• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.475-499
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• 2023

To infer the provenance of raw iron materials utilized in iron production at the archaeological sites in Gyeongsang province, petrographic and geochemical analyses were conducted for smelting samples and major iron ores sourced from ore deposits. The smelting samples excavated from various iron archaeological sites were classified into different types according to their refining processes, such as iron bloom, iron bloom slag, pig iron, pig iron slag, forging iron flake, smithery iron, iron flake, and arrowhead. These samples exhibited discernable differences in their mineralogical components and texture. The enrichments of major elements such as aluminum and calcium in silicate minerals of the residual slags and the high contents of trace elements such as nickel and copper in some iron-making relics reflect the characteristics of raw iron ores, and thus can be regarded as potential indicators for inferring the provenance of source materials. In particular, the compositional ranges of Pb-Sr isotope ratios for the iron smelting samples were classified into three categories: 1) those exhibiting similar ratios to those of the raw iron ores, 2) those enriched in strontium isotope ratio, and 3) those enriched in both lead and strontium isotope ratios. The observed distinct Pb-Sr isotope characteristics in the iron smelting samples suggest the potential contribution of specific additives being introduced during the high-temperature refining process. These results provide a new perspective on the interpretation of the provenance study of the iron archaeological samples in Gyeongsang province, particularly in terms of the potential contribution of additives on the refining process.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.4-11
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• 2016

This study compares eight bronze spoons in the Goryeo Dynasty and analyzes their components and lead isotopes in order to confirm the relationship between their production sites and excavation sites. Most of the excavated spoons have elliptical heads, and their handles are categorized into two types. Bronze spoons are made of binary Cu-Sn alloys, but Pb is not added. The same artifacts can have different trace elements depending on location, and the spoons had high Ag content. According to an analysis of their lead isotopic ratio, they were made with raw materials produced in Zone 3 of the South Korean galena map. If the data of the trace elements in the raw ores of the bronze is accumulated, it can be used to indicate the provenance of the artifacts.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.559-569
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• 2022

This study investigated the acidification and mixing with seawater of groundwater, stream water, and reservoir water in the Hunghae area of Pohang City, as well as the source of water expelled to the stream by liquefaction induced by the Pohang earthquake on 15 November 2017. Geologically, the area consists of Tertiary sedimentary rocks. We collected six samples of groundwater, five of reservoir water, four of stream water, two of liquefaction water, and one of seawater to analyze the chemical composition and stable isotopes (𝛿D and 𝛿¹⁸O). Gogkang Stream flows eastward through the central part of the study area into the East Sea. The groundwater and reservoir water in the lower part of the stream are acidic (pH < 4), have a Ca(Mg)-SO₄ composition, and high concentrations of Al, Fe, and Mn, likely due to the oxidation of pyrite in Tertiary rocks. The groundwater in the upper part of the stream have a Ca(Na)-HCO₃(Cl) composition, indicating the mixing of seawater with the stream water. The 𝛿D and 𝛿¹⁸O isotope data indicate the isotopic enrichment of reservoir water by evaporation. Based on the chemical and isotopic data, it is inferred that the two samples of liquefaction water originated from alluvium water in a transition zone with stream water, and from deep and shallow groundwaters that has been infiltrated by seawater, respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.315-326
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• 2008

Recently, the occurrence and intensity of Asian Dust have dramatically increased in Korean peninsula, resulting in severe damages to the domestic social and economic field. The most useful way to prevent the damage of Asian Dust is the restraint of the occurrence of Asian Dust itself. However, Asian dust is the one of the natural phenomena, thus there is a basic limit to manage the Asian Dust. Though it is impossible to restrain the occurrence of Asian Dust in short time at present, it is a urgent matter to minimize the damage of Asian Dust. It is necessary to construct the basic data for understanding the harmfulness of Asian Dust, and to elucidate the source area of Asian Dust in connection with the maleficence of itself. In this study, the source area of Asian Dust in spring, 2007, is investigated using the Sr-Nd isotopic ratios which is the most common method to trace the source of geological materials. The relationships of Sr-Nd isotope ratios indicate that Asian Dust was originated from Central Loess Plateau and/or Ordos desert in spring, 2007.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.166-184
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• 1997

The Wondong caldea is a deeply eroded structure that offers spectacular exposures through the core and margins of a resurgent caldera. The Wondong Tuff and the postcollapse intrusions range from medium-silica rhyolite to rhyodacite in composition and the postcollapse lava and tuff, preresurgent and resurgent intrusions also range from medium-silica rhyolite to an-desite, which jump to gap dacite composition. The continuous compositional zonations generally define a large stratified magma system in the postcollapse and resurgent magma chamber. Isotopic and trace element evidence suggest that the compositional zonations might have resulted from the differentiations from crystal fractionations of a parental andesitic magma, accompanying a little contamination from the crustal assimilations near the chamber roof and wall. But chemically and isotopically distinct late intusions might have resulted from emplacement of any different magma batch.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.116-124
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• 2000

Geochemical and isotopic analyses were carried out to investigate hydrochemical characteristics, source of carbon species in the carbonated waters in South Korea. Most Korean carbonated waters from different geologic settings are characterized by a Ca-HCO$_3$type with a relatively low pH range from 5.3 to 6.3 (avg. 6.0). The concentrations of cations and anions in the carbonate waters are in the order of Ca$^{2＋}$>Na$^{＋}$>Mg$^{2＋}$>Si$^{4＋}$>Fe$^{2＋}$>K$^{＋}$ and HCO$_3$$^{－}$>SO$_4$$^{2－}$>Cl$^{－}$, respectively. The HCO$_3$$^{－}$ ion is more enriched in the carbonated water from the sedimentary rock and granitic rock of Mesozoic age in the Gyungsang basin(GII) and the Precambrian metamorphic rock and Jurassic granitic rocks of the Gyunggj massif in the Gangwon province(GⅠ) than those of the meta-sedimentary rock and granite in the Ogcheon zone(GⅢ). Based on the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic data, the carbonated waters are derived from the meteoric water, showing apparent latitude and altitude effects. The $delta$$^{13}$C values of carbon species in the carbonated water are in between -6.23 and 0.0 $textperthousand$, suggesting inorganic source of carbon originated from the carbonate mineral and carbonate rock in the aquifer.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.77-97
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• 1998

We analyzed geochemical and radiogenic isotope data to investigate the genesis and source characteristics of the Onjeongri granite in the northern part of the Gyeongsang Basin. Field observation and K-Ar ages confirm late Cretaceous intrusion (ca. 87 Ma) of the Onjeongri granite. The hornblende geobarometery gives less than 2 kbar for the emplacement pressure of the Onjeongri granite. Geochemical and isotopic compositions suggest that the Onjeongri granite was formed in a relatively immature arc system. $SiO_2$ contents show a negative linear relationship with initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios, and an apparent positive correlation with $^{207}Pb/^{204}Pb$ ratios, suggesting an incomplete mixing or assimilation. However, the isotopic data known for any exposed rocks of the study area do not fit as an endmember, implying that the contaminant might reside in the lower crust. A review of published isotopic ages, geochemical, and Sr and Nd isotopic data for the Cretaceous to Tertiary granites in the Gyeongsang Basin indicates the followings. 1) Granitic magmatism in the Gyeongsang Basin were episodic. 2) Granitic rocks in the basin were derived from young (< 0.9 Ga) lower crust, and their isotopic signatures reflect heterogeneous source region. Geochemical and isotopic signatures of granitic rocks in the basin are difficult to explain by upper crustal contamination. 3) Granites in the Gyeongsang Basin have closely related to those in the San in Belt of the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan in terms of age, petrography, and isotopic and geochemical composition. 4) Sr-Nd isotopic signatures of the Onjeongri granite are relatively primitive compared with granitic rocks in the other parts of the Gyeongsang Basin and in the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.224-237
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• 2004

The anorthositic rocks of the study area are divided into the northern Sancheong and southern Hadong anorthositic rocks depending on the different distribution patterns and lithologies. In order to evaluate the characteristics of the hydrothermal systems developed in the study area, oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the anorthositic rocks were measured. Oxygen isotopic values of the plagioclase exhibit an interesting spatial distribution. Plagioclase collected from the Sancheong anorthositic rocks in the northern part tends to have a relatively restricted range of $\delta$$^{18/0}$ values between 7.3 and 8.8$\textperthousand$, which are heavier than 'normal' $\delta$$^{18/O}$ value (6-6.5$\textperthousand$) typical for plagioclase of the fresh mantle-derived anorthosite, whereas plagioclase from the southern part is characterized by a wide range of $\delta$$^{18/O}$ values between -4.4 and 8.2$\textperthousand$ and much lighter values than 'normal' value for plagioclase of the fresh mantle-derived anorthosite. Plagioclase from the middle part has $\delta$$^{18/O}$ values heavier than the plagioclase from the southern part, but lighter than that from the northern part. The spatial distribution of $\delta$$^{18/O}$ values suggests that the decoupled hydrothermal flow systems might have been developed in the study area. Meteoric water dominated in the hydrothermal flow systems developed in the southern area, whereas magmatic fluid dominated in the northern area. The relationship between water content and hydrogen isotopic composition of anorthosites shows a positive correlation. The positive correlation indicates that fluids exsolved from magma during magmatic differentiation caused deuteric alteration of anorthositic rocks involving replacement of pyroxenes to amphiboles. After the deuteric alteration, hydrothermal system developed by meteoric water dominated the southern area, and erased record of the hydrothermal system developed by magmatic fluid at earlier stage. However, the development of meteoric hydrothermal system has been limited in the southern area only, and could not affect the Sancheong anorthositic rocks in the northern area. The abundant occurrences of secondary alteration minerals such as sericite, calcite, and chlorite in the southern Hadong anorthosite relative to the northern Sancheong anorthositc seem to be related to the overlapping of two distinct hydrothermal systems in the southern area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 1999

Hydrothermal gold deposits of the Trabong district in Vietnam occur as single-stage quartz $\pm$ calcite veins (0.3-1.2 m thick) which fill fault fractures in graphite-bearing gneiss and schist of the Chulai Complex and Kham Duc Formation of the Proterozoic age. Ore grades are 1.3 to 92.4 g/ton Au. Ore mineralogy is very simple, consisting mainly of pyrite with minor amounts of base-metal sulfides and electrum. Gold grains occur in two assemblages as follows: (1) early, Fe-rich (7.2-10.4 mole % FeS) sphalerite + electrum (50.4-64.3 atom % Au) assemblage occurring as inclusions in pyrite; (2) late, Fe-poor «4.7 mole % FeS) sphalerite + galena + electrum (47.6-81.7 atom % Au) assemblage occurring along fractures of pyrites. Based on fluid inclusion data and thermochemical considerations of ore mineral assemblages, ore minerals were formed at high temperatures (about $230^{\circ}C$ to $420^{\circ}C$) from $H_{2}O-CO_{2}(-CH_{4})$-NaCI fluids with the sulfur fugacity of about $10^{-6}$ to $10^{-10}$ atm. Fluid inclusion data also indicate that ore mineralization occurred mainly as a result of fluid unmixing accompanying $CO_2$ effervescence. Calculated oxygen and measured hydrogen isotope compositions of mineralizing waters (${\delta}^{18}O_{V-SMOW}$ values = 5.3 to 8.6$\textperthousand$, ${\delta}D_{V-SMOW}$ values = - 60 to - 52$\textperthousand$), along with the sulfur isotope compositions of vein sulfides (${\delta}^{34}S_{CDR}$ values = - 1.2 to 2.8$\textperthousand$) and carbon isotope compositions of inclusion $CO_2$ (${\delta}^{13}C_{PDB}$ values = - 4.7 to - 2.0$\textperthousand$) indicate that the high temperature (mesohypothermal) gold mineralization formed from a magmatic fluid.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.161-176
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• 1998

There are exposed Samrangjin Tuff and intracaldera intrusions, of which rhyolitic rocks emplaced as postcollapsed central and ring intrusions within the Samrangjin caldera, and fine-grained granodiorite and biotite granite as regional tectonic intrusions nearby. The Samrangjin Tuff and the rhyolitic rocks are of a single Samrangjin magmatic system. Flow-banded rhyolite among rhyolitic rocks was emplaced in the outer part of the ring intrusions, rhyodacite in the inner part of the eastern ring, and porphyritic dacite and dacite porphyry in the inner part of the northwestern ring. Totally the Samrangjin Tuff and the rhyolitic rocks range from rhyolite to dacite in chemical composition. The Rb-Sr isotopic data of the Samrangjin Tuff and the rhyolitic rocks yield an age of $80.8{\pm}1.5(2{\sigma})$ Ma with the initial $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratio of $0.70521{\pm}0.00010(2{\sigma})$. The continuous compositional zonations generally define a large stratified magma system in the postcollapse magma chamber. The Sr isotopic data suggest that the compositional zonations might have resulted from the fractional crystallization of a parental dacitic magma.