• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.29-38
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• 2021

This study investigated the mineralogical properties of bentonite and illite and evaluated the Cs sorption at various concentrations (C_w≈1-10⁵ ㎍/L). Bentonite samples, collected from South Korea and USA, majorly consisted of Ca- and Na-montmorillonite, showed large cation exchange capacity (CEC, 91.4 and 47.3 meq/100 g) and specific surface area (SSA, 46.1 and 39.7 m²/g). In contrast, illite sample (USA) had relatively low values for 14.4 meq/100g of CEC and 29.3 m²/g of SSA, respectively. Bentonite and illite had different non-linear sorption for Cs along with C_w. At low C_w<10 ㎍/L, illite showed higher sorption capacity than bentonite despite low CEC because of the existence of specific sorption sites at the weathered mineral edge. However, as C_w increased, bentonite represented high sorption capacity because the cation exchange between Cs and interlayer cations was effective at high C_w conditions. These results implicated that the Cs concentration is important to evaluate the sorption performance of bentonite and illite. Finally, the Cuadros' kinetic model for illitization using various K concentrations (2×10^-5 and 1.7×10^-3 mol/L) and temperature (100-200℃) showed that up to 50% of the montmorillonite in bentonite could be converted to illite, suggesting that the illitization should be considered to evaluate the sorption performance of the bentonite in deep geological disposal repository.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.377-389
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• 2020

In this study, pollution characteristics were investigated for the Andong Dam sediments in the Nakdong River. Sediment samples were collected from the middle, left, and right points of the lake up to 40km upstream of the Andong Dam at intervals of about 5km by stratification and turnover period. In the case of nutrients and total organics such as loss of ignition, total nitrogen, and phosphorus, the degree of contamination is low, but heavy metals of arsenic and cadmium is very high. The contamination level of sediments in the dam area is higher than that of the branch of river and the control group, and concentration of chromium, copper, and lead are higher in the stratification period, and that of zinc is higher in turnover period. Arsenic, cadmium, manganese, and zinc showed contamination variation between upstream and downstream but chromium, copper, mercury, iron and lead didn't show the variation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.365-372
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• 2021

Pebble-bearing clastic carbonate rock which has been found in and around the Jeongseon and Okgye through the field survey was studied in petrological and mineralogical characteristics. We define the clastic carbonate rocks as 'Dolomite-pebble bearing fine sand-sized dolostone, or grainstone', which are characterized by the existence of dolomite single grains and Mg-phengite, and by the subsequent formation of secondary calcite cements. These attributes correspond well with those of the typical Haengmae Formation from Haengmae-dong, Mitan-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, thus the carbonate rocks in the Jeongseon and Okgye areas must belong to the Haengmae Formation. The result suggests that the Haengmae Formation is an independent unit among the Paleozoic lithostratigraphic units in Taebaek basin and lies in the upper part of Jeongseon and Sukbyungsan Formations under the Hongjeom Formation of Pyeongan Supergroup.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.451-462
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• 2020

There are 82 volcanoes active during the 48 weeks of 2019 (January 30 to December 31, 2019; USGS data) Approximately 80~90 volcanoes are active on the Earth for a year. More than 91% of these volcanoes are took place in the circum-Pacific volcanic belt, which is commonly called 'Ring of Fire'. This status coincides with the distribution maps of active volcanoes on the earth: about 80 percent on subduction zone of the convergent plate boundaries; 15 percent on divergent plate boundaries; 5 percent on intra-plate zone. Typically five volcanoes are most active during the survey period (48 weeks); Dukono (Halmahera, Indonesia) 48 times, Aira (Kyushu, Japan) 47 times, Ebeko (Paramushir Island, Russsia) 46 times, Merapi (Central Java, Indonesia) 37 times, Krakatau (Indonesia) 33 times. The comparison of volcanic activity between 2018 and 2019 showed no significant difference. It is assumed that volcanic activity remains stable.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.83-93
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• 2021

NASA has a plan for the Artemis manned lunar mission in 2020. In 2030s, not only America but also other countries are considering to prepare for human to stay on the Moon at least for a month and necessary technology is currently being developed. With this plan, the mostly considered thing is lunar in-situ resource utilization. The most essential resources could be water and oxygen for sustain human life on the Moon. These resources are not supposed to be brought from the Earth, and it is economically sensible if they are obtained from the lunar surface. Because oxygen can be used as both oxidizer and propellent when a rocket departs from a lunar base directly to Mars, technology for extraction method of oxygen resource and its utilization has been being developed worldwide. This paper introduces oxygen distribution on the Moon and major oxygen extraction methods.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.255-264
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• 2021

Asian dust (Hwangsa) deposited on the surface of the Korean Peninsula is difficult to recognize their existence in mountainous terrain undergoing active erosion and weathering. This study examined Asian dust sediments mixed in soils by analysing clay mineralogy, mineral composition, and microtextures of fine silt (< 20 ㎛) in the alkali feldspar granite area of Seoraksan. The fine silt was composed of detrital particles derived from bedrocks, Asian dust sediments, and their weathering products. Clay minerals of 2:1 structural type, chlorite, amphibole, epidote, and Ca-bearing plagioclase were identified as eolian mineral particles. During the weathering of the bedrock composed of quartz and alkali feldspars, albite was partially weathered to produce small amounts of gibbsite and kaolin minerals. Hydroxy-Al interlayered clay minerals were formed by the exchange and fixation of polynuclear Al cationic species into the interlayers of expandable 2:1 clay minerals dominated by illite-smectite series clay minerals. Contribution of Asian dust to the fine silt of soils was estimated around 70% on the basis of total contents of 2:1 phyllosilicates.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.373-382
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• 2022

Unsaturated soil at high suctions is widespread. Many civil engineering projects are related to the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils at high suctions, particularly in arid and semiarid areas. To investigate water retention behaviors of nine clayey soils (one is classified as fat clay and the others are classified as lean clay according to the unified soil classification system), the high suction (3.29-286.7 MPa) was imposed on the specimens at zero net stress by the vapor equilibrium technique. In this paper, the effect of void ratio on the water retention behavior at high suction was discussed in detail. Validation data showed that soil types, i.e., different mineralogical compositions, are critical in the soil water retention behavior at a high suction range. Second, the hysteresis behavior at a high suction range is mainly related to the clay content and the specific surface area. And the mechanism of water retention and hysteresis behavior at high suctions was discussed. Moreover, the maximum suction is not a unique value, and it is crucial to determine the maximum suction value accurately, especially for the shear strength prediction at high suctions. If the soil consists of hydrophilic minerals such as montmorillonite and illite, the maximum suction will be lower than 10⁶ kPa. Finally, using the area of hysteresis to quantify the degree of hysteresis at a high suction range is proposed. There was a good correlation between the area of hydraulic hysteresis and the specific surface area.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2022

Lime stabilization has conventionally been listed amid the key techniques of chemical stabilization. Replacing lime with sustainable agro-based by-products have gained prominence in recent decades. Bagasse ash (BA) is one such potential alternatives, an industrial waste with abundance in production, and industries exploring sustainable solutions for its safe disposal. Supplementing BA with lime could be an ideal approach to reduce lime consumption. However, suitability of BA and lime for the stabilization of expansive clays, such as black cotton (BC) soil is yet to be explored. This paper therefore aims to investigate the suitability of BA-lime mixtures to stabilize BC soil with emphasis to compaction behaviors and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) using standard laboratory procedures. Suitability of BA-lime mixture is then assessed against addition of calcium sulphate which, from previous experience, is detrimental with lime stabilization. Experimental outcomes nominate 15% BA as the optimum value observed from both compaction and UCS data, while addition of 4% lime to 15% BA showed the best results. Mineralogical and microstructural analysis show the presence of cementitious compounds with addition of lime and calcium sulphate with curing periods. While, formation of Ettringite needles were noted with the addition of calcium sulphate in BA-lime mixtures (at optimum values) after 90-day curing, and UCS results showed a decrease at this point. To this end, addition of BA in lime stabilization showed encouraging results as assessed from the compaction and UCS results. Nonetheless usage of calcium salts, with utmost emphasis on calcium sulphate and equivalent should be avoided.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.617-625
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• 2021

Daegokcheon Stream in Daegok-ri, Ulju-gun, is an area with a developed valley and bedrock from Gajisan Provincial Park to the confluence of the Taehwa River across the Yangsan Fault. To measure the rock of Bangudae petroglyphs, the mineralogical weathering, joints, and scours or cavities at the bottom were confirmed. The measurement was carried out for a short period of time on the joint of the bedrock on which the Bangudae petroglyphs were engraved. Compared to the measured value obtained using existing optical fiber (Ch4 150 ㎛), a displacement value of 300 ㎛ was obtained using the non-attached, non-contact type of measuring instrument. In the future, it is inferred that this instrument could be used for various cultural properties if the HSV-value suitable for illuminance and various measurement experiences are stored.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.299-311
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• 2022

Rocks exposed to the surface are subject to long-term weathering, and such effects weaken their engineering stability. Especially as weathering progresses, the surface of rocks will be changed by weathering, and such surface changes will affect the engineering safety of the rock mass. In addition, the chemical species produced in the weathered rock have a direct effect on the surrounding environment or on the structure. In areas where rocks are exposed, such as mining areas, chemical species produced by weathering can have a serious impact on the surrounding natural environment. In this study, accelerated weathering experiments using freeze/thaw system were conducted on rocks that had already been weathered and fresh rocks, and surface changes of each rock were observed with confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), and chemical species were analyzed using IC/ICP-MS. As the weathering progressed, the surface roughness decreased, and the amount of chemical species produced increased. The results of this study can be used as basic data for evaluating engineering/environmental safety in areas where rocks are exposed.