A Computer Program to Simulate Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport in the Vicinity of Active and Reclaimed Strip Mines: A User's Guide

This manual describes a computer model that was developed to study the influence of coal strip mining on groundwater flow systems and to simulate the transport of generated contaminants, both spatially and in time, in the vicinity of a mine. Through the use of this model, it is possible to solve for the hydraulic head distribution and the position of the water table within a two-dimensional region and for the location of seepage faces at the mine as a function of time. All three phases of a strip mining scenario can be simulated: the pre-mining regional groundwater flow system; the mining and reclamation phase; and the post-mining water level readjustment phase. A finite element technique, utilizing linear triangular elements is used to solve for the hydraulic head distribution and the groundwater velocity field. A deterministic - probalistic technique is used to model the transport of contaminants that are generated at the mine through the flow system. The mass transportation portion of the model can account for convection, dispersion, and caption exchange. The model is sufficiently general to enable the user to specify virtually any type of geological conditions, mining scenario and boundary conditions. Emphasis has been placed on developing a model which is simple to operate, Should changes to the model be necessary to handle special problems, the program is sufficiently documented so that changes should be easily facilitated.