Regional isotopic investigation of evaporation and water-rock interaction in mine pit lakes in Nevada, USA

Newman, Connor P.; Poulson, Simon R.; Hanna, Braden

doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2019.106445

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Saline (predominantly sodium chloride) pit lakes occur in regions with salt‐bearing geologies and saline groundwaters (Commander et al, 1994; Hancock et al, 2005) and are exacerbated by evapo‐concentration (Eary, 1998; Lund & Blanchette, 2021; Newman, Poulson, & Hanna, 2020). However, natural hyper‐saline lakes and wetlands are common in arid regions of the world (e.g., South Africa, Australia, and the southwest USA) and therefore saline pit lakes with neutral pH and low metal concentrations may have unique biological value (Timms, 2018; Williams et al, 1990).…”

Section: Risks Of Pit Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a drying climate, filling and maintaining pit lake water levels (see below) can divert water from the rest of the catchment (Lund et al, 2018; Schoenheinz et al, 2011). Further, creating a new lake in a landscape that may otherwise have no surface water (such as an arid lanscape) can cause long‐term declines in groundwater, perhaps at an even greater rate than naturally formed lakes (Newman, Poulson, & Hanna, 2020). However, too much water can also be an issue.…”

Section: Risks Of Pit Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Closing pit lakes as aquatic ecosystems: Risk, reality, and future uses

Lund

Blanchette

2023

WIREs Water

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Mine pit lakes are formed when open‐cut pits flood with water, and these lakes occur by the thousands on every inhabited continent. The remediation and closure of pit lakes is a pressing issue for sustainable development and provision of freshwater ecosystem services. While pit lakes can be spectacular examples of recreation and renewal, pit lakes may be better known for their poor water qualities and risks to communities and the environment. Often the public wants to simply “fill the pits in” to restore a terrestrial landscape, but this is not always possible. Therefore, planning for remediation and future uses is likely to provide the best outcome. Poor water quality is not necessarily a barrier to future use, although it may limit the number of uses. Short‐term future uses tend to require commercial viability, active infrastructure investment, and maintenance, and should transition to complementary long‐term uses that promote biodiversity. Long‐term future uses require relatively less ongoing maintenance beyond the initial investment and adhere to the principles that pit lakes should be safe, sustainable, and non‐polluting in perpetuity. Pit lakes will eventually develop “ecosystem values,” and the time to do so depends on the nature of the intervention and the values ascribed by the community. Where possible, closing pit lakes as sustainable ecosystems is the most realistic goal that permits a variety of future uses that is likely to see pit lakes valued by future generations. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Value of Water Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

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Section: Risks Of Pit Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Risks Of Pit Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Closing pit lakes as aquatic ecosystems: Risk, reality, and future uses

Lund

Blanchette

2023

WIREs Water

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“…Results for both δ 2 H and δ 18 O H 2 O are reported in the usual delta notation against the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (V-SMOW). The analytical error of these measurements was ±0.1‰ and ±1.0 ‰ for δ 18 O H2O and δ 2 H H2O , respectively [37].…”

mentioning

confidence: 91%

Geochemical Markers as a Tool for the Characterization of a Multi-Layer Urban Aquifer: The Case Study of Como (Northern Italy)

Binda

Frascoli

Spanu

et al. 2022

Water

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The analysis of geochemical markers is a known valid tool to explore the water sources and understand the main factors affecting natural water quality, which are known issues of interest in environmental science. This study reports the application of geochemical markers to characterize and understand the recharge areas of the multi-layer urban aquifer of Como city (northern Italy). This area presents a perfect case study to test geochemical markers: The hydrogeological setting is affected by a layered karst and fractured aquifer in bedrock, a phreatic aquifer hosted in Holocene sediments and connected with a large freshwater body (Lake Como); the aquifers recharge areas and the water geochemistry are unknown; the possible effect of the tectonic setting on water flow was overlooked. In total, 37 water samples were collected including water from two stacked aquifers and surface water to characterize hydrochemical features. Moreover, six sediment samples in the recent palustrine deposits of the Como subsurface were collected from cores and analyzed to understand the main geochemistry and mineralogy of the hosting material. The chemical analyses of water allow to observe a remarkable difference between the shallow and deep aquifers of the study area, highlighting different recharge areas, as well as a different permanence time in the aquifers. The sediment geochemistry, moreover, confirms the differences in trace elements derived from sediment-water interaction in the aquifers. Finally, an anomalous concentration of As in the Como deep aquifer was observed, suggesting the need of more detailed analyses to understand the origin of this element in water. This study confirms the potentials of geochemical markers to characterize main factors affecting natural water quality, as well as a tool for the reconstruction of recharge areas.

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“…This study has utilized pit water and groundwater monitoring well chemistry including stable isotope ratios. Although stable isotopes are relatively common in such assessments, there have been few documented studies for pit lake-groundwater environments in Nevada (Pellicori et al, 2005;Gammon et al, 2010;Newman et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%