Experience of digital interpretation of preliminary exploration data on ash dumps as manmade deposits

Numerous fly ash and bottom ash dumps after coal combustion at thermal power stations occupy large areas and represent manmade deposits, in point of fact. They contain valuable components but also present a certain geoecological risk as they are simultaneously waste dumps. In connection with this, to handle the issue of utilization of such waste and to reduce environmental pressure on the local area, it is required to undertake a set of preliminary investigations into quality factors of such waste dumps, including their potential hazards. One of the methods of such investigation, to embrace both the surface and depth of such mineral-bearing manmade objects, is the anticipatory (preliminary) geological exploration aimed to determine concentrations of useful and toxic components for the further processing and additional recovery of minerals. The proposed method based on instructional guidelines for the study and ecological–economic evaluation of manmade deposits, with authorial amendments, demonstrates usability of geological exploration and preliminary appraisal of mineral reserves at small resources and low funding. 

Manikovsky P. M., Sidorova G. P., Turkov Iu. A. Experience of digital interpretation of preliminary exploration data on ash dumps as manmade deposits. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2026;(1):43-58. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2026_1_0_43.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 24-27-20029. https://rscf.ru/project/24-27-20029.

P.M. Manikovsky¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, SPIN code: 9511-6257, e-mail: manikovskiypm@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0120-1627, Scopus Author ID: 57219316149,
G.P. Sidorova¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, SPIN code: 1416-5854, e-mail: druja@inbox.ru, ORCID ID: 0009-0004-5935-1961, Scopus Author ID: 615647, 
Iu.A. Turkov¹, Graduate Student, e-mail: TurkovYuA@nornik.ru,
¹ Transbaikal State University, 672039, Chita, Russia.

Sidorova G.P., e-mail: druja@inbox.ru.

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