• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.817-830
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• 2023

This study investigates the age of the surficial rocks in the Arunta region using Uranium-Lead (U-Pb) geochronological dating. Rock samples were collected at four locations, Cattle-Water Pass (CP 1610), Gough Dam (GD 1622 and GD 1610), and London-Eye (LE 1601), within the Strangways Metamorphic Complex and crushed by selFragging. Subsequently, the zircon grains were imaged using Cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis and the U-Pb (uranium and lead) isotope ratios and the chrono-stratigraphy were measured. The imaged zircon revealed an anomalous heterogeneous crystal structure. Ellipses of the samples at locations GD1601, CP1610, and GD1622 fall below the intercept indicating the ages produced discordant patterns, whereas LE1601 intersects the Concordia curve at two points, implying the occurrence of an event of significant impact. For the rock sample at CP1610, the estimated mean age is 1742.2 ± 9.2 Ma with mean squared weighted deviation (MSWD) = 0.49 and probability of equivalence of 0.90; 1748 ± 15 Ma - MSWD = 1.02 and probability of equivalence of 0.40 for GD1622; and 1784.4 ± 9.1 Ma with MSWD of 1.09 and probability of equivalence of 0.37 for LE1601. But for samples at GD1601, two different age groups with different means occurred: 1) below the global mean (1792.2 ± 32 Ma) estimated at 1738.2 ± 14 Ma with MSWD of 0.109 and probability of equivalence of 0.95 and 2) above it with mean of 1838.22 ± 14 Ma, MSWD of 1.6 and probability of equivalence of 0.95. Analysis of the zircon grains has shown a discrepancy in the age range between 1700 Ma and 1800 Ma compared to the ASO dated to have occurred between 440 and 300 Ma. Moreover, apparent similarity in age of the core and rim means that the mineral crystallized relatively quickly without significant interruptions and effect on the isotopic system. This may have constraint the timing and extent of geological events that might have affected the mineral, such as metamorphism or hydrothermal alteration.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.55-69
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• 2003

A spinifex textured komatiite sample of Early Tertiary age, from the Gorgona Islands of Colombia in South America, was petrographically and geochemically studied, and compared with the previous researches of the komatiites including other Precambrian komatiites in South Africa, Western Australia and Canada. The sample shows the komatiitic characteristics in its petrography and geochemistry very well, i.e. in high specific gravity (2.98) and density (3.2), rock forming minerals, spinifex texture, major and race element abundances and REE pattern. In particular the REE pattern for it strongly suggests that the Gorgona komatiite must have been crystallized from a magma generated from a depleted mantle as that of Munro Township area in Ontario, Canada which is pyroxenite komatiite or basaltic komatiite of Group I of the Archean.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.114-119
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• 2018

Background: The retrospective dosimetry using RTL quartz can be improved by information for an optical sensitivity of sample connected with the equivalent dose determination. Materials and Methods: The quartz sample from a volcanic rock of Japan was used. After correcting the thermal quenching effect, RTL peaks of quartz were separated by the CGCD method cooperated with the general order kinetics. The number of overlapped glow peaks were ascertained by the $T_m-T_{stop}$ method. The optical sensitivity was examined by comparing the change of intensity on RTL glow peaks measured after exposure to light from a solar simulator with various illumination times. Results and Discussion: Seven glow peaks appeared to be overlapped on the RTL glow curve. The general order kinetics model was appropriate to separate glow peaks. After exposure to light from a solar simulator from a few minutes to 416 hr, the signals for peaks P4 and P5 decayed following the form of $f(t)=a_1e^{-{\lambda}1t}$, while the signals for peaks P6 and P7 decayed by the form of $f(t) = a_1e^{-{\lambda}1t}+a_2e^{-{\lambda}2t}+a_3e^{-{\lambda}3t}$. Conclusion: For dosimetric peaks, the times taken to reduce the RTL signal to half of its initial value were 70 sec for the peak P4, 54 s for the peak P5, 9,840 sec for the peak P6 and 26,580 sec for the peak P7, respectively. We conclude that the optical sensitivity of peaks P4, and P5 gives much higher than that of peaks P6 and P7.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.461-476
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• 2022

Research studies on the scale effect on triaxial strength of intact rocks are scarce, being more common those in uniaxial strength. In this paper, the authors present and briefly interpret the peak and residual strength trends on a series of triaxial tests on different size specimens (30 mm to 84 mm diameter) of an intact granitic rock at confinements ranging from 0 to 15 MPa. Peak strength tends to grow from smaller to standard-size samples (54 mm) and then diminishes for larger values at low confinement. However, a slight change in strength is observed at higher confinements. Residual strength is observed to be much less size-dependent. Additionally, this study introduces preliminary modelling approaches of these laboratory observations with the help of three-dimensional particle flow code (PFC3D) simulations based on bonded particle models (BPM). Based on previous studies, two modelling approaches have been followed. In the first one, the maximum and minimum particle diameter (D_max and D_min) are kept constant irrespective of the sample size, whereas in the second one, the resolution (number of particles within the sample or ϕ_v) was kept constant. Neither of these approaches properly represent the observations in actual laboratory tests, even if both of them show some interesting capabilities reported in this document. Eventually, some suggestions are provided to proceed towards improving modelling approaches to represent observed scale effects.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

As part of monitoring technology aimed at verifying the stability of CO₂ geologic storage and mitigating concerns about leakage, a method for measuring the pH and alkalinity of high-pressure fluid samples was established to obtain practical technology. pH measurement for high-pressure samples utilized a high-pressure pH electrode, and alkalinity was measured using the Gran titration method for samples collected with a piston cylinder sampler (PCS). Experimental samples, referencing CO₂-rich water and CO₂ geologic storage studies, were prepared in the laboratory. The PCS controls the piston, preventing CO₂ degassing and maintaining fluid pressure, allowing mixing with KOH to fix dissolved CO₂. Results showed a 6.1% average error in high-pressure pH measurement. PCS use for sample collection maintained pressure, preventing CO₂ degassing. However, PCS-collected sample alkalinity measurements had larger errors than non-PCS measurements, limiting PCS practicality in monitoring field settings. Nevertheless, PCS could find utility in preprocessing for carbon isotope analysis and other applications. This research not only contributes to the field of CCS monitoring but also suggests potential applications in studies related to natural analogs of CCS, CO₂-rock interaction experiments, core flooding experiments, and beyond.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

The property of weathered soil cannot but have a possibility of having a limit when its precise approaching due to the various weathering environment, and the peculiarity of its conduct affected by the weathering degree and effect factors. Especially most domestic or international researches are concentrated on the sedimentary soil, trying to analyze the mechanical behavior of weathered soil from the viewpoint of sedimentary soil. Therefore, it's difficult to judge if those results meet the actual conduct of weathered soil. This study suggested a way of weathering degree changing experiment as an early stage in an experiment of artificially changing weathering degree. In order to find out the property of strength change by the change of weathering degree, indoor mechanical experiment was made using soil sample after freezing and thawing. Under the weathering degree, characteristic change is watched by country rock and region of weathered granite soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 1976

In this study, the oil bearing rock-sequence, U-hand-ri Formation (D.S. Lee et al., 1976), was subdivided into three members; the lower, the intermediate and the upper. The lower consists mainly of reddish purple tuff and sandy calcareous shales, the intermediate of an alternation of tuffs, sandstons, calcareous black shales, cherts and limestone and the upper of coarse grained variegated tuff and agglomerate. Oily matter was found from the black shales of the intermediate. Ten samples of black shales from drilled cores, 8 samples of black shales from different outcrops of the member, and 1 sample of grease-like seeping oil from black shales at U-hang-ri coast were chemically analyized. Among them, 9 samples contain remarkable amount of organic carbon (0.96~1.60%) and E.O.M. extract (0.176~0.718%), and mostly the bituminous material is saturated hydrocarbons as well as shown in infared spectroscopic analyses. The elemental analyses of MAE extracts and asphaltenes of some of thoese samples indicate that the transformation of organic material to crude oil is highly progressed. The authors suggest that the seeping oil and oily tinges in black shale layers are the products of natural cracking related with the igneous activities in the area nearby.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.307-314
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• 1997

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP/AES) was used for the determination of uranium and thorium in geological materials. Samples were predecomposed by mixed acid digestion technique. The separation of the uranium and thorium was achieved by systematic solvent extraction with TTA(thenoyltrifluoroacetone) and TOA (tri-n-octylamine) and back extraction into HCl. The results for standard rock sample, NIST SRM 278, showed a good agreement with those certified from NIST as well as found values by other non-destructive techniques. Additional purification for extracted portions was carried out by anion exchange chromatography for measurement of several natural radioisotopes of uranium and thorium by alpha spectrometry.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.251-262
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• 2012

Triaxial tests are essential to estimate the shear strength properties of the soil or rock. Normally triaxial tests are carried out on samples of 38 mm diameter and 76 mm height. Granular materials, predominantly used in base/sub-base construction of pavements or in railways have size range of 60-75 mm. Determination of shear strength parameters of those materials can be made possible only through triaxial tests on large diameter samples. This paper describes a large diameter cyclic triaxial testing facility set up in the Geotechnical Engineering lab of Indian Institute of Science. This setup consists of 100 kN capacity dynamic loading frame, which facilitates testing of samples of up to 300 mm diameter and 600 mm height. The loading ram can be actuated up to a maximum frequency of 10 Hz, with maximum amplitude of 100 mm. The setup is capable of carrying out static as well as dynamic triaxial tests under isotropic, anisotropic conditions with a maximum confining pressure of 1 MPa. Working with this setup is a difficult task because of the size of the sample. In this paper, a detailed discussion on the various problems encountered during the initial testing using the equipment, the ideas and solutions adopted to solve them are presented. Pilot experiments on granular sub-base material of 53 mm down size are also presented.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.87-106
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• 2016

In this research, optimum design of the combined solar collector, geothermal heat pump and thermal seasonal storage system for heating and cooling a sample greenhouse is studied. In order to optimize the system from technical point of view some new control strategies and functions resulting from important TRNSYS output diagrams are presented. Temperatures of ground, rock bed storage, outlet ground heat exchanger fluid and entering fluid to the evaporator specify our strategies. Optimal heat storage is done with maximum efficiency and minimum loss. Mean seasonal heating and cooling COPs of 4.92 and 7.14 are achieved in series mode as there is no need to start the heat pump sometimes. Furthermore, optimal parallel operation of the storage and the heat pump is studied by applying the same control strategies. Although the aforementioned system has higher mean seasonal heating and cooling COPs (4.96 and 7.18 respectively) and lower initial cost, it requires higher amounts of auxiliary energy either. Soil temperature around ground heat exchanger will also increase up to $1.5^{\circ}C$ after 2 years of operation as a result of seasonal storage. At the end, the optimum combined system is chosen by trade-off between technical and economic issues.