Characteristics and Trend Prediction of Groundwater Chemical Evolution Under the Influence of Sea Water in the Jiaojia Gold Mining Area, China

Deep mining in the Jiaojia gold mine area has changed the chemical and flow characteristics of the groundwater there. We studied the relationship between the influent water sources and mine water, as well as the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and evolution of groundwater chemistry using Piper diagrams, ion proportional coefficient analysis, and grey correlation analysis. The history and predicted groundwater chemical characteristics in the Jiaojia gold mine area were evaluated and a new method of researching the evolution of groundwater chemical characteristics was proposed that can more intuitively evaluate and predict vertical water sources. The main water inflow (inrush) source in the deep mine was shown to be water in the fractured fault footwall, followed by water in the fractured fault hanging wall. Due to mining, the hanging wall and footwall fractured aquifers now have a close hydraulic connection. As mining depth increases, permeability pathways between the seawater and mine water may be formed, causing higher concentrations of major ions near the Jiaojia fault zone and gold mines than in other areas.