Active Applications: Acid Mine Drainage | Application Areas

Active Applications: Acid Mine Drainage

Overview

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the mining industry’s most significant environmental challenges, occurring when iron sulfide minerals react with air and water to form sulfuric acid, often releasing toxic metals. EMIT maps surface mineral composition, helping to identify areas affected by AMD remotely. By detecting unique spectral signatures of AMD-related minerals, EMIT reduces improves our understanding of contamination impacts. These insights support efficient monitoring, risk assessment, and targeted remediation efforts to mitigate environmental impacts.

amd — EMIT AMD-relevant mineral identifications from Iron Mountain Mine, California. EMIT mineral identifications map acidic sulfates (such as schwertmannite and jarosite) to mine related surface disturbances. The spatial distribution of these minerals can indicate zones of acidic pH and high leachability of toxic metals following idealized mine waste alteration patterns (Swayze et al., 2000).

AMD is severe in the western U.S., where tens of thousands of abandoned mines require evaluation and remediation, affecting thousands of kilometers of waterways. Given the vast scale of the problem and limited remediation resources, EMIT offers a powerful approach for AMD characterization. Current efforts are focused on integrating AMD risk assessment products into the public EMIT portal and collaborating with existing mine risk assessment initiatives using data fusion. More information can be found at EMIT Mined Lands Github Repo and the EMIT Data Portal.