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Impact of Oil Shale Mining on Flow Regimes in Northeast Estonia

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Abstract

In addition to the well-documented effects of aquatic pollution, mining operations can have major impacts on hydrological pathways and flow regime in downstream catchments. This paper documents long term (1923–2008) changes in surface drainage areas and runoff characteristics in two small to medium (100–1,000 km2) rivers draining part of the Ordovician oil shale field of north east Estonia. Through coupling analysis of flow regime with mining records (discharge rates and workings locations) the impact of expansion in oil shale mining through the mid to late twentieth century on downstream flow is assessed. During phases of intense mining, winter and summer baseflow is between 53 and 72% higher than long term average baseflow in the Purtse catchment and between 66 and 92% higher in the smaller Pühajõgi catchment where the volumetric significance of mine discharges is greater. The contribution of pumped deeper groundwater to surface run-off is shown to control the largest increases in mean annual run-off. While flow augmentation is the most common hydrological impact of the mining operations, phases of dehydration are also recognised in streams where cross-watershed transfers reduce the effective catchment area. Implications of the changed flow regime on river quality and management options are considered.

摘要

除了造成已被广泛研究的水污染外,采矿活动还能对流域下游汇流路径和水文情势产生重要影响。文章研究了两条流经爱沙尼亚东北部奥陶系油页岩采矿区的小型~中型 (100 ~ 1,000 km2) 河流的汇水面积和径流量长期变化(1923–2008年)。通过综合分析流域水文情势与采矿活动(采矿位置与矿井排水量)的关系,文章评价了20世纪中、后期日益扩大的油页岩开采对流域下游径流量的影响。在油页岩强烈开采期间, Purtse 流域的冬季和夏季基流比该流域多年平均基流高 53–72%, 更小型的Pühajõgi流域的基流较其多年平均基流高 66–92%; 该结果表明,矿井排水对小型流域径流量的影响更大。另外, 从地下抽取的深层地下水对地表径流量的增长作用决定了流域年平均径流量的最大增幅。虽然采矿对流域水文过程的普遍作用表现为径流增长, 但河川径流在枯水期的跨流域转移会降低流域有效面积。矿区水文情势的变化对河流质量及管理措施也产生影响。.

Resumen

Además de los bien documentados efectos de polución acuática, las operaciones mineras tienen un gran efecto sobre las corrientes hidrológicas y el régimen de flujos en las áreas hidrológicamente conectadas, aguas abajo. Este trabajo documenta los cambios a largo plazo (1923–2008) que ocurrieron en las áreas superficiales de drenaje y los flujos de dos ríos pequeños o medianos (100–1,000 km2) drenando a través del campo Ordovician de petróleo de origen bituminoso del noreste de Estonia. Se relevó el impacto de la expansión de la actividad minera en el área desde mediados hasta finales del siglo 20, a través del análisis conjunto de los regímenes de flujo y de los datos mineros (velocidades de descarga y lugares con actividad minera). Durante las fases de la minería intensiva, el flujo en invierno y verano es entre 53–72% mayor que el promedio en el área Purtse y entre 66–92%% mayor en el área más pequeña de Pühajõgi donde la influencia volumétrica de las descargas mineras es mayor. La contribución de aguas subterráneas bombeadas a la superficie controla los mayores incrementos en el flujo medio anual. Aunque el impacto hidrológico más común que provocan las operaciones mineras sea el incremento del flujo, también pueden observarse fases de sequías en aquellos cursos de agua desfavorecidos por la transferencia de los desagües hacia otros cursos reduciendo el área hidrológica efectiva. Se analizan también las implicancias en el cambio del régimen de flujo sobre la calidad del río y las opciones para su control.

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Acknowledgments

The present study is financed by the Estonian Science Foundation Grant No. 7510, Target Funding Projects SF1090050s07 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Estonia. We thank Prof. Ülo Mander, for his guidance, and Eero Piirisalu and Mait Sepp, who helped with the fieldwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Riina Vaht

  2. Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Scarborough, YO11 3AZ, UK

    William Mayes

  3. Department of Environmental Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Aarne Luud

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  1. Riina Vaht
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  2. William Mayes
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  3. Aarne Luud
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Correspondence to Riina Vaht.

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Vaht, R., Mayes, W. & Luud, A. Impact of Oil Shale Mining on Flow Regimes in Northeast Estonia. Mine Water Environ 30, 284–295 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-011-0162-4

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