• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.52-64
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• 1997

Pelitic rocks of southwestern Nova Scotia have been affected by widespread contact metamorphism due to the intrusion of the Shellburne Pluton, with aureole up to 15 km wide. Well-preserved pseudomorphic textures indicate that common staurolite and andalusite metacrysts formed at the expense only of plagioclase, muscovite and biotite. Excess components (K, Na and Ca) from such replacement reactions imply extensive metasomatism throughout the contact aureole. Modal analysis of a typical andalusite-bearing rock indicates a one-to-one volume ratio of product to reactant. However the products of the replacement reactions contain approximately three times more aluminum than the reactants, indicating that the regional metasomatism also involved aluminum.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1001-1013
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• 2018

A new type of uranium occurrence in Korea was identified in pegmatitic and hydrothermally altered granite in the Daejeon area. The U-bearing parts typically include muscovite, pink-feldspar and sericite as alteration minerals. In this study, the geochemical characteristics and alteration age of the granitic rocks were examined to provide evidence for hydrothermally-enriched uranium. The K-Ar ages of muscovite coexisting with U-bearing minerals were determined as 123 and 128 Ma. The U-bearing rocks have relatively low ($CaO+Na_2O$), high $K_2O$ contents, and high alteration index values by major element geochemistry. The trace element geochemistry shows that the uraniferous rocks have significantly low Th/U ratios and strongly differentiated features. The rare earth element patterns indicate that the uraniferous rocks have a low total REE and LREE contents with depletion of Eu. Considering the geochemical variation of the granitic rock major, trace and rare earth elements, it can be concluded that uranium enrichment in pegmatites and altered granite should be genetically related to post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration of K-metasomatism after emplacement of the two-mica granite. This is the first report for geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic granite-related U-occurrences in South Korea. This study will help further research for uranium deposits with similarities in geological setting, mineralogy and age data between South China and Korea, and can also be expected to help solve the source problems related to high uranium concentrations in some groundwater occurring in the granitic terrane.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.227-244
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• 2010

Abundant spinel lherzolite xenoliths showing distinctively different textural types such as protogranular, porphyroclastic, and mylonitic texture are trapped in the basaltic rocks from southeastern part of Jeju Island. These xenoliths show the textural spectrum from coarse-grained protogranular through porphyroclastic with bimodal grain size to fine-grained and foliated mylonitic texture. They tend to decrease in grain sizes and show more linear grain boundaries and more frequent triple junctions from protogranular through porphyroclastic to mylonitic. Spinel has different occurrence mode according the textural type. Spinel is always associated with orthopyroxene in protogranular texture, whereas it is scattered and independent of orthopyroxene in mylonitic texture. Additionally, porphyroblast from porphyroclastic and mylonitic textures has internal deformation features such as kink band, undulatory extinction and curved lamella, whereas neoblast is strain-free. These textural features indicate increasing degree of static/dynamic recrystallization from protogranular through porphyroclastic to mylonitic texture. The mg#[$=100{\times}Mg/(Mg+Fe_t)$] of olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene is relatively constant (ol: 88-91; opx: 89-92; cpx: 89-92) regardless of textural differences. The mg# of constituent minerals, NiO content (0.3~0.4 wt%) and MnO content (0.1~0.2 wt%) of olivine are similar to those of mantle xenoliths worldwide, also indicating that studied spinel lherzolite xenoliths were mantle residues having experienced 20~25% partial melting. The geochemical and textural characteristics have close relations showing that LREE and incompatible trace elements content of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene increases from protogranular through porphyroclastic to mylonitic. These observations suggest that the studied mantle xenoliths experienced metasomatism by LREE enriched melt or fluid after partial melting, indicating a close relation between deformation and metasomatism. The metasomatism was possibly confined to narrow shear zones from where porphyroclastic and mylonitic textured xenoliths originated. These shear zones might favorably drive the percolation of LREE-enriched melts/fluids responsible for the metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle below the Jeju Island.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.395-406
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• 1997

Some RE (Zr, Nb, REE) ore deposits are located in the middle part of the Korean peninsula. Geotectonically, the RE ore deposits situated on the Kyemyeongsan Formation of northern margin of the Okcheon geosynclinal belt and in the transitional zone between Kyeonggi massif and Okcheon belt. The rare metal deposits distributed in Kyemyeongsan Formation which consists of schist and alkaline granite. The alkali granite has suffered extensive post-magmatic metasomatism and hydrothermal processes. The ore contains mainly Ce-La, Ta-Nb, Y, Y-Nb, Ti-Nb-(U), Nd-Th group minerals. Fergusonite, one of Nb-Y rich REE minerals belonging to the A-B oxides, is most common mineral in the rare metal deposits. The fergusonite bearing rocks may be devided into four types by occurrence features and mineral association, that is, zircon type, allanite vein, feldspar type, and fluorite type. Fergusonites show wide variations in optical properties, due to part of differences in their chemical composition (depending on the types), but also the degree of crystalinity of the individual specimens. Fergusonite metamicts enclosed in biotite are generally surrounded by well developed pleochroic haloes. Usually, fergusonite is accompanied with zircon and other REE-bearing minerals. Petrographical and chemical data are presented for fergusonites which collected different types. $Nb_2O_3$ and $Y_2O_3$ contents range from 48.51 to 53.01 wt.% and 29.18 to 42.02 wt.% respectively. Also, $ThO_2$, (1.83~6.93), $UO_2$, (0.17~2.84), ${\sum}RE_2O_3$ (except to Y) (1.11~8.73), and $TiO_2$, (0.19~1.19 wt.%) contents show variational compositions according to fergusonite types. The ${\sum}RE_2O_3$ of fergusonites are positive relation with $Y_2O_3$ and negative relaton with $ThO_2$ and $({\sum}{RE_2O_3}-{Y_2O_3})$. The $Nb_2O_3$ is sightly negative relation with $Ta_2O_3$. Back-scattered electron microscope images (BEI) of fergusonite show the mineral composition and textural feature is very complicated. The variation of Nb, Th and REE content of fergusonite and the modes of occurrence of mineral, suggests that REE may have been mobilized during the circulation of hydrothermal fluids related to contact metamorphism (metasomatism). The chemical variation of the fergusonites with occurrences and mineral association can be related to metasomatism of alkaline fluid was probably the dominant ore-forming process in Chungju district.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.599-612
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• 1995

Some REE ore deposits are located in the middle part the of Korean peninsula. Geotectonically, the REE ore deposits situated on the Kyemyeongsan Formation of northern margin of the Okcheon geosynclinal belt and in the transitional zone between Kyeonggi massif and the Okcheon belt, with a deep-seated fracture separating the two tectonic units. The Kyemyeongsan Formation are different in lithology and metamorphic grade from the Gyeonggi massif and the Okcheon super group. The sequence of Kyemyeongsan Formation is dominantly composed of acidic metavolcanic and volcaniclastic rocks associated with alkaline igneous rocks which are related to volcano-plutonism. The REE ore deposits contain mainly Ce-La, Ta-Nb, Y, Y-Nd and Nd-Th group minerals. More than 15 RE and REE minerals have been found in the deposits, such as allanite, fergusonite, thorite bestnaesite, euxenite, polyclase, monazite, columbite, (Nb)-rutile, okanoganite, sphene, zircon, illmenite and some other unknown minerals. According to the characteristics of the mineral association, the REE ore deposits may be divided into 4 ore types; Zircon-REE, allanite-REE, feldspar-REE and fluorite-REE type. The Sm-Nd isochron age of the REE ore is 330 Ma, and the Sm-Nd model age is 1.11 Ga with ${\varepsilon}_{Nd(t)}$ being - 2.9. This data suggest that the REE ore deposit was formed in the early Carboniferous, and the ore-forming material came from the mantle. The REE ores show distinct light REE enrichment with strong negative Eu anomaly. The REE patterns of schistose rocks from Kyemyeongsan Formation are similar to felsic volcanics from rifts or back arc basins in or near continental crust. The genesis of the REE ore deposit is quite complicated. Different geologic processes are displayed in the studied area; sedimentation, volcanic activity, metamorphism and hydrothermal replacement. Alkali granite has suffered extensive post-magmatic metasomatism of a high temperature to produce alkali metasomatites. Geochemical charateristics show that metasomatism of alkaline fluid was probably the dominant ore-forming process in Chungju district.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2005

Modal and chemical compositions of clinopyroxnes in spinel peridotites from the Baegryeong Island and the Boeun, enclosed in Miocene alkali basalt, are important for understanding the pre-eruptive temperature condition and chemical processes such as mantle depletion and enrichment. All spinel peridotites show transitional texture between protogranular and porphyroclastic textures. Temperature ranges of spinel peridotites from the Baegryeong Island and the Boeun at 15 kb are 773∼1188℃ and 705∼1106℃, respectively. The spinel peridotites from the Baegryeong Island and the Boeun have undergone the 1∼10% and 1∼4% fractional melting, which were determined by using primitive mantle-normalized Y and Yb of clinopyroxenes. LREE enrichment patterns of clinopyroxene indicate that these rocks from both areas have undergone cryptic mantle metasomatism without new minerals.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.221-233
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• 2004

Mineralogical characteristics and genesis of phlogopite in the talc deposits of the chungnam area were studied. Mica is one of the major impurity of talc ores in the study area. Talc-related micas show typical phlogopite composition, whereas talc-unrelated micas show wide compositional variations between biotite and phlogopite. Phlogopite mainly occurs in the black-wall type zone, especially in the nodular talc ores near the outer part of talc ore bodies. Interleaving textures of phlogopite and chlorite are easily observed under the optical microscope and back-scattered electron images. Interleaving textures of phlogopite and talc are observed also. Examination of the phlogopite by transmission electron microscope reveals that 14 $\AA$ layers of chlorite are randomly interlayered within the 10 $\AA$ layers of phlogopite, which suggests that the genesis of phlogopite is closely related to chlorite. Considering the occurrence and mineralogical characteristics of phlogopite, and the possible origin of K for the formation of phlogopite, phlogopite of the study area was formed by interaction between talc ore body and hydrothermal solution containing sufficient K at the late stage of talc formation. K might be introduced from the granitic gneiss at the contact zone between the talc ore body and the granitic gneiss under favorable structural condition for the potash metasomatism.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 2008

Yeongweol sericite deposit of Gangwon Province is regarded as one of the sericite deposits derived from granitic rocks due to post-magmatic alkali metasomatism, and the other sericite deposit of the same origin is the Daehyun mine of Gyungbug Province. Sericite ores were originated from leucocratic granitic stocks of Cambrian-Triassic age which intruded the pegmatitic migmatite of the unknown age and granite of the Pre-cambrian age, respectivcly. Jangsan quartzite of the lowermost formations of the Paleozoic era, which played as the capping rock protected from the leakage of the hydrothermal solution. It is well known that those sericite deposits arc formed during formation of the geosyncline, and they are also situated in the margins of the Hambaeg Syncline. Leucocratic granites commonly contain pegmatites with tourmaline crystals, and are rich in potassium feldspars, and sodium plagioclase as well. Sericitized ores are mainly found as we go up to the higher elevations or to the margins of the stocks. And some of the Highest grade sericite ores show the monominerallic character composed of nearly pure sericite probably doc to the ultra greisenization. Chemical analysis shows higher $Na_{2}O$ and $K_{2}O$ contents $(2.00\sim7.03wt%)$ as the sericitizations arc preceded and they represent obvious greisenization. But low CaO contents $(0.05\sim4.51wt%)$ indicate that albitizations are so weak. Pyrophyllite of the Youngweol area is often accompanied by the sericite, indicating rather stronger thermal effect than the Daehyun mine. It is known that there are several Sn deposits originated from greisenization in the Taebaegsan region. And greisens are inclined to contain W, Mo and several REE's such as Be, Nb and Li, and so Taebaegsan region interbedded with lots of carbonate formations are still worthwhile to survey for those metallic deposits.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13-30
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• 2012

Phlogopite and kaersutite, showing distinctively different textural characteristics compared to the common phenocrysts, are observed in alkali basalt from Jeju Island. They occur as large crystals (2-10 mm) in host basalts, whereas fine-grained phlogopite and kaersutite occur in ultramafic mantle xenoliths and mafic gabbroic xenoliths, respectively, as an interstitial and microvein phases, or in corona textures (<1 mm). This textural characteristics of fine-grained grains clearly indicates secondary in origin. Phlogopite contains high $TiO_2$(4.1-6.9 wt%) and F(2.8-4.6 wt%) and relatively high mg#[=100Mg/(Mg+$Fe^t$) in mols, where $Fe^t$ is total iron](88-80), whereas kaersutite has high $TiO_2$(5.6-6.11 wt%) and much lower mg#s(68-64). Our textural observations and the geochemical character of these hydrous minerals suggest that they were unrelated to each other and mica formation happened early in the upper mantle before the mantle xenoliths had been trapped. In contrast, kaersutite formation has happened later, probably during the late stage of crystallization as intracrustal processes. The presence of phlogopite and kaersutitic amphibole is a direct evidence for K-, Ti-, F- and $H_2O$-bearing fluid/melt percolation in the lithosphere beneath Jeju Island, indicating that they are product of interaction between host rock/peridotite/fluid-melt. Thus, the upper mantle/lower crust beneath Jeju Island are metasomatized to various extents, characterized by a change in major metasomatic hydrous minerals from phlogopite to amphibole with decreasing depth.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.311-325
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• 2017

Peridotite xenoliths in middle Miocene alkaline basalt from the Mt. Baekdu area are mainly anhydrous spinel lherzolites, displaying coarse-grained protogranular texture. These xenoliths have late-stage secondary orthopyroxene replacing olivine as the metasomatic mineral and glass formed along the grain boundaries. The studied xenoliths are characterized by the high $Mg{\sharp}[=100{\times}Mg/(Mg+Fe_{total})$ atomic ratio] of olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene (89~92) and the $Cr{\sharp}[=100{\times}Cr/(Cr+Al)$ atomic ratio] of spinel (10~29). Based on major-element data, the studied xenoliths are similar to those from the abyssal peridotites. Clinopyroxenes of the xenoliths are mostly enriched in incompatible trace elements, exhibiting two types of REE patterns: (1) LREE-depleted with $(La/Yb)_N$ of 0.1~0.2 and $(La/Ce)_N$ of 0.4~0.8. (2) LREE enriched with $(La/Yb)_N$ of 2.2~3.8 and $(La/Ce)_N$ of 1.2~1.6. The calculated equilibrium temperatures and oxygen fugacities resulted in $920{\sim}1050^{\circ}C$ and ${\Delta}fO_2(QFM)=-0.8{\sim}0.2$, respectively. It is suggested that the Mt. Baekdu peridotite xenoliths represent residues left after variable degrees of melt extraction(less than 15 vol%), which was subsequently subjected to different degrees of modal/cryptic metasomatism by silica- and LREE-enriched fluids (or melts).