• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

The Wugang banded iron formation (BIF) is located within the Taihua complex at the southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). In this study, we analyzed major elements and rare-earth elements in iron ores from the Wugang BIF, to study the type of BIFs and their formation mechanism in combination with previously-published data from the literature. We found that the iron ores from the Wugang BIF display two types of banding textures, which can be described as weak banding or no banding. The samples are composed of coarse-grained magnetite, quartz, pyroxene, and amphibole. Based on our geochemical results, mixing of a hydrothermal fluid with sea water led to the precipitation of the Wugang BIF, and there is evidence of crustal contamination. These results, combined with previous literature data, almost all of the iron ores lack Ce anomalies, though some samples show negative Ce anomalies. Our results indicate that the Wugang BIF was formed in a dominantly reducing environment, although the surfaces were relatively oxidized. Geochemical evidence suggests that the Wugang BIF iron ores were formed in a near-shore continental-shelf environment or in a back-arc basin. The BIF is known as interbedded with migmatite, amphibole gneiss, minor quartz and marble, which indicating lack of volcanic materials input. This study, combined with previous results on geochemical interpretation of related wall rock of Wugang BIF, demonstrated that Wugang BIF belongs to Superior-type BIF.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.303-311
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• 2022

Gadolinium, commonly used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is discharged into aquatic environments without removal after treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) because of its high stability. In this study, we collected water samples from Suyeong WWTP, Busan, to investigate the dissolved rare earth element (REE) removal capacity of each wastewater treatment process and to evaluate the discharge of anthropogenic Gd (Gd_anth) from effluents. As wastewater passed through each stage of treatment, the concentrations of light REEs (La-Eu) decreased, whereas those of heavy REEs (Tb-Lu) were relatively consistent. Negative Sm anomalies (<1) were observed in several samples, indicating that Sm can be removed by adsorption onto particles or phosphate during the biological removal process. Positive Gd anomalies (149±50, n=9) were observed in all samples. The ratios of Gd_anth concentrations to measured Gd concentrations in all wastewater treatment processes were higher than 97%. This indicates that Gd_anth was discharged to the Suyeong River without removal during the wastewater treatment process. Considering the daily treatment capacity in each process, the total flux of Gd_anth was estimated to be 259 mmol/day. Our results suggest that mid- and/or long-term monitoring of Gd is needed because Gd_anth is continuously discharged into Suyeong Bay through WWTPs.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.10 no.1_2 s.11
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• pp.18-22
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• 2004

To identify and interpret the distribution and the characteristics of the gas hydrate layers in the Ulleung Basin, we have surveyed and gathered the multi-channel seismic data, Chirp sub-bottom profiler, SeaBeam and 12 m piston core samples since 1996. In previous works, high-resolution seismic profiles showed acoustic anomalies such as acoustic void, acoustic turbidity and pock mark which indicate the presence of gas-charged sediments. The patterns of horizontal degassing cracks originated from free methane expansion is the strong indicator of shallow gas-charged sediments in the core samples. The observation of submarine slides and slumps from destabilizing the sediments in the southern part of the Ulleung Basin may also point out that the gas had been released from gas hydrate dissociation during lowstand of sea level. The multi-channel seismic data show BSR, blanking and phase reversal. The gas hydrate layers above which large-scale shallow gases are distributed exist at the depth of about 200 m from the sea-floor with water depth of 2,100 m. From the interpretation of seismic sections in the southern Ulleung Basin, gas hydrate layers occur in the Pleistocene-Holocene sediments. These gas-charged sediments, acoustic anomalies and BSR may be all related to the existence of gas hydrate layers in the study area.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.165-170
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• 2003

Recently, resistivity surveys have been frequently carried out over the irregular terrain such as mountainous area. Such an irregular terrain itself can produce significant anomalies which may lead to misinterpretations. In this study, topographic effects in resistivity survey were studied using the physical scale modeling as well as the numerical one adopting finite element method. The scale modeling was conducted at a pond, so that we could avoid the edge effect, the inherent problem of the scale modeling conducted in a water tank in laboratory. The modeling experiments for two topographic features, a ridge and a valley with various slope angles, confirmed that the results by the two different modeling techniques coincide with each other fairly well for all the terrain models. These experiments adopting dipole-dipole array showed the distinctive terrain effects, such that a ridge produces a high apparent resistivity anomaly at the ridge center flanked by zones of lower apparent resistivity. On the other hand, a valley produces the opposite anomaly pattern, a central low flanked by highs. As the slope of a terrain model becomes steeper, the terrain-induced anomalies become stronger, and moreover, apparent resistivity can become even negative for the model with extremely high slope angle. All the modeling results led us to the conclusion that terrain effects should be included in the numerical modeling and/or the inversion process to interpret data acquired at the rugged terrain area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.717-726
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• 2022

This study was conducted to assess the geochemical contamination degree of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in the soil and water samples from an abandoned gold mine. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were carried out to assess the geochemical contamination degree of the soil samples. Variations of sulfate and heavy metals concentration in water samples were determined to identify the geochemical distribution with respect to the distance from the mine tailing dam. Geochemical pollution indices indicated significant contaminated with As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in the soil samples that areas close to the mine tailing dam, while, Sb showed similar indices in all soil samples. These results indicated that the As, Cd, Pb, and Zn dispersion has occurred via anthropogenic sources, such as mining activities. In terms of water samples, anomalies in the concentrations of As, Cd, Zn, and SO₄^2- was determined at specific area, in addition, the concentrations of the elements gradually decreased with distance. This result implies the heavy metals distribution in water has carried out by the weathering of sulfide minerals in the mine tailing and soil. The study area has been conducted the remediation of contaminated soil in the past, however, the geochemical dispersion of heavy metals was supposed to be occurred from the potential contamination source. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the soil and water is necessary after the completion of remediation.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2015

This study tests the potential of detecting small-magnitude earthquakes (~M3.0) and their precursors using a long-term groundwater-monitoring database. In groundwater records from April to June 2012, abnormal changes in water level, temperature, and electrical conductivity were identified in the bedrock monitoring wells of the Gimcheon-Jijwa, Gangjin-Seongjeon, and Gongju-Jeongan stations. These anomalies could be attributed to the M3.1 earthquake that occurred in the Youngdeok area on May 30th, although no linear relationship was found between the scale of changes and the distance between each monitoring station and the epicenter, which is attributed in part to the wide screen design of the monitoring wells. Groundwater monitoring networks designed specifically for monitoring earthquake impacts could provide better information on the safety of underground space and on the security of emergency water-resources in earthquake disaster areas.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2017

In recent decades, extreme events have been significantly increased over the Korean Peninsula due to climate variability and climate change. The potential changes in hydrologic cycle associated with the extreme events increase uncertainty in water resources planning and designing. For these reasons, a reliable changing point analysis is generally required to better understand regime changes in hydrologic time series at watershed scale. In this study, a hierarchical changing point analysis approach that can apply in a watershed scale is developed by combining the existing changing point analysis method and hierarchical Bayesian method. The proposed model was applied to the selected stations that have annual rainfall data longer than 40 years. The results showed that the proposed model can quantitatively detect the shift in precipitation in the middle of 1990s and identify the increase in annual precipitation compared to the several decades prior to the 1990s. Finally, we explored the changes in precipitation and sea level pressure in the context of large-scale climate anomalies using reanalysis data, for a given change point. It was concluded that the identified large-scale patterns were substantially different from each other.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.293-308
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• 2003

New results about the crustal structure down to a depth of 60 km beneath North Korea were obtained using the seismic tomography method. About 1013 P- and S-wave travel times from local earthquakes recorded by the Korean stations and the vicinity were used in the research. All earthquakes were relocated on the basis of an algorithm proposed in this study. Parameterization of the velocity structure is realized with a set of nodes distributed in the study volume according to the ray density. 120 nodes located at four depth levels were used to obtain the resulting P- and S-wave velocity structures. As a result, it is found that P- and S-wave velocity anomalies of the Rangnim Massif at depth of 8 km are high and low, respectively, whereas those of the Pyongnam Basin are low up to 24 km. It indicates that the Rangnim Massif contains Archean-early Lower Proterozoic Massif foldings with many faults and fractures which may be saturated with underground water and/or hot springs. On the other hand, the Pyongyang-Sariwon in the Pyongnam Basin is an intraplatform depression which was filled with sediments for the motion of the Upper Proterozoic, Silurian and Upper Paleozoic, and Lower Mesozoic origin. In particular, the high P- and S-wave velocity anomalies are observed at depth of 8, 16, and 24 km beneath Mt. Backdu, indicating that they may be the shallow conduits of the solidified magma bodies, while the low P-and S-wave velocity anomalies at depth of 38 km must be related with the magma chamber of low velocity bodies with partial melting. We also found the Moho discontinuities beneath the Origin Basin including Sari won to be about 55 km deep, whereas those of Mt. Backdu is found to be about 38 km. The high ratio of P-wave velocity/S-wave velocity at Moho suggests that there must be a partial melting body near the boundary of the crust and mantle. Consequently we may well consider Mt. Backdu as a dormant volcano which is holding the intermediate magma chamber near the Moho discontinuity. This study also brought interesting and important findings that there exist some materials with very high P- and S-wave velocity annomoalies at depth of about 40 km near Mt. Myohyang area at the edge of the Rangnim Massif shield.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2017

Daecheong Reservoir was made by the construction of a large dam (>15 m in height) on the middle to downstream of the Geum River and the discharge systems have the watergate-spillway (WS), a hydropower penstock (HPP), and two intake towers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the limnological anomalies of turbid water reduction, green algae phenomenon, and oligotrophic state in the lower part of reservoir dam site, and compared with hydro-meteorological factors. Field surveys were conducted in two stations of near dam and the outlet of HPP with one week intervals from January to December 2000. Rainfall was closely related to the fluctuations of inflow, outflow and water level. The rainfall pattern was depended on the storm of monsoon and typhoon, and the increase of discharge and turbidity responded more strongly to the intensity than the frequency. Water temperature and DO fluctuations within the reservoir water layer were influenced by meteorological and hydrological events, and these were mainly caused by water level fluctuation based on temperature stratification, density current and discharge types. The discharges of WS and HPP induced to the flow of water bodies and the outflows of turbid water and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Especially, when hypoxic or low-oxygen condition was present in the bottom water, the discharge through HPP has contributed significantly to the outflow of phosphorus released from the sediment into the downstream of dam. In addition, HPP effluent which be continuously operated throughout the year, was the main factor that could change to a low trophic level in the downreservoir (lacustrine zone). And water-bloom (green-tide) occurring in the lower part of reservoir was the result that the water body of upreservoir being transported and diffused toward the downreseroir, when discharging through the WS. Finally, the hydropower effluent was included the importance and dynamics that could have a temporal and spatial impacts on the physical, chemical and biological factors of the reservoir ecosystem.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.473-476
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• 2004

In this study, hydrochemical studies of thermal waters in the Bugok and Magumsan areas showing geothermal anomalies were carried, and the applicability of ion seothermometers and multiple mineral equilibrium approach was examined to estimate their potential deep reservoir temperatures. Typical thermal waters of the two areas are clearly grouped into two major types, according to water chemistry: Na-Cl type (group A) and Na-SO4 type (group D). Compared to group A, group B and C waters show some modifications in chemistry. Group E waters show the modified chemistry from group D. Geothermal waters from the two areas showed some different chemical characteristics. The thermal waters of group A and B in Magumsan area are typically neutral to alkaline (pH=6.7 to 8.1) and Cl-rich (up to 446.1 mg/L), while the waters of group D and E in Bugok area are alkaline (pH=7.6 to 10.0) and SO$_4$-rich (up to 188.0 mg/L). The group A (Na-Cl type) and group D (Na-SO$_4$ type) waters correspond to mature or partially immature water, whereas the other types are immature water. The genesis of geothermal waters are considered as follows: group A and B waters were formed by seawater infiltration into reservoir rocks along faults and fracture zones and possibly affected by fossil connate waters in lithologic units through which deep hot waters circulate; on the other hand, group D and E waters were formed by the oxidation of sulfide minerals (mainly pyrite) in surrounding sedimentary rocks and/or hydrothermal veins occurring along restricted fracture channels and were possibly affected by the input and subsequent oxidation of S-bearing gases (e.g. H2S) from deep thermal reservoir (probably, cooling pluton). The application of quartz, Na-K, K-Mg geothermometers to the chemistry of representative group A and D waters yielded a reasonable temperature estimate (99-147$^{\circ}C$ and 90-142$^{\circ}C$) for deep geothermal reservoir. Aqueous liquid-rich fluid inclusions in fracture calcites obtained from drillcores in Bugok area have an average homogenization temperature of 128$^{\circ}C$, which corresponds to the results from ion geothermometers. The multiple mineral equilibrium approach yielded a similar temperature estimate (105-135$^{\circ}C$ and 100-14$0^{\circ}C$). We consider that deep reservoir temperatures of thermal waters in the Magumsan and Bugok areas can be estimated by the chemistry of typical Na-Cl and Na-SO$_4$ type waters and possibly approach 105-135$^{\circ}C$ and 100-14$0^{\circ}C$.