• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1 s.47
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• pp.49-61
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to investigate the origin of suspended matter to induce turbidity water in Gachang dam in view of environmental geology. During the period from May to August 2004, field works and sampling were carried out three times at the dam and along its streams, and chemical and mineralogical analyses such as ICP, IC, particle size analyzer, XRD and SEM were made on water, soil and suspended matter in water. Electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, the contents of cation and anion increase from upstream toward the dam mostly due to the geological factors such as weathring of the rocks causing the increase of the total ion content. Vermiculite, illite, kaolinite, quartz, feldspar and iron hydroxide are commonly found in suspended matters in water and soils. Finer particles (d10) in soil increase slightly toward downstream and the vermiculite content is highest in the dam water. Since geological differences are not significant, mineralogy are similar in suspended matters and soils. Clay mineral compositions present in suspended matters were alsmost the same as those in soils, indicating the origin of soils by weathering of host rocks and being transported to the dam by stream water.