• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2018

The recent increase in demand for lithium has led to the development of new brine prospects, The brines are hosted in closed salar basin aquifers of two types that are mature halite salars and immature clastic salars. Salar brines also contain other elements of commercial interest, most notably potassium and boron. As a result, there has been a plethora of new exploration projects focused on the brines hosted in the aquifers of the intermontane-closed basins. The estimate of lithium resources and reserves in these salars depends on a detailed knowledge of aquifer geometry, porosity, and brine grade. Because the resource is in a fluid state, it has the propensity to move, mix, rearrange itself relatively rapidly during the course of a project lifetime, and lower recovery factors compared with most metalliferous and industrial mineral deposits due to reliance on pumping of the brine from wells for extraction. This is unlike any other type of metallic mineral resource and hence a different approach specially focusing on hydrogeology and brine hydrology is required for these prospects.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.499-508
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• 2019

Based on the preliminary surveys for the occurrences of the Muwellut chrome-nickel mineralized zone ($800km^2$) in northwestern Myanmar, Bophivum area was selected as the detailed exploration area after considering data source, geological potential, metallogenic province, necessity of resource development on target mineral, exploration activity, grade, ore deposit type, nearby operating mine, infrastructure and exploration prediction effect. From 2013 to 2016, KIGAM and DGSE carried out geological and geochemical survey with 1:1,000 scale, magnetic survey(areal extent, $1.672km^2$), trench survey(19 trench, total length 392 m), pitting survey(18 pit, total depth 42.6m), exploration drilling(6holes 600m, 2015; 13holes 617.4m). We analyzed Cr and Ni contents of 77 drill cores with specific gravity in Yangon DGSE analytical center. Considering surface geological survey, geochemical exploration, magnetic survey, trench survey and drilling data, we divided Bophivum area into 8 blocks. Resource estimation are divided into measured and indicated resources. Measured resource is about 9,790t and indicated resource is about 12,080t with the average grade of Cr 11.8% and Ni 0.34%. In case of Bophivum area, if we develop by tying up Webula chrome mineralized zone in the south, it will be possible to upgrade the medium-scale mine. Geologically, the ophiolite belt are distributed in the western and eastern part in Myanmar. So, the exploration technology obtained from exploation in Bophivum area will be helpful to discover the hidden chromitite ore body in Myanmar ophiolite belt in the future.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2008

Abstract: Surface topography has a significant influence on seismic wave propagation in a reflection seismic exploration. Effects of surface topography on two-dimensional elastic wave propagation are investigated through modeling using a weighted-averaging (WA) finite-element method (FEM), which is computationally more efficient than conventional FEM. Effects of air layer on wave propagation are also investigated using flat surface models with and without air. To validate our scheme in modeling including topography, we compare WA FEM results for irregular topographic models against those derived from conventional FEM using one set of rectangular elements. For the irregular surface topography models, elastic wave propagation is simulated to show that breaks in slope act as a new source for diffracted waves, and that Rayleigh waves are more seriously distorted by surface topography than P-waves.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.455-458
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• 2003

A combination of drilling, hydrogeochemical survey, geophysical survey and the numerical modelling for the flow and transport of groundwater was performed to evaluate the seawater intrusion in Baeksu-eup, Yeonggwang-gun, Korea. The survey area extends to over 24 $km^2$. Twelve wells were also drilled for the collection of geologic, geochemical, hydrologic, and geophysical logging data to delineate the degree and vertical extent of seawater intrusion. To evaluate and map the salinity in a coastal aquifer, geophysical data and hydrogeochemical results were used. Layer parameters derived from VES data, various in situ physical properties from geophysical well loggings, and the estimated equivalent NaCl concentration were used as the useful input parameters for the numerical simulation with density-dependent flow. Our multidisciplinary approach for evaluating the seawater intrusion can be considered as a valuable attempt to enhancing the utilization of various data and the reliability of numerical ground modelling.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.676-683
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• 2003

A laboratory experiment using artificial fracture rocks was used to understand the 3-dimensional dispersion of a tracer and the mixing process in a fractured network. In this experiment, 12cm polystyrene foam cubes with two electrodes for monitoring electric conductivity (EC) were used as artificial fractured rocks. Distilled water with 0.5mS/m was used as a tracer in water with 35mS/m and the difference of EC between the tracer and the water was monitored by a multipoint simultaneous measurement system of electrical resistance. The results showed that even if the fracture arrangement pattern was not straight in the direction of the flow, the tracer did not diffuse along individual fractures and an oval tracer plume, which was the distribution of tracer concentrations, tended to be form in the direction of the flow. The vertical cross section of the tracer distribution showed small diffusivity in the vertical direction. The calculated total tracer volume passing through each measurement point in the horizontal cross section showed while that the solute passed through measurement points near the direction of hydraulic gradient and in other directions, the passed tracer volumes were small. Using Peclet number as a criterion, it was found that the mass distribution at the fracture intersection was controlled in the stage of transition between the complete mixing model and the streamline routing model.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.515-517
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• 2003

In order to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic and heavy metals influenced by past mining activities, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken in the abandoned metal mine areas (Dongil Au-Ag-Cu-Zn, Okdong Cu-Pb-Zn, Songcheon Au-Ag, Dongjung Au-Ag-Pb-Zn, Dokok Au-Ag-Cu and Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mines). Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in the tailings from the Dongil, the Songcheon and the Dongjung mines. High concentrations of heavy metals except As were also found in tailings from the Okdong, the Dokok and the Hwacheon mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. Risk compounds deriving from mine sites either constitute a toxic risk or a carcinogenic risk. The hazard index (H.I.) of As in the Dongil, the Okdong, the Songcheon and the Hwacheon mine areas was higher value more than 1.0. In the Okdong and the Songcheon mine areas, H.I. value of Cd exceeded 1.0. These values of As and Cd were the highest in the Songcheon mine area. Therefore, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure (ingestion) of contaminated soil, groundwater and rice grain in these mine areas. The cancer risk for As in stream or ground water used for drinking water from the Songcheon, the Dongil, the Okdong, the Dongjung and the Hwacheon mine areas was 3E-3, 8E-4, 7E-4, 2E-4 and 1E-4, respectively.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.383-389
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• 2003

Clay minerals show a distinct induced-polarization phenomenon, which is one of the most important factors for predicting groundwater flow and contaminant transport. This paper presents a step-by-step process to estimate Cole-Cole parameters from spectral induced-polarization (IP) data measured on the surface of three-dimensional earth. First, the inversion of low-frequency resistivity survey data is made to identify the dc resistivity ${\rho}_dc$ of a volume having IP effects. The other parameters, chargeability m, time constant $\tau$, and frequency dependence c, are sought for the polarizable volume. Next, using multi-frequency data, c can be obtained as high or low asymptotes of the slope of log phase vs. log frequency. Further, for low m, intrinsic $\tau$ is approximated by apparent one, ${\tau}_a$, which is derived from the relation ${{\omega}{\tau}}_a$=1 at an angular frequency $\omega$, where the imaginary component of spectral IP data has an extreme value. Finally, to obtain intrinsic m a two-step linearized procedure has been derived. For a body of given $\tau$ and c, forward modeling with a progression of m values yields a plot of observed vs. intrinsic imaginary components for a frequency. Since this plot is essentially linear, to extract the intrinsic imaginary component is quite simple with an observed value. Using the plot of intrinsic imaginary component vs. m, intrinsic m is determined. We present a synthetic example to illustrate that the Cole-Cole parameters can be recovered from spectral IP data.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.185-190
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• 2007

In this study, we developed the 2.5D EM modeling and inversion algorithm for cross-hole source and receiver geometry. Considering the cross-hole environment, we use a VMD (vertical magnetic dipole) as a source and vertical magnetic fields as a measuring data. Developed inversion algorithm is tested for the isolated block model which has a conductive and a resistivity anomaly respectively. For the conductive anomaly, its size and resistivity are inverted well on the inversion results, while for the resistive anomaly, the location of anomalous block is shown on the inverted section, but its values are far from the exact value. Furthermore, artificial conductive anomalies are shown around the resistive anomalous zone. If we consider the inversion artifact shown in the test inversion of restive block, it is almost impossible to image the resistive zone. However, the main target of EM tomography in the engineering problem is conductive target such as fault zone, and contaminated zone etc., EM tomography algorithm can be used for detecting the anomalous zone.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.61-81
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• 2017

Traditional approaches to surface moisture problems in the context of aeolian research have focused on the initiation of sand movement, developing various models for predicting threshold velocity on a wet surface. They have been unsatisfactory, however, in explaining field observations because they have not incorporated spatiotemporal variability of surface moisture, the interactions between transported sand grains and surface, and the role of aeolian transport in controlling surface moisture. As Nield (2011) showed, a simplified numerical model can be used to investigate this issue. This research aims to explore the feedback structures between aeolian transport and surface moisture using a modified sand slab model. Key modifications are the introduction of simultaneous updating scheme for all the slabs and moisture-assigning procedures with and without aeolian transport. The major findings are as follows. Moist surface conditions suppress sand slab movement, leading to the development of smaller-scale topography. Available sands for aeolian transport are determined by the vertical patterns of moisture content with its variations from groundwater to the surface. Sand patches on a wet surface act as a localized source area. Sand movement drives immediate changes in surface moisture rather than time-lag reponses, mostly when moist conditions are dominant.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2006

Recently, spillways are need to control stable water level for supporting main dams because of floods by unusual change of weather such as Typhoon Rusa. This study has been focused on the amount of leakage through the rock mass distributed fractures and joints under the opened emergency spillway. It is very important to evaluate the amount of leakage as these affect stability of spillway by interaction between effective stress and pore pressure. The commercial program MAFIC has been used for analyzing groundwater flow in fractured rock mass. The results showed that the values of range, average and deviation of leakage were 2.85∼3.79×10-1, 3.32×10-1 and 1.70×10-2 m3/day/m2 respectively. Secondary, we have estimated the effect of grouting after the transmissivity(Tf) of joint 1 as main pathway of leakage known from above results was changed from 1.78×10-7 to 1.59×10-9 m2/s. The results showed that the values of range, average and deviation of leakage were 7.80×10-4∼1.53×10-3, 1.18×10-3 and 1.32×10-4 m3/day/m2 respectively. As the result, the amount of leakage after grouting has been decreased by a ratio of 1 to 277.