• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.585-596
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• 2020

The 2017 Pohang Earthquakes occurred near a drill site in the Pohang Enhanced Geothermal System. Water injected for well stimulation was believed to have reactivated the buried near-critically stressed Miocene faults by the accumulation of the Quaternary tectonic strain. However, surface expressions of the Quaternary tectonic activity had not been reported near the epicenter of the earthquakes before the site construction. Unusual, large-scale water-escaped structures were identified 4 km away from the epicenter during a post-seismic investigation. The water-escaped structures comprise Miocene mudstones injected into overlying Pleistocene coastal sediments that formed during Marine Isotope Stage 5. This indicates the vulnerable state of the mudstones long after deposition, resulted from the combined effects of rapid tectonic uplift (before significant diagenesis) and the development of an aquifer at their unconformable interface of the mudstone. Based on the detailed field analysis and consideration of all possible endogenic triggers, we interpreted the structures to have been formed by elevated pore pressures in the mudstones (thixotropy), triggered by cyclic ground motion during the earthquakes. This interpretation is strengthened by the presence of faults 400 m from the study area, which cut unconsolidated coastal sediment deposited after Marine Isotope Stage 5. Geological context, including high rates of tectonic uplift in SE Korea, paleo-seismological research on Quaternary faults near the study area, and historical records of paleoearthquakes in SE Korea, also support the interpretation. Thus, epicenter and surrounding areas of the 2017 Pohang Earthquake are considered as a paleoseismologically active area, and the causative fault of the 2017 Pohang Earthquakes was expected to be nearly critical state.

• 한국지구과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.71-72
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• 2003

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.171-181
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• 2002

Glauconization was investigated by morphological and chemical analysis of glaucony from the Pohang Tertiary marine sediments. The glaucony, which is present sparsely in turbidite sandstones, shows two distinct stages in morphology and chemistry. Crystallization of glaucony starts preferentially from the interior of pellet-like grains, then to the outer region of the grains with increasing K and Fe, and decreasing Al. Furthermore, smectite-like glaucony is evolved into illite-like glaucony through interstratified glauconite-smectite with increases in K and Al, and decrease in Fe.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.311-324
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• 2006

In the Pohang-Gampo area, several diatomite beds occurred in mostly thinner than 1 m are embedded in the Pohang Formation of marine environment and the pyroclastic Eoil Formation. The diatomite from the Eoil Formation is constituting the high-grade ore altered slightly by diagenesis. In contrast, the diatomite intercalated within the upper horizon of the Yeonil Group is comparatively low-grade and highly altered in places. During diagenesis, an increasing of crystallinity of opal, i.e., the original mineral component of diatom, results in ultimately the mineral transition to quartz with accompanying a drastic change in morphology and texture of the altered diatomite. The diagenetic alteration appears to have undergone by way of the chemical diagenesis, which is largely controlled by degree of fluid contact, rather than burial diagenesis. For the diatomite from the Pohang-Gampo area, careful SEM observations, XRD, chemical analyses, and determination of specific surface area were done to identify the fossil species, mineral and chemical composition, and other physical properties in the view of assesment of grade and quality. The domestic diatomite ores are evaluated to be not good in grade and quality, compared to those of famous foreign localities. However, some diatomite deposits of marin,: origin from the Pohang Formation is constituting a peculiar clay-rich type, i.e., moler applicable to the special usage such as a manufacturing of lightweight brick. Because such a diatomite is frequently intercalated relatively as a thicker bed in the upper part of the Yeonil Group, a systematic and careful investigation should be done for the exploitation and development of an economic diatomite deposit of the moler type.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.217-246
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• 2018

During the selection and characterization of target formations in the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin, we have carefully investigated the possibility of induced earthquakes and leakage of $CO_2$ during the injection, and have designed the storage processes to minimize these effects. However, people in Pohang city have a great concern on $CO_2$-injection-intrigued seismicity, since they have greatly suffered from the 5.4 magnitude earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. The research team of the project performed an extensive self-investigation on the safety issues, especially on the possible $CO_2$ leakage from the target formation and induced earthquakes. The target formation is 10 km apart from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake and the depth is also quite shallow, only 750 to 800 m from the sea bottom. The project performed a pilot injection in the target formation from Jan. 12 to Mar. 12, 2017, which implies that there are no direct correlation of the Pohang earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. In addition, the $CO_2$ injection of the storage project does not fracture rock formations, instead, the supercritical $CO_2$ fluid replaces formation water in the pore space gradually. The self-investigation results show that there is almost no chance for the injection to induce significant earthquakes unless injection lasts for a very long time to build a very high pore pressure, which can be easily monitored. The amount of injected $CO_2$ in the project was around 100 metric-tonne that is irrelevant to the Pohang earthquake. The investigation result on long-term safety also shows that the induced earthquakes or the reactivation of existing faults can be prevented successfully when the injection pressure is controlled not to demage cap-rock formation nor exceed Coulomb stresses of existing faults. The project has been performing extensive studies on critical stress for fracturing neighboring formations, reactivation stress of existing faults, well-completion processes to minimize possible leakage, transport/leakage monitoring of injected $CO_2$, and operation procedures for ensuring the storage safety. These extensive studies showed that there will be little chance in $CO_2$ leakage that affects human life. In conclusion, the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin would not cause any induced earthquakes nor signifiant $CO_2$ leakage that people can sense. The research team will give every effort to secure the safety of the storage site.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.29
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• pp.65-80
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• 2023

This study investigated seven specimens of lead-glazed paving bricks in order to identify the materialistic characteristics of the lead glaze used for paving bricks during the late Unified Silla period in Korea. The samples were excavated from the Beopgwangsa Temple site, Pohang. As a result of observing the surface and cross-section of the glaze with a microscope, the study confirmed that the lead glaze demonstrates various traits of hydration, which were classified into four layers: Surface layer, hydration layer A, hydration layer B, and green layer. After measuring the composition of each layer with SEM-EDS analysis, the green layer was found to have been less affected by the external environment, which renders it highly reasonable to view the green layer as the original composition of the lead glaze. The green layer is a low-temperature glaze composed mainly of PbO and SiO₂ at a ratio of 8:2, with approximately 2% CuO acting as the main colorant. Comparing the green layer composition with those from Gyeongsang-do, it was confirmed that the mixture ratio of lead glaze materials was similar to other sites such as the Sacheonwangsa Temple site, the Cheonryongsa Temple site, and the Buseoksa Temple site.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.161-174
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• 2018

$CO_2$ storage site for small-scale demonstration has been investigated in Yeongil Bay, Pohang, SE Korea, using seismic survey and exploration well data. We found a potential storage formation consisting mainly of conglomerate and sandstone. The storage formation unconformably overlies volcanic basement rocks that are located in a depth from 650 to 950 m (below sea level). The depth of the storage formation is suitable for injecting supercritical $CO_2$ in the Pohang Basin. The average thickness of the storage formation is about 123 m, which possibly provides sufficient capacity at the level of small-scale storage demonstration. The overlying fine-grained deposits consist mainly of marine hemipelagic muds and interlayered turbidite sands. The overlying formation is considered as a good seal rock that is over 600 m thick and widely distributed in the onshore and offshore portions of the basin. NNE-trending faults found in the study area likely formed at basement level, probably not continue to seafloor. Such faults are interpreted as syndepositional faults involved to the basin initiation. This study reveals that the offshore area of the Pohang Basin contains deep geological formations suitable for small-scale $CO_2$ storage demonstration.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.211-222
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• 2021

The magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in 2017 near 7.5 km north of Buk-gu, Pohang. In order to find out the characteristics of microtremor in Buk-gu, Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where earthquake damage occurred significantly, a total of 39 points were acquired to analyze the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR). Microtremor vary from region to region, so the resonant frequency of the region is obtained by examining the microtremor. For Thickness analysis, we analyze the structure and properties of shear wave velocity (Vs) up to the underlying rock to compare resonance frequencies to match the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) analysis technique against nearby boring data. Using F₀ = V_s/4H with a resonance frequency of alluvium is 1.3 ± 0.07 Hz and a resonance frequency of Yeonil group is 0.69 ± 0.22 Hz, the alluvium thickness was found to be 26~30 m and the Yeonil group thickness was 170~250 m.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2018

We analyze geological, petrophysical and geomechanical characteristics of a $CO_2$ sequestration test site, Pohang. The target reservoir exists at a depth of 750 m, where porous and permeable sandstones/conglomerates prevail. The reservoir is underlain by thick mudstone formations. We estimate in situ stress conditions using an exploratory wellbore drilled through the target reservoir. The in situ stress condition is characterized by a strike-slip faulting favored stress regime. We discuss various aspects of reservoir fracture pressures and fault reactivation pressures based on the stress magnitudes.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.2 no.2 s.3
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• pp.91-99
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• 1994

In the Heunghae area, genetic relationships among sedimentary facies, lithology, stratigraphy and diagenetic mineral facies of the Yeonil Group, are discussed. Conglomerate and sandstone of lower to middle parts of the Yeonil Group contain considerable amounts of volcaniclastic sediments, which were derived from the Tertiary volcanics exposed in the western margins of the sedimentary basin. A new stratigraphic division of the Yeonil Group into the Chunbuk and Pohang Formations is proposed on the basis of sedimentary facies, lithologic characteristics including volcaniclastic feature, and the presence of a key bed of siliceous mudstone overlying the Chunbuk Formation. Diagenetic mineral facies largely depend on the lithology and composition of sediments. Heulandite, smectite, calcite, and opal-CT are commonly found as diagenetic minerals in the Yeonil Group. Among these authigenic minerals, heulandite occurs as the coarse- grained main cement in conglomerates and sandstones of the Chunbuk Formation. Formation of the zeolite cement is favored by partial volcaniclastic lithology of the Chunbuk Formation. Smectite composition and diagenetic mineral facies such as heulandite and opal-CT may reflect that the Yeoil Group has undergone a shallow rial temperature ranging $40{\~}60^{\circ}C$.