Geochemistry of batch-extract waters derived from spoil material collected at the Cordero Coal Mine, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
Batch-mixing experiments to evaluate postmining water quality at the Cordero Mine were conducted by the US Geological Survey during 1984 to 1985. Contact of groundwater from the spoil aquifer with fresh spoil material caused only small changes in major-element concentrations and in pH, unless sulfide oxidation or contact with soluble salts, such as epsomite, occurred. In contrast, large changes in major-element concentration resulted when water from the coal aquifer contacted the spoil material. Only three of seven reaction models considered to explain the water quality changes during the batch-mixing experiments were consistent with the thermodynamic and mineralogical data. The three models used to account for the observed water quality changes derived potassium from potassium feldspar; magnesium from chlorite or epsomite or both; sodium from cation exchange and halite; chloride from halite; silica from potassium feldspar and chlorite; sulfate from gypsum, or epsomite or both, and carbon from carbon dioxide. In general, water quality samples obtained from the batch-mixing experiments using water from the coal aquifer had smaller major-ion concentrations than the actual water quality in the spoil aquifer. These differences can be explained by the limited amount of efflorescent salt dissolution and volume of water used in the experiments. Correction ratios calculated for these experiments may be applied to batch-mixing experiments at other mines in the area, to predict postmining water quality. 26 refs., 21 figs., 14 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6127848
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 87-4200
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUIFERS
CONTAMINATION
COAL MINING
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
POWDER RIVER BASIN
WATER POLLUTION
WYOMING
CARBON
CHLORIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GEOCHEMISTRY
ION EXCHANGE
MAGNESIUM
MONITORING
PH VALUE
POTASSIUM
SILICA
SODIUM
SPOIL BANKS
SULFIDES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
MINERALS
MINING
MONTANA
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
WATERSHEDS
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)