• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2022

The 16 natural zeolites collected from Mongolia (6 types), the United States (1 type), and Korea (9 types) were characterized by XRD, XRF, TGA, DTA, and CEC analysis. All 16 samples are composite minerals. Two or more mineral phases co-exist and consist primarily of minerals such as clinoptilolite, heulandite, mordenite, and chabazite. In certain samples, minerals like illite and quartz were present as impurities. The XRF analysis showed that the 16 natural zeolites contain SiO₂, Al₂O₃, K₂O, CaO, Na₂O, MgO, and Fe₂O₃ oxides. The cation exchange capacity of the U-1 sample was 223.3 meg/100 g, which is higher than the rest of the samples. M-6 sample in Mongolian natural zeolite and K-1 sample in Korean natural zeolite showed the highest cation exchange capacity at 166.6 meg/100 g. As a result of thermal differential and thermos gravimetric analysis, all 16 samples showed excellent thermal stability up to 600℃.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.265-275
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• 2021

Findings of microplastics and nanoplastics from diverse natural environments have increased demand for research of the fate and transport of the potentially toxic plastic particles in soils and groundwater. Weathering of microplastics would generate a significant amount of nanoplastics, but nanoplastics research is scarce because of technical difficulties in detecting nanoplastics in environments and analyzing nanoplastics adsorption to mineral surfaces. In the current study, we tested a possibility using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for application to nanoplastics adsorption analysis on mineral surfaces. In silica (SiO₂)-packed column experiments, a measurable adsorption capacity for polystyrene nanoparticles often requires injection of unrealistically high ionic strengths or concentrated nanoplastic particles. The current test shows that QCM can measure polystyrene nanoplastics adsorbed onto SiO₂ surface under the low ionic strengths and nanoplastics concentrations, where typical column experiments cannot. QCM is a promising tool for understanding the interaction between nanoplastics and mineral surfaces and thus transport of nanoplastics in soils and groundwater.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.219-226
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• 2021

We examined component analysis and lead isotope ratio analysis to find out the relationship between the excavation and the production site of 25 bronze weapons from prehistoric ages. All 25 bronze weapons are ternary alloys of copper-tin-lead and lead is artificially added. The lead isotope ratios of 25 bronze weapons show that bronze are made by raw materials in the southern regions of the Korean Peninsula, including northern China. The raw materials of narrow-shaped bronze dagger are supplied in zone 1-3 and northern China. In addition, provenance of lead for bronze halberd and pearhead are the rest of the region except for zone 1 and zone 4. Silver are enriched in most samples and zinc and cobalt are deficient. Arsenic and antimony detected only specific samples and can be used as critical parameter for provenance study. Lead isotopes and trace elements of archaeological bronzes will provide conservation scientist with useful tool to study the provenance of raw materials

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2021

We report fluid inclusion study results of copper-bearing quartz veins in Zogdor area, which is located within the Gurvansayhan island arc terrane of Southern Mongolia. At the Zogdor area, structurecontrolled copper mineralization is hosted in granodiorite-porphyry, which emplaced in the late Cretaceous formation. Within this granodiorite porphyry, copper-bearing quartz veins are associated with the hydrothermal alteration that includes quartz-epidote-magnetite, and quartz-magnetite in the propylitic zones. The veins are classified into two types, according to their mineral composition, which occur mainly as chalcopyrite, rare amounts of bornite, magnetite, and pyrite. Fluid inclusions in the quartz veins from the quartz-magnetite±chalcopyrite and quartz-epidote-magnetite veins are two-phase aqueous inclusions having bubble sizes of 5-30 vol.%, evident salinities of 2.0-22.6 wt.% NaCl, and homogenization temperatures of 107-270℃. Based on mineral assemblages of the observed veins, along with the geochemical properties and alteration faces of the host rock, fluid inclusion data show that the study area corresponds to propylitic alteration zone in the porphyry Cu related mineralization.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.431-445
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• 2022

A quantitative phase analysis method of X-ray powder diffraction was studied to determine the mineral content of clay-rich rocks practically as well as effectively. For quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis of the clay-rich rocks, it is necessary to prepare whole-rock powder samples with a random orientation by side mounting method. In addition, for the identification of the clay minerals in the rock, it is required to prepare an oriented mount specimen with a clay particle size of 2 ㎛ or less, ethylene glycol treatment, and heat treatment. RIR (reference intensity ratio) and Rietveld method were used for the quantitative analysis of the clay-rich rocks. It was possible to obtain the total clay and the non-clay minerals contents from the whole-rock X-ray diffraction profiles using the RIR values. In addition, it was possible to calculate the relative content of each clay mineral from the oriented X-ray diffraction profiles of the clay particle size and assign it to the total clay. In the Rietveld method of whole-rock X-ray diffraction, effective quantitative values were obtained from the Rietveld diffraction patterns excluded the region of less than 10 degrees (2θ). Similar quantitative values were shown in not only the RIR but the Rietveld methods. Therefore, the analysis results indicate a possibility of a routine quantitative analysis of clay-rich rocks in the laboratory. However, quantitative analysis of clay minerals is still a challenge because there are numerous varieties of clay minerals with different chemical and structural characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.423-430
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• 2022

Pressure-dependent elastic behavior and chemical reaction of natural sepiolite (Mg₈Si₁₂O₃₀(OH)₄·12H₂O) was studied under two different pressure-transmitting medium (PTM) conditions using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Under non pore-penetrating silicone oil PTM, we observed that the b-axis length increases up to ca. 3.6 GPa, marking an anisotropic compression region with negative linear compressibility of β^b= -0.0012 GPa^-1, which then decreases at 7.7 GPa. Under pore-penetrating water PTM, the anisotropic compression behavior is enhanced with doubled negative linear compressibility of β^b= -0.0025 GPa^-1 up to 3.2 GPa, where transformation into stevensite is observed upon ex-situ temperature treatment at 280 ℃ as confirmed via XRD and SEM. Derived bulk moduli (K₀) and linear compressibilities (β) were compared to other structurally and chemically related minerals.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.457-467
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• 2022

Electron bombardment to silicate glass during electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) causes outward migration of Na from the excitation volume and subsequent decrease in the measured X-ray count rates of Na. To acquire precise Na₂O content of silicate glass, one should use proper analytical technique to avoid or minimize Na migration effect or should correct for decreases in the measured Na X-ray counts. In this study, we analyzed 8 silicate glass standard samples using automated Time Dependent Intensity (TDI) correction method of Probe for EPMA software that can calculate zero-time intercept by extrapolating X-ray count changes over analysis time. We evaluated an accuracy of TDI correction for Na measurements of silicate glasses with EPMA at 15 kV acceleration voltage and 20 nA probe current electron beam, which is commonly utilized analytical condition for geological samples. Results show that Na loss can be avoided with 20 ㎛-sized large beam (<0.1 nA/㎛²), thus silicate glasses can be analyzed without TDI correction. When the beam size is smaller than 10 ㎛, Na loss results in large relative errors up to -55% of Na₂O values without correction. By applying TDI corrections, we can acquire Na₂O values close to the reference values with relative errors of ~ ±10%. Use of weighted linear-fit can reduce relative errors down to ±6%. Thus, quantitative analysis of silicate glasses with EPMA is required for TDI correction for alkali elements such as Na and K.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.507-520
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• 2022

The Sr isotope ratio, which is used as basic data for rock formation time, crustal and mantle evolution studies, is determined by mass spectrometer such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) or multi-detector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). In this technical report, we compared how incomplete chemical separation of elements affects the determination of Sr isotope ratios. For the experiment, commercial resin, NBS987(NIST SRM987) Sr isotope standard, and rock standard samples from the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) such as JG1a, JB3 and JA1 were used. As a result of the comparative experiment, it was clearly observed that the measured values of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr change when Rb remains due to incomplete separation of the NBS987 Sr isotope standard sample as well as the rock standard samples of GSJ. This indicates that complete separation is an important factor since the calculated value deviates from the true value even though correction for isotope interference by isobar is performed when measuring the isotope ratio with MC-ICP-MS. This also suggests that, when reporting the measurement result of Sr isotope ratio using MC-ICP-MS, the measurement strength of ⁸⁵Rb should be reported together with the measurement strength of all isotopes of Sr so that isotope interference by isobar can be judged.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-233
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• 2022

The zircon U-Pb and trace element analyses were performed for banded gneiss in the Euiam gneiss complex, central Gyeonggi Massif. An age of detrital zircon shows predominant age peaks at ca. 2500-2480 Ma with numerous ages ranging from Siderian to Rhyacian period. The youngest age peak of detrital zircon constrains the maximum deposition age of protolith of banded gneiss at ca. 2070 Ma. Meanwhile, the zircon rim yielded metamorphic age of ca. 1966 ± 39 Ma ~ 1918 ± 13 Ma. Based on the error range, degree of discordancy, and value of mean squared weighted deviation, we considered that the age of 1918 ± 13 Ma is the most reasonable age indicating the timing of metamorphism for banded gneiss. The zircon rims yield Ti-in-zircon crystallization temperature of 690-740℃. Therefore, we suggested that there was a high-grade metamorphic event in the Gyeonggi Massif at ca. 1918 Ma which is older than the metamorphic event that occurred in the Gyeonggi Massif during ca. 1880-1860 Ma.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.235-258
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• 2022

We interpreted the evolutionary history of the southwestern part of the Pohang Basin, the largest Miocene basin in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, based on the detailed geological mapping and analysis of the geological structures. The southwestern part of the Pohang Basin can be divided into the Bomun Domain in the west and Ocheon Domain in the east by an NNE-trending horst-in-graben. These two domains have different geometries and deformation histories. The Bomun Domain was rarely deformed after the incipient extension of the basin, whereas the Ocheon Domain is an area where continued and overlapped deformations occurred after the basin fill deposition. Therefore, the Bomun Domain provides critical information on the initial extension mode of the Pohang Basin. The subsidence of the Bomun Domain was led by the zigzag-shaped western border fault that consists of NNE-striking normal and NNW-striking dextral strike-slip fault segments. This border fault is connected to the Yeonil Tectonic Line (YTL), a regional dextral principal displacement zone and the westernmost limit of Miocene crustal deformation in SE Korea. Therefore, it is interpreted that the Pohang Basin was initially extended in WNW-ESE direction as a transtensional fault-termination basin resulting from the movement of NNE-striking normal and/or oblique-slip faults formed as right-stepover in the northern termination of the YTL activated since approximately 17-16.5 Ma. As a result, an NNE-trending asymmetric graben or half-graben exhibiting an westward deepening of basin depth was formed in the Bomun Domain. Afterward, crustal extension and deformation were migrated to the east, including the Ocheon Domain.