• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2011

Some industrial minerals used in domestic industries such as monazite, apatite, bauxite, and ilmenite belong to NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) because they show a high radioactivity. Products, semi-products, wastes, and by-products which show higher radioactivity than NORM belong to TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). Apatite used for manufacturing phosphate fertilizer in Namhae Chemical company belongs to NORM, and its by-product, phospo-gypsum, belongs to TENORM. A geological investigation is needed for the future environmental impact assessment of the Namhae Chemical company's site. According to survey results of the Namhae Chemical company's site, soil mineral composition indicated the mixture of minerals derived from the country rock (quartz, feldspar, mica, $l4{\AA}$ mineral, kaolin and amphibole) and minerals from the gypsum open-air storage yard (gypsum and apatite). Soil samples showed average content of U 4.6 ppm and Th 10 ppm, which are similar to average crustal abundances. They also show average contents of $^{40}K$ 191-1,166 Bq/kg, $^{226}Ra$ 15.6-710 Bq/kg, and $^{232}Th$ 17.4-72.7 Bq/kg, which indicate moderate levels of radio nuclide. But $^{226}Ra$ anomaly in the gypsum open storage yard is clearly confirmed and $^{232}Th$ anomaly is also confirmed in the east road side of the factory and nearby mountain areas. Soil external hazard indices ranged 0.24-2.01 with the average 0.54. Although most external hazard indices were lower than 1, which means radiation hazard index to be negligible, 5 samples out of total 40 samples showed higher values than 1, and further detailed investigation is needed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-195
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• 1984

The Jurassic Daejeon and Nonsan granitoids are "S-type" syntectonic calc-alkaline two-mica monzogranite and granodiorite, respectively. With evidences of high CaO, $Al_2O_3$, LIL/HFS elements, total REE, (Ce/Yb)N and initial ($^{87}Sr/^{88}Sr$) ratio, and no significant Eu anomaly, the primary magmas for the Daejeon and Nonsan granitic rocks are derived from partial melting of the Precambrian granulite (e.g. grey gneisses). But those Jurassic granitoids crystallised from different chemical characteristics of parental magmas which is mainly due to varying degree of partial melting of the granulite (crustal anatexis). The absence of significant anomalous Eu($Eu/Eu^*=O.82{\sim}1.00$) in the Daejeon and Nonsan granitoids could indicate that feldspars, mainly plagioclase, did not separate from the magmas. The parental hydrous magmas could not rise appreciably above their source region before crystallisation. The Jurassic granitoids may be resulted by closing-collision situation and belong to the Hercynotype (Pitcher 1979) such as compressive ductile regime of an intracontinental orogen.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.565-583
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• 2020

In recent years, various social issues related to the natural radioactive elements detected in household goods and building materials are addressed, and should be solved promptly. In Korea, for more than 20 years, the Ministry of Environment has investigated the natural radioactive materials such as heavy metals, uranium, and radon in soil or groundwater. The origins of natural radioactive materials in them may have a close correlation with the geological factors including classification of rocks, petrogenetic origins, and deformation characteristics, but the exact geological correlations are not clarified because of the absence of the government policy preserved in the basement rocks, soils as well as groundwater in fault-related reservoirs. This study aims to perform a research on the correlation between the petrogeneses of the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks and natural radioactive concentrations in rocks (radon, uranium, thorium, potassium etc.) in Korea. Among the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks, alkaline plutonic rocks (syenite, monzonite and monzodiorite and alkali granite) show high U and Th concentrations by high solubilities of U, Th, Zr, REE, and Nb until the most extreme stages of magmatic fractionation (viz. crystal fractionation) due to high magma temperature and high alkalinity tendency. The highly fractionated high-K calalkaline and peraluminous granitic rocks (leucogranite, two-mica granite and leucocratic pegmatite are also U and Th concentrations compared with other less or medium fractionated granitic rocks (diorite, granodiorite and granite). The alkaline plutonic rocks are associated with intracontinental rifting and extensional environment after crustal thickening by collisional and subductional processes. In contrast, the dominant calc-alkaline granitic rocks in Korea are related to the arc environment of the subduction zone. In summary, the trends of the U, Th and K concentration from the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks in Korea are closely linked to the petrogenesis of the rocks in tectonic environment. The preliminary data for gamma-spectrometric mesurments of natural radionuclide contents (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks show high values in the alkaline and highly fractionated granitic rocks.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.277-289
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• 2006

This study was carried out to find a new material having high removal efficiency for the harmful red tide. C. polykrikoides grow very fast and accumulate into dense and visible patches near the surface of the seawater ('Water bloom'). Some mineral medicines and Hwangto (reddish soil consist of clay minerals and Fe-oxides) were used in this study to remove C. polykrikoides. The pre-determined sprinkling ratio of mineral vs. seawater which contains approximately 5,000 cells/mL of C. polykrikoides was 10 g/L. In order to quantify the removal efficiency, the density of living cells was measured by counting with the Intervals of 0, 10, 30, and 60 minutes after sprinkling. Five Hwangtos feom different localities were examined in this study. It is found that a material with a high concentration of Fe and Al was the most effective to remove C. polykrikoides. After the sprinkling of the Hwangto showing the best removal efficiency in the test, 99% of total algaes were found to be eliminated within 60 minutes. Jeokeokji showed the highest removal efficiency among clay mineral medicines(92% removal efficiency after 60 minutes), and the rests in decreasing order are as follows: Gamto (91%) > Baekseokji (89%) > Hydromica (81%). In addition, Fe-oxide mineral medicine similarly looking as fine-grained earthy Daejaseok showed 100% removal efficiencyafter 30 minutes, and Wooyoeryang, 95% after 60 minutes. It is noted that even little addition (1 g/L) of Daejaseok, 10% of Hwangto concentration into seawater showed the removal efficiency of 100% after 60 minutes. From the results, it could be concluded that the fine-grained earthy Daejaseok was the most effective natural mineral medicine to remove the C. polykrikoides from seawater. Under the microscope the removal mechanism was found to be activated in the following order: adsorption, swelling of chain colony, chain colony crisis and algaecide.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.185-199
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• 1998

Hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope studies were undertaken for various kinds of water samples collected in 1995-1996 from the Bugok geothermal area. Physicochemical data indicate the occurrence of three distinct groups of natural water: Group I ($Na-S0_4$ type water with high temperatures up to $77^{\circ}C$, occurring from the central part of the geothermal area), Group II (warm $Na-HCO_{3}-SO_{4}$ type water, occurring from peripheral sites), Group III ($Ca-HCO_3$ type water, occurring as surface waters and/or shallow cold groundwaters). The Group I waters are further divided into two SUbtypes: Subgroup Ia and Subgroup lb. The general order of increasing degrees of hydrogeochemical evolution (due to the degrees of water-rock interaction) is: Group III$\rightarrow$Group II$\rightarrow$Group I. The Group II and III waters show smaller degrees of interaction with rocks (largely calcite and Na-plagioclase), whereas the Group I waters record the stronger interaction with plagioclase, K-feldspar, mica, chlorite and pyrite. The concentration and sulfur isotope composition of dissolved sulfate appear as a key parameter to understand the origin and evolution of geothermal waters. The sulfate was derived not only from oxidation of sedimentary pyrites in surrounding rocks (especially for the Subgroup Ib waters) but also from magmatic hydrothermal pyrites occurring in restricted fracture channels which extend down to a deep geothermal reservoir (typically for the Subgroup Ia waters). It is shown that the applicability of alkaliion geothermometer calculations for these waters is hampered by several processes (especially the mixing with Mg-rich near-surface waters) that modify the chemical composition. However, the multi-component mineral/water equilibria calculation and available fluid inclusion data indicate that geothermal waters of the Bugok area reach temperatures around $125^{\circ}C$ at deep geothermal reservoir (possibly a cooling pluton). Environmental isotope data (oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium) indicate the origin of all groups of waters from diverse meteoric waters. The Subgroup Ia waters are typically lower in O-H isotope values and tritium content, indicating their derivation from distinct meteoric waters. Combined with tritium isotope data, the Subgroup Ia waters likely represent the older (at least 45 years old) meteoric waters circuated down to the deep geothermal reservoir and record the lesser degrees of mixing with near-surface waters. We propose a model for the genesis and evolution of sulfate-rich geothermal waters.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2019

The Muju-Seolcheon area, which is known to be located in the boundary of Ogcheon Belt and Ryeongnam Massif (OB-RM), consists of age unknown or Precambrian metamorphic rocks (MRs) [banded biotite gneiss, metasedimentary rocks (black phyllite, mica schist, crystalline limestone, quartzite), granitic gneiss, hornblendite], Mesozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. In this paper are researched the structural characteristics of each deformation phase from the geometric and kinematic features and the developing sequence of multi-deformed rock structures of the MRs, and is considered the boundary location of OB-RM with the previous geochemical, radiometric, structure geological data. The geological structure of this area is at least formed through four phases (Dn-1, Dn, Dn+1, Dn+2) of deformation. The Dn-1 is the deformation which took place before the formation of Sn regional foliation and formed Sn-1 foliation folded by Fn fold. The Dn is that which formed the Sn regional foliation. The predominant Sn foliation shows a NE direction which matches the zonal distribution of MRs. A-type or sheath folds, in which the Fn fold axis is parallel to the direction of stretching lineation, are often observed in the crystalline limestone. The Dn+1 deformation, which folded the Sn foliation, took place under compression of NNW~NS direction and formed Fn+1 fold of ENE~EW trend. The Sn foliation is mainly rearranged by Fn+1 folding, and the ${\pi}$-axis of Sn foliation, which is dispersed, shows the nearly same direction as the predominant Fn+1 fold axis. The Dn+2 deformation, which folded the Sn and Sn+1 foliations, took place under compression of E-W direction, and formed open folds of N-S trend. And the four phases of deformation are recognized in all domains of the OB-RM, and the structural characteristics and differences to divide these tectonic provinces can not be observed in this area. According to the previous geochemical and radiometric data, the formation or metamorphic ages of the MRs in and around this area were Middle~Late Paleproterozoic. It suggests that the crystalline limestone was at least deposited before Middle Paleproterozoic. This deposition age is different in the geologic age of Ogcheon Supergroup which was recently reported as Neoproterozoic~Late Paleozoic. Therefore, the division of OB-RM tectonic provinces in this area, which regards the metasedimentary rocks containing crystalline limestone as age unknown Ogcheon Group, is in need of reconsideration.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.35-52
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• 1973

Red Yellow Soils occur very commonly in Korea and constitute the important upland soils of the country which are either presently being cultivated or are suitable for reclaiming and cultivating. These soils are distributed on rolling, moutain foot slopes, and terraces in the southern and western parts of the central districts of Korea, and are derived from granite, granite gneiss, old alluvium and locally from limestone and shale. This report is a summary of the morphology, physical and chemical characteristics of Red Yellow Soils. The data obtained from detailed soil surveys since 1964 are summarized as follows. 1. Red-Yellows Soils have an A, Bt, C profile. The A horizon is dark colored coarse loamy or fine loamy with the thin layer of organic matter. The B horizon is dominantly strong brown, reddish brown or yellowish red, clayey or fine loamy with clay cutans on the soil peds. The C horizon varies with parent materials, and is coarser texture and has a less developed structure than the Bt horizon. Soil depth, varied with relief and parent materials, is predominantly around 100cm. 2. In the physical characteristics, the clay content of surface soil is 18 to 35 percent, and of subsoil is 30 to 90 percent nearly two times higher than the surface soil. Bulk density is 1.2 to 1.3 in the surface soil and 1.3 to 1.5 in the subsoil. The range of 3-phase is mostly narrow with 45 to 50 percent in solid phase, 30 to 45 percent in liquid one, and 5 to 25 percent in gaseous state in the surface soil; and 50 to 60 solid, 35 to 45 percent liquid and less than 15 percent gaseous in the subsoil. Available soil moisture capacity ranges from 10 to 23 percent in the surface soil, and 5 to 16 percent in the subsoil. 3. Chemically, soil reaction is neutral to alkaline in soils derived from limestone or old fluviomarine deposits, and acid to strong acid in other ones. The organic matter content of surface soil varying considerably with vegetation, erosion and cultivation, ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 percent. The cation exchange capacity is 5 to 40 me/100gr soil and closely related to the content of organic matter, clay and silt. Base saturation is low, on the whole, due to the leaching of extractable cations, but is high in soils derived from limestone with high content of lime and magnesium. 4. Most of these soils mainly contain halloysite (a part of kaolin minerals), vermiculite (weathered mica), and illite, including small amount of chlorite, gibbsite, hematite, quartz and feldspar. 5. Characteristically they are similar to Red Yellow Podzolic Soils and a part of Reddish Brown Lateritic Soils of the United States, and Red Yellow Soils of Japan. According to USDA 7th Approximation, they can be classified as Udu Its or Udalfs, and in FAO classification system to Acrisols, Luvisols, and Nitosols.