Results Mine Water Tracer Tests

This is an updated version of tables published in Wolkersdorfer (2002), Wolkersdorfer (2005) and Wolkersdorfer (2008) about mining influenced water and mine drainage tracer test results. Explanations can be found in theses publications.

Distances and mean effective velocities of worldwide tracer tests in underground mines. Details concerning geological setting and hydraulic parameters are given in the literature cited. Mean of all 55 tracer tests: 0.001–1.82 m min^-1 (80% confidence interval); median: 0.15 m min^-1; average: 0.85 m min^-1; ¹ result probably wrong.

You can find a list of all my mine water tracer experiments here.

Distance, km	v_eff, m min^‑1	v_eff, m d^‑1	reference	Location (Country)
0.015	0.0001	0.1	Wolkersdorfer et al. (2013)	Rabenstein/Sachsen (Germany)
0.17	0.0003	0.5	Wolkersdorfer et al. (2013)	Rabenstein/Sachsen (Germany)
0.2	0.001¹	1.4	Aljoe & Hawkins (1993)	Buckhannon/WV (USA)
0.1	0.001	1.5	Wolkersdorfer (unpubl.)	Metsämonttu (Finland)
0.19	0.001	1.6	Wolkersdorfer (unpubl.)	Metsämonttu (Finland)
0.79	0.001	1.6	Wolkersdorfer (unpubl.)	Metsämonttu (Finland)
0.98	0.001	1.8	Wolkersdorfer (unpubl.)	Metsämonttu (Finland)
0.044	0.004	5.8	Aljoe & Hawkins (1993)	Buckhannon/WV (USA)
0.093	0.004	5.8	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.093	0.006	8.6	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.13	0.01	14.4	Aljoe & Hawkins (1994)	Buckhannon/WV (USA)
0.077	0.01	14.4	Canty & Everett (1998)	Red Oak/Oklahoma (USA)
0.78	0.01	14.4	Wolkersdorfer (1996)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.238	0.014	20.2	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.048	0.02	28.8	Wolkersdorfer et al. (2002)	Brixlegg/Tirol (Austria)
0.01	0.03	43.2	Wolkersdorfer et al. (2002)	Brixlegg/Tirol (Austria)
1.182	0.07	101	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
1.41	0.096	138	Wolkersdorfer et al. (unveröff.)	Havelock Asbestos Mine (eSwatini)
0.35	0.1	144	Mather et al. (1969)	Aberfan/South Wales (United Kingdom)
1.181	0.1	144	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
3.539	0.1	144	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.077	0.12	173	Canty & Everett (1998)	Red Oak/Oklahoma (USA)
0.077	0.14	202	Canty & Everett (1998)	Red Oak/Oklahoma (USA)
1.984	0.14	201	Wolkersdorfer & Mugova (unpubl).	Grube Wolf/Herdorf (Germany)
0.283	0.15	216	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
1.773	0.15	216	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.171	0.17	245	Canty & Everett (1998)	Red Oak/Oklahoma (USA)
6.564	0.17	245	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
1.7	0.2	288	Parsons & Hunter (1972)	Ebbw Vale/Monmouthshire (United Kingdom)
0.229	0.23	331	Canty & Everett (1998)	Red Oak/Oklahoma (USA)
0.4	0.27	339	Czolbe et al. (1992)	Peißen (Germany)
3.6	0.3	432	Aldous & Smart (1988)	Forest of Dean/Gloustershire (United Kingdom)
4.798	0.3	432	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.15	0.4	576	Mather et al. (1969)	Aberfan/South Wales (United Kingdom)
0.172	0.4	576	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.216	0.5	720	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.22	0.5	720	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.2	0.6	864	Mather et al. (1969)	Aberfan/South Wales (United Kingdom)
3.18	0.7	1008	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.5	1.3	1872	Aldous & Smart (1988)	Forest of Dean/Gloustershire (United Kingdom)
2.25	1.5	2160	Wolkersdorfer & Hasche (2004)	Straßberg/Harz (Germany)
0.776	1.6	2304	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.04	1.7	2448	Wolkersdorfer et al. (2007)	Freiberg/Sachen (Germany)
0.736	1.8	2592	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.78	2	2880	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
2.159	5.7	8208	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
2.723	7.9	11376	Wolkersdorfer et al. (1997)	Niederschlema/Alberoda (Germany)
0.5	11.1	15984	Aldous & Smart (1988)	Forest of Dean/Gloustershire (United Kingdom)

References

Aldous, P. J. & Smart, P. L. (1988): Tracing Ground-Water Movement in Abandoned Coal Mined Aquifers Using Fluorescent Dyes. – Ground Water, 26(2):172–178, 8 fig., 2 tab.; doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1988.tb00380.x.
Aljoe, W. W. & Hawkins, J. W. (1993): Neutralization of Acidic Discharges from Abandoned Underground Coal Mines by Alkaline Injection. – Bur. Mines Rep. Invest., 9468:1–37, 40 fig., 3 tab.
Canty, G. A. & Everett, J. (1998): Using tracers to understand the hydrology of an abandoned underground coal mine. – 62–72 p., 5 fig., 2 tab.; Princeton (Proceedings 15th Annual National Meeting – American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation); doi:10.21000/JASMR98010062.
Czolbe, P., Kretzschmar, H.-J., Klafki, M. & Heidenreich, H. (1992): Strömungszellen im gefluteten Salzschacht [Flow cells in the flooded salt shaft]. – N. Bergbautech., 22(6):213–218, 10 Fig.
Mather, J. D., Gray, D. A. & Jenkins, D. G. (1969): The use of tracers to investigate the relationship between mining subsidence and groundwater occurrence at Aberfan, South Wales. – J. Hydrol., 9(2):136–154, 6 fig., 5 tab.; doi:10.1016/0022-1694(69)90073-0
Parsons, A. S. & Hunter, M. D. (1972): Investigation into the movement of groundwater from Bryn Pit above Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire. – Water Pollut. Control, 71:568–572, 2 fig., 1 tab.
Wolkersdorfer, C. (1996): Hydrogeochemische Verhältnisse im Flutungswasser eines Uranbergwerks – Die Lagerstätte Niederschlema/Alberoda [Hydrogeochemical conditions in the mine water of a uranium mine – The Niederschlema/Alberoda deposit]. – Clausthaler Geowiss. Diss., 50:1–216, 131 fig., 61 tab.
Wolkersdorfer, C. (2002): Mine water tracing. – Spec. Publ. – Geol. Soc. London, 198:47-61, 5 fig., 6 tab.; doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.2002.198.01.03.
Wolkersdorfer, C. (2003): Tracertest Straßberg/Harz 2003. – Unpubl. Report for Gesellschaft zur Verwahrung und Verwertung von stillgelegten Bergwerksbetrieben GmbH (Report Nr. 03010255). – 21 p., 3 fig., 6 tab., 8 att.; Freiberg/Sachsen (TU Bergakademie Freiberg – Lehrstuhl für Hydrogeologie).
Wolkersdorfer, C. (2005): Mine water tracer tests as a basis for remediation strategies. – Chem. Erde, 65(Supp 1):65-74, 3 fig., 1 tab.; doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2005.06.003.
Wolkersdorfer, C. (2008): Water Management at Abandoned Flooded Underground Mines – Fundamentals, Tracer Tests, Modelling, Water Treatment. – 465 p., 126 fig., 34 tab.; Heidelberg (Springer); doi:10.1007/978-3-540-77331-3.
Wolkersdorfer, C., Feldtner, N. & Trebušak, I. (1997): LydiA – A new Method for tracing Mine Water. – Proceedings, 6th International Mine Water Association Congress, Bled, Slovenia, 1:43–55, 3 fig., 2 tab.
Wolkersdorfer, C. & Hasche, A. (2004): Tracer Investigations in flooded mines – The Straßberg/Harz Multitracer Test. – In: Prokop, G., Younger, P. L. & Roehl, K. E. (eds): Conference Papers 35. – p. 45–56, 5 fig., 5 tab.; Wien (Umweltbundesamt).
Wolkersdorfer, C., Hasche, A., Unger, K. & Wackwitz, T. (2002): Tracer Techniken im Bergbau – Georgi-Unterbau bei Brixlegg/Tirol [Tracer techniques in mining – Georgi mine near Brixlegg/Tyrol]. – Wiss. Mitt. Inst. Geol., 19:37–43, 4 fig., 1 tab.
Wolkersdorfer, C., Komischke, H., Pester, S. & Hasche-Berger, A. (2013): Hydrodynamics in a flooded underground limestone mine. – In: Brown, A., Figueroa, L. & Wolkersdorfer, C. (eds): Reliable Mine Water Technology II. – p. 1165–1172, 5 fig., 1 tab.; Denver (International Mine Water Association).
Wolkersdorfer, C., Neumann, C. & Hasche-Berger, A. (2007): Hydrodynamics of the flooded Freiberg/Saxony Underground Mine: Water in Mining Environments. – 117–121 p., 3 Fig., 1 tab.; Cagliari (Mako Edizioni).