• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 2008

We conducted uniaxial consolidation tests in mudstone samples with different clay content, in order to investigate time-dependent deformation and its characteristics. A significant amount of time-dependent strain was observed at a constant stress level immediately after a jump of stress was applied. For a given mudstone, the amount of time-dependent deformation was nearly proportional to the increment of stress, suggesting a linear viscous rheology. The amount of time-dependent strain increases with clay content, implying that clay plays an important role in creep of the unconsolidated mudstone. A power-law model was suitably applied to our results, suggesting that a short-term prediction of time-dependent deformation of the mudstone is tentatively feasible.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.347-360
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• 1998

Numerical simulations for fluid flow and solute transport in a fracture rock masses are performed by using a transient flow model, which is based on the three-dimensional stochastic and discrete fracture network model (DFN model) and is coupled hydraulic model with mechanical model. In the numerical simulations of the solute transport, we used to the particle following algorithm which is similar to an advective biased random walk. The purpose of this study is to predict the response of the tracer test between two deep bore holes (GPK1 and GPK2) implanted at Soultz sous Foret in France, in the context of the geothermal researches.l The data sets used are obtained from in situcirculating experiments during 1995. As the result of the transport simulation, the mean transit time for the non reactive particles is about 5 days between two bore holes.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.207-217
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• 2005

We present a new approximate formulation of the integral equation (IE) method for models with variable background conductivity. This method overcomes the standard limitation of the conventional If method related to the use of a horizontally layered background only. The new approximate IE method still employs the Green's functions for a horizontally layered 1-D model. However, the new method allows us to use an inhomogeneous background with the IE method. The method was carefully tested for modeling the EM field for complex structures with a known variable background conductivity. It can find wide application in modeling EM data for multiple geological models with some common geoelectrical features, like a known inhomogeneous overburden, or salt dome structures.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.166-173
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• 2006

This research has been performed to clarify the relationship between hydrogeochemistry and bacterial community structure in groundwater contaminated with landfill leachate. We collected and analyzed samples from 5 sites such as leachate (KSG1-12), treated leachate (KSG1-16), two contaminated groundwaters (KSG1-07 and KSG1-08) and non-contaminated groundwater (KSG1-13). pH was 8.83, 8.04, 6.87, 6.87 and 6.53 in order; redox potential (Eh) 108, 202, 47, 200 and 154 mV; electric conductivity (EC) 3710, 894, 1223, 559 and 169.9 $\mu$S/cm; suspended solids (SS) 86.45, 13.74, 4.18, 0.24 and 11.91 mg/L. In KSG01-12, the ion concentrations were higher especially in $Cl^-$ and $HCO_3^-$ than other sites. The concentrations of Fe, Mn and $SO_4^{2-}$ were higher In KSG1-07 than in KSG1-08, and vise versa in $NO_3^{2-}$. In the comparison of DGGE fingerprint patterns, the similarity was highest between KSG1-13 and KSG1-16 (57.2%), probably due to common properties like low or none contaminant concentrations. Otherwise KSG1-08 showed lowest similarities with KSG1-13 (25.8%) and KSG1-12 (27.6%), maybe because of the degree of contamination. The most dominant bacterial species in each site were involved in $\alpha$-Proteobacteria (55.6%) in KSG1-12, $\gamma$-Proteobacteria (50.0%) in KSG1-16, $\beta$-Proteobacteria (66.7%) in KSG1-07, $\gamma$-Proteobacteria (54.5%) in KSG1-08 and $\beta$-Proteobacteria (36.4%) in KSG1-13. These results indicate that the microbial community structure might be changed according to the flow of leachate in grounderwater, implying changes in concentrations of pollutants, available electron accepters and/or other environmental conditions.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-201
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• 2007

The first magnetotelluric (MT) transect across the Korean Peninsula was obtained traversing from the East Sea shoreline to the Yellow Sea shoreline. The MT survey profile was designed perpendicular to the strike of the principal geologic structure of the Korean Peninsula $(N30^{\circ}E)$, so-called 'China direction'. MT data were achieved at 50 sites with spacings of $3{\sim}8km$ along the 240 km survey line. The impedance responses are divided into four subsets reflecting typical geological units: the Kyonggi Massif, the Okchon Belt, the western part of the Kyongsang Basin, and the eastern part of the Kyongsang Basin. In the western part of the Kyongsang Basin, the thickness of the sedimentary layer is estimated to be about 3 km to 8 km and its resistivity is a few hundred ohm-m. A highly conductive layer with a resistivity of 1 to 30 ohm-m was detected beneath the sedimentary layer. The MT data at the Okchon Belt show peculiar responses with phase exceeding $90^{\circ}$. This feature may be explained by an electrically anisotropic structure which is composed of a narrow anisotropic block and an anisotropic layer. The Kyonggi Massif and the eastern part of Kyongsang Basin play a role of window to the deep geoelectrical structure because of the very high resistivity of upper crust. The second layers with highest resistivities in 1-D conductivity models occupy the upper crust with thicknesses of 13 km in the Kyonggi Massif and 18 km in the eastern Kyongsang Basin, respectively.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.216-225
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• 2017

Recently, steel casing became an interesting issue when applying controlled-source electromagnetic (EM) method to various fields because effects of steel casing on EM responses are not negligible. This study employed an approach that approximates the steel casing as a series of electric dipole sources in order to develop the numerical algorithm for the efficient simulation of EM responses in the presence of steel casing. After verifying the validity of the developed algorithm, we analyze effects of steel casing on EM responses with the synthetic model simulating geothermal reservoir environment. The analysis showed that the effects of steel casing on EM responses are localized near the casing and increase as the transmitter becomes close to the casing. In addition, through the analysis on the EM responses by the injection of clean water, we confirm that the effects of casing are negligible when interpreting the after-injection data acquired using the transmitter located far enough from the casing. Considering the difference in EM responses between before and after injection in inversion, the effects of the casing can be neglected although after-injection data shows considerable difference due to the close distance between the transmitter and casing. To investigate this kind steel casing effect, the precise analysis on EM responses should be preceded. The algorithm introduced in this study will contribute to the reliable calculations of EM responses distorted by the conductive steel casing.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.56-67
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• 2006

Trends of variation in groundwater levels, electrical conductivities and water temperatures obtained from the national groundwater monitoring stations (95 shallow and 169 deep wells) of Korea were evaluated. For the analysis, both parametric (linear regression) and non-parametric (Mann-Kendall test, Sen's test) methods were adopted. Results of linear regression analysis indicated that about 50% of the monitoring wells showed increasing trends of groundwater levels, electrical conductivities, and water temperatures and the others showed decreasing trends. However, the non-parametric analyses with monthly median values revealed that $14.8{\sim}20.0%$ of water levels were decreased, $24.2{\sim}36.9%$ of electrical conductivities were increased, and $27.4{\sim}32.5%$ of water temperatures were increased at a confidence level of 99%. Highly proportions of increasing or decreasing trends were unexpected and they resulted from the relatively short term of data collection (maximum 6 years). Meanwhile, the investigation of groundwater around the national groundwater monitoring stations showed that the decreasing or increasing trends of water levels, electrical conductivities, themselves, didn't indicate directly groundwater hazards such as groundwater depletion or groundwater contamination. Both the values and variation rates (slopes) of water level, electrical conductivity and temperature in the longer period are considered simultaneously. This study is the first comprehensive work in analyzing trends of groundwater data obtained from the national groundwater monitoring stations. Based on this study, the periodical and regular analysis of groundwater data is essentially required to grasp the overall variational trend of groundwater resources in the country.

• 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.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.18-28
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• 2014

Renewable Portfolio Standards(RPS) is a regulation that requires a renewable energy generated from eco-friendly energy sources such as biomass, wind, solar, and geothermal. The RPS mechanism generally is an obligatory policy that places on electricity supply companies to produce a designated fraction of their electricity from renewable energies. The domestic companies to supply electricity largely rely on wood pellets in order to implement the RPS in spite of undesirable situation of lack of wood resources in Korea. This means that the electricity supply companies in Korea must explore new biomass as an alternative to wood. Palm kernel shell (PKS) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) as oil palm wastes can be used as raw materials used for making pellets after their thermochemical treatment like torrefaction. Torrefaction is a pretreatment process which serves to improve the properties including heating value and energy densification of these oil palm wastes through a mild pyrolysis at temperature typically ranging between 200 and $300^{\circ}C$ in the absence of oxygen under atmospheric pressure. Torrefaction of oil palms wastes at above $200^{\circ}C$ contributed to the increase of fixed carbon with the decrease of volatile matters, leading to the improvement of their calorific values over 20.9 MJ/kg (=5,000 kcal/kg) up to 25.1 MJ/kg (=6,000 kcal/kg). In particular, EFB sensitively responded to torrefaction because of its physical properties like fiber bundles, compared to PKS and hardwood chips. In conclusion, torrefaction treatment of PKS and EFB can greatly contribute to the implement of RPS of the electricity supply companies in Korea through the increased co-firing biomass with coal.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.55-71
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• 2005

Jeju Island is mainly composed of basaltic lava flows and subordinate amounts of volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. Jeju Province operates the monitoring wells for seawater intrusion problems around Jeju Island to evaluate of groundwater resources in coastal area. Various surveys and monitoring have been performed in boreholes, and also conventional geophysical well loggings conducted to identify basalt sequences and assess seawater intrusion problems. Various conventional geophysical well logs, including radioactive logs, electrical log, caliper log, and temperature and conductivity log and heat-pulse flowmeter log were obtained in 29 boreholes. The results of geophysical well loggings for saturated rocks are interesting and consistent. Natural gamma logs are useful in basalt sequences to sedimentary interbeds, unconsolidated U formation, and seoguipo formation with higher natural gamma log regardless of saturated or unsaturated basalts. Neutron logs are very effective to discriminate among individual lava flows, flow breaks, and sedimentary interbeds in saturated formation. In hyalocastite, porosity is high and resistivity is low, and we think that hyalocastite is a major pathway of fluid flow. In trachybasalt, porosity has a wide range and resistivity is high. In sedimentary interbeds, unconsolidated U formation and seoguipo formation, porosity is high and resistivity is low. The temperature logs in eastern area in Jeju are useful to interpret the hydrogeological unit and evaluate seawater intrusion in Suan area.