Geochemistry of a copper mine tailings deposit in Repparfjorden, northern Norway

Andersson, Malin; Finne, Tor Erik; Jensen, Louise Kiel; Eggen, O. A.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.385

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The submarine tailings in Repparfjorden are limited to the inner fjord and can be traced up to 9 cm depth below the seafloor ( [24,27] and this study). As previously discussed, they contain mine waste from historic mining activities in the Ulveryggen deposit.…”

Section: Geochemistry Of the Repparfjorden Submarine Tailingsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, about 2.5-10 t of Cu was dispersed to the outer fjord [23]. At a sediment depth of about 20 cm, [27] describe the presence of a hardpan, a schist-like Fe-Mn rich layer with elevated concentrations of Co, Cr, Ni, Al, and Ga.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Vinous dashed line outlines the distribution of marine sediments that are affected by mine tailings. The line is constructed based on [23,24,27], taking into account Cu concentration higher than the background values, >35 ppm (after [28]).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tailings were transported through a 600 m long pipeline with openings at 100 m intervals, suspended approximately 20 m above the seafloor [24], and the historical mine tailings are preserved as a series of cone-shaped mounds on the fjord floor [27]. The layer of sediments affected by the mine tailings is up to 9 cm thick and contains elevated concentration of Ba, Bi, Cu, Hf, and Zr [24,27]. According to [23] the dispersion of Ba, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn was limited to the inner part of the fjord.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mining activities within the Ulveryggen deposit are planned to resume in 2020, and the Cu mineralization from the Nussir deposit will be exploited. The produced tailings will be deposited within a confined area in the outer part of Repparfjorden [26,27,36].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Stability of Cu-Sulfides in Submarine Tailing Disposals: A Case Study from Repparfjorden, Northern Norway

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mine tailings that were produced during the exploitation of the Ulveryggen siliciclastic sediment-hosted Cu deposit in northern Norway were disposed into the inner part of Repparfjorden from 1972 to 1978/1979. This study focuses on the mineralogy and geochemistry of the submarine mine tailings and underlying natural marine sediments from the inner part of Repparfjorden, as well as on the primary Ulveryggen ore. The ore mineralization from the neighboring Nussir carbonate sediment-hosted Cu deposit was studied too, due to the forthcoming mining of both deposits. Bornite and chalcopyrite are the major Cu-sulfides, and are characterized by low concentrations of potentially toxic elements including Cd, Hg, and As. The tailing material occupies the uppermost 9 cm of Repparfjorden sediments. It is characterized by predomination of a silty component with elevated Cu (up to 747.7 ppm), Ni (up to 87 ppm), and Cr (up to 417 ppm) concentrations. The high Cu concentration is related to the deposition of mine tailings. In contrast, Ni and Cr concentrations are close to those in naturally occurring stream sediments from the feeding river, Repparfjordelva, reflecting the compatibility of these elements with hosting mafic volcanics, which are widely spread in the Repparfjord Tectonic Window. Copper in the uppermost part of the sediments is bound to the acid-soluble fraction while Ni and Cr are bound to the residual fraction. Artificial placement of large masses of fine-grained material, i.e., smothering, resulted in a diminished biological activity and/or physical distortion of mostly benthic fauna, which was reflected in total organic carbon (TOC) values as low as 0.15% in the uppermost strata. Sulfide minerals are found both in natural marine sediments and in the mine tailings. They are generally well-preserved with an exception for chalcopyrite from the uppermost part of the submarine tailing, which shows signs of incipient weathering. Thermodynamic modeling confirmed that redox potential and pH are important factors in the weathering of sulfides. Available ligands contribute to the Cu speciation. In near-neutral to slightly alkaline conditions a presence of carbonates can lead to the mobilization of Cu in form of CuCO3 complexes.

show abstract

Section: Geochemistry Of the Repparfjorden Submarine Tailingsmentioning

confidence: 98%

mentioning

confidence: 95%

mentioning

confidence: 99%