Sulfide-bearing mill wastes of the Salair Ore Processing Plant situated in the Kemerovo region (Russia) were investigated in the time period 1999–2011. Multipurpose studies of the Talmovskie mining tailings allowed the determination of the composition of the wastes, the acid mine drainages, and the affected groundwater. Geophysical sounding techniques (frequency sounding and electrical tomography) were used to trace the geoelectric zoning of the wastes, expressed as a consistent change of the electrical resistivity specific electrical resistance (SER) from zone to zone. Layers with low resistivity indicate areas with pore spaces filled by highly mineralized solutions. These layers extend to depths of 4–5 m, indicating the penetration of toxicants into the groundwater horizon. The pollution of groundwater was confirmed by chemical analysis, according to which the concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cd in water samples from the wells are two to three orders of magnitude higher than the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). The authors provide an attempt to identify the correlation and quantitative relationships between SER and the total amount of various metal species present in the wastes and water extracts. The proposed approach permitted to estimate the amount of accumulated tailings, in order to predict changes in the total concentrations of Mn, Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in waste and water extracts to a depth of 30 m.

Petrophysical properties of volcanic rocks were investigated on the North-Eastern fumarolic field of the volcano Ebeko. The attempt is made to use this data in order to interpret the geo-electrical cross sections of the fumarolic field subsurface space.

This study presents data on the geochemical composition of boiling mud pools at the Mutnovsky volcano. The physicochemical characteristics of the pools and the concentrations of major, minor and trace elements in pool solutions vary widely. A comparison of the geochemical compositions of host rocks and solutions indicates that leaching from rocks is not the only source of chemicals in thermal solutions. Geophysical studies reveal the inner structure of thermal fields, which reflect the shapes of the underground reservoirs and feed channels. Using geophysical methods (electrical resistivity tomography and frequency domain investigations), it was shown that the vertical structure and complex geochemical zonation of the feed channels leads to a high contrast in the compositions of the mud solutions. These findings answer questions about the origin and composition of surface manifestations. To elucidate the mechanisms of solution formation, an attempt was made to describe the magmatic fluid evolution and the resulting mixing of waters by physical and mathematical models. The model illustrates fluid migration from a magma chamber to the surface. It is shown that the formation of brines corresponding to the mud pool composition is possible during secondary boiling.

Interest in the redistribution of As-bearing species during long-term storage of hydrometallurgical tailings is motivated partly by the need to prevent As from being released into the environment. The speciation of As in mine wastes from the Tuva Cobalt Plant (Khovu-Aksy mine site, Tuva Republic, Russia) has been studied using mineralogical techniques, and chemical analyses of solids (tailings, soils, vegetation) and solutions (recovered pore waters, leach solutions). Ore at the plant was processed by hot autoclave leaching with an ammoniacal carbonate solution followed by treatment with CO2(gas) and caustic magnesite, MgO. Pronounced differences in element concentrations were measured in the five separate tailings ponds and one trench that were filled sequentially during operation of the plant. The concentration of each element was relatively uniform within each pond but the correlations among solid-phase Co, Ni, Zn and Cu gradually decrease from the most recent to oldest ponds as does the correlation between solid-phase As, Ag, Cd and Pb. In the oldest ponds, significant correlations are present between solid-phase Fe-As, Fe-Sb and Fe-Zn. High carbonate content in the ores and leaching reagents control the pH of the pore waters (pH = 7.27-9.10) where the major cation is Ca2+, followed by NH4+ and Mg2+. Concentrations of As in pore solutions reach up to 140 mg L-1, and average 15 mg L-1. The high pore-water As concentrations are a consequence of instability of the processing residues, which include Mg(NH4)AsO4 center dot nH(2)O and Mg-3(AsO4)(2)center dot nH(2)O. The concentrations of Zn, Cu and As in pore waters increase from the youngest pond to the oldest storage impoundment (trench), which is evidence of the increase in element mobility with time. In contrast to the metals, As is preferentially sorbed to Fe oxides formed in the tailings. Aerosol transport of dust from the dry ponds has produced anomalies of As and metals in the surrounding area with As in the most polluted soils reaching up to 540 ppm. Moreover, vegetation growing on the surface of the disposal ponds absorbs solutes from the soil. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The paper presents the results of numerical simulation of a subaerial volcanic hydrothermal system. The model is based on the factual data on the rock composition and the geological structure of the Mutnovsky Volcano. We develop a new approach to construct the numerical model of a volcanic hydrothermal system. According to this approach, at each step of the calculation, for each point of the spatiotemporal domain, the thermophysical properties are determined; further, these properties are used in the calculation of the equilibrium state of the system. This procedure allows us to take into account the dynamic changes in the T-P conditions in the cross section and the migration of the phase boundaries. As well, using this approach, we can pass from "conditional" time in the description of the evolution of the magmagenic fluid system to the "virtually dimensional time" of the development of the simulated ore-magmatic system, from the onset of melt crystallization in the intrusive chamber up to the termination of the retrograde boiling of the melt. The simulation shows that, depending on the structure of the lower part of the section, contrasting hydrothermal systems can develop in the originally homogeneous medium. The relation between the temperature, and, therefore, phase composition of the fluid and the features of the hydrothermal alteration in volcanic rocks is demonstrated. Among other questions, in the present paper we discuss the changes in the density and magnetic properties of the volcanogenic section.

В статье приведены результаты численного моделирования субаэральной вулкано-гидротермальной системы. В основу модели положены фактические данные по составу пород и строению разреза в. Мутновский. Для создания численной модели вулкано-гидротермальной системы нами разработан новый подход, при котором на каждом шаге расчета для любой точки в пространственно-временных координатах определяются теплофизические свойства, которые используются при расчете равновесного состояния системы. Это позволяет учитывать динамическое изменение ТР-условий в разрезе, миграцию фазовых границ и перейти от “условного” времени в характеристике эволюции магматогенной флюидной системе к “виртуально размерному времени” развития моделируемой рудно-магматической системы от момента начала кристаллизации расплава в интрузивной камере до прекращения ретроградного кипения расплава. Результаты моделирования показали, что в зависимости от строения нижней части разреза в первоначально однородной среде будут развиваться контрастные типы гидротермальных систем. Продемонстрирована зависимость между температурой и, как следствие, фазовым составом флюида и особенностями гидротермального преобразования вулканогенных пород. В данной статье, в частности, обсуждается особенности изменения плотности и магнитных свойств вулканогенного разреза.

The distribution of chemical elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd, As, Sb, Be) in the water and bottom sediments of the Belovo swamp-settler was investigated in our integrated study of geochemistry, geophysics, and hydrobiology. This swamp collects drainage escaping from clinker heaps made up of wastes of pyrometallurgical smelting of sphalerite concentrate. Water in the swamp has high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) values, with extremely high contents of toxic elements. Bottom sediments in the swamp are a mixture of hydrogenic secondary Cu, Zn, Fe and other elements minerals. High metal concentrations lead to drastic changes in biota: phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacteria communities. The species richness and the composition of plankton reflect the chemical composition of water of the swamp-settler and allow conside­ring it as an extreme habitat. About 90% of zooplankton individuals have a genetic mutation expressed in morphological deformations. Infiltration of the high TDS swamp water into groundwater was detected by vertical electric sounding. Contouring of settler volume and preliminary estimation of useful component resources were done; as a result, the settler could be considered as a secondary deposit. By laboratory experiments a principal possibility of solution processing is shown. In addition, extraction of some metals from solutions and sediments can decrease remediation costs for the area.

Information about trace elements in native sulfur is hardly accessible in scientific literature because of complexity of sulfur preparation analysis. Few available data are relied on semiquantitative spectral analyses. At the same time, composition of native sulfur on volcanoes is an important indicator of volatile transport of elements and can serve as a basis for modeling of volcanic system. Ebeco is an active andesitic volcano located in the northern part of Paramushir Island, Northern Kuriles. Its activity comprises rare vulcanian eruptions as well as a plenty of permanent fumaroles and thermal springs. During the 20022003 field works, a representative collection of native sulfur was picked up from Ebeco fumaroles located at Northwest and South fumarolic fields and on the slope of the Northern crater. To estimate concentrations of elements a method of “external standard sample” was used. Due to the fact that no certified standards exist for native sulfur, we used our own standard made from superpure native sulfur specification 6-09-2546-77 with added mixture of chemical elements KS-1. The standard was prepared by addition to sulfur of 2.5% HCl solution with set of elements (As, Sb, Se, Te, Cd, Zn, Cu etc) in specified concentrations (1 – 10%). KS-1 was added to sulfur in specified amounts, then standard was dried at 85°С in air until constant weight. After drying standard was ground to 200 mesh and 30 mg pellets 6 mm diameter were made. With Synchrotron XRF method and standards described above, a wide spectrum of elements was detected in native sulfur. All these elements according to correlation analysis can be divided into two groups. The first group comprises elements that are transported by volcanic gas as aerosol particles: K, Ca, Fe, Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Th, U, Cu, Zn. The second group includes volatile elements transported from depth of magmatic system. Obtained results together with available published data allow us to develop a physicochemical transport model of elements in volcanic gases released from magmatic body.

This study deals with the genesis of contrasting thermal water types from active volcanoes. The objects of our study are volcanic springs from the Kamchatka and Kuril islands (Russia). The results of hydrochemistry, geophysical study and physicochemical modeling show that contrasting types of thermal waters can be originated from a single magmatogene fluid. The geometrical zoning of the thermal subsurface zone has been obtained and phase barriers were located using frequency electric sounding. We developed a new software package which allows us to take into account the dynamics of thermo-physical and chemical parameters. The obtained results show that the occurrence of phase barriers on the pathways of ascending fluids represents the decisive factor controlling variations in thermal spring's composition.