Acidic mine drainage in carbonate terrains: geochemical processes and rates of calcite dissolution

Wicks, Carol M.; Groves, Christopher G.

doi:10.1016/0022-1694(93)90267-d

Cited by 24 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Systems showing similar pH values of the input waters to karst systems have been recorded in several places in Tennessee (Wicks & Groves, 1993). These pH values were created by sulfuric acid mine drainage instead of organic acids.…”

Section: Study Methodssupporting

confidence: 52%

From sink to resurgence: the buffering capacity of a cave system in the Tongass national forest, USA

Groves

Hendrikson

2011

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UDC 551.444(739.8) Melissa R. Hendrickson & Chris Groves: From sink to resur� gence: the buffering capacity of a cave system in the Tongass national forest, USA The Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska, USA, provides a unique environment for monitoring the impact of the cave system on water quality and biological productivity. The accretionary terrane setting of the area has developed into a complex and heterogeneous geologic landscape which includes numerous blocks of limestone with intense karstification. During the Wisconsian glaciation, there were areas of compacted glacial sediments and silts deposited over the bedrock. Muskeg peatlands developed over these poorly drained areas. The dominant plants of the muskeg ecosystem are Sphagnum mosses, whose decomposition leads to highly acidic waters with pH as low as 2.4. These waters drain off the muskegs into the cave systems, eventually running to the ocean. In accordance with the Tongass Land Management Plan, one of the research priorities of the National Forest is to determine the contributions of karst groundwater systems to productivity of aquatic communities. On Northern Prince of Wales Island, the Conk Canyon Cave insurgence and the Mop Spring resurgence were continuously monitored to understand the buffering capacity of the cave system. Over the length of the system, the pH increases from an average 3.89 to 7.22. The insurgence water temperature, during the summer months, ranged from between 10 o C to 17 o C. After residence in the cave system, the resurgence water had been buffered to 6 o C to 9 o C. Over the continuum from insurgence to resurgence, the specific conductance had increased by an order of magnitude with the resurgence waters having a higher ionic strength. The cave environment acts as a buffer on the incoming acidic muskeg water to yield resurgence water chemistry of a buffered karst system. These buffered waters contribute to the IzvlečekUDK 551.444(739.8) Melissa R. Hendrickson & Chris Groves: Od ponora do izvira: Pufrska kapaciteta jamskih sistemov v Narodnem gozdu Ton� gass, ZDA Narodni gozd Tongass, na jugovzhodni Aljaski, ZDA, je izjemo okolje za spremljanje vpliva jamskega sistema na kvaliteto vode in z njo povezano biološko produkcijo. Geološko pestro območje vključuje številna območja apnenca z intenzivnim zakrasevanjem. Med zadnjo ledeno dobo so se na karbonatno podlago ponekod odložili ledeniški sedimenti in melji. Tu so se zaradi slabega odvodnjavanja razvila barja (muskegi), na katerih prevladuje šotni mah. Zaradi razpada šotnih mahov iz barij v kras odtekajo zelo kisle vode, z minimalnim pH 2,4. Prostorsko ureditveni načrt območja Tongass med prioritetne naloge uvršča tudi določitev pomena kraških vodonosnikov v produ ktivnosti vodnih združb. Z namenom določitve pufrske kapacitete kraških sistemov smo zvezno na severnem delu otoka Walškega princa opazovali parametre na ponoru v jami Cong Canyon in izviru Mop. Med opazovanima točkama pH v povprečju naraste iz 3,89 na 7,22. Temperatura ponorne vode je v poletnih m...

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Section: Study Methodssupporting

confidence: 52%

From sink to resurgence: the buffering capacity of a cave system in the Tongass national forest, USA

Groves

Hendrikson

2011

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“…In the context of assessing the safety of hydraulic structures and impoundments in soluble rock we therefore believe that aperture variability in the fissure system is an important factor to consider. The study of dissolutional enlargement of fissures is also important in connection with the safety of nuclear waste repositories [e.g., Lichtner, 1996] and the impact of acid mine drainage or acid rain on carbonate terrains [Wicks and Groves, 1993]. Variability in the hydraulic properties of rock fissures potentially impacts all of these phenomena.…”

Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of aperture variability on dissolutional growth of fissures in Karst Formations

Hanna¹,

Rajaram²

1998

Water Resources Research

149

171

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Abstract. The influence of aperture variability on dissolutional growth of fissures is investigated on the basis of two-dimensional numerical simulations. The logarithm of the fissure aperture before dissolution begins is modeled as a Gaussian stationary isotropic random field. The initial phase of dissolutional growth is studied up to the time when turbulent flow first occurs at a point within the fissure (the breakthrough time). The breakthrough time in variable aperture fissures is smaller than that in uniform fissures and decreases as the coefficient of variation of the aperture field (cr//x) increases. In comparing uniform and variable aperture fissures in limestone, the breakthrough time with cr//x = 0.1 is about a factor of 2 smaller than that in a uniform fissure. The breakthrough time is reduced by about an order of magnitude with cr//x = 2.0. The mechanism leading to reduced breakthrough times is the focusing of flow into preferential flow channels which are enlarged at a faster rate than the surrounding regions of slower flow. Dissolution channels are narrower and more tortuous as cr//x increases. Investigations of the influence of reaction rate reveal that the influence of aperture variability is more pronounced in rapidly dissolving rock. In uniform fissures in rapidly dissolving minerals, breakthrough times are very long since water becomes saturated with respect to the mineral within a short distance of the entrance to the flow path. However, in variable aperture fissures, breakthrough occurs rapidly because of selective growth along preferential flow channels, which progressively capture larger fractions of the total flow. These results partly explain why conduits develop rapidly in gypsum, although previous one-dimensional studies suggest that conduit growth will not occur. IntroductionQuantitative modeling of the evolution of hydraulic conduits in karst formations is an area of active research. Initiation of conduits during the early evolution of karst is of particular interest because it is believed to be the slowest phase of cave development. In previous modeling studies, Dreybrodt [1990Dreybrodt [ , 1996, Palmer [1991], and Groves and Howard [1994a, b] observed that once turbulent flow is initiated, further dissolutional growth occurs at a relatively rapid rate. In these works the duration of the initial phase of karst evolution is quantified using the concept of "breakthrough time," which refers to the time at which turbulent flow is first encountered. As breakthrough is approached, the flow rate through the system increases rapidly, leading eventually to turbulent flow. After breakthrough occurs, conduits are expected to grow at a relatively rapid rate of a few millimeters a year [Dreybrodt, 1990[Dreybrodt, , 1996 Groves and Howard, 1994a, b]. Thus the occurrence of breakthrough ensures further development of caverns. The time required for the onset of turbulent flow typically depends on the length of the fissure, the hydraulic gradient, and the initial aperture. Typical breakthrough time...

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“…In some cases, however, the attenuation of acidity may take place naturally if carbonate rocks present in the local stratigraphic sequence interact with AMD (Wicks and Groves 1993, Webb and Sasowsky 1994, Campaner and Luiz-Silva 2009. In general, the attenuation results from the increase in pH and decrease in the solubility of metals and metalloids, and depends strongly on the nature and abundance of neutralizing materials .…”

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confidence: 99%

Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining area and processes controlling metal attenuation in stream waters, southern Brazil

Campaner

Luiz-Silva

Machado

2014

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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Acid drainage influence on the water and sediment quality was investigated in a coal mining area (southern Brazil). Mine drainage showed pH between 3.2 and 4.6 and elevated concentrations of sulfate, As and metals, of which, Fe, Mn and Zn exceeded the limits for the emission of effluents stated in the Brazilian legislation. Arsenic also exceeded the limit, but only slightly. Groundwater monitoring wells from active mines and tailings piles showed pH interval and chemical concentrations similar to those of mine drainage. However, the river and ground water samples of municipal public water supplies revealed a pH range from 7.2 to 7.5 and low chemical concentrations, although Cd concentration slightly exceeded the limit adopted by Brazilian legislation for groundwater. In general, surface waters showed large pH range (6 to 10.8), and changes caused by acid drainage in the chemical composition of these waters were not very significant. Locally, acid drainage seemed to have dissolved carbonate rocks present in the local stratigraphic sequence, attenuating the dispersion of metals and As. Stream sediments presented anomalies of these elements, which were strongly dependent on the proximity of tailings piles and abandoned mines. We found that precipitation processes in sediments and the dilution of dissolved phases were responsible for the attenuation of the concentrations of the metals and As in the acid drainage and river water mixing zone. In general, a larger influence of mining activities on the chemical composition of the surface waters and sediments was observed when enrichment factors in relation to regional background levels were used.

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Acidic mine drainage in carbonate terrains: geochemical processes and rates of calcite dissolution

Cited by 24 publications

References 9 publications

From sink to resurgence: the buffering capacity of a cave system in the Tongass national forest, USA

From sink to resurgence: the buffering capacity of a cave system in the Tongass national forest, USA

Influence of aperture variability on dissolutional growth of fissures in Karst Formations

Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining area and processes controlling metal attenuation in stream waters, southern Brazil

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