Abstract
Geomorphic mine rehabilitation: ‘natural’ drainage basins as fundamental planning units
Applied fluvial and slope geomorphology has developed alternative approaches to traditionally engineered landform design for mine rehabilitation. These solutions are becoming a global requirement. They are crucial for mining feasibility and sustainability, since they focus on long-term stability against erosion. Results provide the path to restore land hydrologic and ecologic function with increased land use potential and visually appealing landscapes. Finally, they have very high acceptance by public and regulators.
The demand for introducing geomorphic principles in mine rehabilitation started in the United States in 1977, when the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act defined mined land rehabilitation in terms of contours blending into and complementing the drainage pattern of the surrounding terrain. This statement introduced the drainage basin as the fundamental unit for mine rehabilitation planning. Since then, this geomorphic approach for designing ‘natural’-sustainable drainage networks and slopes in mine rehabilitation has spread in the United States, Canada, the European Union and Australia.
Within this framework, the presentation develops: (a) principles, historic development and state of art of Geomorphic Mine Rehabilitation; (b) available methods and software; (b) benefits, challenges and difficulties of implementing this methodology; (c) explanation of a typical geomorphic mine rehabilitation project, from designing to building.
Geomorphic mine rehabilitation: ‘natural’ drainage basins as fundamental planning units
Applied fluvial and slope geomorphology has developed alternative approaches to traditionally engineered landform design for mine rehabilitation. These solutions are becoming a global requirement. They are crucial for mining feasibility and sustainability, since they focus on long-term stability against erosion. Results provide the path to restore land hydrologic and ecologic function with increased land use potential and visually appealing landscapes. Finally, they have very high acceptance by public and regulators.
The demand for introducing geomorphic principles in mine rehabilitation started in the United States in 1977, when the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act defined mined land rehabilitation in terms of contours blending into and complementing the drainage pattern of the surrounding terrain. This statement introduced the drainage basin as the fundamental unit for mine rehabilitation planning. Since then, this geomorphic approach for designing ‘natural’-sustainable drainage networks and slopes in mine rehabilitation has spread in the United States, Canada, the European Union and Australia.
Within this framework, the presentation develops: (a) principles, historic development and state of art of Geomorphic Mine Rehabilitation; (b) available methods and software; (b) benefits, challenges and difficulties of implementing this methodology; (c) explanation of a typical geomorphic mine rehabilitation project, from designing to building.
Presentation
Geomorphic mine rehabilitation: ‘natural’ drainage basins as fundamental planning units
Presented on 12th April 2018 at the 8th Annual Best Practice Ecological Rehabilitation of Mined Lands Conference (2018)
jose_martin_duque_geomorphic_rehabilitation.pdf |
Workshop Précis
Geomorphic design and landscape evolution modelling for best practice mine rehabilitation
GR Hancock (1), JF Martín Duque (2)
1 School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Earth Science Building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, 2308, Australia. [email protected]
2 Faculty of Geology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain. [email protected]
Mining is necessary for maintaining society’s current lifestyle and it will continue to grow at a global scale, even if the use of some mineral resources may decline. The generation of solid and liquid wastes and the discharge of these wastes on to land and into waterways are arguably the greatest impacts on the environment associated with mining. Geomorphology provides a very useful framework for understanding and quantifying stability and changes in erosion and sedimentation at those sites, which is the root of the release to wastes to the environment. But also for designing and building stable functional landforms in mine rehabilitation, processes can be improved through modelling and monitoring. Current cutting-edge research in this field tries to merge geomorphic landform design and modelling methods and packages, increasing their capabilities.
The workshop will focus on the independent and complementary capabilities of landscape modelling (SIBERIA) and geomorphic design software (Natural Regrade with GeoFluv) for best practice mine rehabilitation. This will be illustrated with software demonstrations and real examples.
Geomorphic design and landscape evolution modelling for best practice mine rehabilitation
GR Hancock (1), JF Martín Duque (2)
1 School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Earth Science Building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, 2308, Australia. [email protected]
2 Faculty of Geology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain. [email protected]
Mining is necessary for maintaining society’s current lifestyle and it will continue to grow at a global scale, even if the use of some mineral resources may decline. The generation of solid and liquid wastes and the discharge of these wastes on to land and into waterways are arguably the greatest impacts on the environment associated with mining. Geomorphology provides a very useful framework for understanding and quantifying stability and changes in erosion and sedimentation at those sites, which is the root of the release to wastes to the environment. But also for designing and building stable functional landforms in mine rehabilitation, processes can be improved through modelling and monitoring. Current cutting-edge research in this field tries to merge geomorphic landform design and modelling methods and packages, increasing their capabilities.
The workshop will focus on the independent and complementary capabilities of landscape modelling (SIBERIA) and geomorphic design software (Natural Regrade with GeoFluv) for best practice mine rehabilitation. This will be illustrated with software demonstrations and real examples.
Workshop
Geomorphic design and landscape evolution modelling for best practice mine rehabilitation
Presented on 13th April 2018 at the 8th Annual Best Practice Ecological Rehabilitation of Mined Lands Conference (2018)
g_hancock_and_jf_martin_duque_workshop.pdf |
The presentation for the 2nd half of this workshop will be available soon.