Abstract
Lead and zinc ore deposits of the Mississippi Valley type (MVT), located in the Olkusz ore district (south Poland) are connected with strongly karstified Triassic carbonates, mainly dolomites. In this paper changes in the groundwater inflow quantities to the Zn-Pb mines in the Olkusz region are discussed: Boleslaw, Olkusz and Pomorzany. Themining activity in the Olkusz region is connected with probably highest groundwater inflows in the World. Occurrence of the karstic systems within Triassic rocks is a reason for extremely high water inflow to the underground mining workings, obtaining the value of 40 m3/min in Boleslaw mine, about 95 m3/min in Olkusz mine and about 300 m3/min in Pomorzany mine. The main problem in the dewatering of the Triassic ground is the presence of the water-filled karstic systems. After the cutting of the karstic channels or caverns by the mining workings an abrupt increase of the water inflow to the mine dewatering systems is observed. Karstic forms, as an intrinsic drainage systems for fissures and matrix porosity, are responsible for enlargement of the recharge zone of mines.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Adamczyk Z, Motyka J (2000) Water inflow to lead and zinc mines in the Olkusz area (SW Poland). Przegl. Geolog. 48(2):171–175 (in Polish)
Leach DL, Sangster DF (1993) Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits. In: Kirkham RV, Sinclair WD, Thorpe RI, Duke JM (eds.) Mineral deposit modeling. (pp. 289–314). Geol. Assoc. Can. Spec. Pap., 40
Motyka J (1998) A conceptual model of hydraulic networks in carbonate rocks, illustrated by examples from Poland. Hydrogeol. Jour. 6:469–482
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Motyka, J., Czop, M. (2010). Influence of Karst Phenomena on Water Inflow to Zn-Pb Mines in the Olkusz District (S Poland). In: Andreo, B., Carrasco, F., Durán, J., LaMoreaux, J. (eds) Advances in Research in Karst Media. Environmental Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12486-0_69
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12486-0_69
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-12485-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-12486-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)