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Water Needs And Recovery Pathways For The Great Salt Lake, David Tarboton, Sarah Null, Bethany Neilson

Spring Runoff Conference

Main Points 

• Levels of GSL inherently fluctuate because of variability in precipitation and temperature that drive inflow and evaporation 
• Reductions in inflows due to water use are superimposed on this variability 
• Consistent delivery of conserved water offers the opportunity to shift the range of lake levels upwards reducing the occurrence of serious adverse effects and increasing the potential for healthy lake levels 
• Adding 250 thousand-acre ft/year reduces the occurrence of serious adverse effects from 61% to 28% over the long term 
• Adding 800 thousand-acre ft/year shifts the mean of variable lake levels to the lower end of the healthy lake …

Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, Laura Vernon

Spring Runoff Conference

What is the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan? A roadmap for managing water in ways that promote a healthy lake and a high quality of life in the basin.

Microplastics As Physical Hubs Amplifying Antiobiotic Resistance Under Mixed-Contaminant Selection In Wastewater Systems, Liyuan Hou

Spring Runoff Conference

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic particles within the range of (0.1 mm to 5 mm) in size

Integrating Hydrology And Human Water Footprints: A Case Study Of The Great Salt Lake Watershed, Rocky Lynne Seeley

Spring Runoff Conference

A new model, comprehensively integrating hydrologic, water footprint, and virtual water data

A Conversation On Water, Camille Touton

Spring Runoff Conference

A conversation on water presentation at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

What’S Next In Water Leasing Panel, Scott Hotaling, Adam Wickline, Hannah Freeze, Matt Anderson, Peter Stanton, Mitch Hancock

Spring Runoff Conference

Panel on water leasing at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

Balancing Water Needs In Walker Basin, Peter Stanton

Spring Runoff Conference

Walker Lake 

Supported 50% of Mineral County economy 

Traditional homeland of Walker River Paiute Tribe (Agai Dicutta) 

World-class fishery

Annual Loon Festival

Utah’S Water Network Panel, Brad Mortensen, Kelly Pehrson, Nate Daugs, Brad Parry, Lindsie Smith, Camille Touton, Megan Nelson

Spring Runoff Conference

A panel on Utah's water network at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

2026 Northern Utah Water Champion Award, Spring Runoff Conference

Spring Runoff Conference

Recognizes individuals who have demonstrated sustained, meaningful contributions to the stewardship, management, governance, or understanding of water in Northern Utah.

Utah State University’S Water Legacy, Brad Mortensen

Spring Runoff Conference

Utah State University's President, Brad Mortensen, presents at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

Discovery Of Quasi-Carbon Nanotube Structures In Tectonically Deformed Coals And Their Formation Mechanisms, Li Yunbo, Wang Rongqi, Song Dangyu, Wang Chengtao, Li Qiang, Yi Ke, Wang Yuanyuan, Pan Jienan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted wide attention due to their unique structures and performance. However, their artificial synthesis requires stringent conditions, including high temperatures (700 ℃ to 2 300 ℃), stable carbon sources, and catalysts. Furthermore, these structures are rarely discovered in nature. As a carbon-rich medium, coals can form a variety of ordered carbon structures during their metamorphic and deformational processes, serving as an ideal carrier for exploring the formation mechanisms of natural CNTs.Methods Typical tectonically deformed coals from the Pingdingshan and Huaibei mining areas were investigated in this study. After demineralization and chloroform extraction, coal samples …

Dynamic Evolution Of Rock Mechanical Properties Of Coal Seam Roofs Under Thermal Loading: A Case Study Of The Baikouquan Area, Xinjiang, China, Sun Fangfang, Li Xin, Sang Shuxun, Qu Huailin, Yang Shuguang, Wei Bo, Wang Ziqiang, Zhang Bin, Chen Yanpeng, Tian Wenling

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Underground coal gasification (UCG) represents a key technology for the clean utilization of coal resources. However, during the UCG process, thermal damage to surrounding rocks under thermal effects directly affects the stability and engineering safety of gasification channels.Methods To address the thermal damage to surrounding rocks during UCG, this study investigated the silty mudstones and coarse-grained sandstones in the coal seam roof of the Xishanyao Formation, Baikouquan area, Xinjiang. Through high-temperature uniaxial compression experiments, combined with characterization methods like X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), this study delved into the dynamic evolutionary patterns of rock mechanical …

Coupling Mechanisms Of Fracture Propagation And Proppant Transport Indeep Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, Guo Xiaodong, Zhang Shicheng, Zhang Jingchen, Zhou Changjing, Zhang Chengsheng, Qiu Shixin, Xi Xiangrui

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objectives and Methods Deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs commonly exhibit well-developed beddings, strong mechanical heterogeneity, and high in-situ stress gradients. These characteristics result in pronounced nonlinear fracture propagation and strong multi-field coupling effects during hydraulic fracturing. Consequently, it is challenging to accurately describe the mechanisms governing fracture complexity in deep coal reservoirs using conventional mechanical models for fractures. Using a super-large true triaxial system with dimensions of 2.0 m × 2.0 m × 1.0 m, this study conducted physical simulation experiments on hydraulic fracturing under varying injection rates and viscosities of fracturing fluids. In combination with fracture mechanics and energy …

Advances In Research On Mechanisms And Prevention And Control Technologies For Solid-Phase Production In Hydraulically Fractured Coalbed Methane Wells, Zhang Fengsan, Wu Jinqiao, Lin Jin, Li Yu, Zhang Ying, Li Bing, Zhang Guobiao, Sun Ying, Gan Yuke

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The effective coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation using hydraulic fracturing wells is severely constrained by two major solid-phase production issues: coal fines blockage and proppant flowback. The mechanisms behind both issues are associated with complex interplays between geological conditions and engineering disturbances. This study presents a systematic review of the current status of domestic and international research on the mechanisms of the solid-phase production, as well as relevant prevention and control methods. Furthermore, future research directions are proposed.Advances The solid-phase production in hydraulically fractured CBM wells essentially arises from flow-solid-chemical multi-field coupling processes under interplays between geological conditions and …

Characteristics And Mechanisms Of The Adsorption Of Shales For Ba2+ In Fracturing Fluids, Xie Chenyang, Liu Bo, Zhang Yuting, Zhu Fang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objectives and Methods Large-scale hydraulic fracturing represents a key technology for shale gas exploitation. However, engineering practices indicate that the flowback rates of fracturing fluids are low and vary significantly across different blocks. Furthermore, some components in fracturing fluids may cause groundwater contamination. To explore the adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of Ba²⁺ within fracturing fluids in shale reservoirs, this study investigated four typical types of samples, including shale and three shale samples with different compositions, from the Longmaxi Formation in the Changning Block, southern Sichuan Basin. Systematic experiments were conducted on the adsorption of shales with different mineral …

Predicting The Risk Of Water-Sand Inrushes From Coal Seam Roofs Based On A Small-Size Sample Dataset, Zhang Wenquan, Li Zixu, Zhu Xianxiang, Qiu Wei, Zhang Chengjie

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The eastern and northern regions of China exhibit thick unconsolidated layers and thin bedrocks, with water-sand inrush disasters occurring frequently. Therefore, accurately predicting the risk of water-sand inrushes from coal seam roofs holds great significance for safe coal mining. However, the water-sand inrushes in these regions exhibit complex disaster-causing mechanisms, which involve the coupling effects of multiple factors. Accordingly, the real-time prediction of the water-sand inrush risk in the field poses challenges including high risk and cost. These issues lead to difficult data acquisition and severely insufficient samples, limiting the accuracy and performance of traditional prediction models. Therefore, there …

An Experimental Study On The Mechanical Property Evolution Of Granites Post-High-Temperature Treatment Under Loading And Unloading Conditions, Hao Wencai, Qiao Wei, Liu Huichen, Zhu Zhennan, Wang Hao, Liu Richeng, Guo Jie, Xie Jingyu, Cheng Xianggang, Lyu Ruijie

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The surrounding rocks of wellbores remain in a state of stress release during the drilling and heat extraction of deep geothermal reservoirs. Therefore, investigating the characteristic stresses of heat-treated granites under loading and unloading conditions is critical to understanding the crack evolution in deep hot dry rock (HDR) reservoirs during their stimulation. Methods Targeting the granite specimens after heat treatment at varying high temperatures (e.g., 200 ℃, 300 ℃, 400 ℃, 500 ℃, and 600 ℃), this study conducted triaxial loading and unloading tests under a confining pressure of 60 MPa, aiming to investigate the impacts of high temperature …

A Model For Predicting Coal Mining-Induced Surface Subsidence During Theinitial, Active, And Decline Stages, Zhang Liangliang, Liu Xiya, Cheng Hua, Du Shaoneng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objectives and Methods Presently, there remains a lack of theoretical models for predicting the coal mining-induced surface subsidence during the initial, active, and decline stages. Given this, this study derived the time-varying exponential function of the ratio of maximum to dynamic surface subsidence first using measured data from seven coal mines. Accordingly, an improved Knothe time function model was established. Then, the impacts of the model parameters on dynamic surface subsidence W(t), subsidence velocity v(t), and subsidence acceleration a(t) were analyzed. Subsequently, based on the improved Knothe model and the critical …

Soil Microbial Biomass And Organic Carbon Fractions Under Different Natural Restoration Years In Arid Coal Mining Subsidence Areas In Xinjiang, China, Xiao Li, Bi Yinli, Wang Dongdong, Li Jianfeng, Gong Hanlin, Deng Aojuan, Hou Wensheng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective This study aims to elucidate the influence of the natural restoration process on changes in soil microbial biomass and organic carbon fractions in coal mining subsidence areas. This effort will provide a crucial scientific foundation for understanding the natural ecological restoration process and carbon accumulation dynamics in arid coal mining subsidence areas.Methods Arid coal mining subsidence areas in Xinjiang, China were investigated in this study. Using the space-for-time substitution approach, sample plots were selected from an unmined area and areas having undergone natural restoration for one, three, eight, and 12 years. Subsequently, systematic analyses were conducted on the …

A Dynamic Prediction Method For Coal Seam Thickness Based On The Kpca-Pso-Svr Model, Yang Tun, Ye Shugang, Ma Ming, Wang Qianyao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objectives and Methods With the development of high-precision and intelligent seismic exploration techniques, it is necessary to accurately quantify and interpret coal seam thickness to provide reliable data for constructing high-precision three-dimensional geological models. This will help ensure safe and efficient coal mining in coal mines. In coal seam thickness prediction, the comprehensive multi-attribute analysis method faces challenges such as the cumbersome selection of optimal seismic attributes and the low predictive accuracy of regression models. To address these challenges, this study proposed a support vector regression (SVR) prediction model based on kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) and particle swarm optimization …

A Surface Wave Inversion Method Incorporating Interface Constraints And Its Application In The Assessment Of Ground Vibrations Caused By Mining-Induced Seismicity, Li Cheng, Qian Changbao, Liu Ying, Cheng Yi, Ni Shengjun, Yao Huajian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In mining areas of western China, underlying interfaces with significant fluctuations affect seismic exploration accuracy while also posing challenges to the assessment of ground vibrations triggered by dynamic hazards such as mining-induced seismicity. To enhance the characterization of shallow velocity structures and to provide support for dynamic hazard prevention and control in mining areas, this study developed an inversion method incorporating prior information about geological interfaces.Methods A dense array consisting of 489 single-component and 108 three-component seismometers was deployed within a mining area in Longkou Town, Junggar Banner, Inner Mongolia. Accordingly, continuous ambient noise data for about one …

Positive And Negative Pressure Distributions And Gas Migration Mechanisms Under Gas Drainage From Coal Seams Using Ultra-Long Directional Boreholes, Li Quanxin, Zhao Yuechen, Mou Quanbin, Wang Liang, Fang Jun, Wang Chenghao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Gas drainage via ultra-long directional boreholes plays a significant role in gas control in coal mines. To ensure safe and efficient gas drainage using these boreholes, it is critical to determine the mechanisms behind positive- negative pressure coupling, as well as the dominant mechanisms governing gas migration. However, the evolutionary patterns of positive-negative pressure zoning within the boreholes and the primary factors influencing gas drainage efficiency have yet to be accurately characterized. Methods Under the engineering background of the Shendong Baode Coal Mine, this study developed a multi-field coupling model integrating diffusion, seepage, and in-borehole flow fields based on …

Spatiotemporal Variations And Their Influencing Factors For Vegetation Net Primary Productivity In The Shendong Coal Base, Yang Fei, Cui Kuankuan, Zhang Chengye, Li Jun, Dong Qiulin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Shendong coal base, located within the arid and semi-arid regions in western China, is identified as the region with the most pronounced contradiction between coal resource development and ecological conservation in the country. Analyzing the spatiotemporal variations in the ecosystem and their influencing factors at the base scale provides a necessary foundation for green mine construction while also offering critical support for regional sustainable development.Methods In this study, the vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) was selected as an indicator for the ecological evaluation of mining areas. By integrating data on terrain, weather and climate, socio-economy, and human …

Application Of A Generative Adversarial Network To Super-Resolution Reconstruction Of Fracture Images In Logging-While-Drilling Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Han Sen, Shen Chuanhai, Xu Chen, Tian Yimeng, Zhao Biao, Wang Ze, Liu Yongkang, Kang Zhengming

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Logging-while-drilling electrical resistivity imaging (LWD-ERI) enables the intuitive presentation of geobodies near wellbores in images, representing an important approach to the fine-scale evaluation of stratigraphic parameters while also providing significant geological guidance during the drilling of fractured reservoirs. However, this technique faces the challenge of low image resolution in real-time data processing due to its limited well-to-surface data transmission rates, exerting adverse impacts on the qualitative identification of wellbore fractures and the quantitative evaluation of their parameters. To address this issue, this study proposed a super-resolution image reconstruction method based on a generative adversarial network (GAN), aiming to achieve …

A Method For Fine-Scale Identification Of Collapse Columns Based On Offset Vector Tile Domain Seismic Data, Zhang Guangzhong, Liu Song, Shan Rui, Cai Wenrui

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objectives and Methods The YQ mining area in the Qinshui Basin is characterized by complex seismic and geological conditions, as well as well-developed collapse columns and flexure structures. Consequently, conventional three-dimensional (3D) seismic exploration fails to meet the precision requirements for safe coal mining. By constructing a physical model based on the actual geological conditions of the study area, this study conducted forward modeling for the seismic responses of collapse columns under varying azimuths. Accordingly, the azimuthal anisotropy of the collapse columns were systematically analyzed. By employing a regular noise suppression technique based on curvelet transform, combined with prestack migration …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Biogasification Potential Of Medium- To High-Rank Coals And Its Controlling Mechanisms At A Molecular Structural Level, Bao Yuan, Li Jiajun, Li Dan, Chen Xueru, Wang Xiaojing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Coals with varying metamorphic grades differ significantly in the potential for methane generation through microbial degradation. Medium- to high-rank coals can generate a substantial volume of methane through microbial degradation. However, key factors governing their biogasification potential remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify the dominant factors controlling the potential of medium- to high-rank coals for methane generation through microbial degradation, as well as relevant controlling mechanisms, from the perspective of molecular structures.Methods The Carboniferous-Permian medium- to high-rank coals along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin were investigated in this study. Using experiments on the hydrocarbon …

Characteristics And Helium Generation Potential Of Ultra-Deep Marine Shales As Helium Source Rocks, Yuan Jiutao, Zhang Wenjin, Song Zezhang, Tian Xingwang, Luo Qingyong, Jin Shigui, Wang Shulong, Wu Meijia, Wang Li, Chen Hongbin, Gao Jiawei, Mikhail Spasennykh, Tagir Karamov

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Large-scale, effective helium source rocks serve as a material basis for the formation of a helium-rich gas field. In the Weiyuan area, Sichuan Basin, the helium-rich gas reservoirs within the Dengying Formation exhibit helium source rocks consisting of the pre-Sinian basement granites and the shales of the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation. Compared to the basement granites, studies on the shales of the Qiongzhusi Formation remain limited, including those on the occurrence characteristics of uranium (U)- and thorium (Th)-rich minerals and helium generation potential.Methods This study investigated the shales of the Qiongzhusi Formation, Weiyuan area, Sichuan Basin. By integrating field …

Mechanisms Behind The Controlling Effects Of Temperature-Pressure Conditions On The Dynamic Ch4–H2O Production From Bituminous Coal, Zhang Hewei, Shen Jian, Li Kexin, Wu Caifang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background For deep coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation, the temperature-pressure synergistic effect in the CH₄-H₂O two-phase flow remains poorly understood, restricting the establishment of efficient CBM production systems.Methods This study investigated the No.13 coal seam in the Guanjiaya Coal Mine along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin. Using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) techniques, this study explored the dynamic process of CH₄ displacing water and associated gas-water production mechanisms under different displacement pressures (2‒8 MPa) and temperatures (25 ℃ and 60 ℃).Results and Conclusions The sample used …

Enrichment Patterns And Accumulation Models Of Coalbed Methane Under Complex Geological Conditions: A Case Study Of The Xintian Coal Mine In Western Guizhou Province, China, Xu Shuai, Wu Caifang, Bie Xiaofei, Li Guangsheng, Fang Xiaojie, Wang Fangfang, Cheng Yi, Zhao Peng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Xintian Coal Mine, a critical coal-producing mine in western Guizhou Province, faces high risks of coal and gas outbursts and the challenge of low underground coalbed methane (CBM) extraction efficiency, necessitating surface CBM extraction. However, the complex geological conditions in the area limit well placement and the fracturing and gas drainage effectiveness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to systematically elucidate the occurrence characteristics and enrichment patterns of CBM in the area.Methods Based on data from exploration boreholes in the Xintian Coal Mine, combined with experiment and test results and log interpretations, this study revealed the physical …