Abstract
Sustainable mine rehabilitation: two decades of soil erosion and landscape evolution modelling.
Environmentally sustainable and cost-effective rehabilitation design is crucial for the long-term stability of post-mining landforms. The goal for any closure strategy is to engineer a rehabilitation program that allows for a “walk away” at the end of operations. To achieve a “walk away” result it is expected that a significant research effort is required as structures such as waste rock dumps and tailings storage facilities are considered one of the greatest long-term post-mining liabilities.
Computer based landscape evolution and soil erosion models are a tool which can greatly assist mine rehabilitation. Here we describe rehabilitation practices and the use of landscape evolution models which can greatly improve rehabilitation outcomes and the rehabilitation design process. The focus here is on the SIBERIA landscape evolution model which has been used by the mining industry for the past 25 years. Here we outline the history of landscape evolution models and SIBERIA, the model functionality as well as model calibration process. We place a particular focus on testing and evaluation of the model for both natural and post-mining landscapes. As the expectation is that the model can accurately and reliably predict soil erosion and landscape evolution at decadal time scales and longer, we also explain the need for long-term test sites to be established. Finally, future developments to the SIBERA model are discussed.
Sustainable mine rehabilitation: two decades of soil erosion and landscape evolution modelling.
Environmentally sustainable and cost-effective rehabilitation design is crucial for the long-term stability of post-mining landforms. The goal for any closure strategy is to engineer a rehabilitation program that allows for a “walk away” at the end of operations. To achieve a “walk away” result it is expected that a significant research effort is required as structures such as waste rock dumps and tailings storage facilities are considered one of the greatest long-term post-mining liabilities.
Computer based landscape evolution and soil erosion models are a tool which can greatly assist mine rehabilitation. Here we describe rehabilitation practices and the use of landscape evolution models which can greatly improve rehabilitation outcomes and the rehabilitation design process. The focus here is on the SIBERIA landscape evolution model which has been used by the mining industry for the past 25 years. Here we outline the history of landscape evolution models and SIBERIA, the model functionality as well as model calibration process. We place a particular focus on testing and evaluation of the model for both natural and post-mining landscapes. As the expectation is that the model can accurately and reliably predict soil erosion and landscape evolution at decadal time scales and longer, we also explain the need for long-term test sites to be established. Finally, future developments to the SIBERA model are discussed.