DISCUSSION of C.W. Langenberg, F.J. Hein, D. Lawton and J. Cunningham: Seismic modeling of fluvial-estuarine deposits in the Athabasca oil sands using ray-tracing techniques, Steepbank River area, northeastern Alberta

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Ranger
Keyword(s):  
Ray Tracing ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Seismic Modeling ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Tracing Techniques ◽  
Northeastern Alberta

Fish tainting in the Alberta oil sands region: a review of current knowledge

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janelle L. Tolton ◽  
Rozlyn F. Young ◽  
Wendy V. Wismer ◽  
Phillip M. Fedorak
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
The Media ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Tailings Ponds

The Athabasca oil sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada represent the second largest petroleum reserve in the world. The process of extracting bitumen from the oil sands uses huge volumes of water, drawn from sources in the Athabasca River basin, and numerous mining companies operate adjacent to the river. Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) from open pit mining is placed in large settling basins or tailings ponds that have the potential to leak. The goal is to eventually reclaim the tailings ponds to become functional ecosystems. Natural outcrops of oil sands in contact with surface waters also occur, and there are anecdotal reports in the media that fish caught near the Athabasca oil sands have an unusual flavor or odor. Several analytical and sensory studies have been undertaken to address this issue. Two major questions related to fish tainting arise: (1) Do the current oil sands mining, extraction and upgrading processes cause fish tainting in surrounding waters? (2) What is the tainting potential for fish that become established in reclaimed waters in the future? This review examines the types of compounds in OSPW that might contribute to tainting and the sensory science literature available related to fish tainting and the oil sands.

scholarly journals Opportunistic wetland formation, characterization, and quantification on landforms reclaimed to upland ecosites in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 953-970
Author(s):  
Virgil C. Hawkes ◽  
Michael T. Miller ◽  
Julio Novoa ◽  
Ebere Ibeke ◽  
Joshua P. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Wetland Delineation ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Wet Meadow ◽  
Fourfold Increase ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands Region ◽  
Total Study Area ◽  
Northeastern Alberta

AbstractSurface mine operators in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of northeastern Alberta are required by regulation to mitigate habitat impacts resulting from their operations, including impacts to wetlands. To date, most land reclamation efforts have focused on recreating upland forestlands that resemble the surrounding natural (dry) boreal forest. However, the surficial conditions on these reclaimed upland sites can also promote spontaneous wetland development. At Suncor’s Base Plant mine, opportunistic wetlands occurring on reclamation sites have not been formally included in the current inventory of reclaimed wetland areas and remain largely unquantified. We characterized and delineated an estimated 210 ha of opportunistic wetlands (consisting of shallow open water, marshes, and swamps) using aerial photo interpretation and remote sensing analysis in combination with follow-up field verifications. The remote-based (desktop) delineations consistently underestimated actual wetland extents, due mainly to underestimations in the extent of non-inundated vegetation zones (e.g., wet meadow) as well as shrubby swamp. After field corrections, opportunistic wetland habitat was estimated to constitute ~ 17% of the total study area (1209 ha), representing more than a fourfold increase in aerial wetland extent associated with reclaimed landforms over that delineated prior to this study. The interspersion of opportunistic wetlands with upland reclaimed landforms, although unintended, more closely reflects the pre-disturbance landscape, which was characterized by a matrix of forestlands, peatlands, and mineral wetlands (in contrast to the more peatland-dominated lowlands). At Suncor, wetland vegetation composition varied significantly across the study area and was influenced by topographic variation (e.g., in elevation and % slope) in combination with the reclamation substrates (soils) that were placed prior to seeding/planting. Thus, the inclusion of opportunistic wetland delineation in reclamation tracking and closure planning merits consideration as does the opportunity to manipulate current reclamation practices to promote the establishment and persistence of wetlands on reclaimed landforms.

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