The development of acidic groundwaters in coal-bearing strata: Part I. Rare earth element fingerprinting

This study examines the rare earth element (REE) pattern of acidic mine discharges in the Durham basin (NE England) as a means of fingerprinting their sources and understanding the water-rock interactions Although whole rock compositions proved to be unhelpful, mimicking acid mine water generation in a series of selective leachates of the coal and coal-bearing strata gave REE patterns similar to those measured in the emergent waters. REE ratios and anomalies were used as indicators of specific interactions in the development of acidic groundwater. The implications of the findings for the classification and evolution of acid mine discharges are discussed.