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
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
58 GEOSCIENCES
580203 -- Geophysics-- Geophysical Survey Methods-- (1980-1989)
COAL MINING
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH DAKOTA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING
USA
WATER