphic rocks which contains medium-high grade metamorphic minerals and components of originated from sedimentary rocks those of politic or calcareous rocks are eroded away as solution or suspended load.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2020

The bird track fossil site in Haman Formation is divided into seven sedimental layers by the sedimentary structures, lithofacies and sequences. The bird tracks top on the highest layer, which includes ripple marks and suncracks. The layer has lithofacies with reddish grey siltstone and dark grey mudstone, alternately. As an analysis for the same rocks of the fossil site, physical properties show on mean values for 0.62% of absorption rate, 1.64% of porosity and 2.63 of specific gravity. Rock-forming minerals composed mainly of plagioclase, quartz, calcite, chlorite and mica. Meanwhile, we executed an experiments based on the petrography and weatherings to find a proper consolidants. In the experiments, the OH 100 reagent proved stable aspect and the lowest transition rate in terms of weight and chromaticity. Also, it showed the highest increase in ultrasonic velocity, improving the physical properties of the rocks. In the case of applying the OH 100 with antihygro, an swelling inhibitors on the sedimentary rocks, the chromaticity indicated an stable transition aspect. When it comes to the physical properties, the antihygro also decreases the porosity effectively. Thus, the most proper method for the fossil site of Haman Formation is to apply antihygro and OH 100 reagents since the rocks includes clay minerals that show swelling characteristics. However, this result is deduced from an indoor application experiments, leaving the necessity of verification how these reagents would affect the bird tracks site under the field condition.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.335-348
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• 2016

The fluvial Tamna Formation, consisting of conglomerate, sandstone and mudstone layers, is widely distributed in Jeiu Island. Various sizes of quartz crystals were identified from most of the Tamna Formation, including the mudstone layer. XRD analysis also shows that the mudstone layer is composed of various minerals, quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, mica, magnetite, hematite, olivine, amphibole, gibbsite, calcite, analcime and clay minerals such as illite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, chlorite, $10{\AA}$-halloysite. There is a tendency showing that the more amount of kaolinite, vermiculite, and chlorite is present where the more amount of quartz crystals is present. It is likely that the main source materials contributing to the Tamna Formation were from the parental rocks containing abundant quartz grains, suggesting that the Tamna Formation could not be related to Jeju volcanic rocks, but possibly to pre-existing basement rocks. Thus, we propose that the Tamna Formation was formed from the materials derived from both pre-existing basement rocks and Jeju volcanic rocks, which were subsequently affected by diagenesis, hydrothermal alteration and weathering process.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.233-257
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• 2023

Asbestos minerals are found at rocks and soils of the Hongseong and Bibong serpentine mines, western part of Chungnam. The area consists of and metasediment, and Mesozoic igneous intrusives with minor age-known gneiss complexes and Mesozoic sediments. With detailed geological investigations, rock samples for the serpentinite and amphibolite areas are collected at sites containing asbestos. Representative asbestos and rock samples are analysed by PLM, XRD, SEM and EPMA. Serpentinites are found as steeply dipping faults with adjacent gneiss complex to the NNE direction. Repeated alteration, including serpenitization and talcification, is found at the emplacement direction for the serpentinite body. Amphibollites occur as intrusives and stratiforms within the Precambrian gneiss complex. Serpentinite and amphibolite (or amphibole schist) contain amphiboles either as asbestiform or non-asbestiform. Varying amounts of asbestos minerals, including chrysotile, tremolite asbestos and actinolite asbestos, are found within the serpentinites. The asbestos minerals are found near the cracks or fractures and along the bedding plane. They occur as cross fiber, slip fiber and mass fiber types. Varying amounts of amphibole asbestos minerals, such as tremolite and actinolite asbestos, are found within amphibolites and as a mass fiber type. Overall results suggest that rocks of the serpentine mines contain serpentine and amphibole type asbestos minerals originated from the hydrothermal alteration. Considering construction nearby the mines and environmental risks by the asbestos, additional land management plans are required.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1994

The industrial minerals play an important role in mining sector. More than 70 % of total mineral production come from industrial mineral sector. This paper reviews geological occurrence of kaolin, pyrophyllite and limestone, and current demand-supply status of major industrial minerals in the Republic of Korea. The kaolin is mainly distributed in the Kyeongsang province, formed by deep weathering of Precambrian anorthosite on mountainside of gentle slope. The pyrophyllite mainly occurs in the Kyeongsang and Chulla provinces, formed by hydrothermal alteration of late Cretaceous andesitic and rhyolitic rocks. Pyrophyllite comprises massive and lenticular bodies and contains minor amounts of kaolin, alunite and pyrite, in some places andalusite and illite. The limestone(Great Limestone Series of Cambrian age) is distributed widely in the Kwangwon and Chungcheong provinces. The limestone bodies are approzimately 70 km long and 3 km wide, elongated NE-ward, and show high grade of CaO content. In 1992, the self-sufficiency ratio of 44 nonfuel (metallic and non-metallic) minerals was no more than 30 percent. However, the ratio of 27 industrial minerals (non-metallic) represents high value of about 72 percent. The export/productjon ratio of the industrial minerals shows decreasing patterns from 12.2 % in 1983 to 4.2 % in 1992. Also the import/production ratio shows rapidly decreasing pattern from 84 % in 1983 to 38.2 % in 1992.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.77-95
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• 2022

The Gonamsan gabbroic complex in the Pocheon area, northwestern region of South Korea consists of a variety types of gabbroic rocks and associated Fe-Ti oxide deposits caused by magmatic differentiation. Post-magmatic intrusions (i.e., gabbroic pegmatite and pyroxene-apatite-zircon rocks) partly intruded into the gabbroic rocks. The gabbroic pegmatite occurs in monzodiorite and oxide gabbro of the complex, intimately and spatially associated with high-grade lenticular Fe-Ti oxide mineralization. The pegmatite can be subdivided into plagioclase-amphibole and pyroxene-olivine pegmatite, in which the contact surface is sharp. The plagioclase-amphibole pegmatite comprises plagioclase and amphibole, with lesser amount of pyroxene, ilmenite, sphene, apatite, and biotite. The pegmatite shows plagioclase-amphibole intergranular texture, in which the open space formed by large plagioclase laths (An_2-26Ab_72-98Or_0-2) are infilled by amphibole. The pyroxene-olivine pegmatite is dark gray to black in color and also contains magnetite, ilmenite, spinel, apatite, and calcite as a minor component. The pyroxene (En_35-36Fs_8-9Wo₅₅) and olivine (Fo_84-85Fa_15-16) partly show a poikilitic texture defined by smaller euhedral olivine enclosed by coarser clinopyroxene. Fe-Ti oxide minerals consist mainly of magnetite and ilmenite that are found interstitially to earlier formed silicates. Subsequently, they are encompassed by reaction rim (almost of amphibole and biotite) along the boundary with surrounding silicate minerals. Under the microscope, magnetite contains a lot of oxyexsolved ilmenite (trellis type) and spinel, and thereby is weakly enriched in magnetite-compatible elements such as Ti, Al, Mg, and V. The structure and textures at the contact zone as well as mineralogical disequilibrium between gabbroic pegmatite and the host gabbroic rocks suggest that the pegmatite may form as a result of accumulation from Fe-rich melt (or liquid) that occurred somewhere rather than in situ form from the host gabbroic rock during the magmatic differentiation. Consequently, the preliminary study suggests that further study on the post-magmatic activities can not only help us improve our understanding on magmatic fractionation but also provide critical information on Fe-Ti oxide mineralization in gabbroic rocks resulting from the magmatic differentiation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.477-497
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• 2004

In the Hongseong and Kwangcheon areas, two ultramafic rocks are exposed as isolated bodies in the Precambrian Kyeonggi gneiss complex. The ultramafic rocks extend for several hundred meters to NNE direction and are contact with adjacent metasediments by steeply dipping faults. The rocks are dunite or harzburgite showing dominantly equigranular-mosaic and protogranular textures with a minor amount of porphyroclastic textures. They contain varying amounts of fosteritic olivine (F$o_{0.91-0.93}$), magnesian pyroxene (E$n_{0.89-0.93}$) and tremolitic to magnesian hornblende with minor amounts of spinel, serpentine, chlorite, magnetite, phlogopite and talc. The rocks are in contrast with adjacent gneiss complex or metabasite (amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, alkali-feldspar and quartz). Geochemically, these ultramafic rocks are characterized by high magnesium number (M$g_#$> 0.88) and transitional element (mainly, Ni>1716 ppm, Cr>1789 ppm), low alkali element (e.g. $K_2$O<0.09 wt.%, Na$_2$O<0.19 wt.%) and depletion of incompatible elements. The calculated correlation coefficients showed good positive correlations among the ferrous (e.g. Sc, V, Zn) elements, incompatible elements (e.g. REE), and among SiO$_2$ or $Al_2$O$_3$ with ferrous elements, whereas negative correlations are appeared between Ni and major elements. These results involve increasing of the ferrous- and $Al_2$O$_3$-bearing minerals(e.g. amphibole and mica) with decreasing of Mg-bearing minerals (e.g. olivine) depending on the degree of alteration. Calculated geothermometries and mineral assemblages suggest that the ultramafic rocks have been metamorphosed through the condition from the greenschist to amphibolite facies. Compared with ultramafic rocks elsewhere, it is thought that those of the Hongseong and Kwangcheon areas are derivatives of the depleted sources since they are depleted in incompatible elements including REE abundances. Moreover overall characteristics of the ultramafic rocks are similar to the those of orogenic related Alpine type ultramafic rocks, especially, shallow mantle slab varieties.