• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.1 s.176
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• pp.27-38
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• 2006

To understand the geologic and hydrogeochemical controls on the occurrence of high fluoride concentrations in bedrock groundwaters of South Korea, we examined a total of 367 hydrochemistry data obtained from deep groundwater wells (avg. depth=600 m) that were drilled fur exploitation of hot springs. The fluoride concentrations were generally very high (avg. 5.65mg/L) and exceeded the Drinking Water Standard (1.5 mg/L) in $72\%$ of the samples. A significant geologic control of fluoride concentrations was observed: the highest concentrations occur in the areas of granitoids and granitic gneiss, while the lowest concentrations in the areas of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. In relation to the hydrochemical facies, alkaline $Na-HCO_3$ type waters had remarkably higher F concentrations than circum-neutral to slightly alkaline $Ca-HCO_3$ type waters. The prolonged water-rock interaction occurring during the deep circulation of groundwater in the areas of granitoids and granitic gneiss is considered most important for the generation of high F concentrations. Under such condition, fluoride-rich groundwaters are likely formed through hydrogeochemical processes consisting of the removal of Ca from groundwater via calcite precipitation and/or cation exchange and the successive dissolution of plagioclase and F-bearing hydroxyl minerals (esp. biotite). Thus, groundwaters with high pH and very high Na/Ca ratio within granitoids and granitic gneiss are likely most vulnerable to the water supply problem related to enriched fluorine.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.2 s.177
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• pp.111-128
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• 2006

Three dimensional crustal structure and source features of earthquake hypocenters on the Korean peninsula were investigated using P and S-wave travel time tomography. The main goal of this research was to find Vp/Vs anomalies at earthquake hypocenters as well as those of crustal structure of basins and deep tectonic settings. This allowed fer the extrapolation of more detailed seismotectonic force from the Korean peninsula. The earthquake hypocenters were found to have high Vp/Vs ratio discrepancies (VRD) at the vertical sections. High V/p/Vs ratios were also found in the sedimentary basins and beneath the Chugaryong Rift Zone (CRZ), which was due to mantle plume that subsequently solidified with many fractures and faults which were saturated with connate water. The hypocenters of most earthquakes were found in the upper crust for Youngwol (YE), Kyongju (KE), Hongsung (HE), Kaesong (KSE), Daekwan (DKE), and Daehung (DHE) earthquakes, but near the subcrust or the Moho Discontinuity for Mt. Songni (SE), Sariwon (SRE) and Mt. Jiri (JE) earthquakes. Especially, we found hot springs of the Daekwan, Daehung and Unsan regions coincide with high VRD. Also, this cannot rule out the possibility that there are some partial meltings in the subcrust of this region. High VRD might indicate that many faults and fractures with connate water were dehydrated when earthquakes took place, reducing shear modulus in the hypocenter areas. This is can be explained by due to the fact that a point source which is represented by the moment tensor that may involve changes in volume, shear fracture, and rigidity. High Vp/Vs ratio discrepancies (VRD) were also found beneath Mt. Backdu beneath 40 km, indicating that magma chamber existed beneath Mt. Backdu is reducing shear modulus of S-wave velocity.