Investigating the potential impacts of climate change on mine water resources: Central Scotland as a case study.

Mine water in disused flooded coal mines is a potentially valuable low carbon heat source. This mine water must be resilient to the impacts of climate change. Changes in temperature and rainfall could affect mine water resources, but the range of impacts and, crucially, whether they are negative or positive – and how they are developed and operated – have not been researched to date. This research is investigating, for the first time, the impacts of climate change on mine water resources. 

To understand these impacts, we work at two mine water heat prospect case study locations in Central Scotland. We selected one on the east coast and one on the west coast to investigate and account for different rainfall patterns. Since May 2023 we have been undertaking field monitoring and subsequent lab analysis to examine seasonal and longer-term changes. In the field, we analyse mine water levels/recharge, chemistry, temperature, and gases (CO₂ and CH₄). In the lab we test for parameters that could be affected by climate change e.g. conductivity, total dissolved solids; a minimum mine water suite e.g. iron; and a standard suite of anions and cations. Additionally, to expand our geographical and temporal coverage, we are collating secondary data from sources including the Mining Remediation Authority, UK Geoenergy Observatories (UKGEOS), and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).   

Here, we present (a) an assessment of potential impacts of climate change on mine water, (b) early insights into seasonal variation and potential causes and impacts, (c) emerging implications, and (d) future work.