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Regional Groundwater Flow And Advective Contaminant Transport Modeling In A Typical Hydrogeological Environment Of Northern New Jersey, Toritseju Oyen, Duke Ophori

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study develops a numerical model to simulate groundwater flow and contaminant transport in a “typical hydrogeological environment” of northern New Jersey, addressing freshwater decline. Focusing on the Lower Passaic water management area (WMA), we model chloride transport in a fractured-rock aquifer, where fracture networks control hydraulic conductivity and porosity. The urbanized setting—encompassing Montclair State University (MSU) and municipal wells—features heterogeneous groundwater systems and critical water resources, providing an ideal case study for worst-case contaminant transport scenarios. Using MODFLOW and MODPATH, we simulated flow and tracked particles over 20 years. Results show that chloride from MSU reached the Third River …

Indoor Airborne Pathogen Transmission And Control: A Role Of Environmental Factors And Material Properties, Eloise Eyo Parry-Nweye

Dissertations - ALL

The transmission of infectious airborne pathogens has severe implications on human health and economic stability. This is evidenced by the re-emergence of global pandemics with high mortality rates, various respiratory diseases, crop damage, incurred nationwide financial costs, etc. These causative pathogens, encompassing viruses, fungal spores, etc., attach to aerosol and droplet particles, enabling their aerial dispersal and leading to a cascade of detrimental events. Developing interventions to control pathogenic transmission requires an in-depth understanding of the various modes of disease transmission. However, existential gaps within the respective disease transmission modalities remained. For instance, while viruses are predominantly transmitted via aerosols, …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final 2022 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-28 Site Evaluation Summary Report (Dated April 23, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Dated May 27, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Josephine Shaft (Ir-37) Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp) (Dated February 6, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Combining Submicron Spectroscopy Techniques (Afm-Ir And O-Ptir) To Detect And Quantify Nanoplastics In Snow From A Utah Ski Resort, Sara L. Belontz, Janice Brahney, Caroline E. Caplan, Eoghan Dillon, Ting Yan, Gerardo Dominguez

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy are cutting-edge techniques used for precise nanoscale chemical analysis, capable of detecting and characterizing particles smaller than 1 μm. In this study, we applied both techniques to analyze snow subsamples collected from Beaver Mountain, Utah. Quantification by AFM-IR identified a concentration of 1.50 × 10^–1 μg/mL of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), a copolyester known for its biodegradability and biocompatibility and that was the only polymer detected. Notably, 96% of particles had thicknesses below 1 μm, with the smallest particle recorded at 14 nm in height, demonstrating the advantage …

Technology Manufacturing Organizations’ Strategies For Achieving Sustainability, Kate Cheney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sustainability remains a challenge for technology manufacturers struggling to integrate environmental priorities into core operations. This issue is critical for technology manufacturing managers who must embed sustainability into organizational systems and decision-making processes to meet rising expectations from regulators, investors, and consumers. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study is to identify and explore effective strategies used by technology manufacturing managers in the western region of the United States. The data collected from seven semistructured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The five themes that emerged were (a) leadership and company culture, (b) collaboration, …

Geochemical Nature Of The Geothermal Water From Lanzhou Basin: Implications For The Genesis Of Shallow Helium-Bearing Fluids, Tang Jianzhou, Wang Shuangming, Zhang Zhicheng, Li Ke, Li Changpeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Investigations on the geochemical nature of geothermal water are vital to the comprehension of the origin of helium-rich fluids in shallow basins. To address this issue, this paper reports the results of the chemical analysis, H-O isotopes and ¹⁴C ages from geothermal water and soluble gas components from the well BY-1 in Lanzhou Basin, northeastern margin of Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Chemical analysis of geothermal water samples reveals that the chemical type of geothermal water is NaCl. The show δD value of –78‰, high δ¹⁸O value (–8.7‰), low ³H value (<0.4TU), and old ¹⁴C …

Prediction Of Geological And Engineering Integrated Sweet Spots Of Deep Coalbed Methane, Chen Zhengrong, Liu Wei, Zhu Xueshen, Tian Yongjing, Xie Xin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Deep coalbed methane (CBM) has emerged as a hot topic in CBM resource development. However, deep CBM has characteristics such as great burial depths, complex stress environments, and strong reservoir heterogeneity, which seriously restrict sweet spot prediction and accurate well location deployment in its large-scale exploitation. Methods This study investigated a deep CBM field along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin. Using sonic, density, and caliper logging, this study developed a coal structure index model for deep coals. By introducing the coal structure index based on the coal structure differences in deep coal seams and combining factors including …

Impacts Of Metakaolin And Fly Ash On The Performance Of Cement-Based Grouting Materials In Anchoring Engineering, Cheng Zhiyuan, Yang Junpeng, Xue Wei, Wei Daidong, Wang Yimin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The filling of grouting materials plays a significant role in ensuring the performance of anchoring structures. This study aims to further enhance the fluidity of grouting materials, reduce their dry shrinkage in the curing process, and ensure complete filling. This will help improve the bonding property between the anchoring body and the rock and soil mass to be reinforced. Methods Using cement as the primary material, as well as fly ash and metakaolin as admixtures, this study designed and prepared 20 groups of binary and ternary mixtures and one control group. Through tests of the fluidity, bleeding ratios, and …

Diffusion Mechanisms Of Coal-Measure Helium And Their Implications For Helium Accumulation: A Case Study Of The Taiyuan Formation, Northern Qinshui Basin, China, Ma Yong, Xin Zhiyuan, Chen Jianfa, Li Yuhong, Zhang Xiutao, Jiang Haojie, Chen Zeya

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The global helium-rich gas reservoirs are dominated by conventional natural gas reservoirs. In recent years, helium-bearing natural gas has been discovered in the Carboniferous-Permian coal measures in the Ordos Basin and surrounding regions, revealing the resource potential of coal-measure helium. However, there is almost a total lack of studies on mechanisms underlying the diffusion and migration of coal-measure helium. This severely restricts further research on the accumulation patterns of coal-measure helium.Methods This study investigated a coal seam in the Taiyuan Formation in the northern Qinshui Basin and mudstones in the coal seam roof. Using physical diffusion experiments on …

Physical Simulation Experiments On Competitive Dissolution Of Helium In Helium-Containing To Helium-Rich Gas Reservoirs, Zou Yi, Luo Qingyong, Chen Jianfa, Zou Huayao, Du Tao, Liu Xiaoqiang, Cai Xinyong, Yu Chengming, Fang Zilong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background and Purpose Helium is widely applied in high-tech and scientific research fields due to its unique physicochemical properties. Formation water plays a key role in helium migration and enrichment. Typically, in the form of dissolved gas, helium is transported in pores or fractures by formation water. When helium-rich fluids migrate to shallow natural gas reservoirs, helium will experience dissolution and desorption exchange with other gases. This process is affected by formation temperature, pressure, and water salinity, as well as the competitive dissolution between helium and other gases. However, there is a lack of studies on the mechanisms underlying the …

Backfill-Strip Mining And Co2 Mineralization Sequestration In Coal Mine Goaves: A Synergetic Method And Its Key Technologies, Zhu Mengbo, Liu Lang, Wang Shuangming, Wei Baoning, Rong Ruoyu, Zhang Wenzhong, Zhuang Dengdeng, Jia Qifeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Coals serve as both the cornerstone of China’s energy security and important industrial raw materials. However, their mining and utilization tend to cause ecological and environmental problems such as CO₂ emissions, the generation of solid wastes, and land subsidence. This necessitates reforming coal mining methods to promote the green, low-carbon, and sustainable development of China’s coal industry.Methods Through the comparative analysis of the conditions of CO₂ sequestration in goaves corresponding to the caving, room-and-pillar (also known as knife-pillar), and backfill mining methods, this study developed a synergetic method for backfill-strip mining and CO₂ mineralization sequestration …

A Visual Positioning Method For Tunnel Boring Machines In Underground Coal Mines Based On Anchor Net Features, Zhang Xuhui, Chi Yunkai, Du Yuyang, Jiang Junying, Yang Wenjuan, Zhao Youjun, Wan Jicheng, Wang Yanqun, Tian Chenhui

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Precise positioning of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in underground coal mines plays a fundamental role in the automated and intelligent guidance and control of fully mechanized heading face. However, traditional visual positioning methods show limited application effects in underground roadways due to their narrow and enclosed spaces, insufficient illumination, and sparse textures. This study proposed a visual positioning method for TBMs in underground coal mines based on anchor net features.Methods A three-stream depthwise separable convolutional neural network (TSCR-NET) for image enhancement was employed to estimate the reflection, illumination, and noise in images individually. Through illumination adjustment while suppressing …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Construction And Application Of A Tcn-Lstm-Svm-Based Time Series Prediction Model For Water Inflow In Coal Seam Roofs, Liu Xuan, Ji Yadong, Zhu Kaipeng, Zhao Chunhu, Li Kai, Li Chaofeng, Yuan Chenhan, Li Panpan, Yan Pengzhen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The accurate prediction of mine water inflow plays a significant role in the prevention and control of water hazards and the safe and efficient production in coal mines. Methods To construct a prediction model of water inflow in mines under threat of water hazards from extremely thick sandstones aquifer in West China, this study investigated a typical mine (also referred to as the studied mine) severely affected by such water hazards in the Binchang mining area of Shaanxi Province. The correlation between the mining footage and water inflow of the mining face was selected as the characteristic variable for …

Influencing Patterns Of Low-Temperature Nitrogen On The Pore Structure And Oxidation Characteristics Of Lignite, Xie Shuliang, Wang Gang, Qu Qingdong, Liu Hao, Sun Lulu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective During fire prevention and extinguishment for mines, injecting normal-temperature nitrogen into goaves can only play an inerting role. Meanwhile, the preparation of liquid nitrogen is complicated and costly. Therefore, in the Wudong Coal Mine in Xinjiang, low-temperature gaseous nitrogen of –40 ℃ was prepared using nitrogen cooling devices and then injected into goaves to prevent the spontaneous combustion of residual coals. However, the influencing patterns of low-temperature nitrogen on the pore structures and oxidation characteristics of residual coals in goaves remain poorly understood. This tends to affect the prediction and forecast of the secondary oxidation of residual coals in …

Mechanisms Underlying Differential Helium Enrichment In Shale Gas Of Varying Structural Styles In The Southeastern Sichuan Basin, Xin Zhiyuan, Chen Jianfa, Wang Jie, Ma Yong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Shale gas reservoirs hold considerable helium reserves despite relatively low helium abundance, establishing them as a critical replacement for helium production growth. The southeastern Sichuan Basin exhibits diverse structural styles with varying preservation conditions, leading to an unclear understanding of the distribution characteristics and enrichment patterns of helium in shale gas. Determining the mechanisms behind the differential helium enrichment in shale gas is significant for the effective utilization of helium in shale gas.Methods Focusing on the typical shale gas reservoirs of different structural styles in the southeastern Sichuan Basin, this study explored the mechanisms underlying differential helium accumulation …

Technical Advances And Research Directions Of Borehole Geophysical Prospecting For Coal Mines, Cheng Jianyuan, Yan Yu, Li Yuteng, Wang Pan, Zhao Rui, Jiang Bici

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background High-precision and long-distance exploration of geological conditions is required for coal extraction and disaster prevention in coal mines. However, traditional drilling and geophysical prospecting methods face technical bottlenecks such as insufficient exploration accuracy and limited exploration ranges. Borehole geophysical prospecting technology integrates the reliable and straightforward axial results of drilling with the high-resolution transverse results of geophysical prospecting, providing technical support for safe, efficient, and intelligent coal mining. Based on the construction spaces, this study categorizes borehole geophysical prospecting technology into four types: i.e., intra-borehole, inter-borehole, borehole-surface, and borehole-roadway. Furthermore, it presents the primary advances and applicable conditions of …

Implications Of Helium Accumulation Models In Helium-Rich Basins In China For The Enrichment And Exploration Of Helium In Coal Measures, Li Yunbo, Wang Chengtao, Song Dangyu, Shi Xiaowei, Wang Rongqi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Helium is a strategic resource in serious short supply in China, and intensifying its exploration is crucial to national resource security. China enjoys abundant coal measure gas and significant potential for associated helium accumulation. However, relevant research remains in its infancy. Methods Based on a summary and analysis of helium generation, migration, and accumulation theories in natural gas reservoirs, this study systematically investigated the enrichment patterns of helium in coal measures and proposed exploration targets. Results and Conclusions The insights reveal that the helium resources in China exhibit a distribution pattern of zoning in both north-south and east-west directions. …

Advances In Research On Noble Gas As Tracers Of Geofluids And Helium Enrichment, Gao Yu, Liu Quanyou, Zhu Dongya, Wu Xiaoqi, Li Pengpeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Noble gases emerge as significant tools for tracing the sources and evolutionary processes of geofluids due to their chemical inertness and different isotopic compositions across varying reservoirs. Helium serves as a noble gas tracer and a scarce resource, and its enrichment mechanisms and exploration potential have attracted wide attention.Methods Based on a summary of the geochemical data of typical gas reservoirs, volcanic gases, and surface hot springs at home and abroad, this study analyzed the interfering factors and end-member value screening in the source apportionment of noble gases. Furthermore, it summarized the applications of noble gas isotopes in …

Dominant Factors Causing Helium Deficiency In Coal-Measure Natural Gas In The Kuqa Depression, Tarim Basin, Liu Jiarun, Liu Quanyou, Li Pengpeng, Gao Yu, Lü Jiahao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Helium is identified as a scarce strategic resource, having found widespread applications in high-tech fields such as high-end manufacturing, aerospace, and national defense due to its stable chemical properties and low boiling point. The Kuqa Depression in the Tarim Basin is a significant natural gas production base in China. Determining the distribution characteristics and controlling factors of helium in coal-measure natural gas in the Kuqa Depression holds great significance.Methods Using two helium resource assessment methods and geological data, this study explored the dominant factors causing helium deficiency in the coal-measure natural gas in the Kuqa Depression.Results and …

Resource Potential And Extraction Technique Design For Helium In Coal Measures, Wang Lei, Tang Maoyin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Back ground Helium is an important strategic scarce resource. Presently, helium used in industry originates primarily from natural gas. In contrast, helium in coal measures, generally emerging as coalbed methane (CBM) with a high helium content, serves as a vital supplement to conventional helium resources. In industry, helium extraction from boil off gas (BOG) during natural gas liquefaction is recognized as an important way to obtain helium resources. However, existing studies on helium in coal measures mostly focus on the genesis, enrichment patterns, and geochemical characteristics of helium, while there is a lack of studies on its resource characteristics and …

Effectiveness Assessment And Spatial Distribution Characteristics Of Helium Source Rocks In The Shixi Block Along The Eastern Margin Of The Ordos Basin, Chang Yangmei, Liu Chao, Sun Beilei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Helium gas serves as a significant rare strategic resource. In China, helium resources are relatively scarce and dependent heavily on imports. Therefore, there is a pressing need for the exploration and exploitation of helium resources. Helium source rocks provide a material basis for the formation of helium resources. The Zijinshan pluton serves as a principal source of coal-measure helium along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin. Previous studies reveal that helium in natural gas within the Shixi Block originates primarily from the decay of radioactive elements in the deep part of the Jianjiagou-Zijinshan plutons. However, there is a …

Analyzing The Permeability Enhancement Effect Of Hydraulic Slotting For Low-Permeability Coal Seams Based On A Stress-Diffusion-Seepage Coupling Model, Zhang Hongtu, Zhou Tian, Wang Dengke, Li Botao, Luo Yong, Pan Rongsheng, Tang Jiahao, Lu Weiyong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods This study aims to improve the permeability enhancement effect of coal seams for gas drainage. Targeting the soft, low-permeability coal seams with complex gas occurrence conditions in the Baiping mining area and considering the impacts of effective stress, gas migration, actual gas effects, and tortuosity, this study constructed a stress-diffusion-seepage coupling model based on the pore-fracture dual medium assumption. Using the coupling model, this study simulated the variation patterns of gas content in coal seams during gas drainage under varying gas contents and borehole spacings. Through field tests under different permeability enhancement measures and unloaded coal amounts …

Chemical Temporary Plugging-Based Full-Bore Reconstruction Technology For Old Wellbores For The Collaborative Production Of Tight-Sand Gas And Deep Coalbed Methane, Yang Fan, Tan Zhanglong, Hu Jiachen, An Qi, Li Yu, Yang Ruiyue, Lin Junwen, Sun Zening, Jing Meiyang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In China, the Ordos Basin boasts abundant coal-measure gas resources, holding considerable potential for resource development. As the development deepens, the proportion of depleted, stripper, and inefficient wells for tight-sand gas in coal measures has gradually decreased year by year. The collaborative production of tight-sand gas and deep coalbed methane (CBM) has emerged as a significant approach to effectively releasing production capacity.Methods To achieve the reconstruction of old wellbores and commingled production of new and old layers, this study proposed a technology of chemical temporary plugging-based full-bore reconstruction of old wellbores of tight-sand gas combined with the large-scale …

The Borehol Wall Image Digital Description Method Of The Overlying Rock Structural Planes Evdution Process In Deep Mining, Wang Jinchao, Zou Junpeng, Li Shenghai, Wang Chao, Li Xiaobin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In China, as mineral resource mining is increasingly expanding towards the deep parts of the Earth, the safe and efficient exploitation of deep resources has become a major strategic and technological challenge at the national level to be addressed urgently. Understanding the movement patterns of mining-affected strata in deep environments will assist in improving the intelligent prevention and control of mine disasters, thereby ensuring the safe and efficient exploitation of deep resources. Methods Targeting the complex and diverse forms of the overburden’s structural planes in deep mining, as well as a lack of characterization methods tailored to the evolutionary …

Current Status And Future Trends Of Seismic Prediction And Assessment Technology For Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, Wu Haibo, Zhang Pingsong, Xu Shi’Ang, Huang Yaping, Dong Shouhua, Cheng Yan, Li Donghui, Zhang Sheng, Zhang Min

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The seismic prediction and assessment technology for coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs has undergone rapid development for over three decades, playing an indispensable role in CBM exploration. Methods This study reviews the development history and current status of core technologies within the seismic prediction and assessment technical system for CBM reservoirs, including seismic-petrophysical tests, modeling and inversion, seismic wavefield simulation, seismic amplitude versus offset (AVO) inversion and seismic attribute inversion, and integrated seismic prediction of the sweet spot areas of CBM reservoir resources and engineering. Furthermore, this study delves into the impacts and limitations of the characteristics of CBM reservoirs, …

A Method Integrating A Non-Stationary Random Field For Constrained Inversion Of Csamt Data, Dai Qianwei, Guo Luyao, Wu Yun, Xiong Zhexian, Duan Dan, Bao Zhonglin, Wu Hongfei, Hao Fengyun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The inversion of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) data remains challenging due to two key issues: computational efficiency and resolution. To tackle these two issues, especially the over-smoothing effect caused by traditional regularization methods in estimating complex geological structures, this study proposed an improved regularization inversion method to reflect the spatial distribution characteristics of subsurface physical property parameters more accurately. Methods The proposed method was developed using the method for establishing the stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) based on the Matérn covariance function. By introducing vector fields and the shape parameters of a range ellipse, this method fully considered both …

Selecting An Internal Carbon Price For Academic Institutions, Alexander R. Barron, Dimitra Prassa

Environmental Science and Policy: Faculty Publications

Many businesses have adopted internal carbon prices (ICPs) to help drive smarter business decisions, innovation, and emissions reductions. The objective of this white paper is to provide a framework that institutions, particularly those in higher education, can use as they think about selecting a price in the context of their own goals for an ICP.

Second Nature’s recent 2025 Carbon Markets and Offsets guidance recommends that: “colleges and universities develop a climate action strategy that includes some type of internal carbon pricing, either as a mechanism to inform climate-positive decision-making or as a mechanism for generating revenue estimates for decarbonization …