• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 2021

For disaster management and mitigation of earthquakes in Korea Peninsula, active fault investigation has been conducted for the past 5 years. In particular, investigation of sediment-covered active faults integrates geomorphological analysis on airborne LiDAR data, surface geological survey, and geophysical exploration, and unearths subsurface active faults by trench survey. However, the fault traces revealed by trench surveys are only available for investigation during a limited time and restored to the previous condition. Thus, the geological data describing the fault trench sites remain as the qualitative data in terms of research articles and reports. To extend the limitations due to temporal nature of geological studies, we utilized a terrestrial LiDAR to produce 3D point clouds for the fault trench sites and restored them in a digital space. The terrestrial LiDAR scanning was conducted at two trench sites located near the Yangsan Fault and acquired amplitude and reflectance from the surveyed area as well as color information by combining photogrammetry with the LiDAR system. The scanned data were merged to form the 3D point clouds having the average geometric error of 0.003 m, which exhibited the sufficient accuracy to restore the details of the surveyed trench sites. However, we found more post-processing on the scanned data would be necessary because the amplitudes and reflectances of the point clouds varied depending on the scan positions and the colors of the trench surfaces were captured differently depending on the light exposures available at the time. Such point clouds are pretty large in size and visualized through a limited set of softwares, which limits data sharing among researchers. As an alternative, we suggested Potree, an open-source web-based platform, to visualize the point clouds of the trench sites. In this study, as a result, we identified that terrestrial LiDAR data can be practical to increase reproducibility of geological field studies and easily accessible by researchers and students in Earth Sciences.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.233-245
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• 2021

Many studies on the microstructures in rocks have been conducted using experimental methods with various equipment as well as natural rock studies to see the development of microstructures and understand their mechanisms. Grain boundary migration of mineral aggregates in rocks could cause grain growth or grain size changes during metamorphism or deformation as one of the main recrystallization mechanisms. This study suggests improved ways regarding the analog material experiments with reformed equipment to see sequential observations of these grain boundary migration. It can be more efficient than the existing techniques and carry out an appropriate microstructure analysis. This reformed equipment was implemented to enable optical manipulation by mounting polarizing plates capable of rotating operation on a stereoscopic microscope and a deformation rig capable of experimenting with analog materials. The equipment can automatically control the temperature and strain rate of the deformation rig by microcontrollers and programming and can take digital photomicrographs with constant time intervals during the experiment to observe any microstructure changes. The composite images synthesized using images by rotated polarizing plates enable us to see more accurate grain boundaries. As a rock analog material, norcamphor(C7H10O) was used, which has similar birefringence to quartz. Static grain growth and simple shear deformation experiments were performed using the norcamphor to verify the effectiveness of the equipment. The static grain growth experiments showed the characteristics of typical grain growth behavior. The number of grains decreases and the average grain size increases over time. These case experiments also showed a clear difference between the growth curves with three temperature conditions. The result of the simple shear deformation experiment under the medium temperature-low strain rate showed no significant change in the average grain size but presented the increased elongation of grain shapes in the direction of about 53° regarding the direction perpendicular to the shearing direction as the shear strain increases over time. These microstructures are interpreted as both the plastic deformation and the internal recovery process in grains are balanced by the deformation under the given experimental conditions. These experiments using the reformed equipment represent the ability to sequentially observe changing the microstructure during experiments as desired in the tests with the analog material during the entire process.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2021

A land nodal seismic system was employed to acquire seismic reflection data using stand-alone cable-free receivers in a land-river area. Acquiring reliable data using this technology is very cost effective, as it avoids topographic problems in the deployment and collection of receivers. The land nodal airgun system deployed on the mouth of the Hyungsan River (in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk Province) used airgun sources in the river and receivers on the riverbank, with subparallel source and receiver lines, approximately 120 m-spaced. Seismic data collected on the riverbank are characterized by a low signal-to-noise (S/N) and inconsistent reflection events. Most of the events are represented by hyperbola in the field records, including direct waves, guided waves, air waves, and Scholte surface waves, in contrast to the straight lines in the data collected conventionally where source and receiver lines are coincident. The processing strategy included enhancing the signal behind the low-frequency large-amplitude noise with a cascaded application of bandpass and f-k filters for the attenuation of air waves. Static time delays caused by the cross-offset distance between sources and receivers are corrected, with a focus on mapping the shallow reflections obscured by guided wave and air wave noise. A new time-distance equation and curve for direct and air waves are suggested for the correction of the static time delay caused by the cross-offset between source and receiver. Investigation of the minimum cross-offset gathers shows well-aligned shallow reflections around 200 ms after time-shift correction. This time-delay static correction based on the direct wave is found essential to improving the data from parallel source and receiver lines. Data acquisition and processing strategies developed in this study for land nodal airgun seismic systems will be readily applicable to seismic data from land-sea areas when high-resolution signal data becomes available in the future for investigation of shallow gas reservoirs, faults, and engineering designs for the development of coastal areas.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.476-484
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• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of closed cultivation and open cultivation method and substrate type on the nutrient ion change pattern and growth of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) 'Scirocco' according to the reuse of drainage in hydroponics. The sowing, transplanting, and application of the closed and open cultivation method were carried out on August 19 and September 16, and October 21, 2021, respectively. As a result of the analysis of nutrients in the drainage, Na⁺ and Cl^- are representative ions that crops do not absorb properly, and as the growth progresses, they are accumulated in the closed method. In addition, since the content of NH₄-N in the drainage is significantly lower than that of NO₃-N, it is thought that NH₄-N is preferentially absorbed rather than NO₃-N due to the ion selectivity of sweet pepper. The growth and fruit characteristics of sweet pepper did not differ significantly between treatments according to the drainage reuse and the type of substrate. In conclusion, if you take care of poor fruiting due to the weakening of power after the middle period in hydroponic cultivation of sweet pepper according to the cultivation method of closed and open, and the substrate type of coir and rock wool, the difference between treatments is not large, so the sweet pepper can be produced by selecting the cultivation methods and substrate types suitable for the conditions of grower. However, as interest in environmental pollution has recently increased, it is judged that there is no need to worry about a decrease in quantity or quality, even if a closed cultivation method is adopted under the assumption that pathogen infection due to drainage reuse is well managed. It is expected that if coir is applied instead of rock wool, which causes a problem of disposal, it will further contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2023

This study measured the antioxidant activity and phytochemical content of 192 Boehmeria nivea var. tenacissima (Gaudich.) Miq. collected from six regions in order to identify the possibility of its industrial application. Two antioxidant activity assay (DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity) and two phytochemical content assay (total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC)) of 192 samples were analyzed. The results showed that the DPPH radical scavenging activity of 192 samples was ranged from 0.02 to 1.35 mgAAE/g, and among them, the samples collected from Goheung (0.53 ± 0.37) and Ulleungdo (0.52 ± 0.28) showed the highest activity. The ABTS radical scavenging activity was showed the ranged from 0.07 to 1.81 mgAAE/g, and the samples collected at Ulleungdo (0.47 ± 0.36) showed the highest activity. The total polyphenol content of 192 samples was 18.6 to 234.8 ugGAE/g, and the samples collected at Mokpo (93.4 ± 34.7) and Jindo (90.4 ± 24.5) showed the highest content. The total flavonoid content was 0.10 to 1.22 mgQE/g and the samples collected at Ulleungdo (0.49 ± 0.31) showed the highest content. In the correlation analysis, there was no significant relationship between the environmental conditions and the antioxidant activity. The total polyphenol content showed a positive correlation with daily temperature difference, and negative correlation with average wind speed and average humidity, and total flavonoid content showed negative correlations with the average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature. This result can be used as a basic data establish the cultivation conditions of B. nivea var. tenacissima (Gaudich.) Miq. as a functional raw material to increase the usefulness of B. nivea var. tenacissima (Gaudich.) Miq..

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2023

Due to the revision of the River Act and the enactment of the Act on the Investigation, Planning, and Management of Water Resources, a regular bed change survey has become mandatory and a system is being prepared such that local governments can manage water resources in a planned manner. Since the topography of a bed cannot be measured directly, it is indirectly measured via contact-type depth measurements such as level survey or using an echo sounder, which features a low spatial resolution and does not allow continuous surveying owing to constraints in data acquisition. Therefore, a depth measurement method using remote sensing-LiDAR or hyperspectral imaging-has recently been developed, which allows a wider area survey than the contact-type method as it acquires hyperspectral images from a lightweight hyperspectral sensor mounted on a frequently operating drone and by applying the optimal bandwidth ratio search algorithm to estimate the depth. In the existing hyperspectral remote sensing technique, specific physical quantities are analyzed after matching the hyperspectral image acquired by the drone's path to the image of a surface unit. Previous studies focus primarily on the application of this technology to measure the bathymetry of sandy rivers, whereas bed materials are rarely evaluated. In this study, the existing hyperspectral image-based water depth estimation technique is applied to rivers with vegetation, whereas spatio-temporal hyperspectral imaging and cross-sectional hyperspectral imaging are performed for two cases in the same area before and after vegetation is removed. The result shows that the water depth estimation in the absence of vegetation is more accurate, and in the presence of vegetation, the water depth is estimated by recognizing the height of vegetation as the bottom. In addition, highly accurate water depth estimation is achieved not only in conventional cross-sectional hyperspectral imaging, but also in spatio-temporal hyperspectral imaging. As such, the possibility of monitoring bed fluctuations (water depth fluctuation) using spatio-temporal hyperspectral imaging is confirmed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.779-793
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• 2023

Intensive and long-term aquaculture activities in Korea have generated considerable amounts of organic matter, deteriorating the sedimentary environment and ecosystem. The Korean government enacted the Fishery Management Act to preserve and manage the environment of fish farms. Based on this, a fisheries environment assessment has been conducted on fish cage farms since 2014, necessitating the development of a scientific and objective evaluation method suitable for the domestic environment. Therefore, a benthic health index (BHI) was developed using the relationship between benthic polychaete communities and organic matter, a major source of pollution in fish farms. In this study, the development process and calculation method of the BHI have been introduced. The BHI was calculated by classifying 225 species of polychaetes appearing in domestic coastal and aquaculture areas into four groups by linking the concentration gradient of the total organic carbon in the sediment and the distributional characteristics of each species and assigning differential weights to each group. Using BHI, the benthic fauna communities were assigned to one of the four ecological classes (Grade 1: Normal, Grade 2: Slightly polluted, Grade 3: Moderately polluted, and Grade 4: Heavily polluted). The application of the developed index in the field enabled effective evaluation of the Korean environment, being relatively more accurate and less affected by the season compared with the existing evaluation methods like the diversity index or AZTI's Marine Biotic Index developed overseas. In addition, using BHI will be useful in the environmental management of fish farms, as the environment can be graded in quantified figures.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.583-603
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• 2023

Recently, the advancement of mechanical tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology and the characteristics of subsea railway tunnels subjected to hydrostatic pressure have led to the widespread application of shield TBM methods in the design and construction of subsea railway tunnels. Subsea railway tunnels are exposed in a constant pore water pressure and are influenced by the amplification of seismic waves during earthquake. In particular, seismic loads acting on subsea railway tunnels under various ground conditions such as soft ground, soft soil-rock composite ground, and fractured zones can cause significant changes in tunnel displacement and stress, thereby affecting tunnel safety. Additionally, the dynamic response of the ground and tunnel varies based on seismic load parameters such as frequency characteristics, seismic waveform, and peak acceleration, adding complexity to the behavior of the ground-tunnel structure system. In this study, a finite difference method is employed to model the entire ground-tunnel structure system, considering hydrostatic pressure, for the investigation of dynamic behavior of subsea railway tunnel during earthquake. Since the key factors influencing the dynamic behavior during seismic events are ground conditions and seismic waves, six analysis cases are established based on virtual ground conditions: Case-1 with weathered soil, Case-2 with hard rock, Case-3 with a composite ground of soil and hard rock in the tunnel longitudinal direction, Case-4 with the tunnel passing through a narrow fault zone, Case-5 with a composite ground of soft soil and hard rock in the tunnel longitudinal direction, and Case-6 with the tunnel passing through a wide fractured zone. As a result, horizontal displacements due to earthquakes tend to increase with an increase in ground stiffness, however, the displacements tend to be restrained due to the confining effects of the ground and the rigid shield segments. On the contrary, peak compressive stress of segment significantly increases with weaker ground stiffness and the effects of displacement restrain contribute the increase of peak compressive stress of segment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2024

This study was performed to determine the effects of Four seedling age classes ageon the characteristics of growth and nutrient uptake in Chamaecyparis obtusa container seedlings. Seedlings (1-1, 2-0, 2-1, and 2-2 seedlings) of C. obtusa grown in containers were harvested to measure specific leaf area, height (H)/root collar diameter (D) ratio, dry mass of aboveground (T)/root dry mass (R) ratio, and seedling quality index of seedlings. The specific leaf area was highest in 1-0 seedlings (30.48 cm² g^-1), whereas it decreased (from 28.62 cm² g^-1 to 23.59 cm² g^-1) with increasing seedling age. The H/D ratio increased with increasing seedling age (from 4.41 in 1-0 seedlings to 8.35 in 2-2 seedlings). The T/R ratio decreased as the seedling age increased (from 4.29 in the 1-0 seedling to 2.13 in the 2-1 seedling). The seedling quality index increased with increasing seedling age (from 0.10 for the 1-0 seedling to 3.06 for the 2-2 seedling). The carbon concentrations of seedling components (leaf, branches, stem, and roots) did not differ significantly with seedling age, whereas the nitrogen concentration of seedling components was the lowest in 2-1 seedlings, as no fertilizer was applied to discourage excessive growth of the seedlings. Phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium concentrations in 2-1 seedling components were not affected by the lack of fertilizer application. These results can be applied to determine the optimum morphological characteristics and nutrient management by seedling age in container- grown C. obtusa.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.397-416
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• 2024

This study assessed the hydrogeological properties of the deep geological environment to develop safety criteria for the natural barriers used in the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in Korea. The assessment focused on the distribution and trends of hydraulic conductivity and permeability properties appropriate for the domestic geological environment, using various in-situ hydraulic test data collected for groundwater development and management. To develop a depth-hydrogeological property relationship model suitable for domestic conditions, the study reviewed various international research examples and applied a representative model that explains the trends of hydraulic conductivity and permeability with depth. The development of the model suitable for Korea involved applying ensemble regression analysis to account for the uncertainty of various factors in the collected data. The results confirmed that existing international depth-hydrogeological property relationship models adequately describe the characteristics of the domestic geological environment. Considering the preferred hydrogeological criteria suggested by countries like Sweden, Germany, and Canada, there is a high likelihood that a suitable geological environment exists in Korea. Additionally, the application of hydrogeological criteria indicative of low-permeability environments showed that suitable conditions for disposal construction increase at depths greater than 300 m, where the influence of fractures on groundwater flow might be minimal at depths exceeding 500 m. This research can serve as foundational information for establishing hydrogeological safety standards for natural barriers in Korea according to international regulatory guidelines.