Thesis supervisor: Tibor Novák
Location of studies (in Hungarian): Debrecen University, Debrecen, Egyetem Square 1. GeoMat Building 2/21 Abbreviation of location of studies: DE
Description of the research topic:
Abandoned coal mine waste deposits and heaps in lack of their complex reclamation are exposed to post-abandonment geoecological processes such as combustion, weathering, oxidation and alteration due to surface biological activity inducing considerable transformation of materials. The consequences and environmental risks of these processes are not known in detail in particular cases, e.g. in North Borsod coal mine region. This research aims to characterize the geoecological environment of abandoned coal mines and to study their pedological, geochemical and mineralogical processes as a consequent of the post-abandonment spontaneous regeneration.
In the first step of the research, a preliminary physico-chemical characterization of the source-material (bed-rock, parent material) and its derivatives transformed during mining and deposition (mining waste, mine spoil) as well as their weathering products coming from the post-abandonment development are requested. Grain-size distribution, bulk density, pore-volume, capillarity, mineral and element composition, microclimatic conditions, and vegetation cover of the spoil heaps have to be described. In the next step a geoecological typifying of spoil heaps according to their morphology, material composition, source material, age, soil and vegetation cover is required. Based on the preliminary studies, sampling sites for model construction will be chosen; all of relevant types and age classes have to be represented.
On selected sampling sites, field data collection has to be carried out in order to construct an input dataset for model-compilation, which allows an estimation and predictability of material transforms under the real geoecological (climatic, soil- and vegetation) conditions. For modelling of the pathways and fluxes of material transports samples of pore-infilling water, percolation water and groundwater on selected heaps has to be collected and trace or rare elements content should be determined. Chemical transformations, possible mobilization of elements and their consequences on potential soil-formation, carbon-sequestration, and contamination of percolating water have to be predicted by using model-output data.
The research have to contribute to the realistic environmental risk assessment of coal mine heaps and point on necessity of interventions to avoid mobilization of pollutants into surface and subsurface water courses, soils and geological formations.
Required language skills: English Recommended language skills (in Hungarian): Hungarian Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2018-05-15
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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