Electrical Resistivity Imaging Revealed the Spatial Properties of Mine Tailing Ponds in the Sierra Minera of Southeast Spain

Abstract

Mine tailing ponds are environmental hazards because of high susceptibility to leaching and erosion by water and wind. Vegetation establishment is an effective technique to reclaim tailing ponds but requires knowledge of the spatial relationship between the structural composition and physical and chemical properties of soils. In this study we have demonstrated the use of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI), combined with soil chemical analyses, to determine the structural and chemical composition of mine tailing ponds to assess efficient measures of environmental protection. We used a Syscal R1 resistivity meter to generate twoand three-dimensional (2-D/3-D) ERI images from El Lirio and Brunita mine tailing ponds. Soil samples were collected at 1-m intervals to a depth of 15 m, and were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity and cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) contents. Results show that materials in the ponds can be classified into three categories: fine tailings -low ER (,8 Vm), coarse waste rock -intermediate ER (8-150 V-m), and bedrock -high ER (.150 V-m). Our interpretation of the 2-D/3-D ERI images with respect to the historical depositions of materials in the ponds show that at El Lirio, decant water outlet was initially at the center and advanced to the east of the tailing pond as the mining activities progressed. At Brunita, the intermediate ER values on the west side of the pond marked the deposition of coarse waste rock materials released during a pond breakage in 1972. The ERI helped us image the spatial distribution of tailings and its qualitative spatial correlation with chemical properties (i.e., pH, EC, metals content). Low ER values are related to high amounts of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd. These qualitative relationships underlie the usefulness of the combined geophysical and soil chemical approaches to improve our understanding of the properties of mine tailing ponds in the Sierra Minera (and other parts of the world).

Integrated geophysical and geochemical study on AMD generation at the Haveri Au–Cu mine tailings, SW Finland

“…The consistencies of the results of this work with other recent studies (e.g., Martínez-Pagán et al 2009;Martín-Crespo et al 2010) show geoelectrical methods to be a promising tool for characterizing AMD generation and flow direction in the tailings impoundment. Further geophysical research on AMD problems is needed, however, to define research procedures more sharply and allow reliable monitoring of continuous sulfide oxidation processes, and generation and behavior of AMD.…”

“…Painter et al (2000) obtained resistivity values \20 Ohm m for coal tailings and AMD-saturated waste rock in southeastern Ohio, USA, and Shemang et al (2003) attributed values between 1 and 20 Ohm m to interaction of mine wastes with soils near a Cu-Ni mine dump in NE Botswana. Martínez-Pagán et al (2009) found resistivity values of \8 Ohm m associated with fine tailings, having large amounts of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn and of pH \ 5, at El Table 3).…”

“…Geophysical methods have increasingly demonstrated their potential to: delineate areas contaminated with potentially harmful elements and compounds and acidic seepage at industrial landfills and mine waste sites; define petrophysical properties and the internal structure of tailings impoundments and waste rock piles (Ebraheem et al 1990;Yuval and Oldenburg 1996;Campbell et al 1998;Campbell and Fitterman 2000;Painter et al 2000;Campbell and Horton 2001;Smith et al 2001;Buselli and Lu 2001;Vanhala and Lahti 2001;Shemang et al 2003;Guérin et al 2004;Chouteau et al 2005;Sjödahl et al 2005;Vanhala et al 2005;Martínez-Pagán et al 2009;Martín-Crespo et al 2010;Rucker et al 2009;Poisson et al 2009). Because the electrical properties of soils change as a function of mineral and porewater composition, grain-size variation and moisture content, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a highly promising tool for investigating the internal structure of mine wastes that are controlled by water and oxygen fluxes responsible for sulfide oxidation and possible generation of acid mine drainage (AMD) (Chouteau et al 2005).…”

Application of electrical resistivity tomography to the environmental characterization of abandoned massive sulphide mine ponds (Iberian Pyrite Belt, SW Spain)

“…In order to combine a good penetration depth, a reasonable vertical and horizontal resolution and a good signal‐to‐noise ratio, the Wenner‐Schlumberger array has been chosen for this study. This array has been successfully used by other authors in similar studies (e.g., Martínez‐Pagán et al ).…”

Gold phytomining. A review of the relevance of this technology to mineral extraction in the 21st century

“…Wastes generated by the mining industry are often subject to secondary movement that is facilitated by air and water (erosion). The transport of this material causes environmental problems due to concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic (Armienta et al, 2008), lead (Mendez et al, 2008), copper (Martínez-Pagán et al, 2009) and mercury (Melamed and Villas-Bôas, 1998) in the tailings. Environmental risk that is apparent for tailings is a powerful driver for cost-effective remedial solutions.…”