• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.475-482
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• 2010

Hydrothermal deposits on deep-sea floors are expected to provide potential metal resources for future demands. Korea was recently granted a prospecting licence to undertake exploration for hydrothermal metal deposits in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean. The Korean Deep Seabed Mining Group (KDSMG), which consists of four Korean companies involved in marine technologies, oil and gas shipping, and smelter industries, has conducted research to evaluate the region's resource potential in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) of Korea. Here we present and reflect on the exploration results of these companies and their strategic plans. We also evaluate Research and Development (R&D) progress for the commercial development of seafloor hydrothermal deposits. Our own strategies and prospects for the commercial development of this potential resource are also outlined. We do acknowledge that other potentially important information regarding the amount of ore body, the inside structure, and the metal yields have not yet been clarified sufficiently. As such it is necessary to address these problems through experimental R&D and surveys.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.357-368
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• 1985

The Weolseong diatreme crops out about 28km south of Kyeongju City, Korea. The diatreme is a circular shaped volcanic vent, 1.2km in diameter, that formed subaerially, probably by phreatomagmatic (phreatoplinian) eruptions of Tertiary age. The rocks occupying the display well developed layering produced by base surge and proximal ba11istic fall. Accretionary lapilli are a common component. The rocks comprise tuff breccia and fine-grained rock derived from the vent walls. This sequence has undergone subsidence of at least over 650m. Most explanations for the presence of bedded tuffs at considerable depths within a volcanic pipe involve subsidence. Comparable amount of subsidence are recorded in many diatremes in other parts of the world. The ore body is distinctly circular and funnel shaped in center of diatreme. The vent area of diatreme served as channel ways for the mineralized hydrothermal fluids.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.679-684
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• 2011

One of the trace constituents included in cement clinker, chromium, has become prominent and highly noticed lately as a social issue both inside and outside of this country because it affects the human body negatively. The purpose of the present study was to investigate leaching properties of water-soluble hexavalent chromium by different manufacturing conditions of cement clinker. Raw materials were prepared to add different $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$ and $Fe_2O_3$ sources. After the raw materials, such as limestone, sand and clay, iron ore was pulverized and mixed, and the raw meal was burnt at $1450^{\circ}C$ in a furnace with an oxidizing atmosphere. Leaching of soluble hexavalent chromium showed a tendency to decrease with an increasing LSF and IM. However, leaching of soluble hexavalent chromium increased with an increasing S.M. Alkali contents of iron source minerals is closely related to the leaching properties of soluble hexavalent chromium. Green sludge has the highest content of alkali added; leaching of water-soluble hexavalent chromium was mostly high. In order to reduce the water-soluble hexavalent chromium in cement, reducing the alkali content in raw materials is important.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.153-158
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• 2019

It is estimated that about 2,515 persons have been injured by conveyor for the past five years(2013 ~ 2017). Conveyors used in various industrial sites for transporting iron ore, coal, courier goods, etc., have various incidents such as a worker putting on or pulling a part of the body or work clothes on the driving part during maintenance. It is necessary for preventing similar accidents to conduct various researches. In order to propose the basis for revising laws and standards for the safety standards of the full cord switch to prevent conveyor accidents, this study compares Korea's Industrial Safety and Health Law (KISHL) with those of IEC, EN, Canada, and Australia. In addition, surveys of conveyor use plant and full cord switch domestic and foreign manufacturers was conducted. In this study, domestic and overseas related laws and technical standards compare and analyze to prevent conveyor accidents. In addition, we propose extension of safety certification for full code switch, establishment of safety inspection standard, and improvement of working method regulation through actual working condition investigation. It can be used as a basis for revising the occupational safety and health regulation and related notices, and thus contributing to enhancing the safe atmosphere of the conveyor business and improving the safety consciousness of the concerned persons.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2021

In this study, the development and production of electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles are presented as a method for realizing carbon-neutral. Accordingly, the demand and need for development of underground metal mineral resources such as copper and nickel has increased. The research was carried out using MT survey, which is very useful for deep exploration such as mineral resources and oil exploration because of it's low cost and explorable depth. In Korea, there are very few cases of MT exploration in terms of mineral development, so the study was conducted based on the MT exploration conducted previously in AusLAMP, Australia. Through comparative analysis of the MT exploration data conducted to identify the ore body in the deep area of the Olympic Dam in Australia, with the data directly calculated in 2D inversion, it was confirmed that it can have a positive effect on the possibility of resource development and carbon neutrality using MT exploration in Korea.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.463-475
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• 2022

In the mine exploitation stage; one of the critical issues is the stability assessment of post-pillars. The instability of post-pillars leads to serious safety hazards in mining operations. The focus of this study is to assess the stability of post-pillars in the 130# stope in the central ore body at Trepça hard rock mine by employing both conventional (i.e., critical span curve) and numerical methods (i.e., FLAC3D). Moreover, a new numerical based index (i.e., Pillar Yield Ratio-PYR) was proposed. The aim of PYR index is to determine a border line between stable, potentially unstable, and failure state of post-pillars at a specific mine site. The critical value of pillar width to height ratio is 2.5 for deep production stopes (e.g., > 800 m). Results showed that pillar size, mining height and mining depth significantly have affected the post-pillar stability. The reliability of numerical based index (i.e., PYR) is verified based on empirical underground pillar stability graph developed by Lunder, 1994. The proposed pillar yield ratio index and pillar stability graph can be used as a design tool in new mining areas at Trepça hard rock mine and for other situations with similar geotechnical conditions.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.126-138
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• 1997

Serpentinite of the Yesan-Gongju-Cheongyang area has been formed by serpentinization of ultramafic rocks. The ultramafic rock might be composed mainly of oilvine with minor pyroxene and amphibole. Olivine has a considerably restricted chemical compositional ranging from Fo90 to Fo93. Fresh serpentinite containing large amount of oilvine is usually massive in occurrence and dark green to black in color. Serpentine minerals occur not only as major mineral of serpentinite, but also as remnants in the talc ore which was formed from serpentinite. XRD study indicates that antigorie is the most abundant serpentine mineral of the serpentinite. Serpentinite consisting of antigorite usually shows non-pseudomorphic texture, whereas that consisting of lizardite shows pseudomorphic texture. Antigorite is found along the margins or fractures of olivine grains resulting in the formation of network of magnetite which was formed at the time of serpentinization. Lizardite, subordinate constituent mineral of serpentinite, frequently shows pseudomorphic mesh-texture after olivine. The chemical differences between antigorite and lizardite/chrysotile are small, so both minerals are not easily discernible with the electron microprobe. Antigorite occuers as elongate blades, flakes, or plates forming interpenetrating texture to obliterate previous textures. SEM study also shows that most serpentine minerals occur in platy or tabular form rather than in asbestiform. Fractures formed after main serpentinization are observed within the pseudomorphic central olivine grain. Careful observation of the serpentine pseudomorphs gives a great deal of data on the pre-serpentinization nature of the serpentine pseudomorphs gives a great deal of data on the pre-serpentinization nature of the ultramafic rocks. It is inferred that the serpentinization took place after the emplacement of ultramafic body into the relatively wet environment ceased and the cooling intrusive body crossed into the stability field of serpentine. It is inferred that the final pervasive serpentinization took place over a long time, by hydrothermal water supplied through the fracture system produced during emplacement of ultramafic rock.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.323-336
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• 2000

Ultramafic rocks in Choongnam area are mainly serpenitinites which are parent rock of talc and asbestos ore deposits. About 10 $^{\circ}$ NNE-trending parallel serpentinites masses occur as discontineous isolated lenticular intrusive bodies in Precambrian gneiss complex between Hongseong-Kwangcheon line and Onyang-Cheongyang line. The sizes of serpentinites vary from several centimeters to 1 kilometer in width and from several meters to 5 kilometers in length. The serpentinites show high SiO$_2$(39.99wt.% in average), MgO(38.46wt % in average), Cr(>1011ppm), Ni(>1660ppm), and Co(>80ppm). Most serpentinites contain serpentine more than 50%. Some serpentines contain original minerals such as olivine, pyroxene and chromite. Also, serpentinites body may contain a little serpentinized peridotite, and some talc and asbestos ore deposits. The original rocks of the serpentinites interpreted as Alpine type ultramafic rocks, and dunite and/or harzburgite which were originated from slightly depleted upper mantle(30${\sim}$40km deep), and emplaced in the crust through the large fault zones. It seems that main serpentinization from the original rocks was occurred during greenschist and/or amphibolite facies regional metamorphism in Choongnam area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 1989

Chindong granites are classified into granodiorite, tonalite and quartz-diorite, and Yucheon - Eonyang granites into monzo-granite by the Streckeisen diagram. These granitic rocks of Cretaceous age show trend of calc-alkaline magma, and the magmatic evolution from basic to acidic rocks is consistant with the general crystallization path of the Cretaceous granitic rocks in the Gyeongsang basin. On the basis of petrological and petrochemical data, variation of major elements (K, Na, Ca, Mg) and trace elements (Rb, Sr, Ba) including ore metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) in the Cretaceous granitic rocks were studied in detail in order to investigate geochemical difference of the granitic rocks in relation to mineralization between Cu province and Pb-Zn province in the Gyeongsang basin. There is clear difference in content of the major elements between Chindong granites and Yucheon-Eonyang granites : Chindong granites have low content of K (1.62%) and Na (2.53%), and high content of Ca (3.75%) and Mg (1.42%) whereas Yucheon-Eonyang granites have high content of K (3.56-3.60%), and low content of Ca (0.96-0.26%) and Mg (0.26-0.21%). There is also clear difference in content of trace lithophile elements between Chindong granites and Yucheon-Eonyang, granites : Chindong granites have low content of Rb (86ppm) and Ba (330ppm), and high content of Sr (405ppm) while Yucheon-Eonyang, granites have high content of Rb (144-161ppm) and Ba (983-1030ppm), and low content of Sr (157-136ppm). The lithophile trace elements of Rb and Sr vary with close relationship to major elements of K and Ca, respectively. Therefore, Chindong granites are much easily distinguished from Yucheon-Eonyang granites by using relationship of K with Rb and Ca with Sr : K<3%, Rb<100ppm, Ca<2% and Sr>200ppm for Chindong granites, and K>3%, Rb>100ppm, Ca<2%, and Sr<200ppm for Yucheon-Eonyang granites. There is not clear difference in content of trace ore metals between Chindong granites and Yucheon-Eonyang granites : Chindong granites of the Cu province have low Cu content (15ppm) which is nearly equal to 13-14ppm of Yucheon-Eonyang granites of the Pb-Zn province, and Yucheon-Eonyang granites have Pb content (29-27ppm) which is rather lower than 37ppm of Chindong granites. But Cu is anomalously high in the mineralized part of Chindong granites in Gunbuk-Haman area, and Zn is apparently higher in Yucheon-Eonyang granites (51-37ppm) than in Chindong granites (29ppm). K/Pb ratio is also c1early distinguishable between Chindong granites (<850) and Yucheon-Eonyang granites (>850). Thus, it may be possible to apply geochemical difference of the granites to distinguish whether a Cretaceous granitic body is Cu related rock or Pb-Zn related rock, and whether it belongs to Cu province or Pb-Zn province in the Gyeongsang basin.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.767-785
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• 2021

World-class magnesite deposits are developed in the Dashiqiao mineralized district of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt in China. This belt extends to the northern side of the Korean Peninsula and hosts major magnesite deposits in the Dancheon region of North Korea. Magnesite ores from the Pailou deposits in the Dashiqiao district is classified into pure magnetite, chlorite-magnetite, chlorite-talc-magnetite, and dolomite groups depending on the constituent minerals. According to the result of petrographic study, magnesite was formed by the alteration of dolomite, and, talc, chlorite, and apatite were produced as late-stage alteration minerals that replaced the magnesite. Fluid inclusions observed in magnesite are a liquid-type inclusion, with a homogenization temperature of 121-250 ℃ and a salinity of 1.7-22.4 wt% NaCl equiv. The chlorite geothermometer, indicating the temperature of hydrothermal alteration, is 137~293 ℃, slightly higher than the homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions, and the pressure is calculated to be less than 3.2 kb. For magnesite mineralization in the study area, the initially formed-dolomite was subjected to replacement by Mg-rich fluid to form a magnesite ore body, and then it was enriched through regional metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration. It seems that altered minerals such as talc were crystallized by Si and Al-rich late-stage hydrothermal fluids. These results are similar to the genetic environments of the Daeheung deposit, a representative magnesite deposit in North Korea, and it is believed that the two deposits went through a similar geological and ore genetic process of magnesite mineralization.