Estimating natural background groundwater chemistry, Questa molybdenum mine, New Mexico
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Abstract
This 2 1/2 day field trip will present an overview of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) project whose objective was to estimate pre-mining groundwater chemistry at the Questa molybdenum mine, New Mexico. Because of intense debate among stakeholders regarding pre-mining groundwater chemistry standards, the New Mexico Environment Department and Chevron Mining Inc. (formerly Molycorp) agreed that the USGS should determine pre-mining groundwater quality at the site. In 2001, the USGS began a 5-year, multidisciplinary investigation to estimate pre-mining groundwater chemistry utilizing a detailed assessment of a proximal natural analog site and applied an interdisciplinary approach to infer pre-mining conditions. The trip will include a surface tour of the Questa mine and key locations in the erosion scar areas and along the Red River. The trip will provide participants with a detailed understanding of geochemical processes that influence pre-mining environmental baselines in mineralized areas and estimation techniques for determining pre-mining baseline conditions.
Study Area
| Publication type | Book chapter |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Book Chapter |
| Title | Estimating natural background groundwater chemistry, Questa molybdenum mine, New Mexico |
| DOI | 10.1130/2010.0018(07) |
| Year Published | 2010 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Geological Society of America |
| Publisher location | Boulder, Colo. |
| Contributing office(s) | Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program |
| Description | 21 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Monograph |
| Larger Work Title | Through the generations: Geologic and anthropogenic field excursions in the Rocky Mountains from modern to ancient |
| First page | 141 |
| Last page | 161 |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Other Geospatial | Questa molybdenum mine |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |