Martín Crespo, TomásGómez Ortiz, DavidPryimak, VladyslavaMartín Velázquez, SilviaRodríguez Santalla, InmaculadaRopero-Szymañska, NikolettaIgnacio San José, Cristina de2023-06-222023-06-222023-03-032072-429210.3390/rs15051423https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/73352More than twenty years after the last mining operations were completed in the Hiendelaencina Mining District, it is necessary to carry out a geochemical characterisation of the tailings stored in two contiguous mine ponds. Both have significant amounts of quartz, siderite, barite and muscovite and show significant contents of As, Ba, Pb, Sb and Zn. The tailings show alkaline pH and low electrical conductivity values, which support the visual observation that rules out acid drainage into the environment. The comparison of the National Topographic Map of 1954 with LiDAR data from 2014 has allowed estimating the volume of abandoned waste. Based on the volume of slurry and its average density, the total tonnage of pollutants has been estimated at 279 ± 9 t stored in Pond North and 466 ± 11 t stored in Pond South. Although these are significant quantities that pose a risk to the environment and nearby populations, they are lower than those present in other Spanish districts, such as the Iberian Pyrite Belt or Cartagena-La Unión. The combined use of LiDAR data, aerial imagery and geochemical methods has proven to be very useful for the estimation of the volume of pollutants stored in mine ponds.engAtribución 3.0 Españahttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/journal articlehttps://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051423open access504.5:622(460.281)mine tailingsgeochemistryLiDAR datahazardous heavy metalsquantificationHiendelaencina (Spain)Edafología (Geología)GeoquímicaMineralogía (Geología)2511 Ciencias del Suelo (Edafología)2503 Geoquímica2506.11 Mineralogía