• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2010

The Suljeongri east three-story stone pagoda in Changnyeong (National Treasure No. 34) has been damaged mainly by lots of cracks. The stones used for this pagoda are medium-granied equigranular pinkish biotite granite. Measured magnetic susceptibility values are of from 2 to 9 (${\times}10^{-3}$ SI unit). From the ${\gamma}$-ray spectrometer mesurement K, eU, and eTh contents of the stones are 3 to 7%, 8 to 19 ppm, and 11 to 35 ppm, respectively. Comparing the petrographical and chemical characteristics between the stones of the pagoda and the country rocks near Suljeongri, it is suggested that the most similar rock could be equigranular biotite granite in the western slope of the Mt. Hwawangsan. Vertical, horizontal and diagonal cracks are intensely developed at the lower part of the stone pagoda. Biotite granite has intrinsic microcracks defined as rift and grain rock cleavages. Both rock cleavages are assumed to have led to the crack growth and consequent mechanical damage of the pagoda. It seems that vertical cracks have been grown parallel to the principal compressional stress, and that horizontal cracks to the reacting tensional stress. Diagonal cracks seems likely to have been resulted from conjugate rift and grain rock cleavages.