Erodibility of strip-mine spoils

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Soil Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-198411000-00008· OSTI ID:5988334

Brown, K W

Erosion remains one of the greatest problems in reclaiming strip-mine areas. The erodibility of spoil samples from lignite-bearing geological deposits along the Gulf Coast was evaluated, using a rainfall simulator and predictive methods developed for agricultural soils. The materials studied represented a wide range of physical and chemical characteristics. They were subjected to two 100-year 30-min rainfall events at inclinations of 2, 9, and 18%. The eroded and splashed materials were collected and quantified. The topographical factor LS in the universal soil loss equation (USLE) was adjusted to allow extrapolation from small plots to the standard unit plot. The erodibility factor K was thus determined, and the resultant values were compared with those calculated from the physical and chemical properties of the samples by the equation developed by Wischmeier. The comparison indicates that K values estimated from the physical properties of mine spoil are larger than those experimentally determined. The erodibility factor of mine spoil (K/sub m/) may be calculated as K/sub m/ = 0.339K/sub w//sup 0.48/ where K/sub w/ is the erodibility factor estimated from the physical properties of the spoil using the Wischmeier equation. 29 references, 2 figures, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Texas A and M Univ., College Station
• OSTI ID: 5988334
• Journal Information: Soil Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Soil Sci.; (United States) Vol. 138:5; ISSN SOSCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COAL MINES
DATA
EQUATIONS
EROSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
LAND RECLAMATION
MINES
MINING
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOILS
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES