GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ADEQUATE INDUSTRIAL STONE RESOURCES OF SOUTH KOREA

Industrial resources potential of the Quaternary geology is related to sand and gravel aggregates and dimesion stones. In South Korea, a rapid economic development and infrastructure construction necessitate ever increasing amount of all types of industrial stone resources as constructional materials. Sand and gravel aggregate resources are supplied from fluvial area and shallow sea-bed in the western coastal and onshore-offshore areas of the peninsula. Geological characterization and modeling of the resources potential are performed to meet the need of adequate supply amount and quality control of the resources. Ever increasing extraction of the sand aggregates caused modification of landscape and human intervention to marine bio-resources and coastal and near shore geomorphological change. As to the dimension stone resources in Korea the most favorable quarries have been selected before extraction in order to develope the most efficient extraction strategy and localize the most prospecting site among any potential building stone quarries. As a result of geological and geophysical prospection, Jurassic and Cretaceous biotite granite, or two-mica granite are most favourable stone resources for both quantity and quality. The geological and petrochemical and mechanical properties of these lithologc types, including specific gravity, absorption ratio, porosity, compressive strength, tensile strength and abrasive hardness, have been examined and controlled as indices for adequate bedrock quality for the last two decades. Lastly crushed stone as aggregates are now tested for their lithologic types to avoid deleterious alkali-cement reaction of raw stone materials. An environmental feasibility for mining stone resources have been evaluated mainly for these Jurassic and Cretaceous granites for economic extraction and development.