Using Permafrost for Pumping Drainage Water from Primary Diamond Deposits on the Example of the Noyabrskiy Site (Aykhal Mine)

Thick permafrost strata in the territory of the Yakutsk diamondiferous province make it possible to take into account and use this natural favorable factor in environmental protection. For the environmentally safe exploitation of the fields, ALROSA is injecting drainage water into the existing and developed in the permafrost strata reservoirs. Consequently, an important research problem is assessment of the resulting impact of injection on the state of the geological environment by designing a method for predicting the position of the technogenic horizon for the estimated life of the field. The parameters of the planned distribution of the injected drainage water were obtained by the geophysical methods and study of the regime of the piezometric surface. The capacity of the drainage brine injection site was estimated based on the injection results in the mode of pilot operations. The conducted studies and calculations allow us concluding that the use of the method of drainage water pumping into permafrost from the Aykhal mine on the Noyabrskiy site made it possible to reduce the impact of mining operations on the geological environment and surroundings, eliminating the possibility of brines to contaminate the surface water. Key words: permafrost

Hydrology and beyond: the scientific work of August Colding revisited

August Colding was one of the three pioneers who in the mid-1800s almost simultaneously and independently formulated the first law of thermodynamics, the two others being Robert Mayer and James Joule. This first, significant achievement was followed by a sequence of other ground-breaking discoveries within a broad range of disciplines: magnetism, steam power, gas production, hydraulics, soil physics, hydrology, heating and ventilation, meteorology, and oceanography. Moreover, he made a significant contribution to the understanding of the spread of cholera. In hydrology, he used evaporation experiments to obtain water balances. Independently, he formulated Darcy's law and was the first to calculate the water table between drainpipes and the piezometric surface in confined aquifers. His main occupation, however, was chief engineer in Copenhagen, where he modernized the city by introducing groundwater-based water supply and building a waterworks delivering pressured, clean water into houses, a gasworks and gas-based street lighting, and a citywide sewage system. Colding has not been as recognized internationally as he might deserve, probably because most of his publications were written in Danish. Even in Denmark, he seems today almost forgotten. This paper highlights his most important scientific contributions, in particular his achievements in hydrology, hydraulics, meteorology, and oceanography.

Quantitative and Qualitative Appraisals of Aquifer Properties in Kachia Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria

Kachia Local Government Area (LGA) is located at the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative appraisals were carried out in order to have proper understanding of the aquifer system and ensure sustainable development by using geophysical, geological and pumping test data obtained from 32 producing boreholes across the entire LGA. Hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity and storativity values were computed, piezometric surface map and the basement relief map were prepared, geoelectric layer characteristics were delineated and two geological profile sections were constructed. The hydraulic conductivity values were found to range from 0.021 m/day at Walijo to 1.391 m/day at Iddah-Hanya with an average of 0.42 m/day. The transmissivity values ranged between 0.90 m²/day at Walijo to 25.37m²/day at Iddah-Hanya, with average value of 6.31 m²/day. Storativity values were lowest at Walijo with a value of 89.42 and highest at Iddah-Hanya having a value of 2877 with an average of 929.82. The lowest values of these three aquifer constants were observed to converge at Walijo at the extreme eastern part and they all peaked at Iddah Hanya on the western border of the study area. The piezometric surface contour map showed that static water level is generally deeper around the central part of the study area than at the southern and western parts. The basement relief map revealed that the depth to Basement rock is generally deeper at the central part than at the eastern, western and southern boundaries of the study area. Three-layer geoelectric horizons delineated agreed with the drilled sections. The two profile sections 1 and 2 suggested that the weathered layer constituted the major aquiferous unit, and it occurred within a depth of 1 m to as much as 35 m, except Kurmin-Sara with 80 m thickness. Groundwater prospecting can therefore be targeted to an approximately uniform regolith thickness across the entire study area.

Hydrology and beyond: The scientific work of August Colding revisited

August Colding was one of the three pioneers, who in the mid-1800s almost simultaneously and independently formulated the first law of thermodynamics, the two others being Robert Mayer and James Joule. This first, significant achievement was followed by a sequence of other ground-breaking discoveries within a broad range of disciplines: magnetism, steam power, gas production, hydraulics, soil physics, hydrology, heating and ventilation, meteorology and oceanography. Moreover, he gave a significant contribution to the understanding of the spread of cholera. In hydrology, he used evaporation experiments to obtain water balances. Independently, he formulated Darcy's law, and, as the first one, he calculated the water table between drainpipes and the piezometric surface in confined aquifers. His main occupation, however, was chief engineer in Copenhagen, where he modernised the city by introducing groundwater-based water supply and building a waterworks delivering pressured, clean water into the houses, a gasworks and gas-based street lightening, and a citywide sewage system. Colding has not been recognised internationally as he might deserve, probably because most of his publications were written in Danish. Even in Denmark, he seems today almost forgotten. This paper highlights his most important scientific contributions, in particular his achievements in hydrology, hydraulics, meteorology and oceanography.

Hydrogeological characterisation of regional faults and dolerite dykes in the Precambrian Basement and Karoo Supergroup (Tete Province, Mozambique)

Faults and dolerite dykes within Basement- and Karoo-aquifers in northern Mozambique may increase groundwater occurrence but may also be barriers to groundwater flow. Should observation boreholes drilled into regional and local faults as well as dykes show a response to aquifer testing, it would be deduced that these hydrogeological discontinuities are not barriers to groundwater flow. The approach adopted for this study included a sequential process involving data acquisition through a hydrogeological fieldwork programme consisting of geophysical surveys, borehole drilling, aquifer testing, and groundwater level monitoring. The Zambezi Border and geological contact faults were characterised by high variability in hydraulic properties. Aquifer testing resulted in drawdown in observation boreholes as well as a reduction in piezometric surface in the installed vibrating wire piezometers located in different aquifer units, indicating the Zambezi Border- and geological contact-faults were not barriers to groundwater flow. Not all the northwest-southeast trending dykes acted as barriers to groundwater flow, as there were discreet intervals with relatively high permeability present.

Functioning of the Primary Aquifer Relating to the Maider Basin, Morocco: Case of the Ordovician aquifer.

The basin of Maider is limited northly by the vast ensemble Oriental Saghro-Ougnate, from the east by the Tafilalet plain, from the west by the oriental Jbel Bani, finally from the south and south-east by the Cretaceous Hamada of Kern-Kem. During last decades, groundwater in the basin of Maider, is confronting degradation in both cases: Quantitative and qualitative, as a result of the drought, the overexploitation and the salinization. The aim of this action research is to understand the current state of water resources in the area of stady. At the end of this work, we can get the following conclusions: the general flow of the ordovician aquifer is always directed from the north to the south-east of the basin by following the principal axes of the wadis:Taghbalt, Hssiya and Fezzou. The recharge of the aquifer is primarily done, either by the underground flow, or by the surface runoff of torrential waters from the upstream of Jbel Saghro. The piezometric anomaly noticed at the level of Ait Saàdane, explained by overexploitation linked to the needs of irrigation water. The physicochemical approach for the Maider basin identifies two essential factors of the salinisation of groundwater: the dissolution of the aquifer which is rich in minerals with high temperature on the one hand, and the decrease of the piezometric surface due to the overexploitation and drought on the other hand.

GRANULAR AQUIFER SYSTEM OF WEST CHALKIDIKI AREA, REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA, NORTHERN GREECE

The granular aquifer system of the western Chalkidiki peninsula covers an area of 667 Km2 occupying Neogene and Quaternary sediments. The present study deals with the hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical characterization of the granular aquifer system for the purposes of efficient utilization and management of groundwater resources. It is a multilayered formation, composed of unconsolidated to semi-consolidated sands, gravels, conglomerates, sandstones and marly limestones with intercalated impermeable to semi-permeable beds of clays, marls or mixed with pebbles and sands. The aquifer system is characterized by medium to moderate hydrocapacity and the pumped groundwater consumptions are 74*106 m3/yr. Piezometric studies carried out in the period of 2003-14, conclude that the piezometric surface decline is located in the S and SE parts of the aquifer system, while in the rest Central and NW parts there is a noticeable rising of the groundwater table. Groundwater is generally characterized by a good quality; however, groundwaters of the broader Triglia area, have excessively high contents of As (10 to 3400 μgr/l) and B (1.5 to 4.0 mg/l). Other natural pollutants are Fe and Mn. Salinization and high values of nitrate are mainly detected in water boreholes of Moudania-Portaria, Akrotiri-Epanomi and Agelochori areas.

Eutrophication of Piedmont Quarry Lakes (North-Western Italy): Hydrogeological Factors, Evaluation of Trophic Levels and Management Strategies

Quarry lakes resulting from alluvium extraction have excavation depths that can reach the shallow aquifer and extend beyond the piezometric surface. Similar to natural lakes, pit lakes are subject to eutrophication process, both during and after quarrying activity; during mining activity, the eutrophic level is strongly controlled by the excavation method. The present study describes the trophic status of several quarry lakes in the Piedmont plain (north-western Italy) that were evaluated by applying classifications from scientific literature. Most of the studied quarry lakes were mesotrophic or eutrophic, and a slight worsening of water quality was observed over time. In addition, the paper focuses on the pit lake water quality and pit dimension; it was shown that lakes with a larger depth and volume generally had a lower tendency towards eutrophication. At last some management strategies were suggested to achieve environmental sustainability.

Drought Effects on Groundwater in Dobrogea Plateau

The study aims to analyse the impact of the drought phenomenon on groundwater in Dobrogea Plateau, taking into account the specific climatic and hydrological factors and especially the geological and structural context in which it delineates the main hydrostructures. The groundwater is subject to climatic and anthropogenic impacts whose weight are difficult to assess, so until now, a hydrogeological drought index was not identified. The effects of climate change impact are reflected in the fluctuations of the piezometric surface of the shallow aquifers, the deepest aquifers being influenced rather by socio-economic issues. To achieve the objective of the research, the available data (climate, hydrological and hydrogeological) were processed using GIS and Excel softs and the results (maps, graphs, tables) were interpreted and correlated in some relevant conclusions.

A Study on Moyna Basin Water-Logged Areas (India) Using Remote Sensing and GIS Methods and Their Contemporary Economic Significance

The prime objective of this paper is to identify and map the water-logged areas within Moyna basin, India, and to explore their contemporary economic significances. The Landsat 5 TM, ASTER data, and topographical sheets have been taken into consideration with field observations. Maps on relief, slope, canal density, embankments, a supervised classification of the study area and then NDVI, NDWI, and modified NDWI or NDMI have been prepared here. At Moyna, the piezometric surface ranges from five to ten metres below the ground level. The percentage of clay particles is high throughout the surface soil. The total rainfall is nearly 1400 mm and most of it happened during the monsoon period. Two well-marked depressions are observed there within the basin and the nearly central one is wide and is clearly identified from the relief map also. Problem of drainage congestion there accelerates the onset of water-logged situation. In general, water-logged areas are not suitable for humans. People once were worried about the water-logged environment due to underwater scenario of low-lying agricultural fields for a certain period, but today local people are taking this environmental condition as an opportunity for fishing activity and thus they are becoming economically benefitted as well.