• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.729-744
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• 2023

The value of lithium has significantly increased due to the rising demand for electric cars and batteries. Lithium is primarily found in pegmatites, hydrothermally altered tuffaceous clays, and continental brines. Globally, groundwater-fed salt lakes and oil field brines are attracting attention as major sources of lithium in continental brines, accounting for about 70% of global lithium production. Recently, deep groundwater, especially geothermal water, is also studied for a potential source of lithium. Lithium concentrations in deep groundwater can increase through substantial water-rock reaction and mixing with brines. For the exploration of lithim in deep groundwater, it is important to understand its origin and behavior. Therefore, based on a nationwide preliminary study on the hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolution of thermal groundwater in South Korea, this study aims to investigate the distribution of lithium in the deep groundwater environment and understand the geochemical factors that affect its concentration. A total of 555 thermal groundwater samples were classified into five hydrochemical types showing distinct hydrogeochemical evolution. To investigate the enrichment mechanism, samples (n = 56) with lithium concentrations exceeding the 90th percentile (0.94 mg/L) were studied in detail. Lithium concentrations varied depending upon the type, with Na(Ca)-Cl type being the highest, followed by Ca(Na)-SO₄ type and low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type. In the Ca(Na)-Cl type, lithium enrichment is due to reverse cation exchange due to seawater intrusion. The enrichment of dissolved lithium in the Ca(Na)-SO₄ type groundwater occurring in Cretaceous volcanic sedimentary basins is related to the occurrence of hydrothermally altered clay minerals and volcanic activities, while enriched lithium in the low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type groundwater is due to enhanced weathering of basement rocks by ascending deep CO₂. This reconnaissance geochemical study provides valuable insights into hydrogeochemical evolution and economic lithium exploration in deep geologic environments.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 2006

Two-dimensional (2-D) inversion of magnetotelluric (MT) data for two survey lines having south-north direction from Jeju Island has been carried out. Broad band MT sounding curves with good quality could be gathered by performing audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) survey during the MT survey and by operating the remote reference in Kyushu Island, Japan. Comparison of the 2-D inversion model using MT band only and that using both AMT and MT bands for the field data as well as for the data from numerical 2-D modeling said that high frequency information from AMT survey can be useful for interpreting not only the shallow part but also the deep structures, especially when the formation is resistive. The 2-D inversion models of field data show a thick layer having around 10 ohm-m in the depth of a few hundred meters throughout the survey area, which can be considered as the unconsolidated sedimentary layer. And they also show a conductive anomaly at the central part of each survey lines. It can be either the effect of the surrounding sea water, or the structures due to ancient volcanic events. But unfortunately by now, we do not have any further information about the anomaly.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.268-274
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• 2007

Traditional two-dimensional (2D) interpretation of magnetotelluric (MT) data utilizes only transverse magnetic (TM)-mode data, because 2D inversion of transverse electric (TE)-mode data results in spurious features when 3D structures exist in the subsurface. The application of a 3D inversion algorithm to a single MT profile can reduce contamination due to off-profile anomalies and help us to incorporate TE-mode data in the interpretation. In this study, we conduct 2D and 3D inversions of MT data observed along two lines in Jeju Island. First, we invert apparent resistivities and phases in the TM and TE modes separately. Then, we perform 2D joint inversion of both TM- and TE-mode data and 3D inversion of both Zxy- and Zyx-mode data corresponding to TE- and TM-mode data in 2D. The resistivity images derived from all four data show that the geoelectrical structure in Jeju Island is a three-layered earth with the resistive-conductive-resistive stratigraphy within a depth of 5 km. The 3D inversion does not produce clear anomalies in the reconstructed profile image, while all of 2D do. This attributed to the possibility that 2D inversion results are distorted by exiting off-profile 3D anomalies in Jeju. With 3D inversion of 2D profile MT data, we can deduce more reliable results that are not seriously distorted by off-profile 3D anomalies.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.3-6
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• 2006

There are three types of frequency-domain loop-loop EM induction method, depending on the loop separation and their location relative to the ground surface: horizontal-loop EM (HLEM), fixed small-loop EM, and helicopter-borne EM (HEM) methods. Multidimensional inversion provides tomographic images of the subsurface resistivity structure and thus enhances the interpretational accuracy of loop-loop EM data. HLEM method is shown to be effective for exploring groundwater resources in weathered and fractured crystalline basement terrains in semi-arid regions. Also, HEM method is useful for locating weak zones in landslide areas. The applicability of inversion to small-loop EM data depends solely on the S/N ratio. The quadrature response of small-loop EM data can only give the equivalent conductivity of a homogenous half-space model, and thus the in-phase component is essential in inverting EM data. However, the in-phase response is much lower and decreases more rapidly with decreasing frequency than the quadrature response. Further work is needed to obtain conductivity-depth images from small-loop EM data.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.711-715
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• 2003

For Taejon LNG Pilot Cavern being constructed to verify the technical aspects for storing LNG in lined rock cavern, efficiency tests of groundwater drainage system composed of many pumps and boreholes were performed around the cavern before and after the construction of concrete lining. Through evaluation of water balance and monitoring of pressures and flowrates, even if the present drainage system is very good for reducing water entries into the cavern, non-negligible water is still flowing in the floor of the cavern concrete due to heavy rainfall. To improve the drainage efficiency, additional drainage holes and some grouting were planned.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.119-123
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• 2009

Gravity changes due to variations of groundwater level were measured at a ground water monitoring well, which is located at Kum-san, Korea, from November 2008 to September 2009 using Portable Earth Tide (PET) gravimeter. Groundwater level was monitored simultaneously with gravity observations. To extract gravity information from groundwater, we reduced gravity effect from atmospheric surface pressure, earth tides and its loading effect, polar motion and meter drift. In addition, in June 4, 2009, there was a pumping test at he observation well, and groundwater level and gravity variations were observed together successfully. Observation of gravity along with groundwater level is potentially useful for monitoring of aquifer water mass balance and water resources.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.19-33
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• 2022

When subsurface is polluted, contaminants tend to migrate through groundwater flow path. The groundwater flow path is highly dependent upon underground geological structures in the contaminated area. Geophysical survey is an useful tool to identify subsurface geological structure. In addition, geophysical logging in a borehole precisely provides detailed information about geological characteristics in vicinity of the borehole, including fractures, lithology, and groundwater level. In this work, surface seismic refraction and electrical resistivity surveys were conducted in a test site located in Namyangju city, South Korea, along with well logging tests in five boreholes installed in the site. Geophysical data and well logging data were collected and processed to construct an 3D geological map in the site.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.398-401
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• 2003

This paper deals with the recent achievements in AMT data acquisition and processing, which have improved the quality of the collected data,. Comparing AMT with VES, IP and logging data, it is concluded through some case histories that qualified results can be achieved in probing the karst water with AMT technique.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2008

Magnetotelluric (MT) methods are widely applied as an effective exploration technique to geothermal surveys. Two-dimensional (2-D) analysis is frequently used to investigate a complicated subsurface structure in a geothermal region. A 2-D finite-element method (FEM) is usually applied to the MT analysis, but we must pay attention to the accuracy of so-called auxiliary fields. Rodi (1976) proposed an algorithm of improving the accuracy of auxiliary fields, and named it as the MOM method. Because it introduces zeros into the diagonal elements of coefficient matrix of the FEM total equation, a pivoting procedure applied to the symmetrical band matrix makes the numerical solution far less efficient. The MOM method was devised mainly for the inversion analysis, in which partial derivatives of both electric and magnetic fields with respect to model parameters are required. In the case of forward modeling, however, we do not have to resort to the MOM method; there is no need of modifying the coefficient matrix, and the auxiliary fields can be elicited from the regular FEM solution. The computational efficiency of the MOM method, however, can be greatly improved through a sophisticated rearrangement of the total equation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.227-235
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• 2014

For technology level assessment of KIGAM World Class Laboratories (WCL) candidates, bibliometric and qualitative analysis was conducted on their research papers listed on the SCIE database during 2009-2012. For the six research areas of geoscience and mineral resources, a research excellence indicator was applied using a Modified Rank Normalized Impact Factor (mrnIF), which was introduced by Heo et al. (2008) and Cho (2013). The KIGAM research department in rare metals utilization had the highest score for Impact Factor (IF) per paper in 2012 but the groundwater department or the exploration geophysics department came first based on the position and the mrnIF. Applying the mrnIF, the KIGAM research department in groundwater achieved excellent results in 2009 and 2011 and the urban mine department or exploration geophysics department came first place in other years. In the groundwater area, the percentage of research papers over 80 or 90 mrnIF, using Cho (2013)'s research excellence index, was the highest in 2011. The Cho (2013)'s excellent research indicator, 20%, the ratio of over 90 mrnIF was matched in the urban mining area for the whole research period, 2009-2012, and in the groundwater area for several years except 2010. Qualitative analysis of research papers can show the technology level of research departments. KIGAM World Class Laboratories (WCL) candidates should focus on increasing the quality and the quantity of their research papers.