Mineralogical studies of mine waste

含金属硫酸盐矿物往往对采矿中心附近的水质产生重大影响。它们是通过含硫矿石的氧化和水化作用形成的。当采矿活动产生能与氧气和水相互作用的细粒硫化物废物时，这一过程就会大大加快。加工这些硫化矿石产生的矿山废物会产生非常复杂的地球化学问题，因为矿物质与矿场地表的大气相互作用，并污染地下水。这些问题只有在有许多硫酸盐矿物的详细矿物学信息时才能理解，这些矿物随着废物在加拿大气候的冻结/融化周期中的变化和随着废物成熟而变化的时间而变化。仅从博物馆收藏品中研究结晶良好的矿物是不够的，因为这些矿物通常不具有在活跃的矿山废弃地发现的条件下形成的材料的相同性质。要了解矿物学关系，需要结合野外和实验室研究。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对这些现有的相互作用进行建模，这样就可以隔离个人的影响和过程。这些不是来自受限制地区的稀有矿物，但在各种自然和受干扰的环境中广泛存在。它们很难研究，因为它们的粒度很细，而且在一个样品中可以紧密地混合几个物种。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。在这些学习过程中，学生们有很大的机会接受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.