• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.181-191
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• 2014

Olon Ovoot gold mine, Mongolia, is located in the Omnogobi province which is south 500 km from Ulaanbaatar. The mine area consists of the Devonian Bot-Uul khudag formation, the Upper Devonian intrusions, and the Upper Devonian or the Early Jurassic quartz veins. The quartz veins contain from 1 to 32 g/t gold with an average of 5 g/t gold. The quartz veins vary from 0.2 m to 25 m and are concordant or discordant with foliation of the green-schist. The mineralogy of the quartz veins is simple and consists of mainly of white massive quartz with partly transparent quartz in cavity. Quartz, sericite, chlorite, pyrite and carbonates(ankerite, dolomite and siderite) were observed in the alteration zone. Carbonate minerals occur as disseminated, coarse or fine grains with quartz, sericite, chlorite and pyrite near vein margin or within wall-rock xenoliths in quartz vein. Ankerite is present as later dark grey ankerite(13.51 to 16.89 wt.% FeO) and early white grey ankerite(16.67 to 19.90 wt.% FeO). The FeO contents of early ankerite are higher than those of later ankerite. Dolomite contains from 3.89 to 10.44 wt.% FeO and from 0.10 to 0.47 wt.% MnO. Dolomite is present as dark grey dolomite(4.06 to 6.87 wt.% FeO), light white grey dolomite(6.74 to 7.58 wt.% FeO) and grey white dolomite(7.33 to 10.44 wt.% FeO). The FeO contents of white grey dolomite are higher than those of dark grey dolomite. Siderite contains from 34.25 to 48.66 wt.% FeO, from 6.79 to 14.38 wt.% MgO, from 0.06 to 0.26 wt.% MnO and from 2.08 to 8.08 wt.% CaO.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.201-213
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• 1998

From the Jungwon and Munkyeong areas which are among the famous producers of the carbonate-type groundwaters in Korea, various kinds of natural waters (deep groundwater, shallow groundwater and surface water) were collected between 1996 and 1997 and were studied for hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope (${\delta}^{34}S_{so4}$, ${\delta}^{18}O$, ${\delta}D$)systematics. Two types of deep groundwaters (carbonate type and alkali type) occur together in the two areas, and each shows distinct hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope characteristics. The carbonate type waters show the hydrochemical feature of the 'calcium(-sodium)-bicarbonate(-sulfate) type', whereas the alkali type water of the 'sodium-bicarbonate type'. The former type waters are characterized by lower pH, higher Eh, and higher amounts of dissolved ions (especialJy, $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^{+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and $SO_4{^{2-}}$). Two types of deep groundwaters are all saturated or supersaturated with respect to calcite. Two types of deep groundwaters were both derived from pre-thermonuclear (about more than 40 years old) meteoric waters (with lighter 0 and H isotope data than younger waters, i.e., shallow cold groundwaters and surface waters) which evolved through prolonged water-rock interaction. Based on the geologic setting, water chemistry, and environmental isotope data, however, each of these two different types of deep groundwaters represents distinct hydrologic and hydrogeochemical evolution at depths. The carbonate type groundwaters were formed through mixing with acidic waters that were derived from dissolution of pyrites in hydrothermal vein ores (for the Jungwon area water) or in anthracite coal beds (for the Munkyeong area water). If the deeply percolating meteoric waters did not meet pyrites during the circulation, only the alkali type groundwaters would form. This hydrologic and hydrogeochemical model may be successfully applied to the other carbonate type groundwaters in Korea.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.205-220
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• 2002

The gold-silver deposits in the Casado district were formed in the sheeted and stockwork quartz veins which fill the fault fractures in volcanic rocks. K-Ar dating of alteration sericite (about 70 Ma) indicates a Late Cretaceous age for ore mineralization. These veins are composed of quartz, adularia, carbonate, and minor of pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, Ag-sulfosalts (argentite, pearceite, Ag-As-Sb-S system), and electrum. These veins are characterized by chalcedonic, comb, crustiform and feathery textures. Based on the hydrothermally altered mineral assemblages, regional alteration zoning associated with mineralization in the Gasado district is defined as four zones; advanced argillic (kaolin mineral-alunite-quartz), argillic (kaolin mineral-quartz), phyllic (quartz-sericite-pyrite) and propylitic (chlorite-carbonate-quartz-feldspar-pyroxene) zone. Phyllic and propylitic zones is distributed over the study area. However, advanced argillic zone is restricted to the shallow surface of the Lighthouse vein. Compositions of electrum ranges from 14.6 to 53.7 atomic % Au, and the depositional condition for mineralization are estimated in terms of both temperature and sulfur fugacity: T=245。$~285^{\circ}C$, logf $s_2$=$10^{-10}$ ~ $10^{-12}$ Fluid inclusion and stable isotope data show that the auriferous fluids were mixed with cool and dilute (158。~253$^{\circ}C$ and 0.9~3.4 equiv. wt. % NaCl) meteoric water ($\delta^{18}$ $O_{water}$=-10.1~8.0$\textperthousand$, $\delta$D=-68~64$\textperthousand$). These results harmonize with the hot-spring type of the low-sulfidation epithermal deposit model, and strongly suggest that Au-Ag mineralization in the Gasado district was formed in low-sulfidation alteration type environment at near paleo-surface.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.90-99
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• 1989

Manganese deposits ar the Dongnam mine occur as vein in the Pungchon limestone of Ordovician age. Manganese ore veins consist of the hydrothermal manganese carbonate ores in the deeper part and the supergene manganese oxide ores in the shallow part. Manganese carbonate ores consist mainly of rhodochrosite, with minor amount of proxmangite, garnet, calcite, quartz, pyrite, galena and sphalerite. Manganese oxide ores consist of rancieite, buserite, birnessite, vernadite, todorokite, pydrolusite, nsutite, hydrohetaerosite and goethite. Manganese oxide minerals were formed in the following sequences; 1) rhodochrosite ${\rightarrow}$ vernadite ${\rightarrow}$ birnessite ${\rightarrow}$ nsutite ${\rightarrow}$ pyrolusite, 2) pyroxmangite ${\rightarrow}$ birnessite, 3) Buserite ${\rightarrow}$ ransieite. Todorokite, buserite and hydrohetaerolite were precipitated from solution in the later stage. The natural analogue of synthetic buserite has been discovered from the mine. It has been disclosed that buserite transforms to rancicite by dehydration, and that distinction between buserite and todorokite is possible by X-ray diffraction studies combined with dehydration experiment. Minerals identified from the mine have been characterized using various methods including polarizing microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, elecrton microscopy and dehydration experiment.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.107-118
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• 2019

Two assertions about the process the formation of the high-purity limestone in the Taebaeksan Basin, categorized into syngenetic and epigenetic origin, are verified on the basis of its oxygen-carbon stable isotopic characteristics. The carbonate rocks sampled from the selective six high-purity limestone mines and several outcrops in the Daegi formation are featured by various colors such as the gray, light gray and dark gray. They show a wide range of oxygen stable isotope ratios (4.5 ~ 21.6 ‰), but a narrow range of carbon stable isotope ratios (-1.1 ~ 0.8 ‰, except for vein calcite), which means that they had not experienced strong hydrothermal alteration. In addition, there is no difference in the range of the oxygen stable isotope ratios by mine and color, and it is similar to the range from surrounding outcrop samples. These results indicate that the effect of the hydrothermal alteration were negligible in the generation of high-purity limestone in deposit scale. Whereas, the carbonate rocks can be divided texturally into two groups on the basis of an oxygen isotope ratio; the massive-textured or well-layered samples (>15 ‰), and the layer-disturbed (or layer-destructed) and showing over two colors in one sample (<15 ‰). In the multi-colored samples, the bright parts are characterized by the very low oxygen stable isotope ratios, compared to the dark parts, implying the increase in brightness of the carbonate rocks could be induced by the interaction between hydrothermal fluid and rock. However, these can be applied in a small scale such as one sample and are not suitable for interpretation of the generation of high-purity limestone as a deposit scale. In particular, the high oxygen isotope ratios from the recrystallized white limestone suggest that hydrothermal fluids are also rarely involved during recrystallization process. In addition, the occurrences of the high-purity limestone orebody strongly support the high-purity limestone in the area are syngenetic rather than epigenetic; the high-purity limestone layers in the area show continuous and almost horizontal shapes, and is intercalated between dolomite layers. Consequently, the overall reinterpretation based on the sequential stratigraphy over the Taebaeksan basin would play an important role to find additional reserves of the high-purity limestone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-145
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• 1994

The Daehung and Pyeongan talc mines are located in the Yoogoo area, Chungcheongnam-Do. These deposits occur as the complex vein type in the ultramafic rocks which intruded Precambrian gneiss. The talc ore formed from sepentinitt: originated from ultramafic rocks but some of those from hornblende gneiss. The talcification processes were considered here on the basis of the mineral assemblages, paragenesis, and geochemistry. It appears that there are five processes in talcification ; serpentine$\rightarrow$talc, phlogopite$\rightarrow$chlorite$\rightarrow$talc, phlogopite$\rightarrow$talc, hornblende$\rightarrow$chlorite$\rightarrow$talc, and hornblende$\rightarrow$talc. Among them, the most dominant alteration path is serpentine to talc in these deposits. EPMA data suggest that there might be interstratified minerals were in between parent mineral and talc such as serpentine and talc, and phlogopite and talc. It can be found that tremolite exists in between the inner and outer most part of talcified serpentinite blocks coated with phlogopite. Some of tremolites has been altered to talc. The quartz veins and carbonate minerals were found in the talc ore zone. It indicates that the hydrothermal solution played an important role in talcification. The hydrothermal alteration occured after sepentinization. Ore zones can be divided into two zones; talc-serpentine zone preserving a pseudormorph of olivine (mesh texture) and talc-phlogopite zone showing talcification from phlogopite directly or through chlorite. It can be concluded that the formation of major talc ore body was due to talcification of serpentinite and phlogopite by hydrothermal solution. A nature of hydrothermal solution was relatively pure water at the beginning of serpentinization, and was getting richer in silica composition. There was a large amount influx of K and AI with hydrothermal solution in the later stage, and increased $P_{CO_{2}}$ also. It suggests that phlogopite formed in later stages as a secondary mineral. So, the major part of the talc ore body was formed from one parents rocks, serpentinite originated from ultramafic rocks, by hydrothermal solutions at several times.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

To construct the standard methods for evaluation of physicochemical characteristics of tailings in Korea, specific gravity, paste pH, grain size, mineral compositions and heavy metal concentrations of total 26 tailings from 21 metallic mines were analyzed. Specific gravity of tailings ranged from 2.61 to 4.31 (avg. 3.04), and sand and silt grain were dominant in the tailings. Ranges of paste pH were 2.1-9.5 in tailings (7.1-9.2 at magmatic, skarn and hydrothermal replacement deposits and 2.1-9.5 at hydrothermal vein deposits). Additionally, hydrothermal vein deposits could be reclassified into three categories: (1) paste pH>7.0, (2) 4.0

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.507-522
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• 2001

At the Tongyeong mine, quartz, rhodochrosite (kutnahorite), muscovite, illite, pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite. sphalerite, acanthite, and hessite are the principal vein minerals. They were deposited under epithermal conditions in two stages. Ore mineral assemblages and associated gangue phases in stage can be clearly divided into two general associations: an early cycle (band) that appeared with introduction of most of the sulfides and electrum, and a later cycle in which base metal and carbonate-bearing assemblages (mostly rhodochrosite) became dominant. Tellurides and some electrum occur as small rounded grains within subhedral-to euhedral pyrite or anhedral galena in stageII. Sulfide mineralization is zoned from pyrite to galena and sphalerite. We have used computer modeling to simulate formation of four stages of vein genesis. The reaction of a single fluid with andesite host rock at 28$0^{\circ}C$, isobaric cooling of a single fluid from 26$0^{\circ}C$ to 12$0^{\circ}C$, and boiling and mixing of a fluid with both decreasing pressure and temperature were studied using the CHILLER program. Calculations show that the precipitation of alteration minerals is due to fluid-andesite interaction as temperature drops. Speciation calculations confirm that the hydrothermal fluids with moderately high salinities and pH 5.7 (acid), were capable of transporting significant quantities of base metals. The abundance of gold in fluid depends critically on the ratio of total base metals and iron to sulfide in the aqueous phase because gold is transported as an Au(HS)$_2$- complex, which is sensitive to sulfide activity. Modeling results for Tongyeong mineralization show strong influence of shallow hydrogenic processes such as boiling and fluid mixing. The variable handing in stageII mineralization is best explained by maltiple boilings of hydrothermal fluid followed by lateral mixing of the fluid with overlying diluted, steam-heated ground water. The degree of similarity of calculated mineral assemblages and observed electrum composition and field relationships shows the utility of the numerical simulation method in identifying chemical processes that accompany boiling and mixing in Te-bearing Au-Ag system. This has been applied in models to narrow the search area for epithermal ores.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.115-139
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• 1984

The Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag hydrothermal vein-type deposits which comprise the Sambong mine occur within calc-alkaline volcanics of the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin. The ore mineralization took place through three distinct stages of quartz (I and II stages) and calcite veins (III stage) which fill the pre-existing fault breccia zones. These stages were separated in time by tectonic fracturing and brecciation events. The reflection variations of one mineral depending on mineralization sequence are considered to be resulted from variation in its chemical composition due to different physico-chemical conditions in the hydrothermal system. The reflection power of sphalerite increases with the content of Fe substituted for Zn. Reflectances of the sphalerite grain are lower on (111) than on (100) surface. The spectral profiles depend on the internal reflection color. Sphalerite, showing green, yellow and reddish brown internal reflection, have the highest reflection power at $544m{\mu}$ (green), $593m{\mu}$ (yellow) and $615m{\mu}$ (red) wavelength, respectively. Chalcopyrite is recognized as biaxial negative from the reflectivity data of randomly oriented grains measured at the most sensitivity at $544m{\mu}$. The microindentation hardness against the Fe content (wt. %) for the sphalerite increases to 8.05% Fe and then decreases toward 9.5% Fe content. Vickers hardness of the sphalerite is considerably higher on surface of (100) than on (111). The relationship between Vickers hardness and crystal orientation of the galena was determined to be $VHN_{(111)}$ > $VHN_{(210)}$ > $VHN_{(100)}$. The softer sulfides have the wider variation of the diagonal length in the indentation. Diagonal length in the indentation is pyrite

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.179-189
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• 2002

The Geology of the Shizhuyuan W-Sn-Bi-Mo deposits, situated 16 Ian southeast of Chengzhou City, Hunan Province, China, consist of Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks, Devonian carbonate rocks, Jurassic granitic rocks, Cretaceous granite porphyry and ultramafic dykes. The Shizhuyuan polymetallic deposits were associated with medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite of stage I. According to occurrences of ore body, ore minerals and assemblages, they might be classified into three stages such as skarn, greisen and hydrothernlal stages. The skarn is mainly calcic skarn, which develops around the Qianlishan granite, and consists of garnet, pyroxene, vesuvianite, wollastonite, amphibolite, fluorite, epidote, calcite, scheelite, wolframite, bismuthinite, molybdenite, cassiterite, native bismuth, unidetified Bi- Te-S system mineral, magnetite, and hematite. The greisen was related to residual fluid of medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite, and is classified into planar and vein types. It is composed of quartz, feldspar, muscovite, chlorite, tourmaline, topaz, apatite, beryl, scheelite, wolframite, bismuthinite, molybdenite, cassiterite, native bismuth, unknown uranium mineral, unknown REE mineral, pyrite, magnetite, and chalcopyrite with minor hematite. The hydrothermal stage was related to Cretaceous porphyry, and consist of quartz, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Scheelite shows a zonal texture, and higher MoO) content as 9.17% in central part. Wolframite is WO); 71.20 to 77.37 wt.%, FeO; 9.37 to 18.40 wt.%, MnO; 8.17 to 15.31 wt.% and CaO; 0.01 to 4.82 wt.%. FeO contents of cassiterite are 0.49 to 4.75 wt.%, and show higher contents (4.]7 to 4.75 wt.%) in skarn stage (Stage I). Te and Se contents of native bismuth range from 0.00 to 1.06 wt.% and from 0.00 to 0.57 wt.%, respectively. Unidentified Bi-Te-S system mineral is Bi; 78.62 to 80.75 wt.%, Te; 12.26 to 14.76 wt.%, Cu; 0.00 to 0.42 wt.%, S; 5.68 to 6.84 wt.%, Se; 0.44 to 0.78 wt.%.