Mineralogical studies of mine waste

含金属的硫酸盐矿物通常对采矿中心附近的水质产生重大影响。它们通过含硫矿石的氧化和水合作用形成。当采矿活动产生可以与氧气和水相互作用的细粒含硫化物废物时，这一过程会大大加速。处理这些硫化物矿石产生的矿山废物产生了非常复杂的地球化学问题，因为矿物质与矿区表面的大气相互作用，污染了地下水。这些问题只能理解，如果有详细的矿物学信息的许多硫酸盐矿物来和去的废物改变通过加拿大气候的冻/融循环，并随着时间的推移，废物成熟。研究博物馆收藏的结晶良好的矿物是不够的，因为这些矿物通常不具有与在活跃的矿山废物场地条件下形成的材料相同的性质。为了了解矿物学关系，需要结合实地和实验室研究。实地研究确定了在矿山废物环境中重要的特殊矿物学相互作用。实验室实验在受控环境中模拟这些现有的相互作用，因此可以隔离个体效应和过程。这些矿物并不是稀有矿物，而是广泛存在于各种自然环境和扰动环境中。它们很难研究，因为它们的粒度很细，而且在一个样品中几个物种的紧密混合。设计成功的矿山废物控制系统的能力需要对存在的矿物有透彻的了解。有一个巨大的机会，让学生在这些研究期间的各种领域和实验室技术的培训。

Metal-bearing sulfate minerals often have a significant impact on water quality near mining centers. They form through the oxidation and hydration of sulfur-containing ores. This process is accelerated dramatically when mining activity creates fine-grained sulfide-containing waste that can interact with oxygen and water. Mine waste from processing these sulfide ores creates very complex geochemical problems as the minerals interact with the atmosphere on the surface at a mine site and pollute the ground water. These problems can only be understood if there is detailed mineralogical information for the many sulfate minerals which come and go as the waste alters through the freeze/thaw cycle of the Canadian climate and over time as the waste matures. It is not enough to study well crystallized minerals from museum collections as these do not often have the same properties as materials that have formed under conditions found at active mine waste sites. To understand the mineralogical relationships a combination of field and laboratory studies are required. The field studies identify the particular mineralogical interactions which are important in mine waste settings. Laboratory experiments model these existing interactions in controlled settings so individual effects and processes can be isolated. These are not rare minerals from a restricted locality but are widespread in a variety of natural and disturbed environments. They are difficult to study because of their fine grain size and the intimate mixing of several species in one sample. The ability to design successful mine waste containment systems requires a thorough understanding of the minerals that are present. There is a tremendous opportunity for students to be trained in the various field and laboratory techniques during these studies.