Reconnaissance of the geology and ground-water resources of southern Sioux County, Nebraska with a section on chemical quality of ground water
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Hydrologic Atlas↗
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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
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Data on stream-water and bed-sediment quality in the vicinity of Leviathan Mine, Alpine County, California, and Douglas County, Nevada, September 1998
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) con- ducted a chemical assessment of streams in the Leviathan Mine and adjacent areas in September 1998. On-site measurements of streamflow, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, specific conductance, and at most sites alkalinity, bicarbonate, and carbonate were made at 14 sites. Water samples were collected for chemical analyses of nutrients, major ions, trace elements, and organic carbon. Bed-sediment samples of fine-grained sediment in representative depositional areas at each sampling location were collected for chemical analyses of major and trace elements, total carbon, inorganic carbon, and organic carbon.
California,Nevada↗
Environmental studies of the World Trade Center area after the September 11, 2001 attack
This web site describes the results of an interdisciplinary environmental characterization of the World Trade Center (WTC) area after September 11, 2001. Information presented in this site was first made available to the World Trade Center emergency response teams on September 18, 2001 (Thermal hot spot information), and September 27, 2001 (maps and compositional results). The Airborne Visible / Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), a hyperspectral remote sensing instrument, was flown by JPL/NASA over the World Trade Center (WTC) area on September 16, 18, 22, and 23, 2001 ( Link to the AVIRIS JPL data facility) . A 2-person USGS crew collected samples of dusts and airfall debris from more than 35 localities within a 1-km radius of the World trade Center site on the evenings of September 17 and 18, 2001. Two samples were collected of indoor locations that were presumably not affected by rainfall (there was a rainstorm on September 14). Two samples of material coating a steel beam in the WTC debris were also collected. The USGS ground crew also carried out on-the-ground reflectance spectroscopy measurements during daylight hours to field calibrate AVIRIS remote sensing data. Radiance calibration and rectification of the AVIRIS data were done at JPL/NASA. Surface reflectance calibration, spectral mapping, and interpretation were done at the USGS Imaging Spectroscopy Lab in Denver. The dust/debris and beam-insulation samples were analyzed for a variety of mineralogical and chemical parameters using Reflectance Spectroscopy (RS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), chemical analysis, and chemical leach test techniques in U.S. Geological Survey laboratories in Denver, Colorado.
New York↗
Chemical analyses of Precambrian rocks from St. Lawrence County, New York, made by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1963 through 1972
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Open-File Report↗
Organic carbon content of Devonian shale sequence sampled in drill cuttings from twenty wells in southwestern New York
This report contains results of organic carbon analyses performed by Rinehart Laboratories, Inc., Arvada, Colorado, under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey. The analytical method employs chemical (chromic acid) oxidation of an acid solution containing the rock residue.
New York↗
Full-time equivalency tracking system
To help meet the goals of the Surface-Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, the U.S. Geological Survey is assessing the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface water within the coal-mining region of southwestern Indiana. This report discussed benthic-invertebrate and periphytic-algal communities in streams draining homogeneous agricultural, forested, active/reclaimed-mine, and unreclaimed mine watersheds, and relates the biological communities to the physical and chemical characteristics of the streams. Alkalinity and pH were lower and the concentrations of dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, iron, manganese, aluminum, and zinc were higher in unreclaimed-mine watersheds than in the other land-use watersheds. Numbers and community diversity of benthic invertebrates were less at sites affected by mining than at agricultural or forested sites, owing to (1) synergistic effects of pH, metals, and unsuitable habitat and (2) lack of colonizing drift organisms because of the small drainage area upstream from the mined area. Only a few organisms , such as the caddisflies Cheumatopsyche and Hydrosyche and the chironomids Chironomus and Cricotopus were found in streams draining mine areas. (USGS)
Open-File Report↗
Sediments, nutrients, and oxygen-demanding substances in the Minnesota River: Selected water-quality data, 1989-90
This report presents selected physical and chemical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Minnesota River Assessment Project, a four-year interagency study coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Water samples were collected at 12 sites on the Minnesota River and at the mouths of 10 major tributary streams located from the outlet of Lac qui Parle Reservoir to Henderson, Minnesota. Sampling from August 1989 through September 1990 resulted in collection of 171 stream-water samples. This report includes data on streamflow, total suspended solids, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, and chlorophyll a .
Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota↗
Selected elements and organic chemicals in streambed sediment in the Salem area, Oregon, 1999
Analysis of streambed sediments in the Salem, Oregon, area showed anomalously large concentrations of some elements and organic chemicals, indicating contamination from anthropogenic and/or geologic sources. The streambed sediment sample from Clark Creek, an urban basin, had large concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hyrdocarbons (PAHs), organochlorines, cadmium, lead, and zinc. The sample from the East Fork of Pringle Creek, which is a mostly urban basin, had the highest concentrations of DDD, DDE, and DDT compounds. Aldrin was detected in streambed sediment at only one site, the East Fork of Pringle Creek. Ten of the 14 sites sampled had exceedances of the sediment quality guidelines of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), and 8 sites had exceedances of guidelines from the Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis (PSDDA) Program. Trace element concentrations in the Salem area generally were similar to those found previously in the Willamette Basin and nationally. However, cadmium, lead, and zinc concentrations were larger in the sample from Clark Creek than for largest value for Willamette Basin data from earlier studies. Zinc concentrations in the sample from Clark Creek exceeded sediment quality guidelines from the CCME and PSDDA. p,p'-DDE, which is a persistent breakdown product of the banned organochlorine-insecticide, DDT, was detected at all sites. Total DDT (the sum of p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT) concentrations exceeded the PSDDA screening level at eight sites and exceeded twice the PSDDA maximum level at the East Fork of Pringle Creek. Cis- and trans- chlordanes were detected at about 80% of the sites. The concentration of total chlordane for the sample at Clark Creek was larger than for any sample from previous Willamette Basin studies. The largest concentration of dieldrin also was from the sample at Clark Creek, which was the only site that exceeded the CCME guideline for dieldrin. The high levels of contaminants in some Salem area streams indicates the need for further study to assess the biological effects of these contaminants. Future monitoring in the Salem area could include bioassays using benthic invertebrates and the measurement of organochlorine compounds, including DDT, DDE, DDD, and dieldrin in fish tissue. Because resident fish may be consumed by humans and wildlife, fish tissue analyses would be helpful to determine the health risk associated with fish consumption.
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Limnological investigation of six lakes in southeast Alaska
Limnological data were collected from six lakes in southeast Alaska in 1974. The data include concentrations of major inorganic constituents, nutrients, selected trace metals, total organic carbon, and chlorophyll. Vertical profiles of specific conductance, temperature, dissolved-oxygen saturation, and pH were drawn. With the exception of Redoubt Lake, all of the lakes are very similar chemically. The small differences in chemical composition probably reflect variations in geology of the drainage basins, altitudes, and morphometric characteristics of the lakes. Productivity is so low in all the lakes that it was not possible to rank the lakes by relative productivity from the reconnaissance sampling. Redoubt Lake is meromictic, but the others are probably holomictic and dimictic. (Woodard-USGS)
Alaska↗
Quality of ground water in Monitor and Williams Townships, Bay County, Michigan
Migration of mineralized water from abandoned subsurface coal mines in Monitor and Williams Townships was thought by many residents to have affected the quality of domestic ground-water supplies in the area. To investigate the possibility, wells were installed to obtain geologic data and water samples for chemical analysis; analysis also was made of concurrent related data collected by other agencies. The principal rock units are glacial deposits and the Saginaw Formation. Glacial deposits, 75 to 175 feet thick, are primarily clay underlain in places by sand and gravel. This sand and gravel is the primary source of ground water. Underlying the glacial deposits is the Saginaw Formation--a unit that is mostly shale and silty shale containing beds of siltstone, sandstone, and coal. Specific conductance of water from wells indicate that dissolved-solids concentration increases with depth. About 50 percent of specific conductance values of water from wells more than 100 feet deep were equal to or greater than 5,000 microsiemens, whereas only 13 percent of the values of water from wells less than 100 feet deep were equal to or greater than 5,000 microsiemens. Results of chemical analyses indicate no apparent correlation between concentration and source for most constituents. Plots of chloride/sulfate ratios versus specific conductances indicate that water from the Saginaw Formation is as likely to influence the quality of water in glacial deposits as is water from abandoned mines.
Michigan↗
Description and evaluation of the effects of urban and agricultural development on the surficial aquifer system, Palm Beach County, Florida
The surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County was studied during 1982-85 to determine the effects of increased urban and agricultural development on groundwater levels, flow directions, and quality. The surficial aquifer system and its geologic matrix are divisible into three zones on the bases of relative permeabilities and lithologic characteristics. The two greatest water users in the county, public supply utilities and agricultural irrigators, increased total water withdrawals by 123 and 50%, respectively, during 1970-80. By 1980, 76% of public supply withdrawals were from zones I and II of the surficial aquifer system, whereas groundwater pumpage for irrigation decreased to 9% of the total irrigation water used. Increases in groundwater withdrawals for public supply were greatest in the southeast and central coastal parts of the county and served as an indicator for potential changes of flow directions and water quality in the surficial aquifer system. Residual seawater, emplaced in the aquifer system during the Pleistocene Epoch, is still prevalent in the central and western parts of Palm Beach County where low permeabilities in the geologic matrix have retarded its dilution. Chemical analyses of canal-water and groundwater samples collected in April 1984 were used to evaluate the effects of groundwater/surface water exchange on the quality of water during canal conveyance across the area containing residual seawater.
Florida↗
Geology and ground-water resources of the Douglas basin, Arizona, with a section on chemical quality of the ground water
The Douglas basin is part of a large northwest-trending intermontane valley, known as the Sulphur Spring Valley, which lies in southeastern Arizona, and extends into northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Maturely dissected mountains rise abruptly from long alluvial slopes and culminate in peaks 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the valley floor, Bedrock in the mountain areas confines drainage on the east and west, and an arc of low hills to the north separates the basin from the Willcox basin of the Sulphur Spring Valley. Drainage of the 1,200 square miles in the Douglas basin is southward into Mexico through Whitewater Draw. The mountains include igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks ranging in age from pre-Cambrian to Tertiary, including Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks that total about 10,000 feet in thickness. The older rocks have been metamorphosed, and all the bedrock has been affected by igneous intrusion, largely in Mesozoic time, and by structural movements, largely in Cenozoic time and extending into the Quaternary period. By the early part of Cenozoic time the major structural features were formed, and mountain ranges had been uplifted above the valley trough along northwest-trending fault zones. Since that time the physiographic features have resulted through erosion of the mountain blocks and the deposition, in places, of more than 2,800 feet of unconsolidated rock debris in the valley. Ground-water supplies of the Douglas basin are developed largely in the saturated zone of the valley-fill sediments. The ground water in the valley fill occurs in thin lenses and strata of sand and gravel, which are interbedded with large thicknesses of silt and day. Scattered gypsum beds and extensive caliche deposits appear at the surface and occur within the valley fill at various depths. Although the valley-fill sediments are as much as 2,800 feet thick, the uppermost 300 feet or so are the most permeable. Ground water originates as precipitation in the mountain areas. The water collects in streams that lose much of their flow into the coarse sediments that fringe the mountains. Part of the water ultimately percolates into the zone of saturation. High evaporation rates, vegetative use, and the presence of caliche and clay at shallow depth in the interstream areas of the valley floor prevent important recharge of the ground-water reservoir from direct rainfall or seepage of water applied for irrigation. The total recharge into the ground-water reservoir of the Douglas basin was about 20,000 acre-feet in 1951. Ground water is discharged from the basin by evapotranspiration, by effluent seepage into Whitewater Draw and underflow out of the basin, and by pumping. In 1951, the total amount of ground water discharged was about 50,000 acre-feet, of which more than 41,000 acre-feet was pumped from wells. Ground water used in excess of recharge is withdrawn from storage, causing a decline in the water table. Maximum declines have occurred in the heavily pumped Elfrida area, where a decline of more than 11 feet occurred in the 5- year period 1947-51, inclusive. Most irrigation wells in the Douglas basin are less than 200 feet in depth and usually produce less than 400 gpm (gallons per minute). The average specific capacity of the wells is about 12 gpm per foot of drawdown. Although water in some parts of the basin is artesian, all irrigation wells must be pumped. Ground water in the basin is generally of excellent to good quality for irrigation use, In small areas along the southern part of Whitewater Draw and east of Douglas the ground water is high in dissolved-solids content. Although most of the water is hard, it is generally satisfactory for domestic use. In many areas the fluoride content is more than 1.5 ppm (parts per million).
Arizona↗
Chemical quality of surface water in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon
In July 1967, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Douglas County, began a 2-year study of the chemical quality of surface water in the Umpqua River basin. The purpose of this report is to present an interpretive summary of the data collected, which will provide answers to the following questions: What is the chemical quality of the water in the basin? What areal and seasonal differences exist? What causes the differences? What chemical constituents, if any, are present in the water that would affect its usefulness for domestic, industrial, or agricultural purposes? Data are presented on maps, graphs, and charts. All data collected and analyzed during the study period, together with historical data on file with the Geological Survey, are included in tables 3 through 6 (p. 14, 19, 23, 24). All water samples were collected and analyzed by using standard U.S. Geological Survey methods (Rainwater and Thatcher, 1960) and "Standard methods for examination of water and waste water" (American Public Health Assoc. and others, 1965).
Oregon↗
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Selected methods for monitoring chemical contaminants and their effects in aquatic ecosystems
This document describes the suite of biological methods of the U.S. Geological Survey- Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends program for monitoring chemical contaminants and their effects on fish. The methods, which were selected by panels of experts, are being field-tested in rivers of the Mississippi River, Columbia River, and Rio Grande basins. General health biomarkers include a health assessment index based on gross observation; histopathological examination of selected organs and tissues; condition factor; and the heptosomatic and splenosomatic indices. Immune system indicators are plasma lysozyme activity and measures of splenic macrophage aggregates. Reproductive biomarkers include plasma concentrations of sex steroid hormones (17β-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone) and vitellogenin, gonadal histopathology (including reproductive stage and, in females, gonadal atresia), and the gonadosomatic index. Indicators of exposure to polycyclic aromatic and polyhalogenated hydrocarbons are the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay (performed on solvent extracts of composite fish samples) and hepatic ethoxyresorufin- O -deethylase activity. Stable nitrogen isotope ratios are used to assess the trophic position of the fish and their exposure to sewage and other animal wastes. For each indicator we describe endpoint(s) and methods, and discuss the indicator?s value and limitations for contaminant monitoring and assessment.
Information and Technology Report↗
Assessment of Hyporheic Zone, Flood-Plain, Soil-Gas, Soil, and Surface-Water Contamination at the McCoys Creek Chemical Training Area, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the hyporheic zone, flood plain, soil gas, soil, and surface water for contaminants at the McCoys Creek Chemical Training Area (MCTA) at Fort Gordon, from October 2009 to September 2010. The assessment included the detection of organic contaminants in the hyporheic zone, flood plain, soil gas, and surface water. In addition, the organic contaminant assessment included the analysis of organic compounds classified as explosives and chemical agents in selected areas. Inorganic contaminants were assessed in soil and surface-water samples. The assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon pursuant to requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. Ten passive samplers were deployed in the hyporheic zone and flood plain, and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and octane were detected above the method detection level in every sampler. Other organic compounds detected above the method detection level in the hyporheic zone and flood-plain samplers were trichloroethylene, and cis- and trans- 1, 2-dichloroethylene. One trip blank detected TPH below the method detection level but above the nondetection level. The concentrations of TPH in the samplers were many times greater than the concentrations detected in the blank; therefore, all other TPH concentrations detected are considered to represent environmental conditions. Seventy-one soil-gas samplers were deployed in a grid pattern across the MCTA. Three trip blanks and three method blanks were used and not deployed, and TPH was detected above the method detection level in two trip blanks and one method blank. Detection of TPH was observed at all 71 samplers, but because TPH was detected in the trip and method blanks, TPH was censored and, therefore, only 7 of the 71 samplers were reported as detecting TPH. In addition, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylene were detected above the method detection level in 22 samplers. Other compounds detected above the method detection level included naphthalene, octane, undecane, tridecane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, chloroform, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene. Subsequent to the soil-gas survey, five locations with elevated contaminant mass were selected and a passive sampler was deployed at those locations to detect the presence of organic compounds classified as explosives or chemical agents. No explosives or chemical agents were detected above the method detection level, but some compounds were detected below the method detection level but above the nondetection level. Dimethyl disulfide, benzothiazole, chloroacetophenones, and para-chlorophenyl methyl sulfide were all detected below the method detection level but above the nondetection level. The compounds 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and para-chlorophenyl methyl sulfone were detected in samplers but also were detected in trip blanks and are not considered as present in the MCTA. The same five locations that were selected for sampling of explosives and chemical agents were selected for soil sampling. Metal concentrations in composite soil samples collected at five locations from land surface to a depth of 6 inches did not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Screening Levels for Industrial Soil. Concentrations in some compounds were higher than the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control background levels for nearby South Carolina, including aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and potassium. A surface-water sample was collected from McCoys Creek and analyzed for volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, and inorganic compounds (metals). No volatile organic compounds and (or) semivolatile organic compounds were detected at levels above the maximum contaminant level of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) National Primary Drinking Water Standard, and no inorganic compounds exceeded the maximum contaminant level of the USEPA National Primary Drinking Water Standard or the Georgia In-Stream Water-Quality Standard. Iron was the only inorganic compound detected in the surface-water sample (578 micrograms per liter) that exceeded the USEPA National Secondary Drinking Water Standard of 300 micrograms per liter.
Georgia↗
Controls on surface water chemistry in the upper Merced River basin, Yosemite National Park, California
Surface water draining granitic bedrock in Yosemite National Park exhibits considerable variability in chemical composition, despite the relative homogeneity of bedrock chemistry. Other geological factors, including the jointing and distribution of glacial till, appear to exert strong controls on water composition. Chemical data from three surface water surveys in the upper Merced River basin conducted in August 1981, June 1988 and August 1991 were analysed and compared with mapped geological, hydrological and topographic features to identify the solute sources and processes that control water chemistry within the basin during baseflow. Water at most of the sampling sites was dilute, with alkalinities ranging from 26 to 77 μequiv. l −1 . Alkalinity was much higher in two subcatchments, however, ranging from 51 to 302 μequiv. l −1 . Base cations and silica were also significantly higher in these two catchments than in the rest of the watershed. Concentrations of weathering products in surface water were correlated to the fraction of each subcatchment underlain by surficial material, which is mostly glacial till. Silicate mineral weathering is the dominant control on concentrations of alkalinity, silica and base cations, and ratios of these constituents in surface water reflect the composition of local bedrock. Chloride concentrations in surface water samples varied widely, ranging from <1 to 96 μequiv. l −1 . The annual volume-weighted mean chloride concentration in the Merced River at the Happy Isles gauge from 1968 to 1990 was 26 μequiv. l −1 , which was five times higher than in atmospheric deposition (4–5 μequiv. l −1 ), suggesting that a source of chloride exists within the watershed. Saline groundwater springs, whose locations are probably controlled by vertical jointing in the bedrock, are the most likely source of the chloride. Sulphate concentrations varied much less than most other solutes, ranging from 3 to 14 μequiv. l −1 . Concentrations of sulphate in quarterly samples collected at the watershed outlet also showed relatively little variation, suggesting that sulphate may be regulated to some extent by a within-watershed process, such as sulphate adsorption.
Hydrological Processes↗
South Florida wetlands ecosystem; biogeochemical processes in peat
The South Florida wetlands ecosystem is an environment of great size and ecological diversity (figs. 1 and 2). The landscape diversity and subtropical setting of this ecosystem provide a habitat for an abundance of plants and wildlife, some of which are unique to South Florida. South Florida wetlands are currently in crisis, however, due to the combined effects of agriculture, urbanization, and nearly 100 years of water management. Serious problems facing this ecosystem include (1) phosphorus contamination producing nutrient enrichment, which is causing changes in the native vegetation, (2) methylmercury contamination of fish and other wildlife, which poses a potential threat to human health, (3) changes in the natural flow of water in the region, resulting in more frequent drying of wetlands, loss of organic soils, and a reduction in freshwater flow to Florida Bay, (4) hypersalinity, massive algal blooms, and seagrass loss in parts of Florida Bay, and (5) a decrease in wildlife populations, especially those of wading birds. This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) project focuses on the role of organic-rich sediments (peat) of South Florida wetlands in regulating the concentrations and impact of important chemical species in the environment. The cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in peat is an important factor in the regulation of water quality in the South Florida wetlands ecosystem. These elements are central to many of the contamination issues facing South Florida wetlands, such as nutrient enrichment, mercury toxicity, and loss of peat. Many important chemical and biological reactions occur in peat and control the fate of chemical species in wetlands. Wetland scientists often refer to these reactions as biogeochemical processes, because they are chemical reactions usually mediated by microorganisms in a geological environment. An understanding of the biogeochemical processes in peat of South Florida wetlands will provide a basis for evaluating the effects on water quality of (1) constructing buffer wetlands to alleviate nutrient contamination and (2) replumbing the ecosystem to restore natural water flow. The results may also suggest new approaches for solving problems of contamination and water quality in these wetlands. A second focus of this project will be on the geochemical history of the South Florida ecosystem. Peat is a repository of the history of past environmental conditions in the wetland. Before effective action can be taken to correct many of the problems facing these wetlands, we must first study the biogeochemistry of the peat at depth in order to understand whether current problems are the result of recent human activity or are part of a long-term natural cycle. Coordination with other (USGS) projects for South Florida is ongoing. These projects are studying the biological history of the ecosystem by using pollen and shells buried in the peat, together with procedures for dating the peat at various depths, to develop an overall ecosystem history model, with emphasis on the last 100 years.
Fact Sheet↗
Understanding processes affecting mineral deposits in humid environments
Recent interdisciplinary studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have resulted in substantial progress toward understanding the influence that climate and hydrology have on the geochemical signatures of mineral deposits and the resulting mine wastes in the eastern United States. Specific areas of focus include the release, transport, and fate of acid, metals, and associated elements from inactive mines in temperate coastal areas and of metals from unmined mineral deposits in tropical to subtropical areas; the influence of climate, geology, and hydrology on remediation options for abandoned mines; and the application of radiogenic isotopes to uniquely apportion source contributions that distinguish natural from mining sources and extent of metal transport. The environmental effects of abandoned mines and unmined mineral deposits result from a complex interaction of a variety of chemical and physical factors. These include the geology of the mineral deposit, the hydrologic setting of the mineral deposit and associated mine wastes, the chemistry of waters interacting with the deposit and associated waste material, the engineering of a mine as it relates to the reactivity of mine wastes, and climate, which affects such factors as temperature and the amounts of precipitation and evapotranspiration; these factors, in turn, influence the environmental behavior of mineral deposits. The role of climate is becoming increasingly important in environmental investigations of mineral deposits because of the growing concerns about climate change.
Fact Sheet↗