• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2001

Environmental pollution of the Tohyun mine creek area was investigated on the basis of geology, mineralogy and geochemistry. In soils and sediments of the mine area, ${Al_2}{O_3}/{Na_2O}$ and ${K_2}O/{Na_2}O$ ratios are partly negative correlation against ${SiO_2}/{Al_2}{O_3}$, respectively. Geochemical characteristics of some trace and rare earth elements such as V/Ni, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, Th/U, La/Th, ${La_N}/{Yb_N}$, La/Sc and Sc/Th are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by simple source lithology. These results suggest that sediments source of the host shale around the mine area could be originated by basic to intermediate igneous rocks. Mineral compositions of soil and sediment near the mine area were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, clay minerals and some pyrite. Soils and sediments with highly concentrated heavy minerals, gravity separated mineralogy, are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and various kinds of hydroxide minerals on the polished sections. As normalized by bed rock composition, average enrichment indices of major elements in sediments, precipitates, farmland soils and paddy soils are 1.0, 1.7, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Maximum concentration of environmental toxic elements in the mine creek are detected with Ag = 186 ppm, As = 17,100 ppm, Bi = ]27 ppm, Cd = 77 ppm, Cu = 12,299 ppm, Pb = 8,897 ppm, Sb = 1,350 ppm, W = 599 ppm and Zn = 12,250 ppm, which are increasing with total FeO increasing, and extremely high concentrations of surface sediments and precipitates near the waste rock dump. These toxic elements (As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, W and Zn) of the samples, normalizing by host rock concentration, revealed that average enrichment index is 106.0 for sediments, 279.6 for precipitates, 3.5 for farmland soils and 1.6 for paddy soils. However, on the basis of EPA values, enrichment indices of all the samples are 40.7, 121.4, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.192-202
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• 1998

We investigated the geochemistry and environmental isotopes of granite-bedrock groundwater in the Yeongcheon diversion tunnel which is located about 300 m below the land surface. The hydrochemistry of groundwaters belongs to the Ca-HCO$_3$type, and is controlled by flow systems and water-rock interaction in the flow conduits (fractures). The deuterium and oxygen-18 data are clustered along the meteoric water line, indicating that the groundwater are commonly of meteoric water origin and are not affected by secondary isotope effects such as evaporation and isotope exchange. Tritium data show that the groundwaters were mostly recharged before pre-thermonuclear period and have been mixed with younger surface water flowing down rapidly into the tunnel along fractured zones. Based on the mass balance and reaction simulation approaches, using both the hydrochemistry of groundwater and the secondary mineralogy of fracture-filling materials, we have modeled the low-temperature hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in the area. The results of geochemical simulation show that the concentrations of Ca$\^$2＋/, Na$\^$＋/ and HCO$_3$and pH of waters increase progressively owing to the dissolution of reactive minerals in flow paths. The concentrations of Mg$\^$2＋/ and K$\^$＋/ frist increase with the dissolution, but later decrease when montmorillonite and illitic material are precipitated respectively. The continuous adding of reactive minerals, namely the progressively larger degrees of water/rock interaction, causes the formation of secondary minerals with the following sequence: first hematite, then gibbsite, then kaolinite, then montmorillonite, then illtic material, and finally microcline. During the simulation all the gibbsite is consumed, kaolinite precipitates and then the continuous reaction converts the kaolinite to montmorillonite and illitic material. The reaction simulation results agree well with the observed, water chemistry and secondary mineralogy, indicating the successful applicability of this simulation technique to delineate the complex hydrogeochemistry of bedrock groundwaters.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-199
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• 2004

Cretaceous sedimentary rocks bearing dinosaur tracks in the Goseong interchange area were studied for their conservation and public display in the aspect of applied mineralogy. Black clay layers alternate with silt layers in the sedimentary rocks. The verical and horizontal fissures are commonly filled with calcite veinlets, supergenetic iron and manganese oxides. The rocks are composed of quartz, albite, K-feldspar, calcite, chlorite, illite, muscovite, and biotite, with minor apatite and rutile. Silt layers are relatively rich in calcite and albite, whereas clay layers are abundant in quartz, illite, and chlorite. Al, Fe, Mg, K, Ti, and P are enriched in the clay layers, while Ca, Na, and Mn in silt. Most of trace elements including V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cs, Zr, REE, Th, and U are enriched in clay layers. Inorganic carbon are present in silt layers as calcite, while organic carbon in black clay layers. The black clay layers were partly altered to yellow clay layers along the fissures, simultaneously with the decrease of organic carbon. Selective exfoliation of clay-rich black and yellow clay layers, calcite matrix of silt layers and calcite infillings of fissures are estimated as the major weakness potentially promoting chemical and physical degradation of the track-bearing rock specimens.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.431-445
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• 2022

A quantitative phase analysis method of X-ray powder diffraction was studied to determine the mineral content of clay-rich rocks practically as well as effectively. For quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis of the clay-rich rocks, it is necessary to prepare whole-rock powder samples with a random orientation by side mounting method. In addition, for the identification of the clay minerals in the rock, it is required to prepare an oriented mount specimen with a clay particle size of 2 ㎛ or less, ethylene glycol treatment, and heat treatment. RIR (reference intensity ratio) and Rietveld method were used for the quantitative analysis of the clay-rich rocks. It was possible to obtain the total clay and the non-clay minerals contents from the whole-rock X-ray diffraction profiles using the RIR values. In addition, it was possible to calculate the relative content of each clay mineral from the oriented X-ray diffraction profiles of the clay particle size and assign it to the total clay. In the Rietveld method of whole-rock X-ray diffraction, effective quantitative values were obtained from the Rietveld diffraction patterns excluded the region of less than 10 degrees (2θ). Similar quantitative values were shown in not only the RIR but the Rietveld methods. Therefore, the analysis results indicate a possibility of a routine quantitative analysis of clay-rich rocks in the laboratory. However, quantitative analysis of clay minerals is still a challenge because there are numerous varieties of clay minerals with different chemical and structural characteristics.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.4 s.41
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• pp.381-390
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• 2004

This study was performed to relate the weathering properties of Oyaish tuff from Japan to mechanical properties of rocks in terms of mineralogical alteration and chemistry. The tuff is composed of clinoptilolite, quartz, feldspars, mordenite, opal C-T, and smectite. Since fresh tuff contains approximately $30\~50\%$ zeolite, it is expected that the rock is subjected to weathering process ascribed to water contents on earth surface, significantly reducing mechanical strength of tuff. It is also anticipated that weathering process and properties may be different even in the same rock mass, due to the differences in local mineralogy, chemistry and microtextures in tuff.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1001-1013
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• 2018

A new type of uranium occurrence in Korea was identified in pegmatitic and hydrothermally altered granite in the Daejeon area. The U-bearing parts typically include muscovite, pink-feldspar and sericite as alteration minerals. In this study, the geochemical characteristics and alteration age of the granitic rocks were examined to provide evidence for hydrothermally-enriched uranium. The K-Ar ages of muscovite coexisting with U-bearing minerals were determined as 123 and 128 Ma. The U-bearing rocks have relatively low ($CaO+Na_2O$), high $K_2O$ contents, and high alteration index values by major element geochemistry. The trace element geochemistry shows that the uraniferous rocks have significantly low Th/U ratios and strongly differentiated features. The rare earth element patterns indicate that the uraniferous rocks have a low total REE and LREE contents with depletion of Eu. Considering the geochemical variation of the granitic rock major, trace and rare earth elements, it can be concluded that uranium enrichment in pegmatites and altered granite should be genetically related to post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration of K-metasomatism after emplacement of the two-mica granite. This is the first report for geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic granite-related U-occurrences in South Korea. This study will help further research for uranium deposits with similarities in geological setting, mineralogy and age data between South China and Korea, and can also be expected to help solve the source problems related to high uranium concentrations in some groundwater occurring in the granitic terrane.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 1989

The sedimentary siderite rock or siderostone has been firstly found from the upper part of the Cambrian Myobong Slate in the Sangdong Tungsten Mine area. It occurs as layers between slate and calc-silicate rock (originally siliceous ankerite rock and ferroan dolostone) or within calc-silicate rock. Some parts of the siderostone bed, however, are considerably skarnized to iron-rich skarns, leaving only small-scaled relics. Siderostone consists mainly of siderite and quartz with minor amount of bertioerine and fluorite or apatite and is commonly microcrystalling granular in texture. Stratification is well developed in some siderstone. The siderostone and its skarnized rocks occasionally contain scheelite grains. Siderite also occurs in sandstone and slate. Mineralogy and textures of the siderostone suggest that it might be formed in the shallow marine basin where enough organic matter was present to maintain a low Eh and iron was supplied, and that siderite might be formed largely by diagenesis from iron-rich berthierine mud.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.93-104
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• 2013

Daejiguksaptapbi (Tapbi) is a memorial stele which is inscribed with personal history of a state preceptor, Daejiguksa Beopkyeong. The Tapbi comprises tortoise-shaped pedestal, dragon top and body stone, and the body stone is remained in 255 pieces by excavation in Samcheonsaji temple site of Seoul. The Tapbi is composed of tuffaceous breccia for the body, coarse-grained pink feldspar granite for the pedestal and fine-grained granite for the top. As a result of geological survey to find a rock provenance of the Tapbi rock, the tuffaceous breccia is found in the banks of Gangwha straits, and the pink feldspar granite and fine-grained granite are found around the temple site in Mt. Bukhansan. Each rock shows similarities to the Tapbi in lithology and mineralogy. Also, geochemical data of major, some trace and rare earth elements verify their cognation in each rock type. It can be interpreted that the provenance of the body stone is distant as Gangwha area, and the provenance of the pedestal and top stones are near the temple site. The results can be utilized to restore the Tapbi by using the same rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.175-191
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• 1986

The Geodo granodiorite intruded into the Joseon Supergroup is fine-grained at the marginal part, and medium-grained and more leucocratic at the central part. The Quartz monzonite porphyry intruded inte Precambrian granite and Geodo granodiorite has abundant plagioclase phenocryst. The Imog granite intruded into the Yulri Group and the Joseon Supergroup is mediumgrained biotite granite with partly pinkish feldspar phenocryst. The K/Ar ages obtained from the biotite of the Geodo granodiorite and Imog granite are Early ($111{\pm}1{\sim}107{\pm}1$ Ma) and Late ($93{\pm}1{\sim}92{\pm}1$ Ma) Cretaceous, respectively. The K/Ar sericite age of the quartz-sericite zone of the lower Jangsan quartzite occuring in the western area gave much younger age (about 170 Ma) than that of the Jangsan quartzite, that might be reset due to the regional metamorphism of the Daebo orogeny. The granitic rocks of the area are felsic to mafic, metaluminous to peraluminous, calc-alkalic (alkali-lime index${\fallingdotseq}$ 57) and I-type (magnetite-series) based on the chemical data_ And they appear to have been fractionated at the order of Geodo granodiorite, Quartz monzonite porphyry and Imog granite. In terms of mineralogy, geochemistry and K/Ar biotite age, a rock suite of monzodiorite, quartz monzodiorite and quartz monzonite-granodiorite in the Geodo stock was fractionally differentiated from a magmatic body from its margin to inward.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 1995

The landslide occurred in the Nongong area of Dalseong - gun, Kyeongbuk, is described and analysed in terms of structural geology and clay mineralogy to understand the causes of the landslide. The result of the analyses shows that the slip direction and the scale of the landslide of the study area were controlled by the attitude of the major discontinuity planes m the area such as joints, faults and dikes. In addition, the surface of the slip planes of the landslide is composed of clay minerals, which are mostly tri - octahedral vermiculite and smectite. From this study it can be concluded that the presence of expandable clay minerals within the bedding joints and fracture zones in bed rock played an important role in causing the landslide of the study area.