Abandoned coal mines have lead to environmental issues concerning the enourmous volumes of water that are impacted by the extraction and combustion of this fossil fuel.  The focus of the assigned research project is the evaluation of a combination airborne sensing and geophysical technologies as well as corresponding ground-based technologies for addressing water pollution associated with fossil fuel extraction.  the purpose of this research project it to accurately delineate (or map) fracture zones in the Youghiogheny river where clean water is lost to or polluted water is gained from shallow underground coal mines that lie beneath the river channel.  the first step is to geo-reference mine maps provided by the NETL's Clean Water Team who will use these data for a hydrologic analysis of acid mine drainage discharging from the abandoned Banning and Davison Coal Mines, which are located in the lower segment of the river basin.  These mine workings, which cross beneath the river and along the bank of the river, are outlined between the railroad systems located on both sides of the Youghiogheny River.  The outlines will be overlaid with the thermal infrared data collected in Gebruary 2001 to locate fracture systems where mine drainage enters the river channel by artesian flow.  GPS locations of all hydrologic anomalies will be verified and mapped.  In addition, water quality and tempereature analysis will be performed at targeted locations in the river.  The Clean Water Team's technicians will also conduct stream gaging to verify any gains and loses of water within the system and electromagnetic conductivity surveys (in the river) to verify fracture zones in the river bed.

    With the geo-referencing of the mine maps completed, the next step will be to overlay airborne thermal infrared imagery over the mine maps and digital orthographic quarter quadrangle layers.  Subsequently, field verification of geo-rectification will be conducted, which will incorporate the application of GPS technology by location surface features shown on the mine maps and mine related discharges within and along the banks of the Youghiogheny River.  Finally, for underground workings that extend acrosss and/or beneath the river, high resolution, ground-based geophysical surveys will be completed in several segments of the river.