Infiltration Test Plot Study for Mine Rock Piles at Questa Mine, New Mexic0

Wels, Christoph; O'Kane, Mike; Fortin, S.; Christensen, David L.

doi:10.21000/jasmr01010195

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Recharge is also extremely difficult to measure. When it is measured, lysimeters are usually used (Wels et al, 2002b), but the installation of a lysimeter is difficult and costly, and in excavating and backfilling the lysimeter the structure and hydraulic characteristics of the soil profile are inevitably altered from the natural state. Hence there is always a doubt as to whether lysimeter outflows realistically represent natural recharge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vadose zone soil-water balance and transpiration rates of vegetation

Blight

2003

Géotechnique

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A conventional geotechnical site investigation usually provides only a snapshot of soil-water conditions at a site, particularly for the vadose zone. Although it is generally recognised that soil suction and water contents will vary from season to season and from year to year, designs are almost invariably based on what is discovered during a single short-term investigation. As a result, long-term problems may, and often do, arise, which were not foreseen as a result of the site investigation. An evaluation of the annual water balance for a soil system provides a means of examining and understanding the effects of seasonal and longer-term changes in soil-water conditions, and for predicting the effects of future changes of water conditions in the soil. The paper gives an illustration of the use of the water balance technique to investigate annual changes of soil-water conditions in situ. Evapotranspiration is a major component of any soilwater balance, and as it is probably the most difficult component to estimate, special attention is given to its characteristics and estimation, and particularly to the transpiration component of total evapotranspiration and to evapotranspiration from trees.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vadose zone soil-water balance and transpiration rates of vegetation

Blight

2003

Géotechnique

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“…According to the literature, the proportion of rainfall that infiltrates a stockpile surface is a function of both rainfall intensity and duration, and the coal bed's water infiltration capacity, which is determined by the bed's texture, structure, and initial moisture content [25,26]. Once saturation is achieved, any increase in rainfall intensity only leads to an increase in runoff, provided that the sample remains undisturbed.…”

Section: Infiltration Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Coal Moisture Variations in Response to Rainfall Event in Mines and Coal-Fired Power Plant Stockpiles—Part 1: Runoff, Infiltration, and Drainage

2021

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Excessive coal moisture leads to a lower heating value and power plant efficiency, and increased transportation costs. Therefore, coal stockpile management and moisture control are particularly important in regions with heavy precipitation. This paper and Part 2 address factors influencing moisture retention and migration in coal stockpiles. Part 1 of this paper series simulates phenomena of runoff, infiltration, and drainage in a stockpile after a rainfall event. Part 2 reports the effect of coal particle size and climate conditions on the rate and depth of moisture evaporation process within a coal stockpile. To perform this study, two coal samples were collected from the Witbank mine in South Africa. The results of the present study showed that smaller interparticulate void spaces because of the compaction or fines particles (−0.5 mm fraction) inhibited infiltration, leading to increased runoff volume. An increase stockpile slope increased the amount of runoff due to coal–water contact time reduction. The ability of heavy rainfall to destroy near-surface structures (erosion) happened more readily at stockpiles with high slopes and high fine content. The fine content significantly influenced the dewatering efficiency of drainage. Coals with higher ash contents had stronger moisture retention ability than that of other coals even though coals with low ash contents had a high fine content. This was ascribed to the contribution of the clay minerals, such as kaolinite, in the high ash coal. The results of this paper can be used for the effective management of coal stockpiles to prevent excessive moisture in stockpiles for the best possible utilisation of coal in power plants.

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“…However, humid air does provide the moisture needed for the geochemical reactions observed in some zones of the rock piles (Jerz, 2002, Jerz andRimstidt, 2004). Some water is lost to evaporation as shown by pan evaporation tests, lysimeter tests, analysis of climatic data (Wels et al, 2001(Wels et al, , 2002Robertson GeoConsultants Inc., 2000b and the stable isotopes studies (Fig. 114).…”

Section: Hot Zone Gas and Temperature Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• Develop mine closure plans (URS Corporation, 2003;Wels et al, 2002). Most site characterizations of rock piles are based upon:…”

Section: Introduction Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Goathill North Rock Pile, New Mexico

McLemore,

Ayakway,

Boakue

et al. 2009

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Nineteen trenches were constructed in the Goathill North (GHN) rock pile as it was regraded in [2004][2005]. The regrading of GHN provided a rare opportunity to examine, map, and sample the interior of this rock pile. The GHN rock pile is stratified and the strata can be correlated down slope through the rock pile. Rock fragment lithology is generally consistent within mapped units and correlates well with mineralogy and chemistry. Detailed geologic mapping and sampling revealed mappable geologic units in the rock pile, which were correlated between benches and to opposite sides of each trench, and units were correlated down slope through the excavated trenches. Units were defined on the basis of particle size, color, texture, stratigraphic position, lithology, and other physical properties that could be determined in the field. Eighteen geologic units were differentiated, described, and sampled. The units also could be distinguished within the adjacent drill holes.Weathering is the set of physical and chemical changes, up to and including disintegration of rock by physical, chemical, and/or biological processes occurring at or near the earth's surface (e.g. in the vadose zone at temperatures less than or equal to approximately 70°C) that result in reductions of grain size, changes in cohesion or cementation, and changes in mineralogical composition. In this operational definition, there is no clear distinction between weathering and diagenesis, although the coarse-grained and subaerial nature of the mined rock pile restricts the nature of "diagenetic" reactions compared to, for example, those that might occur in a submarine, saturated system. From this mapping and analyses of samples, four different zones of weathering can be distinguished at GHN:• outer oxidized zone (included the surface, unit C, and geologic units I and J)• intermediate zone (included unit N)• inner, less oxidized, unweathered zone (included units K-W)• basal oxidized zone (included geologic units R and rubble zone). The regrading of GHN provided a rare opportunity to examine, map, and sample the interior of this rock pile. The GHN rock pile is stratified and the strata can be correlated down slope through the rock pile. Rock fragment lithology is generally consistent within mapped units and correlates well with mineralogy and chemistry. The majority of geochemical activity appears to be confined to the interface regions of the rock pile, but not all of these regions exhibit weathering effects. The areas most affected by weathering processes are the 1) surfaceatmosphere, 2) bedrock-rock pile (rubble zone) areas, and 3) interfaces between fine-and coarsegrained layers in the interior zones where water and/or humid air flow and oxidize the rock pile material. Weathering generally decreased from the outer edge of the rock pile to its interior and then increased toward the base of the rock pile. Where water and oxygen are available, pyrite and calcite are being dissolved by weathering to form gypsum, jarosite and other soluble Fe salts. Oxygen an...

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Infiltration Test Plot Study for Mine Rock Piles at Questa Mine, New Mexic0

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

The vadose zone soil-water balance and transpiration rates of vegetation

The vadose zone soil-water balance and transpiration rates of vegetation

Coal Moisture Variations in Response to Rainfall Event in Mines and Coal-Fired Power Plant Stockpiles—Part 1: Runoff, Infiltration, and Drainage

Characterization of Goathill North Rock Pile, New Mexico

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