Computer applications for hydrologic analysis in mining and reclamation

摘要

Since the mid-1980's, the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), in cooperation with State and Tribal coal regulatory and reclamation agencies, has employed a series of technical software tools, under the framework of a program known as the Technical Information Processing System (TIPS). The TIPS program also provides state-of-the-art technical workstations to our State and Tribal partners for use and administration of these software tools. Currently, UNIX-based workstations and software are being replaced by new workstations and servers operating Microsoft Windows NT. This has necessitated a re-evaluation of the technical software to bring legacy UNIX and DOS-based applications to an NT-platform standard. In 1999, a team of State and OSM scientists andengineers evaluated off-the-shelf hydrologic software. The functional areas covered by this review are: (1) aquifer test analyses: software used to evaluate aquifer parameters such as hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and storativity; (2) ground-water flow and contaminant transport modeling: application of aquifer parameter data and a U. S. Geological Survey-developed modeling code (MODFLOW) to a conceptual model of subsurface flow and transport conditions for evaluations of ground-water flow andcontaminant transport; (3) watershed chemistry and storm runoff analysis: software for studying watershed surface-water quality and storm/runoff characteristics in both small and large watersheds; (4) erosion and sedimentation/channel and impoundment design: supplements to the existing core TIPS software SEDCAD and SURVCADD; and (5) water chemistry analysis: hydrochemical software used for statistical and graphical analysis of both baseline and post-mining data. Used together these hydrologic tools in conjunction with other geologic and engineering software form a powerful analytical software toolbox for scientists and engineers conducting permit review and reclamation design as mandated by the Surface Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977.