Abstract
Recent concerns regarding the rock pile stability of a mine in northern New Mexico have lead to the instigation of a multi-disciplinary research program to investigate the pile characteristics and behavior. Geophysical techniques and 7 trenches were used to assess the internal structure of the material for the Goathill North rock pile. Electromagnetic (EM) induction and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods were used to measure the spatial variability in electrical conductivity and to image the internal structures of the rock pile, respectively. Seven trenches were excavated for analysis of the stratigraphy. The measurements show the characteristics of the top 5 to 8 meters of the rock pile. The electrical conductivities varied typically around 6 mS/m, but on the southwestern part of the rock pile anomalously high values up to 30 mS/m were found. These high values can be explained by a different texture, mineralogy or pore-water composition, or a higher water content. In this area the penetration depth of the GPR waves is significantly reduced and the reflection configuration is dominated by sub-horizontal reflections. In general, the GPR results have a character of reflectors whose dip directions and angles (maximum 30 degrees) reflect the rock-pile deposition. The trench data show excellent overlap with the GPR survey.
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