• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.537-543
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• 2008

To effectively delineate the foundation of stone relics by GPR and seismic refraction methods, a geological engineering model was constructed with alternating layer of soil and gravel to a depth of 3 m. This study was aimed at mapping the boundaries of model ground structure and interfaces of alternating layer using the various frequency antenna in GPR survey and seismic velocities. Compared to the resolution from the high frequency antenna, the image resolution from the survey using 100 Hz antenna is the lower, but with the deeper image coverage. On the contrast, the deeper structure was not mapped in the higher frequency data due to higher absorption effect, but the shallow layered zone was distinctively resolved. Therefore subsurface images were effectively provided by integrating the data with 100 MHz and 450 MHz antennas for the deep and shallow structures, respectively. Regarding the seismic refraction data, the boundaries of the model and interface of the alternating layers were not successfully mapped due to the limit of the survey length. However, the equivalent contours of low velocity extended deep as considerable velocity contrasts with surrounding ground.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2022

Excavation-Disturbed Zone (EDZ) is an important design factor in constructing final disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel, since EDZ affects mechanical stability including a spacing between disposal holes, and the hydraulic properties within EDZ plays a significant role in estimating in-flow rate of groundwater as well as a subsequent corrosion rate of a canister. Thus, it is highly required to characterize in-situ EDZ with precision and control the EDZ occurrence while excavating disposal facilities and constructing relevant underground research facilities. In this report, we not only reviewed EDZ-related researches carried out in the ONKALO facility of Finland but also examined appropriate methods for field inspection and quality control of EDZ occurrence. From the review, GPR can be the most efficient method for in-situ characterization of EDZ since it does not demand drilling a borehole that may disturb a surrounding environment of caverns. And the EDZ occurrence was dominant at a cavern floor and it ranged from 0 to 70 cm. These can provide useful information in developing necessary EDZ-related regulations for domestic disposal facilities.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.157-171
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• 2022

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a traditional and representative geophysical method for determining the resistivity distributions of surrounding soil and rock volumes. Depth resolution profiles and sensitivity distribution sections of the resistivities with respect to various electrode configurations are calculated and investigated using numerical model data. Shallow vertical resolution decreases in the order of Wenner, Schlumberger, and dipole-dipole arrays. A high investigable depth in homogeneous medium is calculated to be 0.11-0.19 times the active electrode spacing, but is counterbalanced by a low vertical resolution. For the application of ERT depth resolution profiles and sensitivity distributions, we provide subsurface structure models for two types of land-creping failure (planar and curved), subvertical fracture, and weathered layer over felsic and mafic igneous rocks. The dipole-dipole configuration appears to be most effective for mapping land-creeping failure planes (especially for curved planes), whereas the Wenner array gives the best resolution of soil horizons and shallow structures in the weathered zone.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.14-30
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• 2024

This study characterized areas at risk of land creep by focusing on a site that has undergone this phenomenon in Ulju-gun, South Korea. Land creep in the area of interest was catalyzed by road expansion work conducted in 2022. The site was examined on the basis of its geological features, topography, effective soil depth, soil hardness, electrical resistivity, and subsurface profile. It consists of a slope covered with sparse vegetation and a concave top that retains rainwater during rainfall. Compositionally, land creep affected the shale, sandstone, and conglomerate formations on the site, which had little silt and more sand and clay compared with areas that were unaffected by land creep. An electrical resistivity survey enabled us to detect a groundwater zone at the site, which explains the softness of the soil. Finally, the effective soil depth at the land creep-affected area was 30.4 cm on average, indicating deep colluvial deposits. In contrast, unaffected sites had an effective soil depth of 24.7 cm on average. These results should facilitate the creation of systems for monitoring and preemptively responding to land creep, significantly mitigating the socioeconomic losses associated with this phenomenon.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 2008

To extend our detailed knowledge for the Hwasan caldera, we carried out magnetotelluric (MT) survey, which is pretty sensitive to electrical property variation in both horizontal and vertical direction of subsurface, across the Hwasan caldera with the direction of EW. The 2-D inversion results of observed MT data lead to following conclusions. Firstly, the depth of the basin basement inferred by the MT inversion results matches well with that suggested by previous potential studies, but the basement resistivity seems fairly low when compared to that of general case. This feature might be related with the large-scaled, highly conductive layer beneath the Euisung Sub-basin suggested by the previous MT study. Secondly, the high resistivity zones reaching to 4000 $\Omega{\cdot}m$ are imaged around two external ring fault boundaries. These zones are thought of as the response of the rhyolitic dykes intruding along the ring fault, and in the previous gravity data correspond to relatively high density anomalies. Thirdly, low resistivity zone reaching to 200 $\Omega{\cdot}m$ is detected around a depth of 1km beneath the central part of the caldera, which has not been yet reported in korean geophysical literatures. If we take account of the evolution model of the Hwasan caldera, this zone is regarded as the past sedimentary layer that subsided during the period of forming external ring fault system. In addition, the relatively low density anomaly observed in the central part of the caldera may be attributed to this sedimentary layer.

• Journal of the Geological Society of Korea
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.587-603
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• 2018

3-D petroleum system modeling was performed on the Jeju Basin, offshore southern Korea to analyze the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation as well as the generation and expulsion of the hydrocarbon, based on subsurface structure maps of respective sedimentary formations. The lowermost formation deposited in Eocene time was assigned as a source rock, for which a mixed kerogen of type II and III was input in the modeling of oil and gas generation in consideration of the sedimentary environment of fluvio-lacustrine condition. Initial TOC was 4% as an input, based on the analysis of the well data and sedimentary environment. The modeling results show that a considerable amount of hydrocarbons was generated and expelled from the source rocks at the western Joint Development Zone (JDZ) sub-block 4, where the hydrocarbons was migrated to the above reservoir rocks at 20 Ma. The oil and gas in the reservoir rocks of the JDZ sub-block 4 are accumulated into the prospects with closure structures that has already been formed at the nearby areas. Another generation of hydrocarbon occurs from the source rock at the eastern border area of JDZ sub-block 1 and 2, where the expulsion of the hydrocarbons occurs at 10 Ma from the source rock into the above reservoir rocks, in which the accumulation also is expected. The generation, migration and accumulation were retarded at the eastern area of the JDZ sub-block 1 and 2, compared with the area of the western JDZ sub-block 4. Based on the modeling results, it is estimated that gases migrated laterally and vertically in long distance whereas oil migrated laterally in shorter distance than gases. A substantial amount of hydrocarbon could have seeped out of the reservoir formations to the surface since the migration of oil and gas actively occurred in Miocene time before the formation of seals. However, the modeling shows that the hydrocarbon could be accumulated smoothly into the closed structures that can be formed locally by alternation of sand and shale beds.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.77-91
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• 2015

This study aims to suggest adequate soil management through the analysis of physicochemical properties of soil in the planting grounds of Incheon International Airport, which was constructed on a massive land reclamation site. Study areas were 5 sites at the international business complex, the passenger terminal, the airport support complex, the free trade zone, and the access road. Soil profile analysis showed that 9 plots out of the 27 plots were hardpan and heterospere within 80cm from the soil surface. The earth laid on the ground was categorized as gravel based soil(4 plots), dredged soil from the sea bottom and mixed reclamation materials(2 plots), clay with poor permeability(3 plots) and waste construction material(1 plot). Average soil hardness was $11.5kg/cm^2$ and soil textures were sandy soil, sandy loam and loamy sand. Average soil pH was 6.7 and average organic matter content was 0.7%. Electrical conductivity was 0.0dS/m and exchangeable cation concentrations were $Ca^{2+}$ 3.4cmol/kg, $Mg^{2+}$ 1.5cmol/kg, $K^+$ 0.3cmol/kg and $Na^+$ 1.0cmol/kg. Average cation exchange capacity was 11.0cmol/kg. Although average figures in Solum mostly meet the landscape design criteria, properties of each soil layer showed various values sometimes over the limit. Base saturations were $Ca^{2+}$ 29.9%, $Mg^{2+}$ 13.3% and $K^+$ 3.7% for lower soil, $Ca^{2+}$ 33.3%, $Mg^{2+}$ 17.0% and $K^+$ 2.7% for mid-soil and $Ca^{2+}$ 32.6%, $Mg^{2+}$ 12.2% and $K^+$ 1.9% for upper soil. Exchangeable sodium percentages were 16.4% for lower soil, 7.5% for mid-soil and 4.7% upper soil. Sodium adsorption rates were 0.8 for lower soil, 0.3 for mid-soil and 0.2 for upper soil. Factors affecting to the vegetation growth were heterogeneity and poorness of solum, disturbance of dredged soils, high soil hardness including hardpan in the subsurface soil layer and shallow effective soil depth, high soil acidity, imbalance of base contents, low organic matter content and low available phosphate levels in the soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2003

The study site located in an industrial complex has a Precambrian age gneiss as a bedrock. The poorly-developed, disturbed soils in the study site have loamy-textured surface soil (1 to 2 m) and gravelly sand alluvium subsurface (2 to 6 m) on the top of weathered gneiss bedrock. The depth of the groundwater table was about 3.5 m below ground surface and increased toward down-gradient of the site. The hydraulic conductivity of transmitted zone (gravelly coarse sand) was in the range of 5.0${\times}$10$\^$-2/∼1.85${\times}$10$\^$-1/ cm/sec. The fine sand layer was in the range of 1.5${\times}$10$\^$-3/ to 7.6${\times}$10$\^$-3/ cm/sec. and the reclaimed upper soil layer was less than 10$\^$-4/ cm/sec. Toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (TEX) was the major contaminant in the soil and groundwater. The average depth of the soil contamination was about 1.5 m in the gravelly sand alluvium layer. At the depth interval 2.4∼4.8 m, the highest contamination in the soil is located approximately 50 to 70 m from the suspected source areas. The concentration of TEX in the groundwater was highest in the suspected source area and a lesser concentration in the center and southwest parts of the site. The TEX distribution in the groundwater is associated with their distribution in the soil. Microbial isolation showed that Pseudomonas flurescence, Burkholderia cepacia, and Acinetobactor lwoffi were the dominant aerobic bacteria in the contaminated soils. The analytical results of the groundwater indicated that the concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, and sulfate in the contaminated area were significantly lower than their concentrations in the none-contaminated control area. The results also indicated that groundwater at the contaminated area is under anaerobic condition and sulfate reduction is the predominant terminal electron accepting process. The total attenuation rate was 0.0017 day$\^$-1/ and the estimated first-order degradation rate constant (λ) was 0.0008 day$\^$-1/.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.2 s.183
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• pp.209-221
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• 2007

Numerical analysis was performed to investigate the effect of heavy metal contamination on neighboring environment in case a dam is constructed by using rockfill materials contaminated by heavy metals. The numerical simulation carried out in this research includes both subsurface flow and contaminant transport in the inside of the CFRD(Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam), using two commercial programs, SEEP2D and FEMWATER. The three representative cases of scenarios were chosen to consider a variety of cases occurring in a dam site; (1) Scenario 1 : no crack in the concrete face slab, (2) Scenario 2 : a crack In the upper part of face slab, and (3) Scenario 3 : a crack between plinth and face slab in the lower part of face slab. As a result of seepage analysis, the amount of seepage in scenario 2 was calculated as $14.31\sim14.924m^3/day$ per unit width, corresponding to the 1,000 times higher value than that in other scenarios. Also, in the simulation of contaminant transport by using FEMWATER, specified contaminant concentration of 13 ppb in main rockfill zone was set to consider continuous leakage from the rock materials. Through the analysis of contaminant transport, we found that elapsed times to take for the contaminant concentration of about 2 ppb to arrive at the end of a dam are as follows. Scenario 1 has the elapsed time of 55,000 years. In Scenario 2. it is 50 years. Finally, scenario 3 has 27,000 years. The rapid transport of the contaminant in scenario 2 was attributed to greater seepage flow by 500 times than other scenarios. Although, in case of upper crack in the face slab, it was identified that the contaminant might transport to the end of a dam within 100 years with about 2 ppb concentration, however, it happened that the contaminant was hardly transported out of the dam in other scenarios, which correspond to either no crack or a crack between plinth and face slab. In conclusion, the numerical analysis showed that the alternative usage of the contaminated sand and gravel as the dam embankment material can be one of the feasible methods with the assumption that the cracks in a face slab could be controlled adequately.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2003

This study was performed to delineate the subsurface geology, geologic structure, and distribution pattern of the Palgongsan granitic body, and to reveal the relationship between the Kyeongsang basin and Yongnam massif by gravity survey. The study area is located between the latitude of 35$^{\circ}$45'-36$^{\circ}$21'N and longitude of 128$^{\circ}$15'-129$^{\circ}$00'E. Total of 966 gravity data measured by Seoul National University, KlGAM(Korea Institute of Geology, Mining ＆ Materials), Pusan National University and Yonsei University were used. The Bouguer gravity anomaly in the study area ranges from -12.88 to 26.01 mgal with a mean value of 11.27 mgal. A very low anomaly zone is located in the Yongnam massif in west of the study area. The anomaly value increases going from west to east. A low anomaly distribution in Palgongsan granite and Yongnam massif is interpreted as the effect of their lower density than that of Kyeongsang Super Group. Power spectrum analysis is applied to evaluate the average depth of basement the Kyeongsang Basin and Conrad discontinuity from gravity anomaly. The average depths of density discontinuities are calculated 10.45 km and 4.9 km, and these are interpreted as Conrad discontinuity and depth of basement of the Kyeongsang Basin, respectively. The depth of Palgongsan granite is derived by means of 2-dimensional modeling and it decreases gradually toward the east. The gravity anomaly east of the study area decreases abruptly due to Shingryeong fault and Nogosan ring fault. Two deepest and sharp roots of Palgongsan granite are recognized by 2-dimensional modeling of each profiles. The depths of those roots are 5.3 km on a profile AA' and 7 km on a profile BB' which is the maximum depth of Palgongsan granite. Small granitic bodies are also seen to be intruded around the Palgongsan granite. The root of Palgongsan granite is shown by 3-dimensional analysis based on the interpolation of 2-dimensional modeling along each profiles to exist in the southwest vicinity of Palgongsan granite. The total volume of Palgongsan granite is approximately 31.211 $Km^3$.