• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2012

Ilmenite mine was developed in the anorthosites which intruded Precambrian Jirisan gneiss complex in Wolheongri, Okjong-myeon, Hadong. Ti-ore bodies are confined to the intercumulated type anorthosites, where REE-bearing allanite occurred as veins. The chemistry of allanites shows relatively low in CaO (11.02~12.81 wt%), but high in ${\Sigma}R_2O_3$ (R = Ce, La, Nd) (17.21~21.58 wt%), respectively. Abnormally high radioactive detection ascribes to the presence of small particles of thorium mineral known as thorite ($ThSiO_4$). Thorite shows 65~72.78 wt% ($ThO_2$) and 5.49~12.78 wt% ($UO_2$) in composition. The radioactive prospecting could be a strong tool to find REE-bearing allanite which is closely associated with Ti-ore deposits.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.365-374
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• 1998

Economic U- and Th-bearing pegmatite deposits occur in the Kyemyeongsan Formation, and are spatially closely associated with the Carboniferous alkali granite. The pegmatite is lithochemically alkaline and peralumious, and consists mainly of potassic feldspar and quartz with allanite and U- and Th-bearing minerals. Paragenetic stages of mineralization in the pegmatite are divided as follows: early silicate mineralization, main rare metal mineralization, and late silicate mineralization. Thorite, euxenite, fergusonite and uranpyrochlore are the predominant U- and Th-bearing minerals. Both the enrichments of Nb, Y, Th, U, and Ta and the depletions of Hf, Ba, and Rb in the pegmatite were resulted from magmatic differentiation. The increases of Na and Ca in uranpyrochlore, of Th and U in fergusonite, of Si, Th, U and Pb in thorite, and of Nb and Y in euxenite were possibly resulted from both later internal fractionation and hydrothermal alteration. The variation of chemical composition in a mineral species reflects the different pysico-chemical conditions during the crystallization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.117-128
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• 2017

Occurrence characteristics and existing forms of U-Th containing minerals in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) granite are investigated to understand long-term behavior of radionuclides in granite considered as a candidate rock for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. KURT granite primarily consists of quartz, feldspar and mica. zircon, REE(Rare Earth Element)-containing monazite and bastnaesite are also identified. Besides, secondary minerals such as sericite, microcline and chlorite including quartz vein and calcite vein are observed. These minerals are presumed to be accompanied by a post-hydrothermal process. U-Th containing minerals are mainly observed at the boundaries of quartz, feldspar and mica, mostly less than $30{\mu}m$ in size. Quantitative analysis results using EPMA (Electron Probe Micro-Analyzer) show that 74.2 ~ 96.5% of the U-Th containing minerals consist of $UO_2$ (3.39 ~ 33.19 wt.%), $ThO_2$ (41.61 ~ 50.24 wt.%) and $SiO_2$ (15.43 ~ 18.60 wt.%). Chemical structure of the minerals calculated using EPMA quantitative analysis shows that the U-Th minerals are silicate minerals determined as thorite and uranothorite. The U-Th containing silicate minerals are formed by a magmatic and hydrothermal process. Therefore, KURT granite formed by a magmatic differentiation is accompanied by an alteration and replacement owing to a hydrothermal process. U-Th containing silicate minerals in KURT granite are estimated to be recrystallized by geochemical factors and parameters such as temperature, pressure and pH owing to the hydrothermal process. By repeated dissolution/precipitation during the recrystallization process, U-Th containing silicate minerals such as thorite and uranothorite are formed according to the variation in the concentrated amount of U and Th.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.599-612
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• 1995

Some REE ore deposits are located in the middle part the of Korean peninsula. Geotectonically, the REE ore deposits situated on the Kyemyeongsan Formation of northern margin of the Okcheon geosynclinal belt and in the transitional zone between Kyeonggi massif and the Okcheon belt, with a deep-seated fracture separating the two tectonic units. The Kyemyeongsan Formation are different in lithology and metamorphic grade from the Gyeonggi massif and the Okcheon super group. The sequence of Kyemyeongsan Formation is dominantly composed of acidic metavolcanic and volcaniclastic rocks associated with alkaline igneous rocks which are related to volcano-plutonism. The REE ore deposits contain mainly Ce-La, Ta-Nb, Y, Y-Nd and Nd-Th group minerals. More than 15 RE and REE minerals have been found in the deposits, such as allanite, fergusonite, thorite bestnaesite, euxenite, polyclase, monazite, columbite, (Nb)-rutile, okanoganite, sphene, zircon, illmenite and some other unknown minerals. According to the characteristics of the mineral association, the REE ore deposits may be divided into 4 ore types; Zircon-REE, allanite-REE, feldspar-REE and fluorite-REE type. The Sm-Nd isochron age of the REE ore is 330 Ma, and the Sm-Nd model age is 1.11 Ga with ${\varepsilon}_{Nd(t)}$ being - 2.9. This data suggest that the REE ore deposit was formed in the early Carboniferous, and the ore-forming material came from the mantle. The REE ores show distinct light REE enrichment with strong negative Eu anomaly. The REE patterns of schistose rocks from Kyemyeongsan Formation are similar to felsic volcanics from rifts or back arc basins in or near continental crust. The genesis of the REE ore deposit is quite complicated. Different geologic processes are displayed in the studied area; sedimentation, volcanic activity, metamorphism and hydrothermal replacement. Alkali granite has suffered extensive post-magmatic metasomatism of a high temperature to produce alkali metasomatites. Geochemical charateristics show that metasomatism of alkaline fluid was probably the dominant ore-forming process in Chungju district.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.1-3
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• 2002

The eastward extension of the suture zone between the Sino-Korea and Yangtze cratons in the Korean Peninsula and Japanese islands remains debatable (Hiroi, 1981; Cluzel et al., 1991; Yin and Nie, 1993; Sohma and Kunugiza, 1993; Isozaki, 1997; Arakawa et at., 2000), and is related to our understanding of the continent-continent collision orogeny. The collision orogeny varies in tectono-metamorphic processes and the timing differs from place to place, as exemplified by the absence of coesite and micro-diamond in the Korean Peninsula and Japanese islands, because it is a long-lived process of more than several tens of million years from subduction to exhumation in the Wilson cycle, and because the suture zone extends more than several thousand kilometers with a curved shape from the Qinling area of China to the Hida highland area of Japan. Hiroi (1981) is the first paper to correlate the Unazuki metamorphic rocks of the Hida metamorphic belt in Japan with the Ogcheon belt in the Korean Peninsula based on the presence of 240 Ma medium P/T metamorphic rocks in both belts, but there is a lack of recent studies on this correlation. To resolve the correlationship, there are two approaches: 1) petrological studies characterizing the origin and P-T history of rocks and 2) in-situ micro-dating of fine-grained, zoned minerals of zircon, monazite, uraninite and thorite using the EPMA (U-Th-Pb chemical dating or CHIME depending on calibration method) and the SHRIMP (Sensitive High-resolution ion Microprobe) to decipher the timing of geological events. As a first step of these approaches, micro-dating was undertaken to rocks of the Hida metamorphic belt and its Mesozoic cover (Tetori Group) in the Hida highland area, central Japan.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.295-310
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• 2022

The Weolaksan and Sokrisan granites yield high SiO₂ and alkali (Na₂O+K₂O) contents and low CaO and P₂O₅ contents. The Al saturation index is ≥1.3, which indicates that the granites are peraluminous. The mean U and Th contents are 8.3 and 39.3 ppm, respectively, higher than typical Mesozoic granites in South Korea and about twice the global mean for granitic rocks. The causes of such high radioelement contents are related to high degrees of fractionation and the crustal origin of the granites. U- and Thbearing radioactive minerals occur in the granites include zircon, thorite, monazite, xenotime, fergusonite and uraninite. The fact that the mean Th/U ratio of the granites (5.4) is similar to the global average crustal value suggests that the radioelement contents of granite were controlled by the crustal source material. Given the correlation of Zr, Y, and heavy rare earth elements for U and Th, radioelements are more likely hosted by xenotime than zircon and monazite.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.10
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• pp.4141-4148
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• 2024

The study focused on syenogranite and its altered variety, and specifically monitored the activities of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K using NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectroscopy. Syenogranites in the study area in Egypt were investigated to determine their potential use in industries such as ornamental stones and ceramics. The main outcrops in the study area consist of metasediments, metavolcanics, metagabbro, syn-to late-orogenic granites, and post-orogenic granites (syenogranites). There are also numerous dikes and veins of various shapes and compositions that have intruded and penetrated all the older rocks in the area. The mean activity (± standard deviation, SD) of these radioelements in the granites is ²²⁶Ra (63 ± 71 Bq kg^-1), ²³²Th (76 ± 170 Bq kg^-1), and ⁴⁰K (1248 ± 532 Bq kg^-1) were found to be greater than the world average. The radiological hazards are mostly attributed to the γ-rays emitted by granitic rocks. The granites studied in this study deviate from international standards mainly due to the presence of minerals containing radioelements such as zircon, allanite, monazite, sphene titanite, apatite, thorite, samarskite, fergusonite, xenotime, columbite, apatite and fluorite. As a result, granitic rocks are unsuitable for home building.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2023

The study area was Gangnim-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do, composed of the Chiaksan gneiss complex, and it was revealed that the concentrations of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) within the groundwater of the study area exceeded their water quality standards. Hence, artificial weathering experiments were conducted to elucidate mineralogically the mechanisms of their leaching using drilling cores obtained from the corresponding groundwater aquifers. First of all, the mineralogical compositions of core samples were observed, and the results indicated that the content of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group of minerals that can form through low- and intermediate-temperature metamorphisms, was relatively higher. In addition, the Th concentration was measured ten times higher than that of U. The results of artificial weathering experiments suggested that the Th concentrations gradually increased through the dissolution of radioactive-element-bearing minerals up to the first day, and then they tended to decrease. It could be attributed to the fact that Th was leached with the dissolution of thorite, which might be a secondary mineral, and then dissolved Th was re-precipitated as the various forms of salt, such as sulfate. Even though the U content was lower than that of Th in the core samples, the U concentration was one hundred times higher than that of Th after the weathering experiments. It is likely caused by the gradual dissolution and desorption of U included in intensively weathered thorite or adsorbed as a form of UO₂²⁺ on the mineral surface. In addition, the leaching tendency of U and Th was positively correlated with the bicarbonate concentration. However, the concentrations between U and Th in groundwater exhibited a relatively lower correlation, which might result from the fact that they occurred from different sources, as aforementioned. Among various kinetic models, the parabolic diffusion and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were confirmed to best fit the dissolution kinetics of both elements. The period that would be taken for the U concentration to exceed its drinking-water standard was inferred using the regressed parameters of the best-fitted models, and the duration of 29.4 years was predicted in the neutral-pH aquifers with relatively higher concentrations of HCO₃, indicating that U could be relatively quickly leached out into groundwater.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.179-198
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• 2013

The Boziguoer A-type granitoids in Baicheng County, Xinjiang, belong to the northern margin of the Tarim platform as well as the neighboring EW-oriented alkaline intrusive rocks. The rocks comprise an aegirine or arfvedsonite quartz alkali feldspar syenite, an aegirine or arfvedsonite alkali feldspar granite, and a biotite alkali feldspar syenite. The major rock-forming minerals are albite, K-feldspar, quartz, arfvedsonite, aegirine, and siderophyllite. The accessory minerals are mainly zircon, pyrochlore, thorite, fluorite, monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime, and astrophyllite. The chemical composition of the alkaline granitoids show that $SiO_2$ varies from 64.55% to 72.29% with a mean value of 67.32%, $Na_2O+K_2O$ is high (9.85~11.87%) with a mean of 11.14%, $K_2O$ is 2.39%~5.47% (mean = 4.73%), the $K_2O/Na_2O$ ratios are 0.31~0.96, $Al_2O_3$ ranges from 12.58% to 15.44%, and total $FeO^T$ is between 2.35% and 5.65%. CaO, MgO, MnO, and $TiO_2$ are low. The REE content is high and the total ${\sum}REE$ is $(263{\sim}1219){\times}10^{-6}$ (mean = $776{\times}10^{-6}$), showing LREE enrichment HREE depletion with strong negative Eu anomalies. In addition, the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the alkaline granitoids belong to the "seagull" pattern of the right-type. The Zr content is $(113{\sim}1246){\times}10^{-6}$ (mean = $594{\times}10^{-6}$), Zr+Nb+Ce+Y is between $(478{\sim}2203){\times}10^{-6}$ with a mean of $1362{\times}10^{-6}$. Furthermore, the alkaline granitoids have high HFSE (Ga, Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf) content and low LILE (Ba, K, and Sr) content. The Nb/Ta ratio varies from 7.23 to 32.59 (mean = 16.59) and the Zr/Hf ratio is 16.69~58.04 (mean = 36.80). The zircons are depleted in LREE and enriched in HREE. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the zircons are of the "seagull" pattern of the left-inclined type with strong negative Eu anomaly and without a Ce anomaly. The Boziguoer A-type granitoids share similar features with A1-type granites. The average temperature of the granitic magma was estimated at $832{\sim}839^{\circ}C$. The Boziguoer A-type granitoids show crust-mantle mixing and may have formed in an anorogenic intraplate tectonic setting under high-temperature, anhydrous, and low oxygen fugacity conditions.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.153-168
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• 2022

Petrological and mineralogical analyses were conducted to identify minerals containing radioactive elements (uranium) in the Chiaksan gneiss complex and to confirm their association with the surrounding groundwater. Fourteen minerals were identified through the microscopic and electron microscopy (SEMEDS) investigation. The principal minerals included plagioclase, biotite, quartz, alkali feldspar, chlorite, and calcite. Minor minerals were sphene, allanite, apatite, zircon, thorite, titanite, pyrite, and galena. A small amount of thorite was observed in the size of ~1 mm within macrocrystalline allanite. Allanite, which includes a large amount of rare earth elements, appeared in three distinctive patterns. The results of the EPMA analyses indicated that macrocrystalline allanite had higher elemental contents of TiO₂~1.70 wt.%, Ce₂O₃~11.86 wt.%, FeO ~13.31 wt.%, MgO ~0.90 wt.% and ThO₂ ~1.06 wt.% with the lowest average content of Al₂O₃ 17.35 ± 2.15 wt.% (n = 7), CaO 12.13 ± 1.81 wt.% (n = 7). An allanite existing at the edge of the sphenes encompassing titanites had a higher element content of Al₂O₃ ~24.00 wt.%, Nd₂O₃ ~5.10 wt.%, Sm₂O₃~0.66 wt.%, Dy₂O₃~0.86 wt.% and Y₂O₃~1.38 wt.% with the lowest average content of TiO₂ 0.35 ± 0.21 wt.% (n = 11), Ce₂O₃ 5.25 ± 1.03 wt.% (n = 11), FeO 9.84 ± 0.26 wt.% (n = 11), MgO 0.12 ± 0.05 wt.% (n = 11), and La₂O₃ 1.49 ± 0.29 wt.% (n = 11). Allanites in a matrix of parental rocks exhibited intermediate values between the two elemental compositions mentioned above. None of the uranium-rich minerals were observed in the migmatitic gneiss within the study area. Consequently, the origin of uranium in the groundwater was not associated with the geology of the surrounding environment, but our investigation proved the existence of abundant allanites containing significant amounts of radioactive thorium and rare earth elements.