Earth resistivity investigations in reclaimed surface lignite mine spoils
Earth resistivity surveys using the Wenner electrode configuration were made in unmined areas and reclaimed spoils at three surface lignite mines in western North Dakota. The study sites were the Center, Indian Head, and Falkirk Mines. Automatic interpretation of the curves was accomplished with the method of Zohdy and Bisdorf (1975). Overburden materials become more homogeneous with respect to resistivity during the mining and reclamation process. The spoils curves show localized heterogeneities probably related to discontinuous moisture content variations in the spoils. Consistent resistivity differences in spoils occur between mines with overburdens of different mineralogic compositions. Groundwater chemical composition in terms of total-dissolved-solids (TDS) is inversely correlated (r = -0.61) with apparent resistivity at the 80-foot spacing from a survey centered at a piezometer screened near the base of the spoils. Better inverse correlation is probably prevented by high variability in TDS within the spoils groundwater. A useful predictive relationship may be the plot of mean apparent resistivity at the 80-foot spacing for an entire mine against mean TDS for all wells in spoils at that mine.
- Research Organization:
- North Dakota Geological Survey, Grand Forks (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6843211
- Report Number(s):
- NP-4901102; ON: DE84901102
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Report of Investigations No. 77
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Contamination versus recovery rate in multi-seam lignite mining
Subsidence of reclaimed coal mine spoils, Colstrip, Montana
Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
SPOIL BANKS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
SURFACE MINING
COAL MINING
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GROUND WATER
NORTH DAKOTA
DATA
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
USA
WATER
012000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Mining
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
580203 - Geophysics- Geophysical Survey Methods- (1980-1989)