Mineral traps for greenhouse gases in mine tailings : a protocol for verifying and quantifying CO₂ sequestration in ultramafic mines ...

• Main Author: Wilson, Siobhan Alexandra
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2009
• Subjects: Northwest Territories; Canada; Diavik Diamond Mine; Mount Keith
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0052719; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0052719

Mineralization of CO₂ in ultramafic mine tailings can occur on a scale that is significant relative to the greenhouse gas emissions of a mine. Consequently, some active mining operations may be able to take advantage of carbon mineralization within their tailings to offset part of their greenhouse gas emissions. The secondary Mg-carbonate minerals that form in mine tailings are safe and durable traps for carbon and their presence can represent substantial disposal of atmospheric CO₂. Hydrated Mg-carbonate minerals precipitate within mine tailings from the Diavik Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada, and the Mount Keith Nickel Mine, Western Australia, Australia. An improved understanding of the carbon cycle in mine tailings, and the contribution of mineralogical and geochemical strategies for assessing carbon mineralization in ultramafic mine tailings, are achieved by studying these sites. Quantitative mineralogical procedures, which use X-ray powder diffraction data, are developed for quantifying low ...