Abstract
The influence of rainfall events on the surface-water conditions of waste rock and the resultant CO2 gas effluxes from waste-rock piles are of value in the development of a long-term management plan for these piles. However, data for the direct measurement of CO2 effluxes through field-scale waste-rock piles are lacking. This study investigated the influence of a short-term, multi-day (29 July to 5 August 2002) heavy rainfall event on waste-rock water conditions and CO2 effluxing from two large waste-rock piles at the Key Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan. The study also investigated spatial and temporal variation in CO2 effluxes in these waste-rock piles over a 2-year period (summer 2000 – summer 2002). Results showed that the impact of a heavy rainfall event on surface-water conditions and CO2 effluxes from these waste-rock piles is of relatively short duration. Results also showed that the CO2 effluxes were relatively uniform, both spatially and temporally (average covariance (CV) is 28%–39%), over the 2-year test period. This information can provide an important tool in the development of a long-term management plan for mine waste-rock piles. Key words: CO2 efflux, waste-rock piles, rainfall events, unsaturated zone.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
