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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Deployment and Retrieval of Mineral Samplers

Deployment and Retrieval of Mineral Samplers

Published on: January 20, 2026

Use of tracers to quantify subsurface flow through a mining pit.

S Geoffrey Schladow¹, Jordan F Clark

¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA. gschladow@ucdavis.edu

Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America

|May 30, 2009

Summary

Tracer experiments reveal significant water through-flow from Herman Pit, an abandoned mercury mine, to Clear Lake. This study quantifies a flow rate much higher than previously estimated.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Hydrology
Geochemistry

Background:

Abandoned mercury mines pose environmental risks due to potential water contamination.
Understanding water flow dynamics is crucial for assessing contaminant transport from mine pits to adjacent water bodies.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the through-flow rate of water from Herman Pit to Clear Lake using independent tracer experiments.
To compare new flow rate estimates with previous indirect measures.

Main Methods:

Conducted three independent tracer experiments using Rhodamine-WT, sulfur hexafluoride, and a mixture of sulfur hexafluoride and neon-22.
Injected tracers into Herman Pit and monitored concentrations in the pit, observation wells, and Clear Lake for 2-3 months.
Applied a simple mass balance model to estimate advective loss rates and through-flow.

Main Results:

Tracer breakthrough occurred in observation wells within days, indicating rapid subsurface flow.
Significant heterogeneity in tracer arrival times across wells was observed.
Tracer presence in Clear Lake confirmed a hydrological connection between the pit and the lake.
Estimated through-flow rate of approximately 630 L/s, significantly higher than prior estimates.

Conclusions:

The through-flow rate from Herman Pit is substantial, orders of magnitude greater than previously inferred.
Tracer experiments provide a direct and reliable method for quantifying mine pit through-flow.
Findings highlight the urgent need for effective management strategies to mitigate potential mercury (Hg) contamination risks to Clear Lake.