• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.133-146
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• 1986

Primary uraninite and secondary uranium minerals such as torbernite, metatorbernite, tyuyamunite, metatyuyamunite, autunite and metaautunite have been identified from various types of uranium ores. Uranium minerals occur as accessory minerals in both the primary and secondary ores. Low·grade uranium ores consist of various kinds of primary and secondary minerals. Major constituent minerals of primary uranium ores are graphite. quartz. Ba-feldspar and sericite/muscovite, and accessories are calcite, chlorite, fluorapatite, barite, diopside, sphene, rutile, biotite, laumontite, heulandite, pyrite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite, and secondary minerals consist of kaolinite, gypsum and goethite. Uraninite grains occur as microscopic very fine-grained anhedral to euhedral disseminated particles in the graphitic matrix, showing well·stratified or zonal distribution of uranium on auto-radiographs of low-grade uranium ores. Some uraninite grains are closely associated with very fine-grained pyrite aggregates, showing an elliptical form parallel to the schistosity. Some uraninite grains include extremely fine-grained pyrite particle. Sphalerite and pyrite are often associated with uraninite in graphite-fluorapatite nodule. The size of uraninite is $2{\mu}m$ to $20{\mu}m$ in diameter. Low-grade uranium ores are classified into 5 types on the basis of geometrical pattern of mineralization. They are massive, banded, nodular, quartz or sulfide veinlet-rich and cavity filling types. Well-developed alternation of uranium-rich and uranium-poor layers, concentric distribution of uranium in graphite-fluorapatite nodule and geopetal fabrics due to the load cast of the nodule suggest that the uranium was originally deposited syngenetically. Uraninite crystals might have been formed from organo-uranium complex during diagenesis and recrystallized by metamorphism. Secondary uranium minerals such as torbernite, tyuyamunite and autunite have been formed by supergene leaching of primary ores and subsequent crystallization in cavities.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 1997

The reaction path of water-gneiss in 200m borehole at the Soorichi site of Yugu Myeon, Chungnam was simulated by the EQ3NR/EQ6 program. Mineral composition of borehole core and fracture-filling minerals, and chemical composition of groundwater was published by authors. In this study, chemical evolution of groundwater and formation of secondary minerals in water-gneiss system was modelled on the basis of published results. The surface water was used as a starting solution for reaction. Input parameters for modelling such as mineral assemblage and their volume percent, chemical composition of mineral phases, water/rock ratio reactive surface area, dissolution rates of mineral phases were determined by experimental measurement and model fit. EQ6 modelling of the reaction path in water-gneiss system has been carried out by a flow-centered flow through open system which can be considered as a suitable option for fracture flow of groundwater. The modelling results show that reaction time of 133 years is required to reach equilibrium state in water-gneiss system, and evolution of present groundwater will continue to pH 9.45 and higher na ion concentration. The secondary minerals formed from equeous phase are kaolinite, smectite, saponite, muscovite, mesolite, celadonite, microcline and calcite with uincreasing time. Modeling results are comparatively well fitted to pH and chemical composition of borehole groudwater, secondary minerals identified and tritium age of groundwater. The EQ6 modelling results are dependent on reliability of input parameters: water-rock ratio, effective reaction surface area and dissolution rates of mineral phases, which are difficult parameters to be measured.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.239-246
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• 2006

KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) was recently constructed through the site investigation from the yea. of 2003 at KAERI site, Dukjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon city. The geo-logic setting of the site has been slightly metamorphosed. There are small fractures developed in the rock and several kinds of secondary filling minerals exist in the fractures. We examined mineralogical characteristics of fracture-filling calcite, which is not only largely distributed, but also can significantly affect the radionuclides migration. The calcite is found along fractures like other secondary minerals, forming thick veins in part. Most calcite-filled fractures contain quartz, iron oxides, and dolomite as minor minerals. The calcite crystals show an characteristic appearance with an uniformly oriented growth, coated with goethite on the edge and the etch-pit sites of their surface. Some calcite crystals have been newly formed by the precipitation of elements dissolved from the tunnel shotcrete wall, and their morphology changed according to the chemistry and flow of groundwater. The calcite can modify the groundwater chemistry and significantly affect the sorption behavior of radionuclides. The characteristic crystal structure and surface morphology of the calcite examined in the KURT site will be used as important basic data for the radionuclide migration experiment in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2024

Artificial recharge systems have been employed to solve drought problems due to global climate change. Despite the increased usage, the applications of artificial recharge systems are limited by clogging problems, which reduce recharge rates. In this study, the soil texture and mineral characteristics of alluvial soil in a planned artificial recharge system area were investigated to evaluate the possibility of chemical clogging during the injection of stream water. The primary minerals contained in the clastic particles are quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, and biotite, and the secondary minerals filling the pore space are illite, kaolinite and Fe-oxide. The fact that carbonate and sulfate are observed as secondary minerals in the pore space suggests that chemical clogging has not occurred by the interaction between the groundwater and surface water in the study area. Thus, monitoring soil properties, e.g., the formation and growth of secondary minerals in the pore space, is required to investigate the possibility of chemical clogging in artificial recharge systems.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2007

The KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) located in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was recently constructed following the site investigation in 2003. Its dimension is 180 m in length, 6 m in width, and 6 m in height, and it has a horseshoe-like cross-sec-lion and is located in the ground to the depth of 90 m. When the tunnel was dug into the ground with 100 m in length, fresh rocks, weathered rocks and fracture-filling materials were taken and examined by mineralogical and chemical analyses. There are phyllosilicate minerals such as illite, smectite and chlorite including calcite, which are filling some faults and cracks of the KURT rock. The illite and smectite usually coexist in the fracture, where their content ratio is different according to which mineral is predominant. There are high concentrations of U and Th in the rocks coated with iron-oxides and filled with secondary materials as compared with those in the fresh rocks. It seems that the radionuclides, which are slowly leached from the parent rocks or exist as a dissolved form in the groundwater and hydrothermal solution, may have been migrated along the fractures and thereafter selectively sorbed and coprecipitated on the iron-oxides and the fracture-filling materials. These results will be very useful far the evaluation of environmental factors affecting the nuclides migration and retardation when long-term safety is considered to the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the future.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.359-370
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• 2009

Arsenic and heavy metals leached out as a result of oxidation of tailings exposed to the surface pose a serious environmental contamination of mine areas. This study investigated how arsenic behavior is controlled by a variety of processes, such as oxidation of sulfides and formation or alteration of secondary minerals, based on mineralogical methods. The study was carried out using the tailing samples obtained from Nakdong mine located in Jeongseongun, Gangwondo. After separating magnetic and non-magnetic minerals using pretreated tailing samples, each mineral sample was classified according to their colors and metallic lusters observed by the stereoscopic microscope. Subsequently, the mineralogical properties were determined using various instrumental analyses, such as x-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). The literature review confirmed that various ore minerals were identified in the Nakdong ore deposits. In this study, however, there were observed a few original ore minerals as well as secondary and/or tertiary minerals newly formed as a result of weathering including oxidation. In particular, we did not recognize pyrrhotite which has been known to originally exist in a large abundance, but peculiarly colloform-type iron (oxy)hydroxides were identified, which indicates most of pyrrhotite has been altered by rapid weathering due to its large reactivity. In addition, a secondary scorodites filling the fissure of weathered primary arsenopyrites were identified, and it is speculated that arsenic is immobilized through such a alteration reaction. Also, we observed tertiary iron (oxy)hydroxides were formed as a result of re-alteration of secondary jarosites, and it suggests that the environment of tailing has been changed to high pH from low pH condition which was initiated and developed by oxidation reactions of diverse primary ore minerals. The environmental change is mainly attributed to interactions between secondary minerals and parental rocks around the mine. As a result, not only was the stability of secondary minerals declined, but tertiary minerals were newly formed. As such a process goes through, arsenic which was immobilized is likely to re-dissolve and disperse into surrounding environments.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.132-145
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• 1998

The coal-bearing siliciclastic rocks of the Lower Permian Jangseong Formation, Samcheog coalfield, represent a megacyclothem which shows cyclic repetitions of sandstone, shale, coaly shale, and coals. Petrographic, geochemical, and SEM studies for sandstone samples, and XRD analysis for clay minerals were carried out to understand diagenesis in the sandstones of the Jangseong Formation. The Jangseong sandstones are composed of 60% quartz (mainly monocrystalline quartz) and 36% clay matrix and cement with minor amounts of feldspar, lithic fragments and accessory minerals (less than 4%). Jangseong sandstones are classified mostly as quartzwackes and partly as lithic graywackes according to the scheme of Dott(1964). The textural relationships between authigenic minerals and cements in thin sections and SEM photomicrographs suggest the paragenetic sequence as follows; (1) mechanical compaction, (2) cementation by quartz overgrowth, (3) formation of authigenic clay minerals (illite, kaolinite), (4) dissolution of framework grains and development of secondary porosity, and (5) later-stage pore-filling by pyrophyllite. We propose that these diagenetic processes might be due to organic-inorganic interaction between the dominant framework grains and the formation water. The Al, Si ions and organic acid, derived from dewatering of interbedded organic-rich shale and coals, were transported into the Jangseong sandstones. This caused changes in the chemistry of the formation water of the sandstones, and resulted in overgrowth of quartz and precipitation of authigenic clay minerals of kaolinite and illite. The secondary pores, produced during dissolution of clay and framework grains by organic acid and $CO_2$ gas, were conduit for silica-rich solution into the Jangseong sandstones and the influx of silica-rich solution produced the late-stage pyrophyllite after the expanse of kaolinite. The origin of the solution that formed pyrophyllite is not likely to be the organic-rich formation water based on the observation of fracture-filling pyrophyllite in the Jangseong sandstones, but the process of pyrophyllite pore-filling was indirectly related to organic-inorganic interaction.

• 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.7 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 1994

As the groundwater flows along the fractures of crystalline rocks, it will be in contact with the fracture walls mostly coated by secondary minerals which are quite different form those of host rocks. The presence of fracture-filling minerals in crystalline rocks is important on the view point of radioactive waste disposal because of their great surface reactivity. The Surichi drill hole of 200 m in depth in the Yugu area composed mainly of Precambrian gneiss was selected to study the formation process of clay minerals on the fracture wall of gneiss, and their relation with present groundwater. The water-rock interaction in fractures resulted in the formation of gibbsite and clay minerals. They are formed by two different processes : (1) Incongruent dissolution of feldspar by groundwater diffused from a fracture path into rock matrix produced smectite and illite in situ, (2) on the wall of fracture, gibbsite, kaolinite, smectite and illite are formed by precipitation of dissolved species in groundwater. They show the paragenetic sequence such as gibbsite${\leftrightarrow}$kaolinite${\leftrightarrow}$smectite or illite. The paragenetic sequence of fracture-filling minerals was controlled by increase of pH of groundwater, decrease of fracture permeability by precipitation of fillings, and immobility of alkali or alkaline earths in groundwater. The groundwater from the Surichi borehole is a $Na-HCO_{3}$ type with pH range of 8.6-9.2. The sodium and bicarbonate in groundwater would be supplied by the dissolution of albite and calcite, respectively. The saturation index of groundwater and surface water calculated by WATEQ4F indicates that gibbsite and kaolinite are under precipitation to equilibrium state, and that smectite and illite are under equilibrium to redissolution environment. The stability relation of clay minerals in the $Na_{2}O-Al_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2}-H_{2}O$ system shows that kaolinite is stable for all waters.