Application Of Geophysical Methods To The Detection And Monitoring Of Acid Mine Drainage

The application of geophysical methods to the detection and monitoring of acid mine drainage is beyond<br>the experimental stage and is being applied in the management of waste from a number of producing and<br>abandoned mines. Experimental studies, mainly in North America and Australia, have shown that non-invasive<br>measurements by airborne, ground and waterborne platforms can be used effectively in recognising and mapping<br>the movement of acid effluents in and around mine workings. Some methods can only recognise changes in the<br>first metre or so of the ground surface; others are limited to depths of one to five meters; others are capable<br>of detecting plumes at depths of several tens or even hundreds of metres. Some methods are qualitative in<br>nature while others can provide quantitative answers within various degrees of accuracy and reliability. Studies,<br>mainly sponsored by government agencies, but supported in many cases by industry, are attempting to establish<br>the effectiveness of a wide variety of methods and techniques, mainly by conducting test surveys and examining<br>available data in the vicinity of abandoned mines. One of the more ambitious of these studies was carried out<br>recently in the Sudbury area, Ontario, under the MEND2 program by INCO Exploration and Technical Services<br>Limited, (Ring, 1994). This study establishes useful parameters for applications of specific techniques in a<br>specific geological environment. A more comprehensive study (Paterson et al, 1994), was commissioned by<br>MEND in 1993, and is the basis for following paper. The project involved a review of available literature, an<br>information survey of users and suppliers, and discussions with experts in a variety of disciplines.