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CS.&V COLD MNG. CO. ID~719-689-3254 FEB 02'94 23 12 No .026 P.11 <br /> <br />Planning, Rchabllltatlon and Treatment of Disturbed Lands <br />Billings Symposium, 1993 <br />EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF DIVERSE MINE DRAINAGES IN COLORADO: <br />IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREDICTION OF MINE-DRAINAGE <br />CHEMISTRY <br />Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Kathleen S. Smith, Walter H. Flcklln, Paul H. Briggs. <br />and <br />John B. McHugh <br />ABSTRACT <br />~J <br />based on a stud of twine waters draining diverse mineral deposit t es in Colorado, we <br />show that atiae-0rataage composidon is a readily predictable fuitCrion of ore deposit geoYogy, <br />climtus, and mining methods tt¢d. The main factors controlling pH and dissolved metal <br />troatznaadons is rho waters studied include: (1) the acid-buffeting caappaaccity of ore deposit <br />gan gue minerals and host rocJcs; (2) the types and abundances of aul5des and othermetal- <br />beasing mittcrals is the ore deposits; (3) the availability of sulfides for weathering; and (4) the <br />extent to which the waters rnartttatn contact with the atmosphere during weathering, thereby <br />controlling (a) the availability of dissolved oxygen and (b) the extent of evaporative <br />concentradon. <br />Standard static and l3nedc laboratory two for ptsdlcdng tnias drainage chetr»stry ors <br />hindered by dr+'~r++r*+'e in obtaining uuly sepresentadve samples and by the inability to carry <br />out the tests over time periods loagcr than several atonths to n year. Our intst~retadon of <br />drainage chemistry data in a geologic context is enabling us to develop ptsdicave models for <br />drainage chemistry thaz acs not compromised by non-representative saatple sru or dine sak. <br />These empirical models should therefore grtatly enhance torment laboratory methods for the <br />ptsdiction of mine-drainage composition. <br />U.S. Geological Survey, MS 973 Federal Cents, Denver, Colorado 80225 <br /> <br />