• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2022

The Geochang Au-Ag deposit is located within the Yeongnam Massif. Within the area a number of hydrothermal quartz and calcite veins were formed by narrow open-space filling of parallel and subparallel fractures in the granitic gneiss and/or gneissic granite. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz vein; stage II, barren calcite vein) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages (early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early, marked by deposition of pyrite with minor pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor sulfosalts; late, marked by hematite with base-metal sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥380℃ ) and later lower temperatures (≤210℃ ) from H₂O-CO₂-NaCl fluids with salinities between 7.0 to 0.7 equiv. wt. % NaCl of Geochang hydrothermal system. The relationship between salinity and homogenization temperature indicates a complex history of boiling, fluid unmixing (CO₂ effervescence), cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters over the temperature range ≥380℃ to ≤210℃. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Geochang hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Geochang deposit may represents a mesothermal gold-silver deposit.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2022

The railway platform is an important facility closely related to the safety of passengers, trains, and images of railway facilities, and requires thorough facility management. However, the problem that the finishing material (plastering mortar) for the joint finishing of dissimilar materials (concrete+granite) falls off in the direction of the track at the platform podium is occurring multiple times across the country. Since these problems threaten the safety of train operation and the safety of passengers, immediate and continuous management is required. This study tried to derive improvement plans through the analysis of the drop-off problem of finishing materials occurring at the platform podium. The status of missing finishing materials for the platform podiums of about 200 railway stations and the related design and construction standards of the Korea National Railway were investigated. After that, the cause of the drop-off of the finishing material was analyzed, and as a result, it was found that the main cause was the boundary between the roadbed and the architectural process that occurred during construction. Subsequently, in connection with the derived causes and design, construction standards, (1) improvement of finishing materials or construction methods, (2) design of finishing materials that are easy to adjust height, (3) design of separate finishing methods, (4) improvement methods and durability were suggested.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.561-577
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• 2021

The compacted bentonite buffer in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is saturated due to groundwater inflow. Saturation of the bentonite buffer results in bentonite swelling and bentonite penetration into the rock discontinuities present around the disposal hole. The penetrated bentonite is exposed to groundwater flow and can be eroded out of the repository, resulting in bentonite mass loss which can affect the physical integrity of the engineered barrier system. Hence, the evaluation of buffer-rock interactions and coupled behavior due to groundwater inflow and bentonite penetration is necessary to ensure long-term disposal safety. In this study, the effects of the bentonite penetration and swelling on the physical properties of jointed rock mass were evaluated using the quasi-static resonant column test. Jointed rock specimens with bentonite penetration were manufactured using Gyeongju bentonite and hollow cylindrical granite rock discs obtained from the KAERI underground research tunnel. The effects of vertical stress and saturation were assessed using the P-wave and S-wave velocities for intact rock, jointed rock and jointed rock with bentonite penetration specimens. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses of each joint condition were inferred from the wave velocity results assuming an equivalent continuum. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses obtained from this study can be used as input factors for future numerical analysis on the performance evaluation of geological waste disposal considering rock discontinuities.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.549-560
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• 2021

Forces exerted on a shield TBM (tunnel boring machine) such as cutter head torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and upward force are key factors determining TBM performance. However, the forces acting on the TBM when tunnelling the mixed ground have different tendencies compared to that of the uniform ground, which could impair TBM performance. In this study, the effect of mixed ground tunnelling was numerically investigated with torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and upward force. A coupled discrete element method (DEM) and finite difference method (FDM) model for TBM driving model was used. This numerical study simulates TBM tunnelling in mixed ground composed of upper weathered granite soil and lower weathered rock. The effect on the force acting on the TBM according to the location and slope of the boundary of the mixed ground was numerically examined.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.778-790
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• 2021

The Stone Seated Buddha Triad and Stone Standing Buddha in Bijung-ri are state-designated heritage (treasure) statues having the Buddha style of the Goryeo dynasty from the 6th century. Conservation scientific investigations were conducted to understand the preservation status of these stone Buddha statues and to establish a conservation plan. The Stone Seated Buddha Triad and Stone Standing Buddha are composed of fine-medium grained biotite granite, which is considered to be of the same origin owing to their low magnetic susceptibility distribution of less than 0.2 (×10^-3 SI unit) and similar mineral characteristics. The Stone Seated Buddha Triad has highly homogenous mineral composition and particle size, whole-rock magnetic susceptibility, and geochemical characteristics very similar to those of the nearby outcrop. It was confirmed that a combination of physical, chemical, and biological factors affects the Stone Buddha statues. In particular, both the Stone Seated Buddha Triad and Stone Standing Buddha tend to be chipped off from the front and cracked and scaled from the back. The Stone Standing Buddha located outdoors experiences granularity decomposition and black algae formation, which accelerate the weathering under unfavorable conservation environments. The result of non-destructive physical property diagnosis using ultrasonic velocity showed that both the Stone Seated Buddha Triad and Stone Standing Buddha have been completely weathered (CW), indicating very poor physical properties.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.530-548
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• 2022

The site selection process for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste will be conducted in stages, and 103 evaluation parameters related to site selection have been proposed. In the field of rock mechanics and rock engineering, there are 33 evaluation parameters for intact rock, joint and rock mass, and they are applied in the basic and detailed investigation stages. In this report, uniaxial compressive strength, in-situ stress, joint distribution, and rock mass classification were selected as the main evaluation parameters, and among them, uniaxial compressive strength and in situ stress were selected as key evaluation parameters. Statistical techniques or regression analysis were performed for granite in Wonju and Chuncheon to evaluate the distribution range for the selected key evaluation parameters. The average of the uniaxial compressive strength in the Wonju area estimated through the posterior distribution is about 171 MPa, and about 123 MPa in the Chuncheon area. The maximum in situ stress acting in the Wonju area was less than 30 MPa and less than 40 MPa in the Chuncheon area. The direction of the maximum horizontal stress calculated by regression analysis was 101° in Wonju, and in the case of Chuncheon, it was 95°, respectiviely.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.399-406
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• 2022

In line with the megatrend of 2050 carbon neutrality, the amount of critical minerals used in clean-energy technology is expected to increase fourfold and sixfold, respectively, according to the Paris Agreement-based scenario as well as the 2050 carbon-neutrality scenario. And, in the case of Korea, in terms of the battery supply chain used for secondary batteries, the midstream that manufactures battery materials and battery cell packs shows strength, but the upstream that provides and processes raw materials is experiencing difficulties. The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources has established a strategy to secure lithium, nickel, and cobalt and is conducting surveys to respond to the upstream risk of these types of battery raw materials. In the case of lithium, exploration has been carried out in Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do since 2020, and by the end of 2021, the survey area was selected for precision exploration by synthesizing all exploration data and building a 3D model. Potential resources will be assessed in 2022. In the case of nickel, the prospective site will be selected by the end of 2022 through a preliminary survey targeting 10 nickel sulfide deposits that have been prospected in the past. In the case of cobalt, Boguk cobalt is known only in South Korea, but there is only a record that cobalt was produced as a minor constituent of hydrothermal deposit. According to the literature, a cobalt ore body was found in the contact area between serpentinite and granite, and a protocol for cobalt exploration in Korea will be established.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.627-642
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• 2022

The world's long reliance on fossil fuels (e.g., oil, coal, and natural gas) is severely changing its environment and climate. Energy research has focused on developing hydrogen as the most promising energy carrier and a key technology for sustainable energy development. Hydrogen can be classified as gray, blue, green, and otherwise according to the raw materials and methods used for production and processing. For the development of hydrogen energy, geologists are attempting to identify the mechanism of abiotic hydrogen generation by serpentinization or hydrothermal alteration. Teams in the United States, France, and Australia have researched laboratory-scale hydrogen production through water-rock interactions under various conditions, whereas there has been almost no research on abiotic hydrogen in South Korea. This paper reviews the current state of international research on hydrothermal alteration and offers suggestions for future investigations of abiotic hydrogen production in South Korea.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2023

Soil contaminants measured and managed in Korea include those of geologic origin such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, mercury, and fluoride. This study identifies the distribution of these contaminants using GIS modeling to analyze the spatial probability of soil contamination originating from geology. The modeling found that cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and mercury often exceed the regulated standard by <1%. Concentrations of arsenic and zinc greatly exceeded the standard in the vicinity of mines and industrial complexes: mining and industry seemed to have substantial effects on the concentrations of these metals. Although fluoride was sampled at the lowest number of points, its frequency of exceeding the standard was the highest. No obvious source of artificial contamination has been identified, and fluoride's distribution characteristics showed continuity over a wide area, suggesting a strong correlation between geological characteristics and fluoride concentration. The highest frequencies of fluoride exceeding the standard were in Jurassic granite (40.00%) and Precambrian banded gneiss (34.12%). As these rocks contributed to the formation of soil through their weathering, high fluoride concentrations can be expected in soil in areas where these rocks are distributed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.689-699
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• 2022

The Ssangjeon tungsten deposit is located within the Yeongnam Massif. Within the area a number of hydrothermal quartz veins were formed by narrow open-space filling of parallel and subparallel fractures in the metasedimentary rocks as Wonnam formation, Buncheon granite gneiss, amphibolite and/or pegmatite. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz vein; stage II, barren quartz vein) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages (early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early, marked by deposition of arsenopyrite with pyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of wolframite and scheelite with Ti-Fe-bearing oxides and base-metal sulfides; late, marked by Bi-sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥370℃) and later lower temperatures (≈170℃) from H₂O-CO₂-NaCl fluids with salinities between 18.5 to 0.2 equiv. wt. % NaCl of Ssangjeon hydrothermal system. The relationship between salinity and homogenization temperature indicates a complex history of boiling, fluid unmixing (CO₂ effervescence), cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters over the temperature range ≥370℃ to ≈170℃. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Ssangjeon hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time.