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Measuring Actual Evaporation Rates from a Tailings Pond
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- Author / Creator
- Ogloza, Janeen R.
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The focus of the research presented here was to directly measure actual evaporation rates from a tailings surface using a micrometeorological technique known as the eddy covariance method. Depending on the results, it would be determined whether current drying models need to be calibrated with these measurements. The eddy covariance method allows for continuous observation of large areas, without disturbing the area of interest, which in this case is the test cell. The eddy covariance method typically operates over large areas, such as forest, ocean, plains, and the data is typically trimmed by quality. However, large portions of data are rarely removed from the data analysis, as was the case for this research due to the relatively small size of the test cell. This excessive trimming did make the interpretation of the data difficult. Nevertheless, once the footprint analysis was complete it was clear why gaps or sudden changes in the data were seen. To combat this issue, it was concluded that the system should be placed over the center of a larger, more active pond. Actual evaporation rates were found to be low, which suggests current drying models that use reduced potential evaporation rates maybe overestimating how much dewatering is occurring.
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2017
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Science
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.