• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.555-568
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• 2004

The demand of aggregate resources in Korea has been increased with a rapid economic growth since the 1980s. About 25% of the total aggregate production is derived from riverine aggregates, 20% to 25% from marine sands, 40% to 45% from crushed aggregate and the rest 5% to 15% from old fluvial deposits. The abundance of crushed coarse aggregates varies in the uniform distribution of country, but in general it can be concentrated in the most densely populated areas, five main cities. Typical rock types of the Korean crushed stones are classified as plutonic rocks of 27%, metamorphic rocks of 32%, sedimentary rocks and volcanic rocks of 18%, respectively. The most abundant coarse aggregate used in the country is obtained from granite (25% of total) and subordinately gneiss (20%), sandstone (10%) and andesite (10%). Although rock types using as dimension stone are only fifteen, those as aggregate amount up to twenty nine rocks. These rocks consist of plutonic rocks such as granite, syenite, diorite, aplite, porphyry, felsite. dike and volcanic rocks such as rhyolite, andesite, trachyte, basalt, tuff, volcanic breccia and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schist, phyllite, slate, meld-sandstone, quartzite, hornfels, calc-silicate rock, amphibolite. And sandstone, shale, mudstone, conglomerate, limestone, breccia, chert are main aggregate sources in tile sedimentary rocks. The abundance of plutonic rocks is the highest in Chungcheongbuk-do, and decreases as the order of Jeollabuk-do, Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do. In Jeollanam-do, volcanic aggregates occupy above 50%, on the contrary sedimentary aggregates are above 50% in Gyeongsangnam-do.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.179-196
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• 1987

Various skarn ore deposits of Pb-Zn, Fe-Cu, W-Mo and others are widely distributed in the study area which consists mainly of Cambro Ordovician calcareous rocks. The ore deposits are all in close association with specific types of granitic rocks of mid-late Cretaceous age according to the kinds of ores: Fe-Cu deposit with granodiorite-quartz monzodiorite, Pb-Zn deposit with granite-granodiorite, W-Mo deposit with granite, and Mn deposit with quartz porphyry. The granitic rock of Fe-Cu deposit has lower content in K and higher in Ca than those of Pb-Zn deposits. On the contrary, the granitic rock of W-Mo deposit has much higher content in K and lower in Ca in comparison to those of Pb-Zn deposits. However, the granitic rock of Mn deposit shows similar variation to those of Pb-Zn deposits. Lithophile trace elements of Sr and Rb tend to vary in close relation with major elements of K and Ca, respectively. In good contrast, chalcophile elements of Cu, Pb, Zn, Wand Mo are enriched in the granitic rocks of their ore deposits, and other trace elements of Ni and Co show a trend to vary in relation with Mg, Fe and Cu, which have the same replacement index (0.14) as Ni and Co. Average K/Rb and Ca/Sr ratios of the granitic rocks range nearly within 300~150 and 150~40, respectively, and the distribution pattern of the ratios is different according to the kind of ore deposits: Fe-Cu deposit is plotted toward K-Rb poor region whereas Pb-Zn and W-Mo deposits toward K-Rb rich region. In contrast, Fe-Cu and Fe deposits are plotted toward Ca-Sr rich region whereas Pb-Zn deposit toward Ca-Sr poor region. The variation trend of chemical elements of the mid-late Cretaceous granitic rocks in the study area is similar to that of the Cretaceous granitic rocks in the Gyeongsang Basin. Therefore, this geochemical result may be applicable to determining what kinds of ore deposits a Cretaceous granitic rock is favourable for, and whether it is productive or non-productive for systematic geochemical exploration works.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.123-154
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• 1982

Petrochemical, K-Ar dating, Sand Rb/Sr isotopes, metallogenic zoning, paleomagnetic and geotectonic studies of the Gyongsang basin were carried out to examine applicability of plate tectonics to the post-late Cretaceous igneous activity and metallogeny in the southeastern part of Korean Peninsula. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Bulgugsa granitic rocks range from granite to adamellite, whose Q-Ab-Or triangular diagram indicates that the depth and pressure at which the magma consolidated increase from coast to inland varying from 6 km, 0.5-3.3 kb in the coastal area to 17 km, 0.5-10 kb in the inland area. 2. The volcanic rocks in Gyongsang basin range from andesitic to basaltic rocks, and the basaltic rocks are generally tholeiitic in the coastal area and alkali basalt in the inland area. 3. The volcanic rocks of the area have the initial ratio of Sr^{87}/Sr^{86} varying from 0.706 to 0.707 which suggests a continental origin; the ratio of Rb/Sr changing from 0.079-0.157 in the coastal area to 0.021-0.034 in the inland area suggests that the volcanism is getting younger toward coastal side, which may indicate a retreat in stage of differentiation if they were derived from a same magma. The K_2O/SiO_2 (60%) increases from about 1.0 in the coastal area to about 3.0 in the inland area, which may suggest an increase indepth of the Benioff zone, if existed, toward inland side. 4. The K-Ar ages of volcanic rocks were measured to be 79.4 m.y. near Daegu, and 61.7 m.y. near Busan indicating a southeastward decrease in age. The ages of plutonic rocks also decrease toward the same direction with 73 m.y. near Daegu, and 58 m.y. near Busan, so that the volcanism predated the plutonism by 6 m.y. in the continental interior and 4 m.y. along the coast. Such igneous activities provide a positive evidence for an applicability of plate tectonics to this area. 5. Sulfur isotope analyses of sulfide minerals from 8 mines revealed that these deposits were genetically connected with the spacially associated ingeous rocks showing relatively narrow range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values (-0.9‰ to +7.5‰ except for +13.3 from Mulgum Mine). A sequence of metallogenic zones from the coast to the inland is delineated to be in the order of Fe-Cu zone, Cu-Pb-Zn zone, and W-Mo zone. A few porphyry type copper deposits are found in the Fe-Cu zone. These two facts enable the sequence to be comparable with that of Andean type in South America. 6. The VGP's of Cretaceous and post Cretaceous rocks from Korea are located near the ones($71^{\circ}N$, $180^{\circ}E$ and $90^{\circ}N$, $110^{\circ}E$) obtained from continents of northern hemisphere. This suggests that the Korean peninsula has been stable tectonically since Cretaceous, belonging to the Eurasian continent. 7. Different polar wandering path between Korean peninsula and Japanese islands delineates that there has been some relative movement between them. 8. The variational feature of declination of NRM toward northwestern inland side from southeastern extremity of Korean peninsula suggests that the age of rocks becomes older toward inland side. 9. The geological structure(mainly faults) and trends of lineaments interpreted from the Landsat imagery reveal that NNE-, NWW- and NEE-trends are predominant in the decreasing order of intensity. 10. The NNE-trending structures were originated by tensional and/or compressional forces, the directions of which were parallel and perpendicular respectively to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 90 m.y. B.P. The NWW-trending structures were originated as shear fractures by the same compressional forces. The NEE-trending structures are considered to be priginated as tension fractures parallel to the subduction boundary of the Kula plate during about 70 m.y. B.P. when Japanese islands had drifted toward southeast leaving the Sea of Japan behind. It was clearly demonstrated by many authors that the drifting of Japanese islands was accompanied with a rotational movement of a clock-wise direction, so that it is inferred that subduction boundary had changed from NNE- to NEE-direction. A number of facts and features mentioned above provide a suite of positive evidences enabling application of plate tectonics to the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary igneous activity and metallogeny in the area. Synthesizing these facts, an arc-trench system of continental margin-type is adopted by reconstructing paleogeographic models for the evolution of Korean peninsula and Japan islands. The models involve an extention mechanism behind the are(proto-Japan), by which proto-Japan as of northeastern continuation of Gyongsang zone has been drifted rotationally toward southeast. The zone of igneous activity has also been migrated from the inland in late-Cretaceous to the peninsula margin and southwestern Japan in Tertiary.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2011

The Taebaegsan Mineralized District is the most prospective region for the useful mineral commodities such as a coal, non-metallic, metallic mineral in South Korea. From a general point of view, Cambro- Ordovician limestone formations, Myobong slate and Pungchon (Daegi) limestone, are the most fertilizable formations in the Taebaegsan Mineralized District. The geology around Weondong mine area consists mainly of Carboniferous-Triassic formations and Cambro-Ordovician formations intruded by rhyolite/quartz porphyry. The great overthrusted fault of N40~$50^{\circ}E$ direction, so called Weondong overthrust fault, is observed in the central part of the mine area and the NS fault system cuts the overthrusted fault. By postulating from the favorable geological and structural condition around Weondong area, the possibility of deep seated hidden ore bodies is expected. In 2010, on the basis of the results of LOTEM and CSAMT survey, the cross-hole survey was performed for the investigation of the hidden polymetallic ore body in the deep parts of the Weondong mine area and the grade of the newly-discovered orebody is as follows; (1) The cut-off grade for lead-zinc 3%; an weighted average grade 5.50% (2.7 m), (2) The cutoff grade for copper 0.1%; an weighted average grade 0.91% (14.65 m), (3) The cut-off grade for iron 30%; an weighted average grade 38.18% (3.3 m), (4) $WO_3$ for each cut-off grade(0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.29 wt. % (8.8 m), 1.15 wt. % (2.1 m), 1.97 wt. % (1.2 m), (5) $MoS_2$ for each cut-off grade(0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.15 wt. % (6.3S m), 0.28 wt. % (3.15 m), (6) $Ta_2O_5$ for each cut-off grade (0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.13% (19.S m), 1.11% (1.8 m), (7) $Nb_2O_5$ for each cut-offgrade (0.01%, 0.1%); an weighted average grade 0.06% 11.5 m), 0.15% (3.0 m).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2011

To optimize the natural chemical agents against nuisance phytoplankton, we examined algal removal activity (ABA) of Plant-Mineral Composite (PMC), which already developed by our teams (Kim et al., 2010), on various conditions. The PMC are consisted of extracted-mixtures with indigenous plants (Camellia sinensis, Quercusacutissima and Castanea crenata) and minerals (Loess, Quartz porphyry, and natural zeolite), and characterized by coagulation and floating of low-density suspended solids. A simple extraction process was adopted, such as drying and grinding of raw material, water-extraction by high temperature-sonication and filtering. All tests were performed in 3 L plastic chambers varying conditions; six different concentrations ($0{\sim}1.0\;mL\;L^{-1}$), six light intensities ($8{\sim}1,400\;{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$), three temperatures ($10{\sim}30^{\circ}C$), four pHs (7~10), five water depths (10~50 cm), and three different waters dominated by cyanobacteria, diatom, and green algae, respectively. Results indicate that the highest ABA of PMC was seen at $0.05\;mL\;L^{-1}$ in treatment concentrations, where showed a reduction of more than 80% of control phytoplankton biomass, while $1,400\;{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$ in light intensity (>90%), $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ temperature (>60%), 7~9 in pH (>90%), below 50 cm in water depth (>90%), and cyanobacterial dominating waters (>80%), respectively. Over the test, ABA of PMC were more obvious on the algal biomass (chlorophyll-${\alpha}$) than suspended solids, suggesting a selectivity of PMC to particle size or natures. These results suggest that PMC agents can play an important role as natural agents to remove the nuisant algal aggregates or seston of eutrophic lake, where occur cyanobacterial bloom in a shallow shore of lake during warm season.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.257-268
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• 2003

The Cretaceous magmatism in the Gyeongsang Basin, Korea, led to the formation of two contrasting metallogenic provinces: the Haman-Gunbug-Goseong(-Changwon) (HGGC) and the Euiseong (EU). The mineralization in the HGGC metallogenic province represents copper, gold and iron of porphyry-related deposits that display close relationships in time and space with subvolcanic granitoids. Much of copper-gold-forming events in this province are consistently constrained to the period between ca. 89 and 81 Ma. The hydrothermal systems of copper-gold vein deposits in the HGGC province are associated with ore-forming fluids of high to intermediate temperature (300∼50$0^{\circ}C$) with high salinity (20∼55 equiv. wt. % NaCl). The ore-forming fluids become progressively more diluted by the incorporation of decreased quantities of magmatic water further from the nearby intrusion, suggesting significant input and fluid mixing of a meteoric water component to the magmatic fluids during the late stage of geothermal systems. In contrast, the EU metallogenic province is characterized by polymetallic vein deposits that are consistently constrained to a period of 78∼60 Ma. The geothermal systems of polymetallic vein deposits in the EU province are derived from a narrow range of intermediate temperature (200∼40$0^{\circ}C$) with relatively low salinity(1∼7 equiv. wt.% NaCl). It may represent a mixed fluid of magmatic and meteoric waters. The base-metal mineralization in the Gyeongsang Basin shows a close spatial and temporal distinction between the proximal environment derived from shallow-level granitoids in the southwestern HGGC province and the distal condition derived from volcanic environments in the northwestern EU province.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.517-535
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• 2007

Two distinctive Mesozoic hydrothermal systems occurred in South Korea: the Jurassic/Early Cretaceous(ca. $200{\sim}130$ Ma) deep-level ones during the Daebo orogeny and the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary(ca. $110{\sim}45$ Ma) shallow hydrothermal ones during the Bulgugsa event. The Mesozoic hydrothermal system and the metallic mineralization in the Korean Peninsula document a close spatial and temporal relationship with syn- to post-tectonic magmatism. The calculated ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values of the ore-forming fluids from the Mesozoic metallic mineral deposits show limited range for the Jurassic ones but variable range for the Late Cretaceous ones. The orogenic mineral deposits were formed at relatively high temperatures and deep-crustal levels. The mineralizing fluids that were responsible for the formation of theses deposits are characterized by the reasonably homogeneous and similar ranges of ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values. This implies that the ore-forming fluids were principally derived from spatially associated Jurassic granitoids and related pegmatite. On the contrary, the Late Cretaceous ferroalloy, base-metal and precious-metal deposits in the Taebaeksan, Okcheon and Gyeongsang basins occurred as vein, replacement, breccia-pipe, porphyry-style and skarn deposits. Diverse mineralization styles represent a spatial and temporal distinction between the proximal environment of subvolcanic activity and the distal to transitional condition derived from volcanic environments. The Cu(-Au) or Fe-Mo-W deposits are proximal to a magmatic source, whereas the polymetallic or the precious-metal deposits are more distal to transitional. On the basis of the overall ${\delta}^{18}O_{H2O}$ values of various ore deposits in these areas, it can be briefed that the ore fluids show very extensive oxygen isotope exchange with country rocks, though the ${\delta}D_{H2O}$ values are relatively homogeneous and similarly restricted.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.445-466
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• 2017

Yeongdong area is located in the contact zone between central southeastern Ogcheon belt and Yeongnam massif, in which Cretaceous Yeongdong basin exists. Therefore, the study area has complex geological environment of various geological age and rock types such as Precambrian metamorphic rocks, age-unknown Ogcheon Supergroup, Paleozoic/Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic igneous rocks and Quaternary alluvial deposits. This study focuses on the link between the various geology and water type, and discussed the source of some major ions and their related water-rock interaction. For this study, the field parameters and ion concentrations for twenty alluvial/weathered and eighty bedrock aquifer wells were used. Statistical analysis indicates that there was no significant differences in groundwater quality between wet and dry seasons. Although various types were observed due to complex geology, 80 to 84 % of samples showed $Ca-HCO_3$ water type. Some wells placed in alluvial/weathered aquifers of Precambrian metamorphic and Jurassic granitic terrains showed somewhat elevated $NO_3$ and Cl concentrations. $Mg-HCO_3$ typed waters prevailed in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rocks. The deeper wells placed in bedrock aquifers showed complicated water types varying from $Ca-HCO_3$ through $Ca-Cl/SO_4/NO_3$ to $Na-HCO_3$ and Na-Cl type. Groundwater samples with $Na-HCO_3$ or Na-Cl types are generally high in F concentrations, indicating more influences of water-rock interaction within mineralized/hydrothermal alteration zone by Cretaceous porphyry or granites. This study revealed that many deep-seated aquifer had been contaminated by $NO_3$, especially prominent in Jurassic granites area. Based on molar ratios of $HCO_3/Ca$, $HCO_3/Na$, Na/Si, it can be inferred that Ca and $HCO_3$ components of most groundwater in alluvial/weathered aquifer wells were definitely related with dissolution of calcite. On the other hand, Ca and $HCO_3$ in bedrock aquifer seem to be due to dissolution of feldspar besides calcite. However, these molar ratios require other mechanism except simple weathering process causing feldspar to be broken into kaolinite. The origin of $HCO_3$ of some groundwater occurring in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rock area seems to be from dissolution of dolomite($MgCO_3$) or strontianite($SrCO_3$) as well.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.13-28
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• 2000

Chojeong area is mainly composed of the Ogcheon Group which consists of regionally metamorphosed, age-unknown sedimentary rocks. In the northwestern parts, the Group is intruded by the Jurassic Daebo granite and Cretaceous felsic and mafic dykes. The lowermost, Midongsan Formation which consists of milky white impure quartzite, crops out along the anticline axes with N40E trend. Ungyori quartzite Formation is intercalated with quartzite and slate. Miwon Formation is most widely exposed in the area and consists mainly of phyllitic sandy rocks with a thin crystalline limestone bed. Hwajeonri Formation is divided into two parts, pelitic lower and calcareous upper parts, composed with phyllite and slate. Changri and Hwanggangri Formations are typical members of Ogcheon Group, the former bearing coally graphite seams consists mainly of black slate and phyllite with intercalated greenish grey phyllite, the latter is pebble bearing phyllite formation of which matrix and pebbles are variable in compositions and size. Biotite granite, porphyritic granite and two mica granite belong to Jurassic so-called Dabo granite. They intruded the Ogcheon Group forming vast contact metarnophic zone. Quartz porphyry, mafic dyke and felsite intruded along the marginal zone of porphyritic granite batholith and fracture of NS trend. Main structural lineaments in Ogcheon Group shows N25-45E, NS and N30-45W trends. The N25-45E trends are mainly from general ductile deformation during regional metamorphism, showing isoclinal folding, Fl foliations and lithological erosional characters. Some of these trends are due to normal faults. The NS and N30-45W trends represent brittle deformation including faults and joints. In the area of granitic batholith, NS to N30- 45 trends are from the direction of dykes. In the soils of the area, average contents of heavy metal elements such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn are 0.2, 50.6, 35.5, 27.9, and 93.4 ppm respectively, which are not higher than the average values of natural soils, under the tolerable level. Enrichment Index does not show any heavy metal pollution in the area. Average depths of weathering(5m vs. 2m), porosities(43.94 vs. 51.80), densities(l.29 vs. 1.15), and permeabilities(2.52 vs. 8.07) are comparable in granite areas and in the phyllite areas of Ogcheon Group.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 1980

This study is carried out to learn the properties of forest soils in Korea and propose the reasonable management methods of forest land. Among 178 soil series surveyed until now in Korea forest soils include 64 series broken down according to the weathered products into 5 categories such as residual materials on mountain and hill, residual materials on rolling and hill, colluvial materials on local valley and fans, alluvial materials and volcanic ash soils. What discussed in this paper are classification system, parent rocks, texture class and drainage conditions of Korean forest soils. The characteristics of Korean forest soil properties classified in U.S.D.A. soil classification system are as follows: 1. Residual soils on mountain and hill (29 soil series) are almost Lithosols without any distinct soil profile development. They have loamy skeletal (11 series), coarse loamy (5 series), fine loamy (3 series), and fine clayey soils (3 series). Their drainage conditions are somewhat excessively drained in 16 series and well drained in 7 series. 2. Residual soils on rolling and hill (19 series) are Red-Yellow Podzolic soils with well developed soil profiles. They have coarse and fine loamy texture in 12 series and fine clayey texture in 5 series mostly with well drained condition. 3. Colluvial soils on local valley and fans (13 series) include mostly Regosols and some Red-Yellow Podzolic Soils and Acid Brown Forest Soils. They have loamy skeletal (4 series), coarse loamy (3 series), fine loamy (3 series), and fine clayey soils (2 series) with well drained condition. 4. Soil textures of weathered products of parent rocks are as follows: 1) Parent rocks producing coarse texture soils are rhyolite, granite gneiss, schist, shale, sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate. 2) Parent rocks producing fine and heavy texture soils are limestone, basalt, gabbro, and andesite porphyry. 3) Granite is a parent rock producing various textured soils.