Impacts of surface water infiltration through soil cover capping systems

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Mining operations contribute significantly to Canada's economy, but also impact the environment. Tailings are the unusable by-products of mining activities that require storage and treatment during and after mine operations. When trying to restore land to its original state (also called, reclamation activities), mining operations will use soil covers to integrate tailings deposits into their land reclamation strategies. However, to create optimal conditions for growing vegetation on the reclaimed land, engineers need to consider the hydrogeology of the area and how precipitation will interact with the soil cover.The proposed research aims to predict the effects of surface water (from snowmelt or precipitation) when it leaks (infiltrates) through soil cover capping systems for waste rock in Canadian climates. The goal of the research is to help the industry partner (BGC Engineering Inc.) gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer in saturated/unsaturated soil cover profiles during freezing and thawing conditions, and thus improve the design methods for soil cover systems. The proposed research will also include the study of the thermal impacts of surface water infiltration on the ground temperature conditions for permafrost regions.The proposed research will help develop reclamation strategies for lands disturbed by mining operations, including the oil sands industry in Alberta. This research has high potential to be expanded to other mine sites in Canada and internationally.