• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
• /
• 2007.04a
• /
• pp.375-378
• /
• 2007

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2010

The Yugeum deposit in Youngduk in Gyungsangbuk-do is emplaced in the Cretaceous granitoids located in the Northeastem Gyeongsang Basin. Gold-bearing quartz veins filling the fracture with a direction of $N19^{\circ}{\sim}38^{\circ}W$ are most abundantly distributed within the Younghae granodiorite body. The formation of quartz veins can be classified into three main stages: barren quartz stage, auriferous quartz vein stage, and finally the extensive sulfide mineralization stage. Various sulfide minerals such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, and arsenopyrite were precipitated during the hydrothermal gold mineralization process. Gold commonly occurs as fine-grained electrum in sulfides with high Au concentration (up to 93 wt%) compared to Ag. During the early gold mineralization stage, the temperature and pressure of the fluids are in the range of $220{\sim}250^{\circ}C$ and 730~1800 bar, and the oxygen fugacity is between $10^{-27}$ and $10^{-31.7}$ atm. On the other hand, the fluids of the late stage mineralization are characterized by temperature of $290{\sim}350^{\circ}C$ and pressure of 206~472 bar, and the oxygen fugacity is in the range of $10^{-26.3}{\sim}10^{-28.6}$ atm. The sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals are in the range of $0.2{\sim}4.2^{\circ}/_{\circ\circ}$, while the ${\delta}^{34}SH_2S$ values range from 1.0 to $3.7^{\circ}/_{\circ\circ}$. The Ag/Au atomic ratios of electrum ranges from 0.15 to 1.10, and Au content is higher than Ag in most electrum. During the main gold mineralization stage at the relatively high temperature condition and with pH from 4.5 to 5.5, the stability of ${AuCl_2}^-$ increased while the stability of ${Au(HS)_2}^-$ decreased. Considering the pressure estimated in this deposit, the temperature of the ore fluid reached higher than $350^{\circ}C$ and ${AuCl_2}^-$ became an important species for the gold transportation. As mineralization proceeded with decreasing temperature and increasing pH and $f_{o2}$, the precipitation of sulfide minerals and accompanying electrum occurred.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2008

The Bongsang gold-silver deposit consists of quartz veins that fill along the fault Bone within Cretaceous andesitic lapilli tuff. Mineralization is occurred within fault-breccia zones and can be divided into two stages. Stage I which can be subdivided into early and late depositional stages is main ore mineralization and stage II is barren. Stage I began with deposition of wall-rock alteration minerals and base-metal sulfides, and was deposited by later native silver, Ag-bearing tetrahedrite, polybasite and base-metal sulfides such like pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. Fluid inclusion data indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinities of stage I range from 137 to $336^{\circ}C$ and from 0.0 to 10.6 wt.% NaCl, respectively. It suggests that ore forming fluids were cooled and diluted with the mixing of meteoric water. Also, temperature and sulfur fugacity deduced mineral assemblages of late stage I are $<210^{\circ}C\;and\;<10^{-15.4}$ atm, respectively. Sulfur(3.4%o) isotope composition indicates that ore sulfur was mainly derived from a magmatic source as well as the host rocks. The calculated oxygen{2.9%o, 10.3%o(quartz: 7.9%o, 8.9%o, calcite: 2.9%o, 10.3%o)}, hydrogen(-75%o) and carbon(-7.0%o, -5.9%o) isotope compositions indicate that hydrothermal fluids may be meteoric origin with some degree of mixing of another meteoric water for paragenetic time.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.493-507
• /
• 2018

The Wooseok deposit in Jecheon belongs to the Hwanggangri Mineralized Distict of the northeastern Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt. Its geology consists mostly of limestone of the Choseon Supergroup and the Cretaceous Muamsa granite intruded at the eastern area of the deposit. The deposit shows vertical occurrence of skarn and hydrothermal vein ores with W-Mo-Fe and Cu-Pb-Zn mineralization and skarn is developed only at lower levels of the deposit. Skarn minerals are replaced or cut by ore minerals in paragenetic sequence of magnetite-hematite, molybdenite-scheelite-wollframite, and higher abundances of pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite-sphalerite-galena. Garnet has chemical compositions of $Ad_{65.9-97.8}Gr_{0.3-32.0}Pyr_{0.9-3.0}$, corresponding to andradite series, and pyroxene compositions are $Hd_{4.5-49.7}Di_{42.3-93.9}Jo_{0.5-7.9}$, prevailing in diopside compositions, both of which suggest oxidized conditions of skarnization. On the FeS-MnS-CdS ternary diagram, FeS contents of sphalerite in vein ores decrease with increasing MnS contents from bottom to top levels, possibly relating to W mineralization in deep and Pb-Zn mineralization in shallow level. Sulfur isotope values of sulfide minerals range from 5.1 to 6.8‰, reflecting magmatic sulfur affected by host rocks. W-Mo skarn and Pb-Zn vein mineralization in the Wooseok deposit were established by spatio-temporal variation of decreasing temperature and oxygen fugacity with increasing sulfur fugacity from bottom to top levels.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.351-363
• /
• 2012

In order to develop the evaluation techniques for the potential sulfide ore reserves, the relationships between the modal vol.%, grain sizes and textural characteristics of the constituent minerals (e.g., sulfides, oxides and skarn minerals) and the Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) phase differences are examined for the nine rock cores collected from the Gagok Pb-Zn skarn deposit. The Gagok Pb-Zn skarn deposit occurs mainly along the intrusive contact between the Cretaceous granitic rocks and Cambrian Myobong slate and Pungchon limestone. The nine rock cores have been grouped into three showing distinctive SIP phase differences: the highest (Group I), intermediate (Group II) and lowest (Group III). In relation with the modal vol.% of minerals, Group I is characterized by higher pyrrhotite (25-38 vol.%) and amphibole (40-55 vol.%); Group II by intermediate pyrrhotite (7-13 vol.%) and higher garnet (44-68 vol.%); and lower pyrrhotite (1-7 vol.%) and higher pyroxene (24-66 vol.%) stand for Group III. Furthermore, the grains of all the major constituent minerals become smaller from Group I (<5 mm) through Group II (<2.5 mm) to Group III (<1.6 mm). In particular, the pyrrhotite contents and their grain sizes show logarithmic correlation with the SIP phase differences, Although we present here the results solely from nine samples, the systematic interrelations especially for pyrrhotite indicate the potential ability of SIP measurements as a new mine-evaluation technique for the sulfide ore reservoir.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.35-44
• /
• 2017

The Hadong-Sancheong Proterozoic anorthosite complex occurs in the southwestern region of the Ryongnam massif. The geology of the area mainly consists of metamorphic rocks of the Jirisan metamorphic complex as basement rocks, charnockite, and the Hadong-Sancheong anorthosite, which are intruded by the Mesozoic igneous rocks. Hadong-Sancheong anorthosite complex is divided into the Sancheong anorthosite and the Hadong anorthosite which occur at north-southern and south area of the Jurassic syenite, respectively. The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing dike-like ore bodies developed intermittently in the Hadong anorthosite with north-south direction and extend about 14 km. The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing ore bodies consist mainly of magnetite and ilmenite with rutile, titanite, and minor amounts of sulfides(pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite). The Hadong Fe-Ti-bearing ore bodies show a paragenetic sequence of magnetite-ilmenite ${\rightarrow}$ magnetite-ilmenite-pyrrhotite ${\rightarrow}$ ilmenite-pyrrhotite-rutile-titanite(and/or pyrite) ${\rightarrow}$ sulfides. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation of the mineral paragenesis and assemblages indicate that early Fe-Ti-bearing ore mineralization in the ore bodies occurs at about $700^{\circ}C$ which corresponds to oxygen fugacity of about $10^{-11.8}{\sim}10^{-17.2}$ atm with the decrease tendency of sulfur fugacity to about $10^0$ atm as equilibrium of $Fe_3O_4-FeS$. The change of ore mineral assemblages from Fe-Ti-bearing minerals to sulfides in late ore mineralization of the ore bodies indicates that oxygen fugacity would have slightly decreased to ${\geq}10^{-20.2}$ atm and increased sulfur fugacity to ${\geq}10^0$ atm.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.203-210
• /
• 2002

In order to elucidate the growth mechanism of sulfide chimney formed as a result of seafloor hydrothermal mineralization, we carried out the mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies on the inactive, sulfide- and silica-rich chimney which has been recovered from a hydrothermal field in the Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. According to previous studies, many active and inactive vents are present in the Cleft segment. The sulfide- and silica-rich chimney is composed of amorphous silica, pyrite, sphalerite and wurtzite with minor amounts of chalcopyrite and marcasite. The interior part of the chimney is highly porous and represents a flow channel. Open spaces within chimneys are typically coated with colloform layers of amorphous silica. The FeS content of Zn-sulfides varies widely from 13.9 to 34.3 mole% with Fe-rich core and Fe-poor rims. This variation possibly reflects the change of physicochemical characteristics of hydrothermal fluids. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of the each growth zone are also varied, possibly due to a thermal gradient. Based on the microthermometric measurements of liquid-rich, two-phase inclusions in amorphous silica that was precipitated in the late stage of mineralization, minimum trapping temperatures are estimated to be about 1140 to 145$^{\circ}$C with the salinities between 3.2 and 4.8 wt.% NaCI equiv. Although the actual fluid temperatures of the vent are not available, this study suggests that the lowtemperature conditions were predominant during the mineralization in the hydrothermal field at Cleft segment. Comparing with the previously reported chimney types, the morphology, colloform texture, bulk chemistry, and a characteristic mineral assemblage (pyrite + marcasite + wurtzite + amorphous silica) of this chimney indicate that the chimney have been formed from a relatively low-temperature (<250$^{\circ}$C) hydrothermal fluid that was changed by sluggish fluid flow and conductive cooling.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.423-435
• /
• 2001

The gold-silver vein deposits in the Mugeug mineralized area are emplaced in late Cretaceous biotite granite associated with the pull-apart type Cretaceous Eumseong basin. Mugeug mine in northern part is composed of multiple veins showing relatively high gold fineness and is characterized by sericitization, chloritization and epidotization. The ore-forming fluids were evolved by dilution and cooling mechanisms at relatively high temperature and salinity (=30$0^{\circ}C$,1~9 equiv. wt. % NaCl) and highly-evolved meteoric water ($\delta$$^{18}$ O;-1.2~3.7$\textperthousand$) and gold mineralization associated with sulfides tormed at temperatures between 260 and 22$0^{\circ}C$ and within sulfur fugacity range of 10$^{-11.5}$ ~ 10$^{-13.5}$ atm. In contrast, Geumwang, Geumbong and Taegueg mines show the low fineness values, in southern part are characterized by increasing tendency of simple and/or stockwork veins and by kaolinitization, silicificatitan, carbonatization and smectitization. These droposits formed at relatively low temperature and salinity (<23$0^{\circ}C$, <3 equiv. wt. % NaCl) from ore-forming fluids containing greater amounts of less-evolved meteoric waters ($\delta$$^{18}$ O;-5.5~4.0$\textperthousand$), and silver mineralization representing various gold-and/or silver-bearing minerals formed at temperatures between 200 and 15$0^{\circ}C$ and from sulfur fugacity range of 10$^{-15}$ ~10$^{-18}$ atm These results imply that mineralization in the Mugueg area formed at shallow-crustal level and categorize these deposits as low-sulfidation epithermal type. The genetic differences between the northern and southern parts reflect the evolution of the hydrothermal system due to a different physicochemical environment from heat source area (Mugeug mine) to marginal area (Taegeum mine) in a geothermal field.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2022

In the present study, the thermodynamic evaluation of the sulfate-roasting process was conducted to extract vanadium from the Korean vanadium titano-magnetite ore. The leaching efficiency of vanadium and other impurities was analyzed for varying roasting temperatures and addition of Na₂SO₄. In the case of sulfate roasting, the roasting temperature was 200 ℃ higher than that previously observed Na₂CO₃ roasting. However, the higher leaching efficiency of vanadium and lower leaching efficiency of other impurities, such as aluminum and silicon, were observed. The high selectivity for the extraction of vanadium in sulfate roasting would result from the reaction mechanism between SO₂ gas and vanadium concentrate.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.183-199
• /
• 2008

This study is focused on characterization of the physio-chemical and mineralogical properties, investigation of their vertical changes in the tailing profile of the Guryoung mining area, classification of the profile into distinct zones, and condition conceptual model of physio-chemical conditions and phases-water relationships controlling the element behaviors in the tailings. The upper part of the groundwater is characterized by the high contents of $Fe_2O_3$ and $SO_3$ for whole rock analysis, low pH, and the occurrence of jarosite, schwertmannite and Fe-oxyhydroxide as the secondary mineral phases. The tailing profile can be divided into the covering soil, jarosite zone, Fe-sulfate zone, Fe-oxyhydroxide and gypsum-bearing pyrite zone, calcite-bearing pyrite zone, soil zone, and weathered zone on the based of the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics. The profile can be sampled into the oxidized zone and the carbonate-rich primary zone with the dramatic changes in pH and the secondary mineral phases. The conceptual model proposed for the tailing profile can be summarized that the oxidation of pyrite is the most important reaction controlling the changes in pH, the dissolution of the primary silicates and carbonates, the precipitation of secondary mineral phases, acid-neutralizing, and heavy metal behaviors through the profile.