• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.253-260
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• 2002

Chemical weathering processes related with mineralogical characters and ground water condition are very essential engineering problems in soluble rock masses. Detailed geological mapping were performed and 8 samples were collected from the 2 formations including various rock faces to deduce the possibility of the limestone cavity formation and their mechanism. Petrological descriptions and various petro-mineralogical experiments such as XRD analysis, clay mineral analysis, absorptivity test, impurity analysis were conducted to evaluate the cavity making processes. Laboratory solubility test for rock specimen were also carried out under the strong acid (pH=1) condition. From the experimental data and geological mapping data, it is found that the formation of limestone cavities in limestones are strongly related with geological structures such as beddings, cleavages and the contents of impurities rather than CaCO$_3$contents. In case of dolomites, rock textures, grain size, amounts and types of clay minerals as well as geological structures are major controlling factors of cavity forming processes

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2004

The weathering characteristics of periodically submerged sedimentary rocks in the Sayeon dam, Ulsan was examined by field work, electron probe micro-analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Analysis of fracture zone and exfoliation showed the submerged sedimentary rocks have undergone severe mechanical weathering. Mechanical weathering in the water-rock interface accelerated chemical weathering, such as dissolution and alteration of the most of minerals except for quartz in the weathering zone. The dissolution of carbonates specially calcite, is remarkable creating the cavities, whereas formation of minerals including clay minerals is not active. The sedimentary rocks have been periodically submerged for a certain period of time, and have repeated freezing and thawing. This mechanical weathering favored infiltration, which accelerated mineral dissolution. The high content of easily soluble carbonate of the sedimentary rocks is likely the major cause of intense chemical weathering. The dissolved elements within the infiltrated water interrupted the occurrence of clay and weathering minerals, and expend fractures by infiltrated water accelerated weathering process.

• Journal of the Speleological Society of Korea
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• no.65
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• pp.31-37
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• 2004

Karst water was defined as 'Water which fills the cavities of the earth continuously and is only subject to gravity and hydraulic pressure.' Karst springs are water outlets from karst-hydrologically active cavities in water-soluble rocks, whether they are on the surface or within the earth. Karst springs behave so differently that the general principles of classification for all springs can be applied to them with a few exceptions. Firstly, classification according to the outflow: perennial springs, periodic springs, rhythemically springs, episodically flowing spring. Secondly, classification according to geologic and tectonic conditions: bedding springs, fracture springs, overflow spring, ascending spring.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2009

The change of strength and water vapour diffusion resistant by soluble salts was investigated in the tuff and granite used in many stone monuments of Gyeongju area. With $Na_2SO_4$ and $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$ were treated the rock samples to understand the difference of solubility. The densities of the tested rocks were increased by the impregnation of $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$ and $Na_2SO_4$. The flexural strength was increased in the tuff samples but decreased in the granite as the salts increased in the pore. In the tuff, the uniaxial compressive strength was increased by $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$, but decreased by $Na_2SO_4$. In the granite, it was decreased slightly by $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$, but increased by $Na_2SO_4$. The water vapour diffusion resistant was increased by the salts in both rocks. As results, it was cleared that the mechanical strength colud be increased in early stage of weathering by the accumulation of salt and water vapour diffusion resistant.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.26-31
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• 1979

The Natural Gas and petroleum have the same Origin, Namely, Ocean bottom deposits of the marine plant, plankton which are subdued to the biological action of the bacterium under the anaerobic circumstance, and changed to the hydrocarbon gas and oils. and such resources are appeared in the aqueous sedimentary rocks in the tertiary. There are three types of gas field, which are oil well gas field, structural gas field and water soluble gas field.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 1988

As a factor which can help to understand the genesis of (mata) sedimentary and/or hydrothermal uranium depisits, an interpretation of the role of organic matter associated with uranium mineralization, was attempted with the literature published up to the end of 1986. Laboratory studies, in which diageneis and metamorphism are artificially simulated, can help to elucidate how uranium with particular organic materials are formed and destroyed. Similarly, research involving a variety of techniques is needed to characterize both the soluble organic extracts (bitumen) and the insoluble organic matter (kerogen), separated from uranium ores and associated rocks. In the presence of clay minerals and amorphous oxy-hydroxde minerals, an understanding of the role of organic matter must be prudent and may require the incorporation of multidisciplinary approach (mineralogy, inorganic geochemistry ...).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.296-303
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• 2010

Chromium as a constituent of rocks occurs naturally in the environment in varying concentrations. However, the human activity has changed the geochemical cycle of chromium in the environment and has caused the chromium accumulation in soils. Korean soils revealed a wide range of chromium contents depending on parent material and land use. The total chromium contents of volcanic ash soils in Jeju, which were determined using $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF, ranged from 434 to 1,164 mg $kg^{-1}$. The 'ecological' total chromium contents extracted using conc. HCl + conc. $HNO_3$ (aqua regia) in the same soils varied in a lower range of 50-189 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of aqua regia contents in $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF contents: 14.9%). Serpentine soils in Andong showed a 'ecological' total chromium content of 309 mg $kg^{-1}$ and against it granitic soils in Andong only 20 mg $kg^{-1}$. In uncontaminated forest soils of Korea, the 'ecological' total chromium contents varied from 4.89 to 106 mg $kg^{-1}$ and the soluble chromium contents determined using 0.1 M HCl ranged from 0.01 to 0.64 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of 0.1 M HCl contents in aqua regia contents: 0.4%). Arable lands contained more soluble chromium than reported in forest soils (averaged soluble chromium: 0.36 and 0.09 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively). In particular, the soluble chromium contents in greenhouse, orchard and upland soils were higher than in contaminated soils near mine and industrial site (maximum contents: greenhouse 15.3 mg $kg^{-1}$; upland 12.1 mg $kg^{-1}$; orchard 8.29 mg $kg^{-1}$; mine site 4.76 mg $kg^{-1}$; industrial site 2.80 mg $kg^{-1}$). On the basis of these results a accumulation of chromium in some specific arable lands can be assumed, probably by long-continued applications of fertilizers or soil amendments containing chromium. In Korean Enforcement Decree of the Soil Environment Conservation Act soil standards for total chromium do not exist yet.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 2009

In this study, water quality variation in borehole groundwaters and surface leachate waters were investigated on a seasonal sampling and remote monitoring basis within the waste impoundments at the Geopung mine site where previous rehabilitation measures were unsuccessful to prevent acidic drainage. All groundwaters were typical acidic drainage with acidic pH (3.3${\sim}$4.6) and high TDS (338${\sim}$3330 mg/L) values during the dry season, but increases in metal contents (TDS 414${\sim}$4890 mg/L) and decrease of pH (2.7${\sim}$3.6) were observed during the rainy season. Surface leachate waters showed a similar pattern in water quality variation. Surface runoff waters during rain events had acidic pH (3.0${\sim}$3.4) through direct reactions with waste rocks. Good correlations were found between major and trace elements measured in water samples, but no significant seasonal variation in chemical compositions was shown except relative changes in contents. It can be suggested that dissolution of soluble secondary salts caused by flushing of weathered waste rocks and tailings directly influenced the water quality within the waste impoundments. Increases in acid and metal concentrations and their loadings from mine wastes are anticipated in the rainy season. More appropriate cover systems on waste rocks and tailings necessitate consideration of more extreme conditions in the study mine.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.22
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• pp.121-134
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• 2008

The mechanism of stone exfoliation and its cause in relation to chemical weathering by soluble salt were studied. Chemical, mineralogical and physical analysis was performed in exfoliation samples from stone monuments. The representative salt is gypsum in the exfoliation samples. In order to understand the salt reaction, stone samples(tuff and granite) were treated with two type of the salt, gypsum and sodium sulfate, which have different solubility. The capillary water uptakes are slight increased in impregnated with Na2SO4 and weathering simulation of two rock types. It means that the rock is deteriorated in the near of the surface by $Na_2SO_4$. $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$ bring out the thicker exfoliation than $Na_2SO_4$ because it is penetrated into the deeper zone and amount of accumulated salt is more abundant in the inner part than in the near of the surface. The exfoliation was formed in the tuff by salt treatment and 30cycle of weathering simulation, but there are not significant symptoms of exfoliation in the granite by same condition. This result was caused by the different capillary water uptakes and porosity of the rocks. In the tuff, salt solutions are penetrated into the inner part due to its high capillary water uptakes and porosity but the granite, which has low value relatively, can be formed thinner exfoliation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.213-227
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• 2006

The geochemical evolution of mine drainage and leachate from waste rock dumps and stream water in Pb-As-rich abandoned Sechang mine area was investigated to elucidate mechanisms of trace metals. Total and sequential extractions were applied to estimate the distribution of trace metals in constituent phases of the waste rocks and to assess the mobility of trace metals according to physicochemical conditions. These discharged waters varied largely in chemical composition both spatially and temporally, and included cases with significant]y low pH (in the range 2.1-3.3), and extremely sulphate (up to 661 mg/l and metal contents (e.g. up to 169 mg/l for Zn, 27 mg/l for As, 3.97 mg/l for Pb, 2.99 mg/l for Cu, and 1.88 mg/l for Cd). Arsenic and heavy metal concentrations at the down-stream of Sechang mine have been decreased nearly to the background level in downstream sites (sites 8 and 16) without any artificial treatments. The oxidation of Fe-sulfides and the subsequent hydrolysis, of Fe(II), with precipitation of poorly crystallized minerals, constituted an efficient mechanism of natural attenuation which reduces considerably the transference of trace metals (i.e. Fe and As) to rivers. The dilution of drainage by mixing with pristine waters provoked an additional decrease of trace metal concentrations and a progressive pH increase. On the other hand, the most soluble cations (i.e. Zn) remained significantly as dissolved solutes until the pH was raised to approximately neutral values. With respect to ecotoxicity, it is likely that the Zn pollution is of particular concern in Sechang mine area. This was confirmed by the sequential extraction experiment, where Zn in wet waste-rock samples occurred predominantly in the exchangeable fraction (65-89% of total), while Pb was the highest in the reducible and carbonate fractions, and Cd, Cu and As in the residual fraction. Pb concentration in the readily available exchangeable fraction (34-48% of total) was dominated for dried waste rock samples. Considering the proportion of metals bound to the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, the comparative mobility of metals probably decreased in the order of Zn>Pb>Cd>As=Cu.