Abandoned Mine Reclamation Glossary

The excavation and displacement of unmineralized rock and soil layers covering economically valuable ore deposits during...

Accumulated rock and soil removed from above ore deposits during mining operations and temporarily stored for potential...

The systematic handling, organization, and utilization of rock and soil materials removed above ore bodies during mining...

The process of reshaping and redistributing excavated rock and soil removed during mining (overburden) to achieve stable...

Chemical reaction where mining waste reacts with oxygen and water, often creating acidic conditions and metal leaching.

An engineered or natural barrier that prevents oxidation of sulfide minerals or limits oxygen infiltration into mine wor...

The application of alkaline materials to neutralize acidic conditions generated by sulfide mineral oxidation in mine was...

The delay in oxidation of freshly exposed sulfide minerals in reclaimed mine areas, which can result in dormant acid gen...

An excavated or naturally occurring depression in abandoned mine workings where exposed sulfide minerals undergo rapid o...

A shallow, engineered basin designed to treat mine-affected water through biological oxidation, sedimentation, and chemi...

The capacity of exposed minerals and waste materials to generate acidity through chemical oxidation when contacted by wa...

A geochemical survey technique that identifies areas within a mine site where sulfide minerals are present and at risk o...

A quantitative measurement (in millivolts) that indicates the tendency of a chemical species to gain or lose electrons i...

An in-situ or ex-situ treatment process that accelerates the oxidation of reactive sulfide minerals to exhaust their aci...

The chemical alteration of exposed minerals in abandoned mines through oxidation reactions with atmospheric oxygen and w...

The upper portion of a mine deposit or surrounding rock where sulfide minerals have been naturally oxidized to oxides an...

The chemical process in which electrons transfer between molecular species, affecting mineral solubility and contaminati...

The management of chemical oxidation processes in exposed mine materials to minimize the generation of acidic or toxic d...

An AMD or contaminated water treatment approach using natural processes like gravity flow, chemical precipitation, and b...

A remediation approach using natural processes and constructed systems that require minimal operational input to treat c...

An engineered or semi-natural system that treats mine-impacted water using gravity-fed processes without mechanical equi...

Engineering designs that use natural processes without active input (chemicals, electricity, or mechanical operation) to...

An engineered or constructed wetland system that treats mine drainage through biological and geochemical processes witho...

A low-maintenance water purification method using natural processes and constructed features like wetlands, permeable re...