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1. Case studies and archaeological feedback

Reconstruction of the Mine Plan in Szklary (Poland) Using ERT

Mikolaj Zawadzki, Helena Ciechowska, Radoslaw Mieszkowski et Franciszek Pęski
p. 147-150

Résumé

– The final result of the project is to create a 2D model of the mine plan based on the results of the geophysical measurements.

– ERT was chosen as the primary method in this project due to the fact that the voids and the air have a very high resistivity (3,3 ∙ 1016Ωm). Voids are very well recognizable on the ERT results.

– Using of the Seismic Refraction Tomography (SRT) is planned on some profiles. SRT is the method rarely used in archaeogeophysical research.

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Entrées d’index

Keywords:

ERT, GIS, mine, plan, reconstruction
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Texte intégral

In 2020, the AMMy project was supported by a money grant from the International Society for Archeological Prospection (ISAP).

The nickel mine in Szklary

1The nickel mine in Szklary (Poland) was opened in 1890 and it was worked until 1920 as an underground mine with the deepest shafts and corridors reaching about 100 m below ground level. The opening of an open-pit mine by then Friedrich Krupp company in 1935 led to the collapse of most of the structures on the five subterranean levels of the mine (Furmankiewicz & Krzyżanowski, 2008). The mine was closed in 1993 when nickel mining stopped being sufficiently profitable. The mine infrastructure fell into ruin in the 1990s (Furmankiewicz & Krzyżanowski, 2008).

Project “Abandoned Mine Mystery” (AMMy)

2The main objective of the project is to reconstruct the plan of the mine and create a 2D model using geophysical methods (Electrical Resistivity tomography [ERT], proton magnetometer and Seismic Refraction tomography [SRT]) combined with GIS. For starters, the mine infrastructure has to be localized on a historical plan of the “Robert” adit and georeferenced in order to establish the geophysical profiles. Once the surveys are completed, the data should be assessed to see whether the various features of the infrastructure match up with the historical plan. Corrected georeferencing of the plan will serve as a basis for creating the 2D model.

3The georeferenced spatial data was imported into a GIS database in QGIS providing georeferencing for the archival plan of the mine (Fig. 1). This was possible thanks to the known location of the main entrance to the “Robert” adit is known, as well as the now partly damaged second entrance. ERT profiles were established to cover the elements of the mine infrastructure as seen on the georeferenced historical plan. The project is in the early stages with two preliminary ERT profiles being measured in December 2019 by a group of students, in cooperation with the University of Warsaw Faculty of Geology.

Figure 1. Satellite image (geoportal.gov.pl) of the studied area with a vectorized mine plan charted on the image.

Figure 1. Satellite image (geoportal.gov.pl) of the studied area with a vectorized mine plan charted on the image.

4ERT measures the resistivity of an artificially induced electric field in specific geological structures (Dahl in Zhou, 2004) in ohm meters [Ω.m] (Keller & Frischknecht, 1966). The method was chosen for this project because the voids left by mine infrastructure and the air in them have a very high resistivity (3.3 1016 Ω.m) (Halliday et al., 2007) and are easily recognized in the ERT results. Assuming the underground voids were flooded by water, then this mineralized underground water has a very low resistivity and is also easily recognizable as an anomaly.

ERT results

5Four 100 m profiles were measured with a 5-m electrode spacing (instead of 2-m spacing) to increase the electric current penetration depth to 80 m, depth being considered more important for the objectives of the project than the much greater resolution of measurements offered by the 2-m spacing (Fig. 2). A gradient electrode array was used. The results were satisfactory (Fig. 3): high resistivity anomalies interpreted as post-mining voids are marked as P. They could represent the remains of the mining corridors. Low resistivity anomalies are marked as N and are believed to be voids filled with ground water. An interesting low resistivity anomaly on the ERT_2 profile was marked as W. It is about 50 m long and just as high. The current hypothesis is that it represents a void filled with naturally occurring ground water, because naturally occurring ground water fills more space than the water in the post-mining voids.

Figure 2. The team at work in the Szklary mine (Author: H. Ciechowska).

Figure 2. The team at work in the Szklary mine (Author: H. Ciechowska).

Figure 3. ERT results. Dashed lines indicate high and low resistivity anomalies, interpreted as remains of collapsed mine infrastructure.

Figure 3. ERT results. Dashed lines indicate high and low resistivity anomalies, interpreted as remains of collapsed mine infrastructure.

Future research

6Measurements with a proton magnetometer have been carried out on successive geophysical profiles and will be compared with the results of the ERT measurements once these have been completed. Seismic Refraction tomography (SRT), a method seldom used in archaeo-geophysical research, is planned on some of the profiles depending on the ERT results. A comparison of the ERT and SRT results could be of interest.

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Bibliographie

Dahlin, T., Zhou, B., 2004. A numerical comparison of 2D resistivity imaging with 10 electrode arrays. Geophysical Prospecting, 52: 379-398.

Furmankiewicz, M., Krzyżanowski, K., 2008. Podziemne relikty kopalni niklu w Szklarach. Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wrocławskiej, Wrocław.

Halliday, D., Resnick, R., Walker, J., 2007. Fundamentals of Physics, Wiley.

Keller, G.V., Frischknecht, F.C., 1966. Electrical methods in geophysical prospecting, Pergamon Press Inc., Oxford.

Loke, M.H., 2004. Tutorial: 2-D and 3-D electrical imaging surveys. http://www.ualberta.ca.

Loke, M.H., Barker, R.D., 1996. Rapid least-squares in version of apparent resistivity pseudo sections by a quasi-Newton method. Geophysical Prospecting, 44: 131-152.

Loke, M.H., Alfouzan, F.A., Nawawi, M.N.M., 2007. Optimisation of electrode arrays used in 2D resistivity imaging surveys. ASEG Extended abstracts, 2007(1): 1-4.

Mieszkowski, R., Zawrzykaj, P., Wójcik, E., Żmudzin, D., Popielski, P., 2017. Evaluation of the applicability of GPR and resistivity methods for identifying loose zones in non-cohesive soils. Przegląd Geologiczny, 65: 779-784.

Pacanowski, G., Sokołowska, M., Mieszkowski, R., 2016. Geoelectrical imaging of complex geological structures of Morasko hill in Poznań. Przegląd Geologiczny, 64: 238-244.

Pasierb, B., Nawrocki, W., 2020. Not only the “Gold Train” – the “Underground town” of Riese (Poland) – the ambiguity of interpretation of ERT and GPR methods, Wiley.

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Table des illustrations

Titre Figure 1. Satellite image (geoportal.gov.pl) of the studied area with a vectorized mine plan charted on the image.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/9184/img-1.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 7,1M
Titre Figure 2. The team at work in the Szklary mine (Author: H. Ciechowska).
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/9184/img-2.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 3,8M
Titre Figure 3. ERT results. Dashed lines indicate high and low resistivity anomalies, interpreted as remains of collapsed mine infrastructure.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/9184/img-3.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 2,3M
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Référence papier

Mikolaj Zawadzki, Helena Ciechowska, Radoslaw Mieszkowski et Franciszek Pęski, « Reconstruction of the Mine Plan in Szklary (Poland) Using ERT »ArcheoSciences, 45-1 | 2021, 147-150.

Référence électronique

Mikolaj Zawadzki, Helena Ciechowska, Radoslaw Mieszkowski et Franciszek Pęski, « Reconstruction of the Mine Plan in Szklary (Poland) Using ERT »ArcheoSciences [En ligne], 45-1 | 2021, mis en ligne le 16 août 2021, consulté le 22 janvier 2026. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/9184 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/archeosciences.9184

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Auteurs

Mikolaj Zawadzki

Corresponding author, Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw

Helena Ciechowska

Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw

Radoslaw Mieszkowski

Department of Hydrogeology and Geophysics, Faculty of Geology, University of Warsaw

Franciszek Pęski

Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw

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