Model of the Lomonosov diamond deposit as a water–rock system: Migration Species, Groundwater Saturation with Rock-Forming and Ore Minerals, and Ecological Assessment of Water Quality

Abstract

Thermodynamic numerical simulations were carried out to determine the principal simple and complex migration species of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al, B, Mn, Mo, Sr, and U with Cl^–, OH^–, SO₄⁻², HCO₃⁻, and CO₃²⁻ in waters at the Lomonosov diamond deposit and to estimate the saturation indexes with respect to kaolinite, Na- and Mg-montmorillonite, Mg- and Na-saponite, muscovite and paragonite, biotite, phlogopite, chromite, pyrite, plagioclase (anorthite, labradorite, and andesine), olivine (forsterite and fayalite), diopside, pyrope, gypsum, anhydrite, barite, magnesite, calcite, dolomite, talc, chrysotile, chlorite, goethite, quartz, microcline, and albite. The waters are proved not to be saturated with respect to the primary (hydrothermal) minerals. The saturation of certain water samples with uranophane suggests that this mineral is of secondary genesis. The ascent of highly mineralized deep waters shall result in the dissolution of minerals whose concentrations are near the saturation ones. To maintain the ecological standards of the discharged waters, they should be diluted and/or purified by adsorbing dissolved U on a reducing reactive barrier.