• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.629-646
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• 2023

Host rock of Cheonjeon-ri petroglyph is shale belonging to the Daegu Formation of Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup. The rocks were hornfelsified by thermal alteration, and shows high density and hardness. The petroglyph forms weathered zone with certain depth, and has difference in mineral and chemical composition from the unweathered zone. As the physical deterioration evaluations, most of cracks on the surface appear parallel to the bedding, and are concentrated in the upper part with relatively low density. Breakout parts are occurred in the upper and lower parts of the petroglyph, accounting for 6.0% of the total area and occurs to have been created by the wedging action of cracks crossing. The first exfoliation parts occupying the surface were 23.8% of the total area, the second exfoliations covered with 9.3%, and the exfoliation parts with three or more times were calculated as 3.4%. It is interpreted that this is not due to natural weathering, and the thermal shock caused by the cremation custom here in the past. As the ultrasonic properties, the petroglyph indicates highly strength in the horizontal direction parallel to bedding, and the area with little physical damage recorded mean of 4,684 m/s, but the area with severe cracks and exfoliations showed difference from 2,597 to 3,382 m/s on average. Physical deterioration to the Cheonjeon-ri petroglyph occurred to influence by repeated weathering, which caused the rock surface to become more severe than the inside and the binding force of minerals to weaken. Therefore, it can be understood that when greater stress occurs in the weathered zone than in the unweathered zone, the relatively weathered surface loses its support and exfoliation occurs.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1994

The industrial minerals play an important role in mining sector. More than 70 % of total mineral production come from industrial mineral sector. This paper reviews geological occurrence of kaolin, pyrophyllite and limestone, and current demand-supply status of major industrial minerals in the Republic of Korea. The kaolin is mainly distributed in the Kyeongsang province, formed by deep weathering of Precambrian anorthosite on mountainside of gentle slope. The pyrophyllite mainly occurs in the Kyeongsang and Chulla provinces, formed by hydrothermal alteration of late Cretaceous andesitic and rhyolitic rocks. Pyrophyllite comprises massive and lenticular bodies and contains minor amounts of kaolin, alunite and pyrite, in some places andalusite and illite. The limestone(Great Limestone Series of Cambrian age) is distributed widely in the Kwangwon and Chungcheong provinces. The limestone bodies are approzimately 70 km long and 3 km wide, elongated NE-ward, and show high grade of CaO content. In 1992, the self-sufficiency ratio of 44 nonfuel (metallic and non-metallic) minerals was no more than 30 percent. However, the ratio of 27 industrial minerals (non-metallic) represents high value of about 72 percent. The export/productjon ratio of the industrial minerals shows decreasing patterns from 12.2 % in 1983 to 4.2 % in 1992. Also the import/production ratio shows rapidly decreasing pattern from 84 % in 1983 to 38.2 % in 1992.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.495-508
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• 1996

This study had three purposes: (1) to investigate dispersion and enrichment level of potentially toxic elements; (2) to identify uranium-bearing minerals in black shales; and (3) to assess the chemical speciation of heavy metals in soils and sediments. Rock, surface soil and stream sediment samples were collected in the Chungjoo area covered with black shales in Korea. These samples were analyzed for multi-elements using INAA and ICP-AES. The maximum abundance of U in black shales is 56 ppm and radioactivity counts up to 240CPM. Molybdenum, V, Ba, Cu, and Pb are enriched in black shales and most of soils show high concentrations of U, Mo, Ba, Cu, Pb and Zn. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements decrease in the order of mountain soil > farmland soil > paddy soil. Enrichment index of soils and sediments are calculated and higher than 1.0 in the black shale area with the highest value of 6.1. In order to identify U-bearing minerals, electron probe micro analysis was applied, and uraninite and brannerite in black shale were found. Uraninite grains are closely associated with monazite or pyrite with the size of $2{\mu}m$ to $10{\mu}m$ in diameter whereas brannerite occurs as $50{\mu}m$ euhedral grains. With the results of sequential extraction scheme, residual fractions of Cu, Pb and Zn in soils are mainly derived from weathering of black shale but Cu, Pb and Zn in sediments are present as non-residual fractions. Lead is predominantly present as oxidizable phase in soils whereas Zn is in exchageable/water-acid soluble phase in sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.509-515
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• 2017

Quartz is the most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust. Therefore, understanding of quartz dissolution and precipitation is very important to know about weathering processes and interactions between rocks and water in hydrothermal and metamorphic environments. This paper presents a basic review on the research about quartz dissolution mechanism under various physico-chemical conditions. We rearranged the relationship between each physico-chemical factor and dissolution mechanism from the results of previous researchers in this paper. From this result, we understood that quartz dissolution and precipitation are affected by each factor such as temperature, pH, and applied stress conditions at contact point. In particular, we recognized that the high pH and temperature conditions have different anion concentrations on mineral's surface. As a result, high pH and temperature conditions have a better effect than applied stress condition to the quartz dissolution mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.397-407
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• 2022

Mineralogical analysis of the bedrock of the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia, the source of Asian dust, was conducted to trace the geological origin of the constituent minerals of Asian dust. The bedrock of the source of Asian dust consists of Paleozoic volcanics and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, Paleozoic granitic rocks, and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. Paleozoic volcanics and volcaniclastic sediments lithified compactly, underwent greenschist metamorphism, and deformed to form mountain ranges. Mesozoic sedimentary rocks fill the basin between the mountain ranges of Paleozoic strata. In comparison to Paleozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic sedimentary rocks have lower contents of chlorite and plagioclase, but high contents of clay minerals including interstratified illite-smectite, smectite, and kaolinite. Paleozoic granites characteristically contain amphibole and biotite. Compared with the mineral composition of bedrock in source, Asian dust is a mixture of detrital particles originating from Paleozoic and Mesozoic bedrocks. However, the mineral composition of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks is closer to that of Asian dust. Less lithified Mesozoic sedimentary rocks easily disintegrated to form silty soils which are deflated to form Asian dust.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.3 s.172
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• pp.207-219
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• 2005

The physical and chemical characteristics of soils in a small watershed were investigated and the effect of geology and land use on soil quality were examined by using multivariate statistical methods, principal components analysis and discriminant analysis. The soil developed from andesite had finer texture and higher contents of water extractable inorganic components, clay, and mafic minerals than the soil developed from granite. It is considered that the accumulation of salts in the farmland soils indicated by electrical conductivity, contents of cations and anions and pH was caused by fertilizer input during cultivation. The low contents of organic matter in the farmland soils was due to the enhanced oxidation of organic matter by tillage and by the harvest of crops. The contents of inorganic components are increased as following order: upland > orchard > paddy field > forest. The high contents of water soluble $SO_4\;^{2-}$ of paddy soils is due to the oxidation of sulfides mineral formed during the flooding period during the air-dry and extraction. The results of principal components analysis show the difference of soil quality was controlled by geology and land use. PCI indicate the input of fertilizer, mineral weathering and ion exchange reaction by application of nitrogenous fertilizers. The results of two discriminant analyses using water extractable inorganic components and their ratios by land use were also clearly classified by discriminant function 1 and 2. In discriminant analysis by components, discriminant function 1 indicated the effect of fertilizer application and increased as following order: upland > orchard > paddy field > forest soil. The investigated and predicted data for land use from discriminant analysis showed similar results. The discriminant analysis can be used as a useful method certifying the change of land use.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.152-161
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to compare the chemical properties of white soil and refined clay sediment, which are produced early in the refining process. The characteristics of the white wares made at the kiln site in Goseong-ri, Chuncheon were also examined. Three groups of materials were examined: white wares excavated from the white wares kiln, raw material from white soil collected from the surface, and a refined clay sediment group. There were also three analysis methods, which were a main components analysis, a trace components analysis, and a mineral analysis. The main components analysis found that the white wares clay was in the RO₂4.04~4.28 and the RO + R₂O 0.30~0.31 mole areas, which were similar to the results for the refined clay sediment. However, the refining process used to produce better quality white wares meant that the large differences in the early white soil raw material appeared in the refined sediment. The mineral phase analysis showed that the crystals detected in the early white soil raw materials and refined clay sediment were almost identical. However, quartz and mullite mineral phases, which can occur above a certain temperature, were detected in the excavated white wares clay. Rare earth elements that were not affected by the pottery making process and the weathering of clay materials were found to have the same origin in all three groups.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2018

Traditional inorganic pigments applied to dancheong, buddhist painting, and wall painting were produced from natural minerals which were later replaced by synthetic pigments, resulting in the loss of the recipe to prepare mineral pigments. This study examined the domestic occurrence and mineralogical characteristics of green and blue mineral pigments required for the conservation of cultural heritage. Cuprous green-blue mineral pigments were found as the weathering products of waste dumps and ores of abandoned Cu-Pb-Zn sulfide mines. Mineralogical analyses using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy identified diverse hydrous copper sulfate pigments of green (brochantite and devilline) and blue color (linarite, bechererite, and schulenbergite) with minor green pigments of antlerite and atacamite commonly associated with cerussite, smithsonite, anglesite, and cuprite. Noerok, a green silicate pigment, replaced the fractured basalt lava. Celadonite was responsible for the green color of Noerok, closely associated with opal in varying ratio. Glauconite, green silicate pigment, was identified in the Yellow Sea sediments. Malachite and azurite, the most important green and blue pigments of Korean cultural heritage, were not identified in this study.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.265-275
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• 2021

Findings of microplastics and nanoplastics from diverse natural environments have increased demand for research of the fate and transport of the potentially toxic plastic particles in soils and groundwater. Weathering of microplastics would generate a significant amount of nanoplastics, but nanoplastics research is scarce because of technical difficulties in detecting nanoplastics in environments and analyzing nanoplastics adsorption to mineral surfaces. In the current study, we tested a possibility using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for application to nanoplastics adsorption analysis on mineral surfaces. In silica (SiO₂)-packed column experiments, a measurable adsorption capacity for polystyrene nanoparticles often requires injection of unrealistically high ionic strengths or concentrated nanoplastic particles. The current test shows that QCM can measure polystyrene nanoplastics adsorbed onto SiO₂ surface under the low ionic strengths and nanoplastics concentrations, where typical column experiments cannot. QCM is a promising tool for understanding the interaction between nanoplastics and mineral surfaces and thus transport of nanoplastics in soils and groundwater.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.745-764
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• 2023

In the Republic of Congo, Banded iron formations (BIFs) occur in two areas: the Chaillu Massif and the Ivindo Basement Complex, which are segments of the Archean Congo craton outcropping in the northwestern and southwestern parts of the country. They show interesting potential with significant mineral resources reaching 2 Bt and grades up to 60% Fe. BIFs consist mostly of oxide-rich facies (hematite/magnetite), but carbonate-rich facies are also highlighted. They are found across the country within the similar geological sequences composed of amphibolites, gneisses and greenschists. The Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS)-normalized patterns of BIFs show enrichment in elements such as SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, CaO, P₂O₅, Cr, Cu, Zn, Nb, Hf, U and depletion in TiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, Na₂O, K₂O, Sc, Th, Ba, Zr, Rb, Ni, V. REE diagrams show slight light REEs (rare earth elements; LREEs) compared to heavy REEs (HREEs), and positive La and Eu anomalies. The lithological associations, as well as the very high (Eu/Eu^*)_SN ratios> 1.8 shown by the BIFs, suggest that they are related to Algoma-type BIFs. The positive correlations between Zr and TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Hf suggest that the contamination comes mainly from felsic rocks, while the absence of correlations between MgO and Cr, Ni argues for negligeable contributions from mafic sources. Pr/Pr^* vs. Ce/Ce^* diagram indicates that the Congolese BIFs were formed in basins with redox heterogeneity, which varies from suboxic to anoxic and from oxic to anoxic conditions. They were formed through hydrothermal vents in the seawater, with relatively low proportions of detrital inputs derived from igneous sources through continental weathering. Some Congolese BIFs show high contents in Cr, Ni and Cu, which suggest that iron (Fe) and silicon (Si) have been leached through hydrothermal processes associated with submarine volcanism. We discussed their tectonic setting and depositional environment and proposed that they were deposited in extensional back-arc basins, which also recorded hydrothermal vent fluids.