20 Years of Evapotranspiration Cover Performance of the Leach Pads at Richmond Hill Mine
| Autor: | Jason Keller, Mike Milczarek, Guosheng Zhan, Daniel Lattin |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Hydrology
Hydrogeology Heap leaching 010501 environmental sciences 010502 geochemistry & geophysics Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology Infiltration (HVAC) 01 natural sciences Water balance Pedogenesis Evapotranspiration Environmental science Outflow Drainage 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology |
| Zdroj: | Mine Water and the Environment. 38:402-409 |
| ISSN: | 1616-1068 1025-9112 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10230-019-00592-7 |
| Popis: | The Richmond Hill Mine heap leach pads (HLP 1&2, and HLP 3) were reclaimed in 1996 using a three-layer evapotranspiration (ET) cover designed to limit percolation of precipitation through the facilities. HLP seepage outflow rates have been measured on an approximately weekly basis. Large seasonal and wet/dry outflow cycles have been observed. Several years after the cover system installation, increased HLP drainage rates were observed, which could be due to increased permeability of the compacted layer in response to pedogenic processes such as wetting/drying, freeze/thaw, and root development. The estimated net infiltration rate during the monitoring period is about 34% of precipitation. To evaluate the cover system efficiency, a monthly time-step, spreadsheet based water balance model was created. The model considers close inter-relation between precipitation, ET, and cover net infiltration on a monthly scale and continuous feedback of water movement in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. The model accurately reproduced the recorded seepage rates for the monitoring period after pedogenic processes reach a stable condition. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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