• Mineral and Industry
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• v.29
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• pp.56-66
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• 2016

In Korea, where hydrothermal alteration zones are widely distributed, clay veins formed by hydrothermal alteration processes on natural slopes or artificial slopes can play an important role in the slope stability. When the surface water infiltrates the ground where the clay vein exists, the pore water pressure in the ground can be locally increased due to impermeable properties of clay minerals. Infiltration of the surface water induces the increase in the pore water pressure, which can cause erosion of the fine clay particles. The eroded clay particles flow and deposit in an area where the flow velocity is slowed down. Where clay minerals are deposited, ground water can leak due to an increase in local pore pressures, which can cause slope failure. In this paper, studies related to hydrothermal clay vein and landslide are introduced.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.325-340
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• 2017

The Seongdo Pb-Zn deposit, located in the northwestern part of the Ogcheon Metamorphic Belt, consists of skarn ore replacing limestone within the Hwajeonri Formation of Ogcheon Group and hydrothermal vein ore filling the fracture of host rock. Skarn minerals comprise mostly hedenbergitic pyroxene, garnet displaying oscillatory zonal texture composed of grossular and andradite, and a small amount of wollastonite, tremolite, and epidote, indicating reducing condition of formation. Ore minerals of skarn ore include sphalerite and galena with a small amount of pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. In hydrothermal vein ore, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite occur with a small amount of galena, native Bi, and stannite. Chemical compositions of sphalerite vary from 17.4 mole% FeS in average for dark grey sphalerite, 3.6 mole% for reddish brown sphalerite in skarn ore, and to 10.3 mole% FeS in hydrothermal vein ore. In comparison with representative metallic deposits in South Korea on the FeS-MnS-CdS diagram, skarn and hydrothermal vein ore plot close to the field of Pb-Zn deposits and Au-Ag deposits, respectively. Arsenic contents of arsenopyrite in hydrothermal vein ore decrease from 31.93~33.00 at.% in early stage to 29.58~30.21 at.% in middle stage, and their corresponding mineralizing temperature and sulfur fugacity are $441{\sim}490^{\circ}C$, $10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-4.5}atm$. and $330{\sim}364^{\circ}C$, <$10^{-8}atm$. respectively. Phase equilibrium temperatures calculated from Fe and Zn contents for coexisting sphalerite and stannite in hydrothermal vein are $236{\sim}254^{\circ}C$. Sulfur isotope compositions are 5.4~7.2‰ for skarn ore and 5.4~8.4‰ for hydrothermal vein ore, being similar or slightly higher to magmatic sulfur, suggesting that ore sulfur was mostly of magmatic origin with partial derivation from host rocks. However, much higher sulfur isotope equilibrium temperatures of $549^{\circ}C$와 $487^{\circ}C$, respectively for skarn ore and hydrothermal ore, than those estimated from phase equilibria imply that isotopic equilibrium has not been fully established.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.183-195
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• 2022

Hydrothermal gold deposits are evidence of intensive fluid flow through fault zones, and the resultant vein structures and textures reflect the fluid redistribution mechanism. This review introduces the suction pump and fault valve models as fluid circulation mechanisms causing hydrothermal gold deposits in the frameworks of the concepts of fault mechanics. The suction pump and fault valve models describe faulting-driven heterogeneous fluid flow and related vein formation mechanisms, accompanied by the cycles of (1) stress accumulation and fluid pressure build-up and (2) seismic rupture and stress/fluid pressure release. The models are available under different geological environments (stress conditions), and the vein structures and textures representing the mechanisms have similarities and differences. The suction pump and fault valve models must help better to interpret the origins of hydrothermal gold deposits in Korea and improve the efficiency of further exploration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1977

Chongyang tungsten ore deposits, one of the most important tungsten mines in South Korea, me open space filling hydrothermal vein deposits embedded in Precambrian biotite gneiss and, Cretaceous (?) granite porphyry. Some wolframite-bearing quartz veins are closely associated with -quartz porphyries which strike about $N15^{\circ}-25^{\circ}W$ and dip $800^{\circ}SE$ to vertical. Mineralization took place in near vertical vein systems of 5 to 2000 meter long in the biotite gneiss and granite porphyry stock during early Cretaceous and Tertiary (?) period. The hydrothermal mineral paragensis has indicated that there were two major stages: vein and vug stages. The principal vein mineral is wolframite in a gangue of quartz with small amount of fluorite, pyrite, beryl and carbonate minerals. Present in minor amounts are molybdenite, bithmuthinite, native bismuth, arsenopyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite and scheelite. Fluid inclusion study from the minerls at Chongyang mine reveals that vein stage fluids attained a temperature range of $200^{\circ}C-355^{\circ}C$ and vug stage $160^{\circ}C-350^{\circ}C$. The filling temperatures show the higher range of $200^{\circ}-355^{\circ}C$ in quartz and $280^{\circ}C-348^{\circ}C$ in beryls, whereas the lower emperature range of $283^{\circ}C-295^{\circ}C$ in rhodochrosite and $160^{\circ}-253^{\circ}C$ in fluorites. These temperatures are in reasonably good agreement with mineral paragnesis in this ore deposits. Volfamite minerals were analysed for major components. $WO_3$, MnO and FeO by wet chemical method. Chemical analysis indicates that they contain 70.56-71.54% $WO_3$, 8.52-10.01% MnO and 10.00-11.58% FeO. MnO/FeO ratios of wolframites shows the range of 0.78-0.94 which maybe indicates a comparatively high temperature type of hydrothermal deposits.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.689-699
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• 2022

The Ssangjeon tungsten deposit is located within the Yeongnam Massif. Within the area a number of hydrothermal quartz veins were formed by narrow open-space filling of parallel and subparallel fractures in the metasedimentary rocks as Wonnam formation, Buncheon granite gneiss, amphibolite and/or pegmatite. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz vein; stage II, barren quartz vein) 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 arsenopyrite with pyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of wolframite and scheelite with Ti-Fe-bearing oxides and base-metal sulfides; late, marked by Bi-sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥370℃) and later lower temperatures (≈170℃) from H₂O-CO₂-NaCl fluids with salinities between 18.5 to 0.2 equiv. wt. % NaCl of Ssangjeon hydrothermal system. The relationship between salinity and homogenization temperature indicates a complex history of boiling, fluid unmixing (CO₂ effervescence), cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters over the temperature range ≥370℃ to ≈170℃. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Ssangjeon hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2002

Mulgeum, Yangseong, Maeri and Kimhae iron ore deposits in Gyeongnam Province are hydrothermal skarn type magnetite ore deposits in propylitized andesitic rock near the contact with Cretaceous Masanite. Symmetrical zoned skarns are commonly developed around the magnetite veins. The skarn zones away from the vein are quartz-garnet skarn, epidote skarn and epidote-orthoclase skarn. Oxygen isotope analyses of coexisting minerals from andesitic rock, Masanite and major skarn zones, and of magnetite, hematite and quartz were conducted to provide the information on the formation temperature, the origin and the evolution of the hydrothermal solution forming the iron ore deposits. Becoming more distant from the ore vein, temperatures of skarn zones represent the decreasing tendency, but most ${\delta}^{18}O$ and ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values of skarn minerals represent no variation trend, and also the values are relatively low. Judging from all the isotopic data from the ore deposits, the major source of hydrothermal solution altering the skarn zones and precipitating the ore bodies was magmatic water derived from the deep seated Masanite. This high temperature hydrothermal solution rising through the fissures of propylitized andesitic rock was mixed with some meteoric water, and occurred the extensive isotopic exchange with the propylitized andesitic rock, and formed the skarns. During these processes, the temperature and ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ value of hydrothermal solution were lowered gradually. At the main stage of iron ore precipitation, because all the alteration was already finished, the new rising hydrothermal solution formed only the magnetite ore without oxygen isotopic exchange with the wall rock.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2015

Extensive base-metal and/or gold bearing ore mineralizations occur in the Pacitan mineralized district of the south western portions in the East Java, Indonesia. Metallic ore bodies in the Pacitan mineralized district are classified into two major types: 1) skarn type replacement ore bodies, 2) fissure filling hydrothermal ore bodies. Skarn type replacement ore bodies are developed typically along bedding planes of limestone as wall rock around the quartz porphyry and are composed mineralogically of skarn minerals, magnetite, and base metal sulfides. Hydrothermal ore bodies differ mineralogically in relation to distance from the quartz porphyry as source igneous rock. Hydrothermal ore bodies in the district are porphyry style Cu-Zn-bearing stockworks as proximal ore mineralization and Pb-Zn(-Au)-bearing fissure filling hydrothermal veins as distal ore mineralization. Sulfur isotope compositions in the sulfides from skarn and hydrothermal ore bodies range from 6.7 to 8.2‰ and from 0.1 to 7.9‰, respectively. The calculated ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of $H_2S$ in skarn-forming and hydrothermal fluids are 0.9 to 7.1‰ (5.6-7.1‰ for skarn-hosted sulfides and 0.9-6.8‰ for sulfides from hydrothermal deposits). The change from skarn to hydrothermal mineralization would have resulted in increased $SO_4/H_2S$ ratios and corresponding decreases in ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of $H_2S$. The calculated ${\delta}^{18}O$ water values are: skarn magnetite, 9.6 and 9.7‰; skarn quartz, 6.3-9.6‰; skarn calcite, 4.7 and 5.8‰; stockwork quartz, 3.0-7.7‰; stockwork calcite, 1.2 and 2.0‰; vein quartz, -3.9 - 6.7‰. The calculated ${\delta}^{18}O_{water}$ values decrease progressively with variety of deposit types (from skarn through stockwork to vein), increasing paragenetic time and decreasing temperature. This indicates the progressively increasing involvement of isotopically less-evolved meteoric waters in the Pacitan hydrothermal system. The ranges of ${\delta}D_{water}$ values are from -65 to -88‰: skarn, -67 to -84‰; stockwork, -65 and -76‰; vein, -66 to -88‰. The isotopic compositions of fluids in the Pacitan hydrothermal system show a progressive shift from magmatic hydrothermal dominance in the skarn and early hydrothermal ore mineralization periods toward meteoric hydrothermal dominance in the late ore mineralization periods.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2022

The Geochang Au-Ag deposit is located within the Yeongnam Massif. Within the area a number of hydrothermal quartz and calcite veins were formed by narrow open-space filling of parallel and subparallel fractures in the granitic gneiss and/or gneissic granite. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I, ore-bearing quartz vein; stage II, barren calcite vein) 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 pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite; middle, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with minor sulfosalts; late, marked by hematite with base-metal sulfides. Fluid inclusion data show that stage I ore mineralization was deposited between initial high temperatures (≥380℃ ) and later lower temperatures (≤210℃ ) from H₂O-CO₂-NaCl fluids with salinities between 7.0 to 0.7 equiv. wt. % NaCl of Geochang hydrothermal system. The relationship between salinity and homogenization temperature indicates a complex history of boiling, fluid unmixing (CO₂ effervescence), cooling and dilution via influx of cooler, more dilute meteoric waters over the temperature range ≥380℃ to ≤210℃. Changes in stage I vein mineralogy reflect decreasing temperature and fugacity of sulfur by evolution of the Geochang hydrothermal system with increasing paragenetic time. The Geochang deposit may represents a mesothermal gold-silver deposit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.6 s.181
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• pp.663-674
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• 2006

It is very important that analysis of textures in rock, the moving of hydrothermal solution along the structures, epithermal vein textures, mineralization and composition minerals to confirm the hydrothermal ore deposits and ore genesis. The purpose of this study is to confirm the gold mineralization and ore genesis through the moving of hydrothermal solution along the structure lines and epithermal vein textures by using Color-corescanner techniques. The three drilling hole cores of Sunshin Gold Mine in Haenam area in Jeonnam Province were into a digital image data. Digital image data of gold bearing epithermal vein textures were analyzed detaily by Color-corescanner. There are several epithermal vein textures, namely Comb texture, Cavity texture, Bladed texture, Zonal texture, Brecciated texture and Combined texture. Gold mineralization is dominated in vein type textures, but high grade gold are enbedded in brecciated texture. Ore genesis is epithermal gold deposit. This Color-corescanner techniques can cover the missing part of the examine with the naked eye, and can examine closely the situation of ore deposit development and genesis by detail checking the textures in rock, mineralization and so on.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.87-101
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• 2018

The Manjang deposit developed in the Hwajeonri formation of the Okcheon metamorphic belt consists of the Central and Main orebodies of Cu-bearing hydrothermal vein type and the Western orebody of Fe-skarn type. This study focuses on the Cu mineralization of the Central and Main orebodies to compare with the genetic environments of the Western orebody previously studied. The Central orebody produced pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite as major ore minerals with vein texture, while the Main orebody contains pyrite, arsenopyrite, and chalcopyrite as major ore minerals with vein, massive, and brecciated texture. Sphalerite, galena, magnetite, ilmenite, rutile, cassiterite, wolframite, and stannite are also accompanied. Local occurrence of skarn is dominated by grossular and hedenbergite, reflecting the reduced condition of the skarnization. Geothermometries of sphalerite-stannite in the Central orebody and arsenopyrite-pyrite in the Main orebody indicate the formation temperature of $204-263^{\circ}C$ and $383-415^{\circ}C$, respectively. Sulfur fugacity of $10^{-6}-10^{-7}atm$. in the Main orebody decreased toward the Central orebody. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals from the Central and Main orebodies are 4.6-7.9‰ and 4.3-7.0‰, respectively, reflecting magmatic origin with slight influence by host rock. Considering ore mineralogy, texture as well as physicochemical conditions, the Main and Central orebodies of hydrothermal Cu mineralization reflect the characteristics of proximal and distal type ore mineralization, respectively, related to hidden igneous rocks, and they were generated under different hydrothermal systems from the Fe-skarn Western orebody.