The possible hydrologic effects of the proposed lignite open‐cast mining in Drama lignite field,Greece

The present study investigates the possible hydrologic effects of the proposed lignite open‐cast mining in Drama lignite field (north Greece). Recent years have seen a rapid increase in surface mining. This activity has generated a growing concern for the potential environmental impacts associated with large scale surface mining. In order to achieve a safe mine operation and allow extraction of lignite to considerable depths, extensive dewatering by pumping will be necessary, while at the same time it is desirable to avoid presence of overpumping conditions in the broader area. Based on stratigrafic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic data, a three‐dimensional finite difference model was developed in order to simulate the dewatering process of the western part of the lignite open‐cast mine in Drama and to predict both spatially and temporally the decline of ground water level down to the lignite surface. The dewatering of the part of the aquifer which underlies the mine area will influence the hydrological conditions of the broader region. The most important anticipated effects will be the abandonment of shallow wells as well as the decrease of ground water pumping rates of deep wells. Aquifer discharge towards the ditches of the study area will cease and there will be an inversion of ground water flow from the ditches towards the underlying aquifer. Dewatering activities will probably result in minor subsidence of the nearby peat deposits of Drama Philippi marshes. Moreover, sand pumping as well as the presence of gasses is likely to cause local subsidence phenomena, mainly in the pit slopes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inter‐annual changes of alpine inland lake water storage on the Tibetan Plateau: Detection and analysis by integrating satellite altimetry and optical imagery

The effects of climate change have a substantial influence on the extremely vulnerable hydrologic environment of the Tibetan Plateau. The estimation of alpine inland lake water storage variations is essential to modeling the alpine hydrologic process and evaluating water resources. Due to a lack of historical hydrologic observations in this remote and inaccessible region, such estimations also fill a gap in studies on the continuous inter‐annual and seasonal changes in the inland lake water budget. Using Lake Siling Co as a case study, we derived a time‐series of lake surface extents from MODIS imagery, and scarce lake water level data from the satellite altimetry of two sensors (ICESat/GLAS and ENVISAT RA‐2) between 2001 and 2011. Then, based on the fact that the rise in lake water levels is tightly dependent on the expansion of the lake extent, we established an empirical model to simulate a continuous lake water level dataset corresponding to the lake area data during the lake's unfreezing period. Consequently, from three dimensions, the lake surface area, water level and water storage variations consistently revealed that Lake Siling Co exhibited a dramatic trend to expand, particularly from 2001 to 2006. Based on the statistical model and lake area measurements from Landsat images since 1972, the extrapolated lake water level and water storage indicate that the lake has maintained a continual expansion process and that the cumulative water storage variations during 1999–2011 account for 66.84% of the total lake water budget (26.87 km³) from 1972 to 2011. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The underground application of Magnetic Resonance Soundings

The potential application of MRS technology in locating waterbearing fractures in underground mines is studied. The determination of the presence of water ahead of mining is important to prevent accidents and to ensure higher efficiency in mining operations. In the usual surface based measurements, with horizontal loop and water layer, the geometry of the problem can be summarized by the value of the inclination of the Earth magnetic field. For MRS measurements under the geometric conditions associated with underground mining, where the loop is non-horizontal, the geometry can be described in an effective inclination that can be expressed in terms of the Earth magnetic inclination and declination, together with two further parameters that characterize the orientation of the mine wall. We examine the consequences of the different geometries on the MRS signal. Since the loop size is severely restricted in underground conditions, the feasible target depth is also severely limited. The consequences of the fractured hard rock aquifer conditions, typical of deep mining or tunneling environments, are also examined. The overall conclusion is that in underground MRS applications the signal strength is too small to enable the practical identification of fractures containing large volumes of water ahead of the mining face.     

南四湖地区煤炭开发地面塌陷影响分析

南四湖流域具有丰富的煤炭资源,是山东省主要的后备煤炭资源基地之一。近年来已相继开发矿井40余对。由于采煤活动的进行,对南四湖环境影响日益加大。主要表现为：地面塌陷、矸石堆放、交通运输、地表水污染和矿井废水。本文主要讨论因煤炭资源的开发引起的地面塌陷对南四湖的环境影响,在分析研究的基础上总结其影响规律。为湖区煤炭规划、开发和建设提供技术依据。     

Prediction and assessment of the disturbances of the coal mining in Kailuan to karst groundwater system

Coal resources and water resources play an essential and strategic role in the development of China's social and economic development, being the priority for China's medium and long technological development. As the mining of the coal extraction is increasingly deep, the mine water inrush of high-pressure confined karst water becomes much more a problem. This paper carried out research on the hundred-year old Kailuan coal mine's karst groundwater system. With the help of advanced Visual Modflow software and numerical simulation method, the paper assessed the flow field of karst water area under large-scale exploitation. It also predicted the evolution ofgroundwaterflow field under different mining schemes of Kailuan Corp. The result shows that two cones of depression are formed in the karst flow field of Zhaogezhuang mining area and Tangshan mining area, and the water levels in two cone centers are −270 m and −31 m respectively, and the groundwater generally flows from the northeast to the southwest. Given some potential closed mines in the future, the mine discharge will decrease and the water level of Ordovician limestone will increase slightly. Conversely, given increase of coal yield, the mine drainage will increase, falling depression cone of Ordovician limestone flow field will enlarge. And in Tangshan's urban district, central water level of the depression cone will move slightly towards north due to pumping of a few mines in the north.     

某煤矿典型CSAMT法视电阻率曲线的一维模拟

了解煤矿开采区的地层地质情况,指明断层、破碎带、陷落柱等构造及其含水性,并分析其对开采过程中可能造成的安全威胁是煤矿安全生产的重要保证．可控源音频大地电磁测深(CSAMT)法是浅层地球物理勘探的一种有力的手段,可以用来探明从地表到地下1500米范围的地质情况．在开采区完成三维地震勘探,对构造有了较系统的控制后,利用电法CSAMT手段重点来分析构造及地层的含水及富水特性,是一种科学的工作流程．本文采用一维正演方法对该矿区典型的CSAMT视电阻率曲线进行模拟并与实际曲线进行了对比．通过大量的模型拟合,得到了较好的拟合效果,这对反演解释提供了有用信息。     

Mine Waters of the Eastern Donbass and Their Effect on the Chemistry of Groundwater and Surface Water in the Region

Regularities in the formation of mining water chemistry in Eastern Donbass were established and described for the 100-year period from the 1920s to 2010. The total of more than 1500 analyses were used. The changes in the chemistry were largest in the 1940s–1950s in the mines that had been recovered during World War II and after the mass abandonment of mines in the region (2002–2010). The size of groundwater resources acceptable for drinking water supply had decreased considerably; and the volumes of polluted surface water had increased abruptly. The export of dissolved substances by mining waters onto land surface reached its maximum (426 thousand t/year) in 2010. Four main lines of transformation of mine water chemistry were identified and their genesis was interpreted.     

Electromagnetic induction for mapping textural contrasts of mine tailing deposits

Mine tailings present an important legacy of past and present ore-extraction activities in the Desert Southwest. Inactive mine tailings have no immediate economic role in current mining operations, yet from an environmental point of view it is important that such deposits are stabilized to prevent mass movement, wind or water erosion, leaching of chemicals such as acid mine drainage, and to reduce visual blight. In the presented study, we assess the potential for inferring textural properties of mine tailing deposits with electromagnetic induction (EMI) mapping as a means of informing efforts to establish vegetation at mine waste sites. EMI measurements of apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) and tailing samples were collected at a mine waste site in Southern Arizona, USA and used to test empirical and theoretical relationships between EC_a and physical and mineralogical properties using linear and Gaussian process regression. Sensitivity analyses of a semi-theoretical and a regression model of EC_a as a function of tailing properties indicated that volumetric clay fraction in the top 60 cm was a primary influence on bulk electrical conductivity along with water content, conductivity of the soil water and the presence of conductive minerals hematite and pyrite. At this site, latitude and longitude were better predictors of clay content than EC_a, and while it was possible to obtain information about the spatial distribution of tailing texture using EMI, simple Kriging of texture data was a more powerful textural mapping technique. We conclude that EMI is a useful tool for mapping tailing texture at waste deposit sites, but due to physical and chemical heterogeneity of tailing deposits, it is necessary to collect more in situ samples than are needed for agricultural applications.     

Solute Transport Simulation of Aquifer Restoration after In Situ Uranium Mining

In situ mining of uranium was conducted in two well fields at a research and development site in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming from March 1980 to July 1981. Subsequent aquifer restoration activities continued until December 1982. During the restoration phases of operation, complex pumping-injection schemes, necessitated by the absence of adequate disposal facilities, were employed by the mining company in an attempt to satisfy the conditions imposed by the mine permit.
An analytical "Random Walk" solute transport model was used to simulate mass transport mechanisms associated with the pumping-injection schemes used in the A-1 well field. Because the hydrogeology at the site is relatively simple; a more sophisticated model requiring extensive calibration was not required. The model was not used as a "predictive" tool, but as an analytical supplement to existing water quality and hydrogeologic data. As such, it provided a very useful and inexpensive means by which to evaluate the adequacy of the restoration techniques employed at the site and the effectiveness of the water quality monitoring program.
Model simulations suggest that the restoration methods used by the mining company were not adequate to remove residual lixiviant and actually tended to displace contaminants to a circular region between the well field and peripheral monitoring wells. An analysis of the water quality and operational history at the site suggests that the model results may be accurate. If this is true, the postrestoration water quality data collected at the site may not be an accurate measure of the effectiveness of aquifer restoration.     

Multiplatform observation of the surface circulation in the Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

The Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is a highly urbanised area, where human activities and natural factors (e.g. river runoff, exchanges with adjacent basins) can strongly affect the water quality. In this work we show how surface transport can influence the distribution of passively drifting surface matter, and more in general if and how the circulation in the basin can promote the renovation of the surface layer. To this aim, we carried out a multiplatform analysis by putting together HF radar current fields, satellite images and modelling tools. Surface current fields and satellite images of turbidity patterns were used to initialise and run model simulations of particle transport and diffusion. Model results were then examined in relation to the corresponding satellite distributions. This integrated approach permits to investigate the concurrent effects of surface dynamics and wind forcing in determining the distribution of passive tracers over the basin of interest, identifying key mechanisms supporting or preventing the renewal of surface waters as well as possible areas of aggregation and retention.     

Long‐term final void salinity prediction for a post‐mining landscape in the Hunter Valley,New South Wales,Australia

Opencast mining alters surface and subsurface hydrology of a landscape both during and post‐mining. At mine closure, following opencast mining in mines with low overburden to coal ratios, a void is left in the final landform. This final void is the location of the active mine pit at closure. Voids are generally not infilled within the mines' lifetime, because of the prohibitive cost of earthwork operations, and they become post‐mining water bodies or pit lakes. Water quality is a significant issue for pit lakes. Groundwater within coal seams and associated rocks can be saline, depending on the nature of the strata and groundwater circulation patterns. This groundwater may be preferentially drawn to and collected in the final void. Surface runoff to the void will not only collect salts from rainfall and atmospheric fallout, but also from the ground surface and the weathering of fresh rock. As the void water level rises, its evaporative surface area increases, concentrating salts that are held in solution. This paper presents a study of the long term, water quality trends in a post‐mining final void in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. This process is complex and occurs long term, and modelling offers the only method of evaluating water quality. Using available geochemical, climate and hydrogeological data as inputs into a mass‐balance model, water quality in the final void was found to increase rapidly in salinity through time (2452 to 8909 mg l⁻¹ over 500 years) as evaporation concentrates the salt in the void and regional groundwater containing high loads of salt continues to flow into the void. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Research Progress of Geophysical Exploration in Karatungk Mine in Northern Xinjiang, China

Karatungk Mine in northern Xinjiang, China, which is a large-scale magmatic Cu-Ni sulfide mine in the Central Asian orogenic belt, has a long history of mining. The mine is located at the merging belt between Altay orogenic belt and Junggar Basin, and has strong tectonic activities. In recent years, mining source detection has become an important target for mineral exploration due to the difficulties in ore body exploitation. In this paper,we systematically summarize the achievements of the geophysical explorations in Karatungk Mine from various aspects, including tectonic backgrounds of the mine, dynamic mechanisms, geophysical characteristics and scientific challenges in the future. Because of the restrictions of observation density and analysis methods, the fine geometrical structure of the mine cannot be completely characterized yet. Therefore,in order to obtain the high-resolution structure and detailed spatial distribution of orebodies, researchers should focus on combining multiple geophysical methods, developing high-resolution imaging methods, and improving petro physical experiments in the future.     

煤矿深部开采中的地球物理技术现状及展望

简要介绍了我国煤矿生产的发展趋势,说明地质构造及煤层顶、底板水问题是当前煤矿深部开采中所面临的主要地质问题.综合论述了煤矿深部开采中所用地球物理技术的发展现状,介绍了地震勘探技术、矿井直流电法、矿井瞬变电磁法及地质雷达等勘探技术的应用情况,并提出了综合地球物理勘探技术在煤矿深部开采中的发展趋势.     

震动诱发煤矿瓦斯灾害预警初步研究

矿区震动能诱发多种灾害,以瓦斯突出尤为严重。以鹤岗矿区为研究对象,统计了历年来鹤岗地区地震及矿震活动规模,分析了以往典型的矿震引起的瓦斯灾害事例,总结了矿震作用下瓦斯灾害的机理,基于统计数据,提出了矿震瓦斯灾害预警需要解决的关键问题。初步研究表明:震动事件与煤矿灾害之间具有很强的关联性,呈现震动在前、灾害在后、时间间隔数分钟至数日不等的“先震后灾”的特点,基于此,通过建立矿震监测台网,给出了震动诱发煤矿瓦斯灾害预警可行性,并提出了震动引起瓦斯灾害预警思路。     

DInSAR measurements of ground deformation by sinkholes,mining subsidence,and landslides,Ebro River,Spain

Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) has been applied to detect and measure ground deformation in a stretch of the Ebro River valley (Spain) excavated in salt‐bearing evaporites. The capability of the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) DInSAR technique to detect ground displacement is analyzed comparing the DInSAR results with the available geomorphological information. The deformation map derived from 27 European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellite images covering more than five years provides sub‐centimeter displacement measurements in zones coinciding with known active sinkholes and landslides. Moreover the map provides the first account of mining subsidence in the area. The measured deformation rates reach 1·68 cm/y for the sinkholes, 0·80 cm/y for the landslides and 1·45 cm/y for the area affected by mining subsidence. The SBAS DInSAR technique provided deformation measurements in a small proportion (5–10%) of the known active sinkholes and landslides. This limitation is mainly due to the lack of coherence in agricultural areas, the spatial resolution of the deformation map (pixel size of 90 m), and the parallelism between the ERS satellite line of sight and the linear escarpment on which most of the landslides occur. Despite this, the interferometric technique provides valuable data that complement traditional geomorphological studies including the quantification of the deformation phenomena, the identification of mining subsidence otherwise only recognizable by geodetic methods, and the detection of creep deformation which might correspond to premonitory indicators of catastrophic sinkholes and landslides capable of causing the loss of lives. Detailed DInSAR studies combined with field data would be required to improve the analysis of each deformation area. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Migration of Lead-210 and Stable Load in Surface Waters Impacted by Uranium Mine Wastes

Water and sediment samples from two surface water systems were analysed for ²¹⁰Pb and stable lead in order to elucidate the environmental importance and fate of ²¹⁰Pb released from uranium mining. In one system mine drainage waters treated by precipitation of barium sulfate contained a considerable activity of ²¹⁰Pb in particulate form. Spoil piles were the main source of ²¹⁰Pb in the second system, with the dissolved ²¹⁰Pb being the predominant migration form. In both systems the concentration of ²¹⁰Pb rapidly decreased with distance from the source indicating that waterborne ²¹⁰Pb did not represent an environmental problem. Uranium mining did not add significant amounts of stable lead into the surface water systems. It has been found that bottom sediments are a sensitive indicator of the pollution of surface waters with ²¹⁰Pb.     

华东地区主要矿山环境地质问题

华东地区经济发达,人口密集,城市化程度较高。对环境要求也高。但是华东地区资源丰富,涉及的矿种多,数量大,矿产资源开发普遍,由此造成的矿山环境地质问题比较突出。本文详细分析了华东地区矿产资源开发引发的矿山环境地质问题,如土地资源破坏和占用、水资源破坏、水土污染和矿山地质灾害等,指出区内因矿产资源开发引发的资源损毁、环境污染以及地质灾害的规模,分析引发矿山环境地质问题的主要自然和人为因素。     

基于重力卫星数据监测地表质量变化的三维点质量模型法

利用卫星重力测量手段监测全球质量变化取得了巨大成功,本文基于牛顿万有引力定律在三维空间直角坐标系中导出利用重力卫星观测数据监测全球质量变化的三维点质量模型法,该方法可直接利用重力卫星的轨道和星间观测数据或时变重力场模型计算全球质量变化,由于利用卫星观测数据计算地表质量变化的向下延拓过程以及观测数据噪声的影响,需要采用合适的空间约束方程或正则化技术对解算结果进行约束或平滑处理.利用合成全球质量变化模型模拟一个月的GRACE双星轨道和星间距离变率数据计算全球质量变化,对三维点质量模型法进行分析验证,采用零阶Tikhonov正则化技术处理病态问题.结果表明,三维点质量模型法可有效用于重力卫星观测数据监测全球质量变化,为利用重力卫星观测数据监测全球质量变化提供一种可选的途径.     

综合勘探方法在解决地质问题中的应用

三维地震勘探在解决诸如小断层、小构造、煤矿采区陷落柱等方面的应用日益广泛。然而,由于地质条件的复杂性以及各种物探方法的特点不同,有时三维地震勘探方法需要与其它物探方法相结合才能更好地发挥其作用。本文以济三煤矿十四采区为例,介绍了利用三维地震和瞬变电磁法勘探相结合,探测采区的断层及煤层顶板上100m内的岩层富水体的方法、特点及经验。     

Water quality assessment using satellite-derived chlorophyll-a within the European directives, in the southeastern Bay of Biscay

The implementation of water quality European Directives requires an intensification of water quality monitoring, within the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Remote sensing technologies can provide a valuable tool for frequent, synoptic, water-quality observations, over large areas. The aim of this study is to assess the ecological status of Basque coastal water bodies using satellite imagery from MODIS sensor, together with optical and chlorophyll-ain situ measurements. Thus, sea surface satellite-derived chl-a algorithms, the OC3 M, OC5 and a Local empirical algorithm, were compared against in situ measurements using satellite in situ match-ups, 90th Percentile (P90) monthly values for the 2005-2010 period. The OC5 algorithm corresponded most accurately with in situ measurements performed in the area, hence, it was selected. A P90 chlorophyll-a map was created with this algorithm to apply the classification scheme required by the directives. The classification of water bodies, based upon satellite-derived chlorophyll-a, could improve considerably the assessment of water quality.