• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.4 s.50
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• pp.437-453
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• 2006

More than 3,000 landslides were occurred by torrential rains in Gangneung area due to the typhoon Rusa in 2002. In order to analyze the landslide origin and its geometric characteristics, 1,365 landslide data were collected from the field survey of Sacheon, Jumunjin, and Yeongok areas in which the intensive landslides took place. The average landslide size in the study area was composed of 10m width, 30m length, and $21^{\circ}{\sim}35^{\circ}$ slope angle, and the plane view of landslides A-type (i.e. wide shape of lower part) that contains approximately 50.5% of the landslides commonly occurred. In particular the area of Sacheon heavily damaged by mountain fires had more occurrence of landslides than other areas. The landslides of uniform tendency of slope direction were examined resulted from the contribution of topographic characteristics due to the weathering and wind direction during heavy rainfalls. In order to analyze the direction of joint, 249 orientation data were collected from the study area. The window method was employed to determine the characteristics of joint density in 51 locations of the study area. The results showed that many landslides occurred in the areas of joint density with the range of $0.05{\sim}0.1$.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1 s.47
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• pp.49-61
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to investigate the origin of suspended matter to induce turbidity water in Gachang dam in view of environmental geology. During the period from May to August 2004, field works and sampling were carried out three times at the dam and along its streams, and chemical and mineralogical analyses such as ICP, IC, particle size analyzer, XRD and SEM were made on water, soil and suspended matter in water. Electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, the contents of cation and anion increase from upstream toward the dam mostly due to the geological factors such as weathring of the rocks causing the increase of the total ion content. Vermiculite, illite, kaolinite, quartz, feldspar and iron hydroxide are commonly found in suspended matters in water and soils. Finer particles (d10) in soil increase slightly toward downstream and the vermiculite content is highest in the dam water. Since geological differences are not significant, mineralogy are similar in suspended matters and soils. Clay mineral compositions present in suspended matters were alsmost the same as those in soils, indicating the origin of soils by weathering of host rocks and being transported to the dam by stream water.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.29-42
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• 2018

Shale and mudstone in Daegu-Gyungbuk area have low strength and resistance to weathering compared to other rocks. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate their strength depending on the degree of saturation and crack development. In this study, shales and mudstones were collected from several construction sites in Daegu-Gyungbuk area. Their basic material properties such as porosity, SEM, chemical component, and durability were tested. A porosity (absorptivity) of mudstone was 31% (25%), which was 6 (8) times higher than that of shale. Some mudstone was easily disintegrated with water and it consisted of highly-active clay mineral such as smectite type. These rocks were prepared by small cube specimens for unconfined compression test. An unconfined compressive strength of dry rock was compared with saturated one. Microwave oven was operated step by step to stimulate void water within a saturated rock, which resulted into high temperature and micro crack initiation within rocks. A strength of microwaved rocks was compared with operation time and crack initiation. As a result, the average unconfined compressive strength of dry and saturated shale was 62 and 33 MPa, respectively. The strength of mudstone for each condition was 11 and 4 MPa. When a rock became saturated, its strength decreased by 47% and 64% for shale and mudstone at average. In addition to saturation, a rock was in the microwave for 15 secs, its strength decreased into 49% for shale and 52% for mudstone. When a microwave oven operated up to 20 sec, a rock was crushed into several pieces and its temperature was approximately 200 degrees.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.51-64
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• 2022

For effective preservation of the rocks, which bearing plant fossils at Gumkwangdong Formation, Pohang, the properties of rock and treatment of chemicals were examined in an artificial weathering test. The rocks are diatomaceous siliceous mudstone, which contain a small amount of smectite and has developed laminated layers. The rocks react with water, the d₀₀₁ spacing of smectite was increased. On the one hand, the physical properties of the rock samples, such as surface hardness, improved after the application of ethyl silicate-based stone strengthener. On the other hand, the spacing of interlayer of swelling clay minerals decreased and spacing of laminae layer increased. When the ethyl silicate-based stone strengthener was applied after pretreatment with a swelling inhibitor, interlayer and spacing of laminae changes were similar to those when only the stone strengthener was treated. The effect of the swelling inhibitor was almost negligible. When the rocks that have been conserved with chemicals react with water, spacing of laminae has widened much, whereas when the rocks was in contact with moisture only, there was little change. In addition, if it is placed in the outdoor after conservation treatment, although it occurs slightly slower than the untreated rock, the separation of the lamination layer and the pulverization of the rock occur within a very short time. Consolidation is required to improve the physical properties of fossil rock, but when exposed to rain and undergoing freeze-thaw process, the effect is lost very quickly. Therefore, regardless of the chemical treatment, it is a priority to prevent direct rainfall contact with the rock.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.28
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• pp.17-34
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• 2022

This study seeks to identify the material characteristics of earthenware excavated from the Bangi-dong Ancient Tomb No. 3 and the articulated stone-mound tomb of the Seokchon-dong ancient tombs in the Songpa region, and analyze the homogeneity and the firing temperature of the materials used at each excavated site. The remains have been studied relatively recently, and the groups of tombs in which they were found demonstrate the transition of ancient Korean burial systems, and at the same time, provide important archaeological data about those in power at the time. The earthenware pottery excavated from the two sites examined in the study were buried at different times, and it is assumed that they were made by procuring weathered soil of similar gneiss, judging from the behavior of the compatible and incompatible elements and the weathering tendency found by examining the main components. In addition, the examination of the mineral composition and microstructure of clay indicates that the earthenware from Seokchon-dong was fired at 950 degrees Celsius or lower at a relatively early stage. On the other hand, the earthenware from Bangi-dong Tomb No. 3 was confirmed to have experienced temperatures below 850 degrees Celsius and above 1,000 degrees Celsius. However, it is difficult to interpret the difference as the result of the changes in firing temperature throughout the eras. It is expected that it will be possible to interpret the changes in earthenware manufacturing techniques by comparing more diverse earthenware potteries and ancient soils.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.479-488
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• 2014

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) from disturbance of rocks and soils has been overlooked as a source of exposure that could potentially have a detrimental impact on human health. But, few researches on mineralogical characteristics of NOA occurred in soils have been reported in Korea. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the mineralogical characteristics of NOA occurred in soils at Daero-ri area, Seosan, Chungnam Province, Korea. Sedimentation method was used for particle size separation of the asbestos-containing soils. XRD and PLM analyses were used to characterize mineralogical characteristics and mineral assemblages in soils. SEM-EDS and TEM-EDS analyses were used to characterize mineral morphology and chemical composition. Particle size analyses of the asbestos-containing soils showed they were composed of 26-93% sand, 4-23% silt and 3-70% clay. Soil texture of the soils was mainly sand, sandy loam, sandy clay, and clay. PLM analyses of the soil showed that most of the soil contained asbestiform tremolite and actinolite. The average content of asbestos in the soil was 1.5 wt. %. Therefore, the soil can be classified into asbestos-contaminated soils based on U. S. Environmental Protection Agency classification (content of asbestos in contaminated soil > 1%). Morphologically different types of tremolite such as long fibrous, needle-like, fiber bundle, bladed and prismatic forms co-existed. Prismatic tremolite was dominant in sand fraction and asbestiform tremolite was dominant in silt fraction. This study indicates that the prismatic form of tremolite transform gradually into a fibrous form of tremolite due to soil weathering because tremolite asbestos was mainly existed in silt fraction rather than sand fraction.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.4 s.42
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• pp.447-462
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• 2005

The purposes of this study are to evaluate and discuss the importance of geochemical properties of soil materials that play an important role in the occurrence of the landslide, using analyses of microtexture, particle size distribution, XRC, and FE-SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectrum on soils collected from landslide slopes of gneiss, granite and sedimentary rock areas. Soils from gneiss and granite areas where landslides took place have much clay content relative to those from non landslide areas, particularly pronounced in the granite area. Therefore the clay content is considered a sensitive factor on landslide. Clay minerals contained in soils are illite, chlorite, kaolinite and montmorillonite. Especially the content of clay minerals in soils from the Tertiary sedimentary rocks is highest, with abundant montmorillonite as expandable species. It is believed that this area was much vulnerable to landslide comparable to other areas because of its high content of monoorillonite, even though there might be weak precipitation. Since no conspicuous differentiation in mineralogy between the landslide area and non landslide area can be made, the occurrence of landslide may be influenced not by mineralogy, but by local geography and mechanical properties of soils. Geochemical information on weathering properties, mineralogy, and microtexture of soils is helpful to better understand the causes and patterns of landslide, together with engineering geological analyses.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2007

Microorganisms participate in a variety of geochemical processes such as weathering and formation of minerals, leaching of precious metals from minerals, and cycling of organic matter The objective of this study was to investigate biogeochemical processes of iron leaching from magnetite ore by iron-reducing bacteria isolated from intertidal flat sediments, southwestern part of Korea. Microbial iron leaching experiments were performed using magnetite ore, Shinyemi magnetite ore, in well-defined media with and without bacteria at room temperature for a month. Water soluble Fe and Mn during the leaching experiments were determined by ICP analysis of bioleached samples, and the resulting precipitated solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The extent of iron leaching from magnetite in the aerobic conditions (Fe = 15 mg/L and Mn = 3.41 mg/L) was lower than that in the anaerobic environments (Fe = 32.8 mg/L and Mn = 5.23 mg/L). The medium pH typically decreased from 8.3 to 7.2 during a month incubation. The Eh of the initial medium decreased from +144.9 mV to -331.7 mV in aerobic environments and from -2.3 mV to -494.6 mV in anaerobic environments upon incubation with the metal reducing microorganisms. The decrease in pH is due to glucose fermentation producing organic acids and $CO_2$. The ability of bacteria to leach soluble iron from crystalline magnetite could have significant implications for biogeochemical processes in sediments where Fe(III) in magnetite represents the largest pool of electron acceptor as well as to use as a novel biotechnology for leaching precious and heavy metals from raw materials.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.170-187
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• 2020

Dolmens bearing the burial layout and stone coffin tombs of the late Bronze Age were excavated from Samdeok-ri, Goseong, Gyeonsangnsamdo, and grave items such as red-burnished pottery, arrowheads, and stone swords were also discovered. In the case of the red-burnished pottery that was found, it retains a pigment layer with a thickness of about 50 to 160㎛, but with most of the other items, exfoliation and peeling-off of pigment layers can be observed on the surface. The raw materials of the red-burnished pottery contained moderately sorted minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and hornblende, and partly opaque iron oxide minerals were also identified. In particular, the raw materials of the red-burnished pottery from stone coffin tomb #6 were different from those of the other pottery, containing large amounts of hornblende and feldspar. The pottery's red pigment was identified as hematite and showed similar mineral content of raw materials such as fine grained quartz, feldspar, and hornblende. The firing temperature is estimated to have been approximately 900℃, based on their mineral phase. The possibility exists that the raw materials had been collected from the Samdeok-ri area, because diorite and granite diorite with dominant feldspar and hornblende have been identified within 3km of that area. During the pottery manufacturing process, it is estimated that the pigment was painted on the entire surface of the red-burnished pottery after it had been molded and then finished using the abrasion technique. In other words, the red-burnished pottery was made by the process of vessel forming - semi drying - coloring - polishing. The surface and cross-section of the pottery appears differently depending on the concentration of the pigment and the coloring method used after vessels were formed. Most of the excavated pottery features a distinct boundary between pigment and body fabric. However, in the case of pottery in which fine-grained pigments penetrate the body fabric so that layers cannot be distinguished, there is the possibility that the fine-grained pigment layer was applied at a low concentration or immediately after vessel forming. Many cracks can be seen on the surface pigments in thickly painted pottery items, and in many cases, only a small portion of the pigment layers remain due to surface exfoliation and abrasion in the burial environment. It is reported that pottery items may be more easily damaged by abrasion if coated with pigment and polished, so it is believed that the red-burnished pottery of the Samdeok-ri site suffered from weathering in the burial environment. This damage was more extensive in the potsherds that were scattered outside the tomb.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.588-598
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• 2020

The seafloor geology of Ieodo, a submerged volcanic island, has been poorly understood, although this place has gained considerable attention for ocean and climate studies. The main purpose of the study is to understand and elucidate types, distribution patterns and provenance of the surficial sediments in and around the Ieodo area. For this purpose, 25 seafloor sediments were collected using a box-corer, these having been analyzed for grain sizes. XRD (X-ray Diffraction) analysis of fine-grained sediments was conducted for characterizing clay minerals. The peak of Ieodo exists in the northern region, while in the southern area, shore platforms occur. The extensive platform in the south results from severe erosion by strong waves. However, the northern peak still survived from differential weathering. Grain size analyses indicated that gravels and gravelly sands with skeletons and shells were distributed predominantly on the volcanic apron and shore platform. Muddy sediments were found along the Ieodo and the adjacent deeper seafloor. Based on the analysis of clay mineral composition, illites were the most abundant in fine muds, followed by chlorites and kaolinites. The ratio plots of clay minerals for the provenance discrimination suggested that the Ieodo muds were likely to be derived from the Yangtze River (Changjiang River). As a consequence, gravels and gravelly sands with bioclastics may be supplied from the Ieodo volcanic apron by erosion processes. Wave activities might play a major role in transportation and sedimentation. In contrast, fine muds were assumed to be derived from the inflow of the Yangtze River, particularly in summer. Deposition in the Ieodo area is, therefore, probably controlled by the inflow from the Changjiang Dilute Water and summer typhoons from the south.