Characterization of discharges from abandoned mines of the Sydney Coalfield, Nova Scotia

The inorganic and isotopic chemistry of water being discharged from abandoned coal mines in the Sydney Coalfield, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has been characterized in detail for the first time. Four diverse aspects were documented: (1) regional variations within the coalfield, (2) temporal variations at a single outfall, (3) lateral variations in minewater flowing downstream, and (4) vertical variations in minewater within an abandoned shaft.;Temporal variations in minewater chemistry were evaluated at the No. 1A outfall. This outfall was re-opened at the beginning of this project on April 22, 1997. Discharge from this outfall was characterized by baseflow recession during which time the water level in the workings was lowered to sea level. The changes in water chemistry which occurred during this period were quantified with geochemical modeling.;Downstream variations in water chemistry were studied over a 300 m reach of channel at the No. 25 site.;Vertical variations in water chemistry were studied at the 1B Shaft. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).