Control of groundwater in surface mining

Brawner, C O

doi:10.1007/bf02504603

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Some of the mine sites considered in this study might, however, be prospective, abandoned, or under construction phases without dewatering actions. At these mine sites, mining activities have a limited capability to interfere with the groundwater balance (Brawner, 1982). Thus, the variances of the NIEI based on case studies in North America, South America, North Africa, Asia, and Oceania were highly consistent with the variances of the NGGRCE (see Figures S11–S13 in Supporting Information ).…”

Section: Negative Relationship Between Vegetation Growth Conditions A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mining Can Exacerbate Global Degradation of Dryland

Shen

Zhang

Piao

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

However, the global annual mineral production (AMP) in arid and semiarid regions increased by ∼120 × 10 8 t from 1990 to 2018 (Figure 1c). The AMP decreased in ≥8% of drylands due to unstable socioeconomic conditions but tended to steadily increase from 700 × 10 4 to 5,300 × 10 4 t in 62% of the global drylands, such as those in North America, South Africa, Asia, and Oceania (Figure 1b). However, the degradation of drylands by mining activities has been greatly neglected, particularly in developing countries, which have largely focused on the benefits of mineral production for socioeconomic development (Lambin & Meyfroidt, 2011). Drylands are home to >38% of the global population (Huang et al., 2017), and 90% of drylands are in developing countries (Armah Abstract Groundwater storage (GS) is the major water resource for vegetation in drylands. Thus, positive relationships between vegetative growth condition (VGC) and GS are expected in drylands. Since mining-induced dewatering tends to deplete GS surrounding mine sites, VGC should become less favorable due to a shortage of accessible water. However, quantitative analysis repealed the opposite. We found that global annual mineral production in drylands increased by 24%, while GS decreased by 22% but the VGC improved by 37% (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010). And negative relationships between VGC and GS were detected in 84.7% of global dryland mine sites. We concluded that irrigation supported by mining-induced dewatering promoted the vegetation growth surrounding mine sites. However, since the GS is limited, irrigation-supported vegetation growth is unsustainable. This study elucidates the reason behind these abnormal negative relationships and highlights the potential risk of vegetation degradation induced by unsustainable groundwater depletion in global dryland mine sites.

show abstract

Section: Negative Relationship Between Vegetation Growth Conditions A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mining Can Exacerbate Global Degradation of Dryland

Shen

Zhang

Piao

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, Brawner described methods of control of groundwater in surface mining [23]. Zaidel et al used hydrodynamic modeling for estimation of seepage into underground mine workings and simulate steady-state groundwater flow from different types of rock into a vertical shaft, a horizontal drift, a ramp, two parallel drifts and a combined system of a vertical shaft connected to a horizontal drift [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Historical Flood Risk to the Groundwater Regime: Case Study of the Kolubara Coal Basin, Serbia

Polomčić

Bajić

Ratković

2018

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Heavy rainfall and slow movement of the cyclone Tamara caused record floods in May 2014 across Serbia. As a result, levees were breached, a large portion of the open-pit lignite mine Tamnava-West Field was flooded and a flood lake was created. Due to an active hydraulic link with aquifers, the water table rose and the amount of stored groundwater increased dramatically. Based on in situ surveys and hydrodynamic modeling, three distinct periods of the groundwater regime are identified and the flood impact on the groundwater regime in the study area quantified. The paper describes correlations between flood lake water levels and the water table, and shows calculated groundwater volumes as a result of flooding and those of residual groundwater after dewatering of the open-pit mine. This extreme historical flood in Serbia had disastrous economic and social consequences, given that the studied open-pit mine supports more than 25% of Serbia's electric power output. The assessment of the flood wave and its impact on the groundwater regime is an important example of the groundwater system response to an extreme rainfall and flood event. The paper presents the operating algorithm which leads to the approach of assessing the impact of floods on increasing the volume of accumulated groundwater. The paper presents a developed methodology for groundwater level status exploration in the wider area of open-pit mine Tamnava-West Field during the flooding that occurred in this mine. The developed method encompasses the creation and calibration of a groundwater model and fate and transport model for groundwater state prior to the flooding, a verification model for groundwater level during the extreme floods and a control verification model which corresponds to the period after the passing of the flood wave. The applied operational algorithm offers reliable bases for adopting a strategy for groundwater management during floods.

show abstract