• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 1993

This dissertation is a basic research on the degradation of rocks and aims at clarifying the relations between the progression of degree of weathering and the variation of chemical composition. The author wants to make clear the degradation of rocks and the process of formation of sedimentary rocks from a standpoint of elucidation of migration of elements. This study is considered to be significant not only as a part of research on the distribution of earth crust materials but as the petrogenesis of rocks. The chemical studies on the weathered rocks have been started relatively early and there are not a few researches on them: Goldich, 1938; Harris, et al., 1966; Ruxton, 1968; Berner, et al., 1982; Kanuss, 1983; Lasaga, 1984; Siagel, 1984. The degree of migration of elements in weathering is the composite result of various factors. Because, at the present time, it is difficult to clarify the individual and composite effects of each factor theoretically and quanititatively, we must accumulate empirical data and use them relatively. In such consideration the author acquired some data of chemical weathering from the chemical analysis of granitic and basaltic rocks in and around Fukuoka city, Japan and granitic rocks in and around Chonju and Iri cities, Korea. Because both rock types studied can be considered as representative materials of acidic and basic rocks compsing the earth crust, it is significant to examine the phenomena of weathering of both rock types. The following results are obtained from the analysis and examinations of chemical compositions of the original and weathered rocks. The loss rate of major elements has no uniformity, but the following relation holds in general; Ca, Na> K, Si> Mg> Fe, Al. As weathering proceeds, the ratio of $Al_2O_3/CaO$ shows increasing phenomena, and that of $Na_2O/CaO$ decreasing. The range of migration of composition is broad in basaltic rocks but narrow in granitic rocks. The reason is that the chemical weathering of basaltic rocks progresses more easily than that of granitic rocks. The chemical weathering potenitial index of basaltic rocks in larger than that of granitic rocks. The reason is that the chemical weathering of basaltic rocks proceeds more easily than that of granitic rocks. In weathering, the decrease of mobile cations such as $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$ and the increase of $H_2O$ in basaltic rocks are more obvious than in granitic rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 1975

Weathering of granites has a geochemical role of great significance, because of their abundance and because of chemical instability near the surface of the earth, which is more pronounced than in most other rocks. On the other hand the granites are tectonically fragile and "react" to deformation with marked facility, giving rise to a whole gamut of deformed rocks. Therefore, the writer has studied on the weathering of granitic rocks at of Iri city and Jeonju city Jeollabukdo, Korea, The fresh and weathered rocks were used as material for the investigation. The results obtained by chemical analysis and observation are as follows. 1) The order of mobility in major elements was Ca, Na and K$H_2O$ was observed clearly and late stages of weathering processes. 3) The early stage of weathering is commenced by physical weathering and followed by chemical weathering. 4) The ratio of FeO/. $Fe_2O_3$, FeO/MgO, and $SiO_2/Al_2O_3 $ decreased uniformly from early to late stage of weathering processes. 5) It was proved that weathering potential of granite was larger than that of basaltic rocks.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.67-79
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• 2017

Evaluation of the weathering index using the quantitative element composition of rocks is very effective in predicting the degree of weathering of rocks and the secondary weathering residuals. While the process of weathering varies according to the types of rocks, the study of weathering in Korea is concentrated on acidic igneous rocks. This study calculated the weathering indices using whole rock analysis (X-ray fluorescence analysis) of sandstone, mudstone, and shale belonging to clastic sedimentary rocks. The statistical significance of the indices was examined based on the correlation of the calculated weathering indices. Clastic sedimentary rocks showed higher significance of Wp, CIA, CIW and PIA weathering index indicating weathering of feldspar. Chemical Index of alteration (CIA) has the advantage of predicting weathering pathway and clay mineral production, but it is effective to consider chemical index of weathering index (CIW) simultaneously to improve accuracy. In order to reduce uncertainties due to carbonate rocks and to estimate the accurate weathering index, rock samples with high CaO content should be excluded from the evaluation of weathering index.

• 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 Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.17-25
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• 2016

The rocks exposed on the surface undergo expedite weathering process due to the effects of climatic process, etc. and the weathering process changes the properties of minerals, thereby lowering the stability of rocks. Therefore, it is important to examine the composition of minerals in order to investigate the resistance of rocks against weathering, which is performed by weathering sensitivity analysis. And microscopic flaking test was performed for the bored samples in this study and the composition of minerals that are vulnerable to weathering was measured through mode analysis. The lithological and mineralogical weathering factors were evaluated through this process. Furthermore, the degree of progress of weathering was identified by quantitatively measuring the actual mineral composition of rocks through X-Ray diffraction analysis and identifying the secondary minerals through observation with a scanning electron microscope. This analyzing the weathering sensitivity was analyzed to be capable of determining appropriate indicators that can determine weather resistance and predicting the weathering grade using chemical weathering speed.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.299-311
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• 2022

Rocks exposed to the surface are subject to long-term weathering, and such effects weaken their engineering stability. Especially as weathering progresses, the surface of rocks will be changed by weathering, and such surface changes will affect the engineering safety of the rock mass. In addition, the chemical species produced in the weathered rock have a direct effect on the surrounding environment or on the structure. In areas where rocks are exposed, such as mining areas, chemical species produced by weathering can have a serious impact on the surrounding natural environment. In this study, accelerated weathering experiments using freeze/thaw system were conducted on rocks that had already been weathered and fresh rocks, and surface changes of each rock were observed with confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), and chemical species were analyzed using IC/ICP-MS. As the weathering progressed, the surface roughness decreased, and the amount of chemical species produced increased. The results of this study can be used as basic data for evaluating engineering/environmental safety in areas where rocks are exposed.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.5 no.1 s.5
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• pp.20-40
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• 1996

For obtaining the basic data for establishing plan on the conservation of the Gameunsa 3-story and Naweonri 5-story Pagodas located at the Kyeongju city, the characteristics of the rock and weathering phenomena have been investigated. The former consists of quartz-rlch granite containing small amount of biotite, and the latter of alkali granite with abundant perthite, These rock phases are nearly identical to the marginal phase of medium-grained hornblende-biotite granodiorite and alkali granite respectively, which are distributed around the Kyeongju city. The rock weathering may be governed mainly by chemical weathering of feldspar following physical segregation of quartz grains and pervasive moss. The feldspar easily dissolve In the solution with pH<7 to precipitate clay mineral such as a kaolinite as a secondary phase on the feldspar surface. However, the chemical weathering of feldspar may continue when the surface is washed by the rain according to removal of the reprecipitated phase. On forwarding, the weathering may be greatly Influenced by the acid rain. Exfoliation and weathering along igneous lineation resulting in exfoliating along the structural line are the characteristic weathering phenomena. Also the secondary small cracks are irregularly developed on the rocks due to different strain on places by the overall structural unbalance of the pagodas. Along these cracks, the rain water intrudes deeply into the rocks and weathering occurs intensively compared to other parts. Weathering may be artificially promoted by the grinding or sculpturing when the pagodas were made. Because it may influence on the physical properties of the rocks as well as destruct the surface of the feldspar crystals, the major constituents of the rocks, it results in providing the environment of easy chemical weathering along time. For conservation, the pagodas must be structurally balanced by compacting the soil basement and supplementing rocks on the destroyed part. On the exfoliated part it is better not to be artifically treated as using cementing material. But the cracks may be filled up by cementing material to avoid the intrusion of acidic water. To supplement the rocks on the destroyed part, it may be better to use similar rock phases from identical biotite granite and alkali granite masses around the Kyeongju city.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.461-465
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• 2010

Weathering and permeability in rocks play a very important role in underground disposal of radioactive waste and their long-term management as well as stability security of rock structures. Weathering and permeability of rocks are largely controlled by the characters of inner structures of rocks. In other words, weathering rate can be accelerated depending on the quantity of pore and microcrack in rocks. Quantitative evaluation of inner structures of rocks can serve as a tool that can assess the degree of weathering of rocks. Therefore it can be said that the understanding of three dimensional distribution of the inner structure of rocks is important for long-term management of rock structures. This study was performed to analyze three dimensional distribution of pore in rocks using Micro Focus X-ray CT on fresh granite and weathered granite from Korea. Results of the analysis clearly show distribution of pore and porosity of the inner rock.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.1324-1333
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• 2010

This paper is used in a recent civil engineering field in three-dimensional laser-meter tiles using thermal imaging cameras for the weathered rock slopes precisely measured indirectly, to the degree that began in the will. In the field is difficult to access the degree of weathering of the rock slope to the existing direct way to compensate for the shortcomings of 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanner and weathering characteristics of rocks using thermal imaging cameras to get the information to analyze the degree of rock weathering is. Intensity of 3D TLS and the thermal camera with image analysis to analyze the degree of weathering of bedrock in the field of core drilling targeting indoor laboratory tests were analyzed through the study. Granite, gneiss, sandstone, much of the cancerous samples, each experiment has a 40 per category, each of which 30 were used to analyze the data collected. That degree of rock weathering, the rock, depending on the strength of the Intensity values can change, depending on the level of thermal imaging camera, also weathered the changes in temperature could see. Intensity is the strength of weak rocks, the more value decrease, the temperature of the thermal imaging camera through the swell Intensity and notice that the temperature had an inverse relationship. Intensity value of the low strength of weak rock, but the value came out of the rocks have been proved to be largely dependent on the contrast. The contrast of the surface rocks are weathered dark Intensity values lower temperature to swell the contrary, the degree of weathering can be distinguished.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.65-80
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• 1989

Strongly weathered granitic rocks are widely distributed in the south-eastern part of the Ganghwa island. Kaolinite developed during intense weathering on this granitic rocks have been studied mineralogically and chemically. Various weathering indexes were ca1culated on the basis of oxide. Those indexes are slightly varied with depth. It shows that the percentages of $Al_2O_3$ increase but that of $CaO+Na_2O+K_2O$ decrease as the weathering progress. These results indicate that day minerals, mainly kaolinite with the appreciable amount of halloysite, were formed by the weathering of feldspars in the granitic rocks. X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, infrared spectrometry and electron microscopy were used to characterize and estimate crystallinity of the kaolinite. Generally, Kaolinite shows a less sharp basal reflection and relatively low dehydroxylation temperature, indicating disordered kaolinite. They usually occur aggregates as a vermicular kaolinites showing loose basal plane stacking arrangement.