The evaporation fluxes from a platinum tailings beach were measured before,
during and after a period of slurry deposition. The time series measurements were
made using a surface renewal system, set up above the tailings beach.
Results of the measured evaporation were compared with atmospheric potential evaporation. The comparisons demonstrated that actual evaporation was lower than potential prior to deposition, equal to potential during, as well as following deposition, and finally lower than potential some days after cessation of deposition.
These phenomena were assumed to result from the simultaneous evaporation drying and consolidation processes in the deposited layer, and implication for appropriate beach surface boundary conditions for finite element modelling of the tailings, were developed and tested. The final outcome will contribute to realistic simulation of the ingress and fate of slurry water and rain in tailings impoundments.
