Tracer Tests in flooded underground mines
Tracer tests are a common means to investigate the hydrogeological conditions in the hydrosphere. Nevertheless, only few successful tracer tests in flooded underground mines have been described. In two flooded German underground mines tracer tests with club moss spores (Lycopodium clavatum) and microspheres had been conducted by the use of the LydiA technique. Both times, effective velocities between 1 and 8 m min could be calculated and a good hydraulic connection between the mines’ parts investigated could be proved. Lycopodium Apparatus (LydiA)
The Author Would like to Thank
The term " macroprudential " : origins and evolution 1 In the wake of the recent financial crisis, the term " macroprudential " has become a true buzzword. A core element of international efforts to strengthen the financial system is to enhance the macroprudential orientation of regulatory and supervisory frameworks. Yet the term was little used before the crisis, and its meaning remains obscure. This special feature traces the term's origins to the late 1970s, in the context of work on international bank lending carried out under the aegis of the Euro-currency Standing Committee at the BIS. It then describes its changing fortunes until its recent rise to prominence. The term " macroprudential " has become a true buzzword in the wake of the recent financial crisis, surging to prominence from virtual obscurity in the space of a few months. A quick internet search reveals no fewer than 123,000 references since January 2008. By contrast, there are only around 5,000 hits for the period between 2000 and the end of 2007. The popularity of the term is not surprising: a core element of the international policy response to the crisis is to strengthen the macroprudential orientation of financial regulation and supervision, ie an enhanced focus on the financial system as a whole and its link to the macroeconomy. 2 Yet the term's origins and its exact meaning remain obscure. Against that background, this article traces its origins and evolution to the present day. The origins: concerns over international lending in the late 1970s It is not easy to pinpoint exactly when the term " macroprudential " was first used. BIS records suggest that its first appearance in an international context dates back to 1979, at a meeting of the Cooke Committee (the forerunner of the present Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, BCBS). The meeting, which took place on 28–29 June 1979, discussed the potential collection of Early use of the term " macroprudential " … Upper for helpful comments. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the BIS.
Effects of Mine Drainage on Ground Watera
Coal mining in Appalachia has degraded both the surface and ground water. During mining, ground water is drained from the rocks and the pyrite associated with the coal beds is exposed to air. Oxidation of the pyrite produces high iron ana sulfate concentration and a low pH in the water. Some of this polluted water flows directly into nearby streams and some moves into the ground-water system. When the latter occurs, the iron concentration can increase up to several hundred mg/1 and the sulfates to over one thousand mg/1. Unfortunately, in most cases the cessation of mining does not stop the ground-water pollution, and it can take many decades before the ground water again becomes usable. 
 
A detailed study of the effects of coal mining on ground water was conducted in the Toms Run drainage basin in northwestern Pennsylvania where coal mining and oil and gas well drilling have occurred for almost 100 years. The rocks of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Age produce a multiaquifer system–three major aquifers separated by siltstone and shale beds (aquitatdes). The oil and gas wells act as a conduit system permitting acid mine drainage to move downward from the strip mines to underlying aquifers. It then moves laterally down dip and discharges as springs. The acid mine drainage adversely affects the ground-water quality by increasing the iron and sulfate content of the water especially in the vicinity of the strip mines.