• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.402-410
• /
• 2003

When the bivalve fossil microstructure is observed on a thin section, the growth lines of the older specimens are mostly erased by calcite recrystallization while those of the younger are well preserved in detail. During the fossil diagenesis, the shells tend to darken gradually since the valve-forming component Ca$^{2+}$ is the replaced by the surrounding materials Fe$^{2+}$, Mg$^{2+}$, and Mn$^{2+}$. Therefore, the metallic ratio against Ca component in fossil was increased during diagenesis. The UV-Visible spectrophotometry analysis shows that the reflecting degree is low level in Cretaceous bivalve fossils in contrast to the Tertiary and Recent ones. This result suggests that the dark color in older bivalve fossils is affected by the replacement of the metal ions.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.4 s.50
• /
• pp.311-324
• /
• 2006

In the Pohang-Gampo area, several diatomite beds occurred in mostly thinner than 1 m are embedded in the Pohang Formation of marine environment and the pyroclastic Eoil Formation. The diatomite from the Eoil Formation is constituting the high-grade ore altered slightly by diagenesis. In contrast, the diatomite intercalated within the upper horizon of the Yeonil Group is comparatively low-grade and highly altered in places. During diagenesis, an increasing of crystallinity of opal, i.e., the original mineral component of diatom, results in ultimately the mineral transition to quartz with accompanying a drastic change in morphology and texture of the altered diatomite. The diagenetic alteration appears to have undergone by way of the chemical diagenesis, which is largely controlled by degree of fluid contact, rather than burial diagenesis. For the diatomite from the Pohang-Gampo area, careful SEM observations, XRD, chemical analyses, and determination of specific surface area were done to identify the fossil species, mineral and chemical composition, and other physical properties in the view of assesment of grade and quality. The domestic diatomite ores are evaluated to be not good in grade and quality, compared to those of famous foreign localities. However, some diatomite deposits of marin,: origin from the Pohang Formation is constituting a peculiar clay-rich type, i.e., moler applicable to the special usage such as a manufacturing of lightweight brick. Because such a diatomite is frequently intercalated relatively as a thicker bed in the upper part of the Yeonil Group, a systematic and careful investigation should be done for the exploitation and development of an economic diatomite deposit of the moler type.