Reconnaissance Study of Mine-Water Temperatures in Hardrock Mining Districts of Montana. Annual Report, May 15, 1976--January 1, 1977

摘要

The data available at this time are summarized on histograms. The arithmetic average water temperature is 5.94 exp 0 C, while the average annual air temperature in western and central Montana is 4.97 exp 0 C. Considering that the average mine is located at a higher elevation than the average weather station, one would expect the mine areas to have a lower average annual air temperature. Because ground-water temperatures at modest depths closely approximate the mean annual air temperatures, the data available to date suggest very local flow systems with rapid flow through times for samples in most of the high temperature (10 exp 0 C or greater) cases. Two of the 10 exp 0 C discharges were at flow rates between 20 and 30 gpm, and these two mines will be noted for additional measurements when possible. While none of these data suggest that the mines inspected to date have intersected a significant flow of thermal water, data from the Swansea mine (elev. 5,760, mean annual air temperature 4 exp 0 C, measured water temperature 10 exp 0 C, and discharge 20 gpm) suggest that this discharge may qualify as a thermal water source. (ERA citation 04:014541)