An analytical assessment on the impact of covers on the onset of air convection in mine wastes

If a mine waste pile is left open, an active chemical reaction of oxidation is often found due to the commonly high content of pyritic materials. The oxidation of pyrites is an exothermic process and the released heat will promote the flow of fresh oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere into the waste dump. As a result, oxidation reaction will accelerate and temperature within the dump can increase to as high as 60°C above the ambient temperature. The oxidation process also releases sulphuric acid and hydrogen ions into ground water to cause water contamination. Low‐permeability covers such as clay liners have been recently proposed to abate the oxidation process in mine wastes. The effectiveness of using low‐permeability materials to cover mine wastes in order to suppress the pyrite oxidation is examined. By conducting the theoretical analysis of the onset of convective air flow within waste rocks, the conditions under which soil gas flow is significant are identified. By comparing the results with previous field measurements and theoretical analysis for the uncovered conditions, it is shown that low‐permeability covers can effectively suppress soil gas flow and slow down the pyrite oxidation process in mine wastes. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

E24 profile slope stability analysis in Haizhou Opencast Coal Mine of Fuxin

The E24 profile slope analyzed belongs to a series of excavated slopes of the Haizhou Opencast Coal Mine. It seems to be divided into Downslope Part and Upslope Part. Its profile comprises two noticeable coal seams, called the 8# and 9# weak layers, considered as the potential failure surfaces. In consideration of the actual configuration as in the perspective of any modification, assessing the stability of this slope with various profile forms under given conditions, and assessing the risk of instability and quantifying the influence of earthworks or other modifications to the stability of this slope, have constituted the primordial objectives carried out. From assumed potential failure surfaces, any specific profiles and specified slip surfaces are defined. A factor of safety (FoS) is computed for each specified slip surface; the smallest FoS found corresponds to the least favorable slip surface. The safety factor values obtained are compared to the suggested safety factor. Limit equilibrium methods of vertical slices implemented in Slope/W, computer program for slope stability analyses, have been adopted to perform the E24 slope stability analysis. The safety factor values computed with 9# weak layer are lower than for 8#; the factors of safety obtained with Sarma's method are the smallest; more, without groundwater (long term) overall values are greater than those determined under groundwater condition (short term). The lowest safety factor value is found for a profile depending on an adopted earthwork sequence. The E24 profile slope stability analysis shows the instability risk for the deepest weak layer, and also shows the short and long term stability of this slope for the envisaged earth movements. However it demonstrates the existence of instability risk for any earthwork firstly affecting the downslope part.     

Kinetics of phosphate adsorption by iron oxyhydroxides in aqueous systems

The rate of uptake of phosphate onto synthetic Fe(III)- and Fe(II)-derived oxyhydroxides has been studied using reaction conditions similar to those encountered in natural waters. Kinetic analyses were carried out on the adsorption profiles and both first-order and second-order conditional rate constants were obtained. The temperature dependence of some of the rate constants was investigated and corresponding apparent activation energies calculated. Similar experiments and analyses were undertaken using Fe from natural sources and in general the conditional rate constants obtained in seawater were in agreement with the synthetic ones. The results of this study are of value when comparing the time scales of adsorption processes in natural waters with the time scales of mixing and advection.     

超大型矿床锡矿山锑矿成矿地质条件研究

锡矿山锑矿属世界性的超大型矿床,它赋存在一个独特的构造抬升块中。表层褶皱是重要的控矿构造,基底断裂为主要导矿构造;矿田出露地层水源补给条件较好,是良好的供卤环境,佘田桥组中段为理想的赋矿岩系;硅化岩是锑矿化有利的寄主岩石;成矿物质,来源于矿田深部古水热活动区的前泥盆系;隐伏酸性岩体是古水热活动/循环的理想热源。锡矿山锑矿,是形成于古水热活动区的典型矿床。     

Estimation of Fe3+ from electron microprobe analyses: observations on calcic amphibole and chlorite

ABSTRACT Metabasites and metagreywackes from the Pelona and Rand Schists of southern California were analysed using three different electron microprobes. For all three instruments, the estimated Fe³⁺ contents of calcic amphibole, chlorite and epidote are positively correlated. For some samples, there is an additional correlation between high estimated Fe³⁺ and the presence of magnetite. These results imply that microprobe analyses can be used to discern relative differences in Fe³⁺. However, microprobe data and calculations on the sensitivity of the correction procedures to systematic analytical errors indicate that estimated values of Fe³⁺ are not significant in an absolute sense. Thus, estimates of Fe³⁺ are meaningful when comparing samples analysed with a single microprobe, but must be used with caution when comparing analyses obtained on more than one probe.     

Properties of iron at the Earth's core conditions

Summary. The phase diagram of iron up to 330 GPa is solved using the experimental data of static high pressure (up to 11 GPa) and the experimental data of shock wave data (up to 250 GPa). A solution for the highest triple point is found ( P = 280 GPa and T = 5760 K) by imposing the thermodynamic constraints of triple points. This pressure of the triple point is less than the pressure of the inner core–outer core boundary of the Earth. These results indicate that the density of iron at the inner core–outer core boundary pressure is close to 13 g cm⁻³, which lies close to the seismic solutions of the Earth at that pressure. It is thus concluded that the Earth's inner core is very likely to be virtually pure iron in its hexagonal close packed (hcp) phase.
It is shown that four properties of the Earth's inner core determined from seismology are close in value to the corresponding properties of hcp iron at inner core conditions: density, bulk modulus, longitudinal velocity, and Poisson's ratio. The density–pressure profile of hcp iron at inner core conditions matches the density–pressure profile of the inner core as determined by seismic methods, within the spread of values given by recent seismic models.
This indicates that the Earth is slowly cooling, the Earth's inner core is growing by crystallization, and the impurities of the core are concentrated in the outer core. The calculated temperature at the Earth's centre is 6450 K.     

Paleomagnetic constraints on Zn–Pb ore genesis of the Pillara Mine, Lennard Shelf, Western Australia

The Pillara Zn–Pb deposit is the largest of several known Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits in the Lennard Shelf of the Canning Basin. Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic measurements are reported for 294 specimens from 23 sites in mineralization and its carbonate host rocks from the deposit as well as on 15 artificial specimens of zinc and lead concentrate and of tailings. Pyrrhotite carries the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) in nearly all specimens. The ChRM postdates most faulting as shown by breccia tests and most minor regional tilting as shown by the degraded fit on tilt correction. The mean ChRM direction for all sites is D=20.6°, I=–27.5° (N=23, ₉₅=5.3°, k=34.1), yielding an age of 358±5 Ma (2) that is similar to the comparable age of 354±8 Ma (2) for the Kapok MVT deposit. Host rock diagenesis with attendant secondary remagnetization yields an age of 361±5 Ma (1) and the MVT mineralization with a primary chemical remanent magnetization gives an age of 356±3 Ma (1), co-eval with a published Rb–Sr sphalerite age of 357±3 Ma. Interpretation of this temporal data suggests that the MVT deposits of the southeastern Lennard Shelf originated during extension, probably in response to rift-related topography-driven fluid flow.Editorial handling: C. Brauhart     

Application of lead stable isotopes to the Guadiamar Aquifer study after the mine tailings spill in Aznalcóllar (SW Spain)

On 25 April 1998 the tailings dam of the Aznalcóllar mine burst, a great quantity of pyrite waste sludge and acid water was spilled reaching the vicinity of the Doñana National Park. In surface and ground water samples taken a week after dam breaking, metals, trace elements and Pb isotopic ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb) were analysed. In September 1998 a second sampling survey was carried out. The surface waters have a similar isotopic composition as the lead contained in the pyrite from the Aznalcóllar mine. The polluted groundwater of the Guadiamar aquifer also shows the influence of the mining origin of the lead. Lead isotope ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb) in the groundwater of the Almonte-Marismas are very low and they differ clearly from the rest of groundwater samples. A further group of wells has a lead isotope composition intermediate between the Aznalcóllar mine and the atmospheric aerosols of the Iberian Peninsula.