Beyond the cone of depression: Multi-aquifer system response to long-term mine drainage in a structurally controlled setting

Beyond the cone of depression: Multi-aquifer system response to long-term mine drainage in a structurally controlled setting | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Beyond the cone of depression: Multi-aquifer system response to long-term mine drainage in a structurally controlled setting Przemysław Wnęk This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7043830/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Mine Water and the Environment → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Understanding the spatial extent and variability of groundwater drawdown induced by mine drainage remains a challenge in structurally complex hydrogeological settings. In multi-aquifer systems, where aquifers are vertically and laterally compartmentalized, classical models of the cone of depression often fail to capture real-world dynamics. This study analyses over three decades of piezometric monitoring data from a multi-aquifer system affected by porphyry open-pit mining in southern Poland. The system comprises Permian, Jurassic and Quaternary aquifers, with distinct structural and hydrogeological characteristics. This study shows that long-term mine drainage causes strongly directional and anisotropic drawdown, concentrated within the fractured Permian laccolith. In contrast, the Jurassic and Quaternary aquifers remain mostly unaffected, except in areas where structural and lithological conditions allow vertical or lateral hydraulic connectivity — such as fault-guided pathways, hydrogeological windows or zones of direct overlying contact. The findings demonstrate that the extent of mine drainage influence on groundwater systems is governed by multiple factors and exhibits strong directional variability, depending on the geological structure, the continuity of aquitards, and anisotropy of groundwater flow controlled by fault zones. The results illustrate how long-term piezometric monitoring can detect spatially constrained groundwater responses in compartmentalized multi-aquifer systems and improve the evaluation of mine drainage impact in geologically complex settings. Mine drainage cone of depression multi-aquifer system fault zone hydrogeology piezometric monitoring Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Mine Water and the Environment → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 15 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 06 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 03 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7043830","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":485683222,"identity":"63941252-cfcb-416b-b7cd-7f78d3b17f5a","order_by":0,"name":"Przemysław Wnęk","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACZijNxviAgeEAkJEAxAXEaWE2QGgxIE4LmwRRWgxuNx82LtxTJ6fb3pZW8ePXHQZ+9hwD5gJ8Wu4cS06e8YzN2OzMsWM3e/ueMUj2vDFgnoFHi9mNHOPDPAd4ErfdSG+7wdtzmMHgBtAWHrxa8j8DtUjUb7v/vK3wL1CLPWEtOczJPAcMEsxusB1j5vkBtEWCgBb7G2nGxjMOJBhuO5OWLC3bcJhH4syzgsP4/CI5I/mxdMGBOnmz48cMP775c1iOvz154+OCCtxaQIAZzmJsY+AB0Yfxa0DWwvAHQ2QUjIJRMApGAQMAznRVjqThroUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7117-7344","institution":"AGH University of Krakow: Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza im Stanislawa Staszica w Krakowie","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Przemysław","middleName":"","lastName":"Wnęk","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-04 07:01:03","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7043830/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7043830/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-026-01117-9","type":"published","date":"2026-03-24T16:10:24+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105755166,"identity":"3b0ec56b-b04c-4e8d-95b5-737c52a7832b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-30 16:26:01","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1584128,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Beyondtheconeofdepression.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7043830/v1_covered_41356961-8cc4-44c9-92c3-83365f9d83b0.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Beyond the cone of depression: Multi-aquifer system response to long-term mine drainage in a structurally controlled setting","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"mine-water-and-the-environment","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"mwen","sideBox":"Learn more about [Mine Water and the Environment](http://link.springer.com/journal/10230)","snPcode":"10230","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/mwen/default2.aspx","title":"Mine Water and the Environment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Mine drainage, cone of depression, multi-aquifer system, fault zone hydrogeology, piezometric monitoring","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7043830/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7043830/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Understanding the spatial extent and variability of groundwater drawdown induced by mine drainage remains a challenge in structurally complex hydrogeological settings. 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