• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.177-193
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• 2009

The Samgwang deposit consists of eight massive mesothermal quartz veins that filled NE and NW-striking fractures along fault zones in Precambrian granitic gneiss of the Gyeonggi massif. The mineralogy and paragenesis of the veins allow two separate discrete mineralization episodes(stage I=quartz and calcite stage, stage II-calcite stage) to be recognized, temporally separated by a major faulting event. The ore minerals are contained within quartz and calcite associated with fracturing and healing of veins that occurred during both mineralization episodes. The hydrothermal alteration of stage I is sericitization, chloritization, carbonitization, pyritization, silicification and argillization. Sericitic zone occurs near and at quartz vein and include mainly sericite, quartz, and minor illite, carbonates and chlorite. Chloritic zone occurs far from quartz vein and is composed of mainly chlorite, quartz and minor sericite, carbonates and epidote. Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratios of sericite and chlorite range 0.45 to 0.50(0.48$\pm$0.02) and 0.74 to 0.81(0.77$\pm$0.03), and belong to muscovite-petzite series and brunsvigite, respectiveIy. Calculated $Al_{IV}$-FE/(FE+Mg) diagrams of sericite and chlorite suggest that this can be a reliable indicator of alteration temperature in Au-Ag deposits. Calculated activities of chlorite end member are $a3(Fe_5Al_2Si_3O_{10}(OH)_6$=0.0275${\sim}$0.0413, $a2(Mg_5Al_2Si_3O_{10}(OH)_6$=1.18E-10${\sim}$7.79E-7, $a1(Mg_6Si_4O_{10}(OH)_6$=4.92E-10${\sim}$9.29E-7. It suggest that chlorite from the Samgwang deposit is iron-rich chlorite formed due to decreasing temperature from high temperature(T>450$^{\circ}C$). Calculated ${\alpha}Na^+$, ${\alpha}K^+$, ${\alpha}Ca^{2+}$, ${\alpha}Mg^{2+}$ and pH values during wallrock alteration are 0.0476($400^{\circ}C$), 0.0863($350^{\circ}C$), 0.0154($400^{\circ}C$), 0.0231($350^{\circ}C$), 2.42E-11($400^{\circ}C$), 7.07E-10($350^{\circ}C$), 1.59E-12($400^{\circ}C$), 1.77E-11($350^{\circ}C$), 5.4${\sim}$6.4($400^{\circ}C$), 5.3${\sim}$5.7($350^{\circ}C$)respectively. Gain elements(enrichment elements) during wallrock alteration are $TiO_2$, $Fe_2O_3(T)$,CaO, MnO, MgO, As, Ag, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, W, V, Br, Cs, Rb, Sc, Bi, Nb, Sb, Se, Sn and Lu. Elements(Ag, As, Zn, Sc, Sb, Rb, S, $CO_2$) represents a potential tools for exploration in mesothermal and epithermal gold-silver deposits.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.505-517
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• 1997

Lead and zinc mineralization of the Kwangsin mine was formed in quartz and carbonate veins that filled fault-related fractures in the limestone-rich Samtaesan Formation of the Chosun Supergroup and the phyllite-rich Suchangni Formation of unknown age. A K-Ar date of alteration sericite indicates that the Pb-Zn mineralization took place during Late Cretaceous (83.5 Ma), genetically in relation to the cooling of the nearby Muamsa Granite (83~87 Ma). Mineral paragenesis can be divided into three stages (I, II, III): (I) the deposition of barren massive white quartz, (II) the main Pb-Zn mineralization with deposition of white crystalline quartz and/or carbonates (rhodochrosite and dolomite), and (III) the deposition of post-ore barren calcite. Mineralogic and fluid inclusion data indicate that lead-zinc minerals in middle stage II (IIb) were deposited at temperatures between $182^{\circ}$ and $276^{\circ}C$ from fluids with salinities of 2.7 to 5.4 wt. % equiv. NaCl and with log $fs_2$ values of -15.5 to -11.8 atm. The relationship between homogenization temperature and salinity data indicates that lead-zinc deposition was a result of fluid boiling and later meteoric water mixing. Ore mineralization occurred at depths of about 600 to 700 m. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals (${\delta}^{34}S_{CDT}=9.0{\sim}14.5$ ‰) indicate a relatively high ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}S}$ value of ore fluids (up to 14 ‰), likely indicating an igneous source of sulfur largely mixed with an isotopically heavier sulfur source (possibly sulfates in surrounding sedimentary rocks). There is a remarkable decrease of calculated ${\delta}^{18}O$ value of water in hydrothermal fluids with increasing paragenetic time: stage I, 14.6~10.1 ‰; stage IIa, 5.8~2.2 ‰; stage IIb, 0.8~2.0 ‰; stage IIc, -6.1~-6.8 ‰, This indicates a progressive increase of meteoric water influx in the hydrothermal system at Kwangsin. Measured and calculated hydrogen and oxygen isotope values indicate that the Kwangsin hydrothermal fluids was formed from a circulating (due to intrusion of the Muamsa Granite) meteoric waters which evolved through interaction mainly with the Samtaesan Formation (${\delta}^{18}O=20.1$ to 24.9 ‰) under low water/rock ratios.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.435-444
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• 1999

The antimony deposits of the Hyundong mine, located in the northeastern part of the Sobaegsan massif, occur as hydrothermal quartz+carbonate veins and stockworks which fill the fault fractures developed in Precambrian metamOlphic rocks (mainly, granitic gneiss). Hydrothermal alteration occurs commonly in the vicinity of mineralized veins and is characterized by sericitization and silicification. A K-Ar age of alteration sericite is 139.2$\pm$ 4.4 Ma, implying the early Cretaceous age of mineralization, possibly in association with intrusion of nearby acidic dikes (mainly, quartz porphyry). The hydrothermal mineralization occurred in five mineralization stages. These are: (I) stage I, characterized by deposition of chalcedonic quartz; (2) stage II, deposition of quartz with base-metal sulfides and stibnite; (3) stage III, deposition of quartz and carbonates (calcite, dolomite, ankerite, rhodochrosite) with various antimony-bearing minerals such as stibnite, polybasite, berthierite, native antimony, gudmundite and ullmannite; (4) stage IV, deposition of calcite with stibnite; and (5) stage V, deposition of barren calcite. Antimony occurs mostly as stibnite within stages II to IV veins, which has various habits including disseminated, veinlets and euhedral coarse crystals. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that hydrothermal mineralization at Hyundong occurred from the fluids with temperature and salinity of $330^{\circ}$C to 120 and 5.3 wI. % equiv. NaCI. The temperature and salinity of ore fluids systematically decreased with elapsed time in the course of mineralization, possibly due to the influx of larger amounts of meteoric groundwater. The deposition of antimony-bearing minerals occurred at low temperatures «$250^{\circ}$C), mainly due to the cooling and dilution of fluids. Based on the evidence of fluid boiling during the early stage II mineralization, the mineralization occurred under low pressure conditions (about 80 bars, corresponding to depths of about 350 m under hydrostatic pressure regime). Thermodynamic considerations of ore . mineral assemblages indicate that antimony deposition also occurred as the results of decreases in temperature and sulfur fugacity of hydrothermal fluids. Calculated sulfur isotope composition of ore fluids ($\delta^{34}S_{\Sigma s}$=5.4 to 7.8$\textperthousand$) indicates an igneous source of sulfur.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2016

Tsogttsetsii area, an intrusive complex associated with Cu porphyry mineralization, is located in the Gurvansaikhan island arc terrane of the Central Asian Orogenic belt, Southern Mongolia. We performed a reconnaissance survey in Tsogttsetsii area. Cu mineralization in Tsogttsetsii area is porphyry Cu type related with alkali granite intruded in Permian. Mineralogical and textural properties of the ores and associated minerals were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, thin section petrography, and Scanning electron microscopy-Energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Ore minerals identified in polarizing microscope are magnetite, pyrite and bornite. Propylitic alteration zone occurs broadly in the area where malachite occurrences are shown to be spread intensively in alkali granite area. Quartz, sericite, chlorite and epidote were observed in the alteration zone samples. As results of XRD and SEM-EDS analysis, samples of copper oxides were composed mainly of malachite, cuprite and small amounts of quartz. Average and maximum Cu contents of samples collected from malachite occurrences area are 759 ppm and 6190 ppm, respectively. The characteristics of mineralization in Tsogttsetsii area is similar to Oyu Tolgoi Cu-Au (Mo) deposit and Tsagaan Suvarga Cu-Mo deposit which are 56 km south and 120 km northeast from Tsogttsetsii area, respectively. Characteristics of the study area, such as the geology, tectonic environment, lithology, mineralization, and alterations of the rocks within the survey area, resemble the characteristics of other porphyry deposits. Therefore further exploration including Induced Polarization (IP) survey for identifying subsurface orebody is required.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.337-347
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• 1993

Mineralogical and geochemical studies on some pyrophyllite deposits in Milyang area, Kyeongnam Province (Milyang and Sungjin mine) were carried out in order to investigate dispersion patterns of chemical elements in altered volcanic wallrocks, and to interpret genetic environments of the pyrophyllite deposits. Cretaceous andesitic and tuffaceous rocks, and pyrophyllite ore specimens were collected from the dumps and drilling cores. Andesitic wallrocks were grouped as unaltered and altered rocks in the order of pyrophyllitization. Vertical dispersion patterns and relative mobilities of chemical elements in volcanic wallrocks were discussed. Geochemical environment in the Milyang area is characterized by the occurrence of boron minerals such as dumortierite coexisting with pyrophyllite ores, and tourmaline in granitic rocks. Unaltered andesitic rocks are mainly composed of plagioclase, pyroxene and hornblende, and were propylitized and saussuritized. Altered andesitic rocks are bleached and consist of quartz, sericite, pyrophyllite, kaolinite, chlorite and disseminated pyrite. Pyrophyllite ores are mainly composed of quartz, pyrophyllite, dumortierite, dissemianted pyrite and some diaspore. Enrichment of $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, LOI (loss on ignition), As and Cr, and depletion of $K_2O$, $Na_2O$, CaO, MgO and total Fe are characteristic during alteration process. The REE patterns show that the pyrophyllite deposits could be originated from the continental margin volcanics. The $(La/Lu)_{cn}$ ratios of the pyrophyllite ores increase from 4.2~23.2 to 2.67~128.8 owing to strong acidic hydrothermal alteration. Vertical dispersion patterns of $Al_2O_3$, $K_2O$, $Na_2O$, CaO, MgO, $Fe_2O_3$ (total Fe), As, Au, Sb, Cr and Sr in the wallrocks show the location of orebodies. Particularly dispersion patterns of $Al_2O_3$ and Cr indicate the extension of orebodies. Anomalous distribution of Au, As and Sb in wallrocks shows potential for gold occurrence below the pyrophyllite deposits. Judging from the relative mobilities of elements in wallrocks, $Al_2O_3$ could be added from hydrothermal solution, and the silicified rone be formed from the excess of $SiO_2$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 1987

The Nokdong As-Zn deposit, located 28 km south of Kyeongju City, Southern Korea, has been investigated by a deep drilling programme. The mineralized zone is roughly 290m long and 180m wide at surface and is hosted in a pipe diatreme infilled with poor to well bedded felsic volcaniclastics. The diatreme was formed by explosive volcanic activity, of probably early Tertiary age, subsequent hydrothermal alteration and mineralization took place concurrently within stratigraphic layers in diatreme. Coarse volcaniclastics in the center part of the diatreme, together with complex systems of fracturing, acted as pathways for late hydrothermal fluids which caused alteration of volcanic material to sericite, chlorite and carbonate and precipitated ore minerals, quartz and calcite in the voids. Porosity and permeability were key factors in determining which portions of the layered diatreme were mineralized. The lower part of certain layers retained a relatively high porosity and were extensively mineralized. Metallic mineralization, consisting mostly of pyirte, sphalerite and arsenopyrite, is found as disseminations, tuff-breccia filling and veins.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.197-207
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• 1997

Rocks in the Cheongsong mine area consist of Precambrian gneiss, Cretaceous sedimentry rocks and late Cretaceous quartz porphyry. The Cheongsong deposit is composed of many hydrothermal quartz veins of strikes $N30^{\circ}{\sim}60^{\circ}W$, dips $60{\sim}85^{\circ}E$ which fill WNW fault system. Pyrite and hematite occur within transparent quartz near margins of early stage II, and milky quartz of middle stage II coexists with sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena coexisting with Cu-Pb-Bi minerals in center part of stage II quartz veins. Stage III calcite vein filled cracks or fractures of earlier quartz veins contains native copper and chalcopyrite. Supergene minerals are chalcocite, covellite, malanchite and chrysocolla. Alteration minerals are sericite, chlorite, argillite, epitode and pyrite. Ranges of salinities and homogenization temperatures for fluid inclusions in the individual periods of stage II are: 3.7 to 7.8 wt.% eq. NaCl and 200 to $380^{\circ}C$ in transparent quartz of early stage II; 0.7 to 6.4 wt.% eq. NaCl and 200 to $320^{\circ}C$ in milky quartz of middle stage II; 0.0 to 0.9 wt.% eq. NaCl and 250 to $320^{\circ}C$ in calcite of late stage II. Those of stage III calcite range about 0 wt.% eq. NaCl, and from 140 to $260^{\circ}C$, respectively. The relationship between salinities and temperatures shows decrease tendency with paragenetic time from stage II to III. The ${\delta}^{18}O_{H_2O}$ value is 0.5‰ in stage I, range from 0.5 to -0.4‰ in stage II, and from -3.2 to -3.7‰ in stage III. Calcite in the stage II and stage III has ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of -5.0‰ and -4.5 to -4.9‰, respectively. There is a decrease in sulfur fugacity values with paragenetic time of stage II, from $10^{-6.3}$ atm for early mineralization, to $10^{-6.5}$ atm for middle stage, to $10^{-8.0}$ atm for late mineralization of stage II. The results of stable isotope and fluid inclusion indicate that ore fluids reacted with meteoric water and wall rock in the Cheongsong hydrothermal system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 1992

Several pyrophyllite deposits occur around the Milyang area where Cretaceous andesitic rocks and spatially related granitic rocks are widely distributed. Pyrophyllite ores consist mainly of pyrophyllite, and quartz with small amount of sericite, pyrite, dumortierite, and diaspore. The andesitic rocks and spatially related granitic rocks in this area suggest that they could be formed from the same series of a calc-alkaline magma series. The contents of $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, LOI(loss on ignition) are enriched, and $K_2O$, $Na_2O$, CaO, MgO, $Fe_2O_3$ are depleted in altered andesitic rocks and ores. Enrichment of As, Cr, Sr, V, Sb and depletion of Ba, Cs, Ni, Rb, U, Y, Co, Sc, Zn are characteristic during mineralization. The pyrophyllite ores can be discriminated from the altered-and unaltered wall-rocks by an increasing of $(La/Lu)_{cn}$ from 4.18~22.13 to 8.98~55.05. In R-mode cluster analysis, Yb-Lu-Y, La-Ce-Hf-Th-U-Zr, $TiO_2-V-Al_2O_3$, Sm-Eu, $CaO-Na_2O-MnO$, Cu-Zn-Ag, $K_2O-Rb$ are closely correlated. In the discriminant analysis of multi-element data, $P_2O_5$, As, Cr and $Fe_2O_3$, Sr are helpful to identify the ores from the unaltered-and altered wall-rocks. In the factor analysis, the factors of alteration of andesitic rocks and ore mineralization were extracted. In the change of ions per unit volume, $SiO_2$, $Al^{3+}$ and LOI are enriched and $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$ are depleted during the alteration processes. The Milyang and the Sungjin pyrophyllite deposits could be mineralized by hydrothermal alteration in a geochemical condition of low activity ratio of alkaline ions to hydrogen ion with reference to spatially related granitic rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.213-222
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• 2018

Metasediment-hosted Pb-Zn mineralized zone has been found in Dyusembay of Kazakhstan. Its petrological properties, metal index, alteration index and redox-sensitivity are compared with those of SEDEX type deposit. Mineralization is developed along foliation of host rock (graphitic phyllite) and controlled by folds and faults; major ore minerals including pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and galena are disseminated or interlayered with fine-grained quartz. The margin of the mineralized zone is metamorphosed accompanying sericite and chlorite. Hydrothermal brecciation and Pb-Zn mineralization formed in quartz-calcite stockworks are confirmed at the around of Maytyubin granitoid intrusions. The mineralization is classified into three types according to those of occurrence, paragenesis, chemical composition and isotopic characteristics. Type 1 whose fine-grained pyrite, pyrrhotite and sphalerite are formed in parallel yet discontinuous to well-developed foliations of the host rock; its geochemistry is similar to those of the earlier stage in SEDEX-type mineralization. In case of type 2, the ore minerals of which are concentrated being parallel to a foliation by regional metamorphism, and most of them associated with quartz and muscovite (${\pm}$ biotite) paragenetically. Type 3 is formed in the hydrothermal breccia zone whose ore minerals are controlled by foliation and breccia and developed in quartz ${\pm}$ calcite veins having a form such as stratification, stockwork or veinlets. Host rocks in the mineralized zone indicate homogeneous metamorphic grade and there is no specific alteration zonation. Also, all types (type 1, type 2, and type 3) represent similar REEs patterns, it can be interpreted that these are originated from a same source. Sulphides occurred in mineralized zone indicate a limited range of sulphur isotope values (type 2, ${\delta}^{34}S=-13.3{\sim}-11.7$‰; type 3, ${\delta}^{34}S=-13.9{\sim}-8.2$‰), and a result of geothermometry presents different temperature ranges: type 2($251{\pm}38^{\circ}C{\sim}277{\pm}40^{\circ}C$); type 3($360{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ to $537{\pm}29^{\circ}C$). It is estimated to be due to the effect of metamorphism and Maytyubin granitoid intrusions, respectively. In addition, ternary chart of thorium, scandium, and zircon for discrimination of tectonic setting and redox sensitivity using V/Mo values indicate that hydrothermal sediments put on reduction environment after precipitation, before being affected by metamorphism and intrusion activity. Geochemical data are plotted on a distal trend of SEDEX-type with discrimination plot using SEDEX index. As a result, petrological-geochemical properties demonstrate that Dyusembay Pb-Zn mineralized zone is comparable to distal-type of SEDEX deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.335-349
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• 2014

The Pocheon skarn deposit, located at the northwestern part of the Precambrian Gyeonggi massif in South Korea, occurs at the contact between the Cretaceous Myeongseongsan granite and the Precambrian carbonate rocks, and is also controlled by N-S-trending shear zone. The skarn distribution and mineralogy reflects both structural and lithological controls. Three types of skarn formations based on mineral assemblages in the Pocheon skarn exist; a sodiccalcic skarn and a magnesian skarn mainly developed in the dolostone, and a calcic skarn developed in the limestone. Iron mineralization occurs in the sodic-calcic and magnesian skarn zone, locally superimposed by copper mineralization during retrograde skarn stage. The sodic-calcic skarn is composed of acmite, diopside, albite, garnet, magnetite, maghemite, anhydrite, apatite, and sphene. Retrograde alteration consists of tremolite, phlogopite, epidote, sericite, gypum, chlorite, quartz, calcite, and sulfides. Magnesian skarn mainly consists of diopside and forsterite. Pyroxene and olivine are mainly altered to tremolite, with minor phlogopite, talc, and serpentine. The calcic skarn during prograde stage mainly consists of garnet, pyroxene and wollastonite. Retrograde alteration consists of epidote, vesuvianite, amphibole, biotite, magnetite, chlorite, quartz, calcite, and sulfides. Microprobe analyses indicate that the majority of the Pocheon skarn minerals are enriched by Na-Mg composition and have high $Fe^{3+}/Fe^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}/Fe^{2+}$, and $Al^{3+}/Fe^{2+}$ ratios. Clinopyroxene is acmitic and diopsidic composition, whereas garnet is relatively grossular-rich. Amphiboles are largely of tremolite, pargasite, and magnesian hastingsite composition. The prograde anhydrous skarn assemblages formed at about $400^{\circ}{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ in a highly oxidized environment ($fO_2=10^{-23}{\sim}10^{-26}$) under a condition of about 0.5 kbar pressure and $X(CO_2)=0.10$. With increasing fluid/rock interaction during retrograde skarn, epidote, amphibole, sulfides and calcite formed as temperature decreased to approximately $250^{\circ}{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ at $X(CO_2)=0.10$.