Derivation of Fractured Rock Hybrid Analytical Equation for Estimation of Groundwater Inflow into Mine Pit using Major Fault Trigonometry

Abstract

In hydrogeology, equations describing exchange flux in sedimentary systems mainly focus on the geometry of the streambed–aquifer system and parameters. However, groundwater flow in fractured crystalline basement and volcanic rocks, which are mainly characterized by restricted flow, receives little attention in groundwater flow equations, possibly due to a lack of appropriate data. This study develops an analytical equation to estimate groundwater inflow into mine pits in volcanic rock, addressing a significant knowledge gap in the literature. The equation was validated through a case study evaluation at the Nsuta Mine, where it accurately estimated groundwater inflow into the pit. Results indicate that estimated inflow at the current pit floor level (−60 MSL) is 38 710 m3/day, which is close to the actual dewatering rate of 39 794 m3/day (error percentage of 2.8%). The study also projects groundwater inflow at a deeper pit level (−200 MSL) to be 82 400 m3/day with a corresponding flux of 0.331 m/day.

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

DTM; fractured volcanic rock; groundwater inflow; GW-SW interaction; HAE model; UAV-LiDAR

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2150-3435; 0262-6667

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 Taylor and Francis Group; Taylor and Francis, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2024

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