Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 19, Leaching characteristics of composited materials from mine waste-rock piles and naturally altered areas near Questa, New Mexico /

The goal of this study is to compare and contrast the leachability of metals and the acidity from individual mine waste-rock piles and natural erosional scars in the study area near Questa, New Mexico. Surficial multi-increment (composite) samples less than 2 millimeters in diameter from five waste-...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Other Authors: Smith, Kathleen S.
Format: Government Document eBook
Language:English
Published: Reston, Va. : U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.
Series:Scientific investigations report ; 2006-5165.
Subjects:
Online Access:https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/LPS105320
Description
Summary:The goal of this study is to compare and contrast the leachability of metals and the acidity from individual mine waste-rock piles and natural erosional scars in the study area near Questa, New Mexico. Surficial multi-increment (composite) samples less than 2 millimeters in diameter from five waste-rock piles, nine erosional-scar areas, a less-altered site, and a tailings slurry-pipe sample were analyzed for bulk chemistry and mineralogy and subjected to two back-to-back leaching procedures. The first leaching procedure, the U.S. Geological Survey Field Leach Test (FLT), is a short-duration leach (5-minute shaking and 10-minute settling) and is intended to leach readily soluble materials. The FLT was immediately followed by an 18-hour, end-over-end rotation leaching procedure. Comparison of results from the back-to-back leaching procedures can provide information about reactions that may take place upon migration of leachates through changing geochemical conditions (for example, pH changes), both within the waste-rock and scar materials and away from the source materials.
Item Description:Title from title screen (viewed on Nov. 10, 2008).
Electronic resource.
Physical Description:vii, 49 pages : digital, PDF file.
Format:Mode of access: Internet from the USGS web site. Address as of 11/10/08: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5165/pdf/sir06-5165%5F508.pdf ; current access available via PURL.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographic references (pages 45-49).