• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.39 no.5 s.180
• /
• pp.583-595
• /
• 2006

Quartz veins from the Hwawon area are an epithermal quartz vein that is filling the fault zone within Precambrian metasedimentary rocks and Jurassic granite. Mineralization can be divided into hypogene and supergene stages. Hypogene stage is associated with hydrothermal alteration minerals(propylitic and argillic zones) such as epidote, chlorite, illite, sericite and sulfides such as pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, bornite, cubanite, argentian tetrahedrite, Pb-Ag-S system and Pb-Te-S system. Supergene stage is composed of Fe-Mn oxide, Zn-Fe oxide and Pb oxide. Fluid inclusion data indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinity of hypogene stage range from $291.2^{\circ}C$ to $397.3^{\circ}C$ and from 0.0 to 9.3 wt.% eq. NaCl, respectively. It suggests that ore forming fluids were cooled and diluted with the mixing of meteoric water. Oxygen($-0.7{\sim}3.5%_{\circ}$(white quartz: $-0.7{\sim}3.5%_{\circ}$, transparent quartz: $2.4%_{\circ}$)) and hydrogen($-70{\sim}55%_{\circ}$(white quartz: $-70{\sim}55%_{\circ}$, transparent quartz: $-62%_{\circ}$)) isotopic composition indicates that hydrothermal fluids were derived from magmatic and evolved by mixing with meteoric water during mineralization.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.135-144
• /
• 2005

In the high-Ca limestone zone of the Pungchon Formation of the Lower Chosun Supergroup, cryptocrystalline alterations with reddish brown color occur as fissure-fillings or coatings, which was originated from the upper formation, i. e., the Hwajeol Formation. The precipitates result in degradation and contamination of the high-Ca limestone ore in grade and quality, showing characteristic occurrence and mineral composition typical of suggesting a supergene origin. Chalcedonic quartz, kaolinite, illite, goethite and hematite are constituting a characteristic authigenic mineral assemblage and, in places, smectite is less commonly included in the weathering product. In addition to these authigenic phases, some detrital minerals such as mica and orthoclase constituting relatively coarser grains are also rarely present in the supergene alterations. A rather complex clay facies consisting of kaolinite, illite and smectite in the alterations seems to correspond to the typical clay composition of the reported residual pedogenic soils by limestone weathering. The cryptocrystalline weathering product is partly altered to stilbite, a characteristic hydrothermal zeolite, in places, by the hydrothermal contact of late stage. The time of formation and infiltration of the supergene alterations seems to correspond to the stage just after the epithermal alteration of the Pungchon Limestone, i. e., an early Jurassic age. The supergene alteration, which may imply the stage of uplifting, weathering and erosion of the Chosun Supergroup, appears to have undergone at an oxygen-rich environment in descending water of meteoric origin by means of a chemical leaching and diffusion.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 1993

Limited geochemical components have been detected in fluid inclusions from ore deposits in south Korea by non-destructive and destructive analytical methods. Review of fluid inclusion studies display that the homogenization temperatures and salinities are in direct proportion. W and Cu ore deposits tend to show higher homogenization temperatures and salinities than Au ore deposits. Abundant halite-bearing fluid inclusions from the Eonyang Granite producing precious amethyst crystals may indicate that the initial fluid originated from magma is highly saline as shown by the quartz from the granite. Raman Laser microprobe detected $CO_2$, $N_2$ and $CH_4$ in a gold deposit, while these components are hardly detected from other deposits, even though destrucive analysis has dectected $CO_2$, $N_2$, $CH_4$, $H_2S$, and $SO_2$ from most of ore deposits. Individual fluid inclusion shows quite different components. These results suggest that large numbers of fluid inclusions should be analysed by Raman Laser microprobe to gain reliable data. Halite-bearing inclusion is hardly found in fluid inclusions from epithermal gold deposits in south Korea. Geochemistry, homogeinzation temperature and salinity of fluid inclusions may be useful to apply for exploration to find a concealed orebody.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.117-127
• /
• 1993

Ag-Au vein ores from the Weolyu mine, Youngdong district, contain significant germanium (up to 145g/t, average 34.9g/t), in the form of argyrodite ($Ag_8GeS_6$). Mineral chemistries of argyrodite and its associated minerals were determined by electron probe microanalysis. Twenty eight elements in thirteen ore samples were analyzed using an ICP mass spectrometer. Argyrodite occurs in the paragenetically later mineral assemblage consisting of carbonates+quartz+native silver+argentite+Ag-sulfosalts, indicating that the germanium mineralization represents the culmination of a complex mineral sequence which includes early gold and late silver deposition. The mean formula of the argyrodite is $Ag_{7.90}\;(Ge_{0.76}Sn_{0.04})S_6$, with minor amounts of Cu, Fe, Sb, As, Sn, and Zn. The Weolyu argyrodite shows systematic substitutions of Ag by Cu, and of Ge by Sb. Chemical analyses of vein ores indicate that metals were precipitated in the order of $Fe{\rightarrow}Pb$, $Zn{\rightarrow}Cu{\rightarrow}Ag$, Sb, As, Ge. Germanium has a strong geochemical affmity with As and Sb, and Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo, and Sr show weak positive correlations with Ge. Germanium deposition at Weolyu was mainly a result of cooling of hydrothermal fluids (down to $175^{\circ}C{\sim}210^{\circ}C$, due to increasing involvement of cooler meteoric waters in the epithermal system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.221-234
• /
• 2020

We occur together with telluride minerals. Fluid inclusions in the euhedral quartz crystals are mainly aqueous liquid-rich inclusions, which have salinities about 0.18-2.24 wt% NaCl equivalent. Some quartz vein contains aqueous vapor-rich inclusions as well. Homogenization temperatures of the assemblages of the liquid-rich inclusions are about 141-384 ℃, and the temperatures are lower at the shallower vein samples. In the high Au-Ag grade depth intervals, relatively deeper fluids have relatively higher salinities and homogenization temperatures, while shallower fluids show somewhat wider ranges. These might indicate that the deep Au-Ag bearing hydrothermal fluids at the Moisan area experienced phase separation as well as mixing with meteoric water by decreasing pressure. Au-Ag precipitation in the Moisan deposit is not associated with pyrite, but pyrite include Au-Ag bearing phase as an inclusion, which might possibly be tellurides or electrum. Au/Ag ratios in the Au-Ag bearing phase do not change with different depth.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.678-699
• /
• 2015

Although the harsh space environment imposes many severe challenges to space pioneers, space exploration is a realistic and profitable goal for long-term humanity survival. One of the viable and promising options to overcome the harsh environment of space is nuclear propulsion. Particularly, the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) is a leading candidate for nearterm human missions to Mars and beyond due to its relatively high thrust and efficiency. Traditional NTR designs use typically high power reactors with fast or epithermal neutron spectrums to simplify core design and to maximize thrust. In parallel there are a series of new NTR designs with lower thrust and higher efficiency, designed to enhance mission versatility and safety through the use of redundant engines (when used in a clustered engine arrangement) for future commercialization. This paper proposes a new NTR design of the second design philosophy, Korea Advanced NUclear Thermal Engine Rocket (KANUTER), for future space applications. The KANUTER consists of an Extremely High Temperature Gas cooled Reactor (EHTGR) utilizing hydrogen propellant, a propulsion system, and an optional electricity generation system to provide propulsion as well as electricity generation. The innovatively small engine has the characteristics of high efficiency, being compact and lightweight, and bimodal capability. The notable characteristics result from the moderated EHTGR design, uniquely utilizing the integrated fuel element with an ultra heat-resistant carbide fuel, an efficient metal hydride moderator, protectively cooling channels and an individual pressure tube in an all-in-one package. The EHTGR can be bimodally operated in a propulsion mode of $100MW_{th}$ and an electricity generation mode of $100MW_{th}$, equipped with a dynamic energy conversion system. To investigate the design features of the new reactor and to estimate referential engine performance, a preliminary design study in terms of neutronics and thermohydraulics was carried out. The result indicates that the innovative design has great potential for high propellant efficiency and thrust-to-weight of engine ratio, compared with the existing NTR designs. However, the build-up of fission products in fuel has a significant impact on the bimodal operation of the moderated reactor such as xenon-induced dead time. This issue can be overcome by building in excess reactivity and control margin for the reactor design.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.323-336
• /
• 2019

The Mesozoic activity on the Korean Peninsula is mainly represented by the Triassic post-collisional, Jurassic orogenic, and Cretaceous post-orogenic igneous activities. The diversity of mineralization by each geological period came from various geothermal systems derived from the geochemical characteristics of magma with different emplacement depth. The Cretaceous metallic mineralization has been carried out over a wide range of time periods from ca. 115 to 45 Ma (main stage; ca. 100 to 60 Ma) related to post-orogenic igneous activity, and spatial distribution patterns of most metal deposits are concentrated along small granitic stocks. The late Cretaceous metal deposits in the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs are generally distributed along the boundary among the Gongju-Eumseong fault system and the Yeongdong-Gwangju fault system and the Gyeongsang Basin, most of them are in the form of a distal epithermal~mesothermal Au-Ag vein or a transitional mesothermal Zn-Pb-Cu vein. On the other hand, diverse metal commodities in the Taebaeg Basin, the Okcheon metamorphic belt and the Gyeongsang Basin are produced from various deposit types such as skarn, carbonate-replacement, vein, porphyry, breccia pipe, and Carlin type. In the late Cretaceous metallic mineralization, various mineral deposits and commodities were induced not only by the pathway of the hydrothermal solution, but also by the diversity of precipitation environment in the proximity difference of the granitic rocks. The diversity of these types of Cretaceous deposits is fundamentally dependent on the geochemical characteristics such as degree of differentiation and oxidation state of related igneous rocks, and ore-forming fluids generally exhibit the evolutionary characteristics of intermediate- to low-sulfur hydrothermal fluids.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.87-102
• /
• 2019

Pallancata Ag mine is located at the Ayacucho region 520 km southeast of Lima. The geology of mine area consists of mainly Cenozoic volcanic-intrusive rocks, which are composed of tuff, andesitic lava, andesitic tuff, pyroclastic flow, volcano clasts, rhyolite and quartz monzonite. This mine have about 100 quartz veins in tuff filling regional faults orienting NW, NE and EW directions. The Ag grades in quartz veins are from 40 to 1,000 g/t. Quartz veins vary from 0.1 m to 25 m in thickness and extend to about 3,000 m in strike length. Quartz veins show following textures including zonation, cavity, massive, breccia, crustiform, colloform and comb textures. Wallrock alteration features including silicification, sericitization, pyritization, chloritization and argillitization are obvious. The quartz veins contain calcite, chalcedony, adularia, fluorite, rutile, zircon, apatite, Fe oxide, REE mineral, Cr oxide, Al-Si-O mineral, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, electrum, proustite-pyrargyrite, pearceite-polybasite and acanthite. The temperature and sulfur fugacity ($f_{s2}$) of the Ag mineralization estimated from the mineral assemblages and mineral compositions are ranging from 118 to $222^{\circ}C$ and from $10^{-20.8}$ to $10^{-13.2}atm$, respectively. The relatively low temperature and sulfur-oxygen fugacities in the hydrothermal fluids during the Ag mineralization in Pallancata might be due to cooling and/or boiling of Ag-bearing fluids by mixing of meteoric water in the relatively shallow hydrothermal environment. The hydrothermal condition may be corresponding to an intermediate sulfidation epithermal mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.753-765
• /
• 2021

The Dongwon Au-Ag deposit is located within the Paleozoic Taebaeksan province, Okcheon belt. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz veins; stage II, barren carbonate veins) 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 magnetite, pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor sulfosalts; late, marked by argentite, Cu-As (and/or Sb) and Ag-Sb sulfosalts with base-metal sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥430℃) and later lower temperatures (≤230℃) from fluids with salinities between 6.0 to 0.4 wt. percent equiv. NaCl. The relationship of salinity and homogenization temperature suggest that ore mineralization at Dongwon was deposited mainly due to fluid boiling, cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Dongwon hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Dongwon deposit may represents a Korean-type and/or Au-Ag type mesothermal/epithermal gold-silver deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.243-264
• /
• 1986

This work is a metallogeny on gold-silver deposits in South Korea based on the close examination of the author's own data and a broad review of existing literature available. The metallogenic epochs in Korea are temporarily connected with the history of tectonism and igneous activities, and are identified as the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Jurassic to early Cretaceous, late Cretaceous to early Tertiary, and Quaternary epochs, whereas the metallogenic provinces are spatially associated with some of the felsic to intermediate igneous rocks, lacking mineralization related to basic and ultrabasic rocks. The metallogeny on the gold-silver deposits is mostly related to the granitic rocks intrusives. Epigenetic gold-silver mineralization in South Korea ranges in metallogenic epochs from Precambrian through Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous to Eocene (?), in genetic types from hypothermal through mesothermal and epithermal quartz-sulfide veins to volcanogenic stockworks, with some disseminated types. Reporting on metallic association from gold without silver, gold-silver, silver-gold, silver without gold, and gold or silver as a by-product from other metallic ores. The most representative genetic types and metal associations of gold-silver deposits are hydrothermal quartz veins associated with the Daebo and Bulgugsa granitic magmatism. The most closely associated paragenetic metallic minerals in gold-silver hydrothermal quartz-sulfide vein type deposits are: copper, lead, zinc, pyrite and arsenopyrite. More than 560 gold-silver mines are plotted in the distribution map grouped within the 10 different metallogenic provinces of South Korea. Specific mineralizations with related mineral association in both sulfides and gangues observed selected from 18 Korean and 8 Japanese Au-Ag deposits. The 7 selected individual gold-silver mines representing specific mineralization types are described in this report.