• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.185-197
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• 2023

The Gubong Au-Ag deposit consists of eight lens-shaped quartz veins. These veins have filled fractures along fault zones within Precambrian metasedimentary rock. This has been one of the largest deposits in Korea, and is geologically a mix of orogenic-type and intrusion-related types. Korea Mining Promotion Corporation drilled into a quartz vein (referred to as the No. 6 vein) with a width of 0.9 m and a grade of 27.9 g/t Au at a depth of -728 ML by drilling (No. 90-12) in the southern site of the deposit, To further investigate the potential redevelopment of the No. 6 vein, another drilling (No. 04-1) was carried out in 2004. In 2004, samples (wallrock, wallrock alteration and quartz vein) were collected from the No. 04-1 drilling core site to study the occurrence and chemical composition of Ti-bearing minerals (ilmenite, rutile). Rutile from mineralized zone at a depth of -275 ML occur minerals including K-feldspar, biotite, quartz, calcite, chlorite, pyrite in wallrock alteration zone. Ilmenite and rutile from ore vein (No. 6 vein) at a depth of -779 ML occur minerals including white mica, chlorite, apatite, zircon, quartz, calcite, pyrrhotite, pyrite in wallrock alteration zone and quartz vein. Based on mineral assemblage, rutile was formed by hydrothermal alteration (chloritization) of Ti-rich biotite in the wallrock. Chemical composition of ilmenite has maximum values of 0.09 wt.% (HfO₂), 0.39 wt.% (V₂O₃) and 0.54 wt.% (BaO). Comparing the chemical composition of rutile at a depth -275 ML and -779 ML, Rutile at a depth of -779 ML is higher contents (WO₃, FeO and BaO) than rutile at a depth of -275 ML. The substitutions of rutile at a depth of -275 ML and -779 ML are as followed : rutile at a depth of -275 ML Ba²⁺ + Al³⁺ + Hf⁴⁺ + (Nb⁵⁺, Ta⁵⁺) ↔ 3Ti⁴⁺ + Fe²⁺, 2V⁴⁺ + (W⁵⁺, Ta⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺) ↔ 2Ti⁴⁺ + Al³⁺ + (Fe²⁺, Ba²⁺), Al³⁺ + V⁴⁺+ (Nb⁵⁺, Ta⁵⁺) ↔ 2Ti⁴⁺ + 2Fe²⁺, rutile at a depth of -779 ML 2 (Fe²⁺, Ba²⁺) + Al³⁺ + (W⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺, Ta⁵⁺) ↔ 2Ti⁴⁺ + (V⁴⁺, Hf⁴⁺), Fe²⁺ + Al³⁺ + Hf ⁴⁺ + (W⁵⁺, Nb⁵⁺, Ta⁵⁺) ↔ 2Ti⁴⁺ + V⁴⁺ + Ba²⁺, respectively. Based on these data and chemical composition of rutiles from orogenic-type deposits, rutiles from Gubong deposit was formed in a relatively oxidizing environment than the rutile from orogenictype deposits (Unsan deposit, Kori Kollo deposit, Big Bell deposit, Meguma gold-bearing quartz vein).

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.273-288
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• 2023

The Gubong Au-Ag deposit, which has been one of the largest deposits (Unsan, Daeyudong, Kwangyang) in Korea, consists of eight lens-shaped quartz veins (a mix of orogenic-type and intrusion-related types) that filled fractures along fault zones within Precambrian metasedimentary rock. Korea Mining Promotion Corporation found a quartz vein (referred to as the No. 6 vein with a grade of 27.9 g/t Au and a width of 0.9 m) at a depth of -728 ML by drilling (No. 90-12) conducted in 1989. Korea Mining Promotion Corporation conducted drilling (No. 04-1) in 2004 to investigate the redevelopment's possibility of the No. 6 vein. The author studied the occurrence and chemical composition of chlorite and white mica using wallrock, wallrock alteration and quartz vein samples collected from the No. 04-1 drilling core in 2004. The alteration of studied samples occurs chloritization, sericitization, silicification and pyritization. Chlorite and white mica from mineralized zone at a depth of -275 ML occur with quartz, K-feldspar, calcite, rutile and pyrite in wallrock alteration zone and quartz vein. Chlorite and white mica from ore vein (No. 6 vein) at a depth of -779 ML occur with quartz, calcite, apatite, zircon, rutile, ilmenite, pyrrhotite and pyrite in wallrock alteration zone and quartz vein. Chlorite from a depth of -779 ML has a higher content of Al and Mg elements and a lower content of Si and Fe elements than chlorite from a depth of -275 ML. Also, Chlorites from a depth of -275 ML and -779 ML have higher content of Si element than theoretical chlorite. Compositional variation in chlorite from a depth of -275 ML was mainly caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution [Al^{3+,VI + Al3+,IV} <-> (Fe²⁺ or Mg²⁺)^VI + (Si⁴⁺)^IV], but compositional variation from a depth of -779 ML was mainly caused by octahedral Fe²⁺ <-> Mg²⁺ (Mn²⁺) substitution. The interlayer cation site occupancy (K+Na+Ca+Ba+Sr = 0.76~0.82 apfu, 0.72~0.91 apfu) of white mica from a depth of -275 ML and -779 ML have lower contents than theoretical dioctahedral micas, but octahedral site occupancy (Fe+Mg+Mn+Ti+Cr+V+Ni = 2.09~2.13 apfu, 2.06~2.14 apfu) have higher contents than theoretical dioctahedral micas. Compositional variation in white mica from a depth of -275 ML was caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution [(Al³⁺)^VI + (Al³⁺)^IV <-> (Fe²⁺ or Mg²⁺)^VI + (Si⁴⁺)^IV], illitic substitution and direct (Fe³⁺)^VI <-> (Al³⁺)^VI substitution. But, compositional variation in white mica from a depth of -779 ML was caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution [(Al³⁺)^VI + (Al³⁺)^IV <-> (Fe²⁺ or Mg²⁺)^VI + (Si⁴⁺)^IV] and direct (Fe³⁺)^VI <-> (Al³⁺)^VI substitution.