Post-mining landscape parameters for erosion control and the development of
MINErosion 3.01- an Integrated Erosion and Landscape design package. 

Assoc. Prof. Bing So and Dr Kamal Yatapanage

Funding: Australian Coal Association Research Program, BHP Coal Pty Ltd, MIM Holdings Ltd, Pacific Coal Pty Ltd, Curragh Queensland Mining Ltd, Callide Coalfields Pty Ltd, Capricorn Coal Management Pty, Arco Coal Australia, Inc and Kidston Goldmine Ltd.

The design of a post-mining landscape which achieves the prescribed erosion and run-off water quality standards set by regulatory authorities poses a significant problem for the open-cut coal mining industry.  The use of drag-lines results in a landscape consisting of a series of parallel spoil piles with slopes of approximately 75%.  To stabilise these spoil piles against erosion, they must be reshaped; however, reshaping is expensive and represents the major cost of any rehabilitation program.  This research program has developed methodologies to define the critical landscape parameters (degree, length of slope, and vegetative cover) for erosion control. These can be used to reduce the costs of spoil handling needed to achieve a stable landscape.

The program involves the coordination of research at the laboratory and field scale, including:

• examination of the factors which contribute to the development of erosion and concomitant salt release problems and the measurement of soil and spoil erodibilities from 15 open cut coal mines from Central Queensland, in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator and tilting flume; and the development of the MINErosion and SaltRO models.
   

• measurement of erodibility of materials at 15 open cut coal mines with a portable field rainfall simulators, in collaboration with Queensland Dept of Natural Resources and Mines in Toowoomba.  The field simulation studies have also assessed the effects of vegetation on infiltration and erosion; this has led to development of the PERFECT-GRASP-MUSCLE (PGM) module that can be used to derive appropriate combinations of slope length, gradient and vegetation that will result in acceptable erosion rates.
   

• assessment of sediment, water and salt movement under natural rainfall on instrumented plots and catchments at three representative mine sites in the Bowen Basin, in collaboration with Queensland Dept of Natural Resources and Mines in Emerald.
   

• calibration of erodibilities from catchments for a landscape evolution model (SIBERIA) from the University of Newcastle. This leads to the development of EAMS which links Siberia to earthworks design packages such as ARGUS, MINCOM and VULCAN.
   

• core recently, the development of an Integrated Erosion and Landscape Design Package, the MINErosion 3.01. The package is a total integrated package that can be used for the following purposes: (1) to design landscape parameters (slope length, slope gradients and vegetation) from laboratory based parameters, that will result in acceptable rates of erosion. (2) to predict potential erosion from single erosion events and annual soil loss, (3) to monitor erosion from consolidated and undisturbed landscapes, (4) to interpret data from field erosion plots, and (5) as an educational package into erosion processes and its interpretation. This package is available free from this website

Download instructions

Windows 95 and Windows 98 First Edition are NOT supported by MINErosion 3.01

1. To view a MS PowerPoint presentation of the Minerosion 3.01 software, download the following file - Introduction to MINErosion 3.01.ppt (1229 KB)

2. For assistance in setting up MINErosion3, download the following setup instructions - read me.txt (3 KB)

3a. Download MINErosion 3.01 for Windows 98 SE (second edition) - 9.7mb
3b. Download MINErosion 3.01 for Windows ME, 2000, NT & XP - 9.7mb

4. Support files available from the Microsoft web site -
dotnetfx.exe - Install critical updates from Windows Update.
mdac-typ.exe - Enter "mdac" in the keyword search box and download the latest version (>2.6).