Transprt and Fate of Zn and Cu Rich, Low pH Water in Surface and Ground Water from Porphyry Copper and Related Ore Deposits, Basin and Range Province, Southeastern Arizona

摘要

Understanding sources of dissolved metals and transport characteristics of acid drainage is needed to assist land-use strategies in mineralized egions, paritcularly in the semi-arid southwestern United States. Water-quality samples were collected from mined and un-mined parts of the Patagonia and southern Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona from streams, springs, seeps, adits, alluvia wells, and bedrock wells. Water quality during base-flow conditions was compared with that of runoff samples from infrequent winter and summer storms. The largest fraction of annual discharge in these ephemeral streams consists of storm runoff, although springs provide a steady source of low discharge base flow to numerous intermittent perennial reaches.