Digital Commons Network^™

Formation Mechanism Of Coalbed Methane In Dafosi Mine Field, Huanglong Coalfield, Liu Kaide, Yao Kaiwen, Chen Nengyuan, Fan Zhangqun, Li Shujia, Zheng Han, Yue Wenping, Li Xiaolong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Dafosi mine field is a typical low-rank coalbed methane (CBM) field in Binchang mining area of Huanglong Jurassic. There are many coalbed methane wells in the field, but few researches are performed on the formation mechanism of coalbed methane. Thus, it is of great guiding significance to clarify the geochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of coalbed methane (CBM) in the mine field, which could provide important basis for the analysis on productivity difference of high- and low-yield CBM Wells. For this reason, the samples of drained gas at the wellhead of six CBM wells, 22 coal samples of No.4 coal …

Digital Twin Technology Of Geological Information In Mining And Excavation Working Face, Li Peng, Cheng Jianyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

The mine geology transparency is the basis for the intelligent coal mine construction. 3D geological modeling is an important measure for realizing the mine geology transparency. In the geological modeling of the previous working face, there are problems including the discrepancy between the interpolation algorithm and the geological law, the low fusion level of the multi-source heterogeneous geological data, and the seldom coupling between the coal mine production equipment and the geological information. The concept of the digital twin of the geological information about coal mine working face was proposed, the discrete smooth interpolation (DSI) algorithm was adopted, and the …

Data-Driven State Estimation For Improved Wide Area Situational Awareness In Smart Grids, Md Jakir Hossain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wide area situational awareness (WASA) in smart grids includes automatic monitoring, perception and detection of anomalies in these systems. The goal of WASA is to make smart grids aware of their physical and operational state for more effective operational decisions and control. As such, tracking the system's state or state estimation is one of the key objectives of WASA. The extensive integration of cyber elements into smart grids, such as large deployment of various monitoring and measurement devices, provides new opportunities to improve WASA. However, the tight coupling of power grids with cyber components introduces vulnerabilities to cyber and physical …

Impact Of Voids And Backfill On Seismic Wave Velocity-Preliminary Results, Zarina Mukhamedyarova, Fidelis Suorineni, Temirlan Aldubay, Gylym Sapinov

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted on discrete physical models that mimic mining effects to better understand the impact of continuous changes in mining environments on seismic wave velocities. The discrete physical models are represented by concrete and granite cubic samples of different sizes with holes of different diameters filled and unfilled with cemented sand backfill of different cement-sand content ratios. The hole diameters range from 0 to 150 mm in block sizes ranging from 150 mm to 450 mm in increments of 75 mm. The increasing hole size mimics increasing extraction in the mine with time. Cemented sand …

Drought‑Stricken U.S. States Have More Comprehensive Water‑Related Hazard Planning, Theresa Jedd, Kelly Smith

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Despite the devastating impacts of droughts, the United States lacks a national drought plan. This leaves states to address droughts in water, hazard, and stand-alone plans which are designed to reduce drought vulnerability and to prepare government, industry, and society to cope with the impacts. Yet, there is limited empirical research that evaluates the comprehensiveness of these plans, specifically in terms of whether they include preparedness and mitigation measures or triggers for action and response. To fill this gap, this study’s first aim was to establish an evaluation framework based on principles from the drought mitigation literature. The study then …

Natural Resource System Size Can Be Used For Managing Recreational Use, Derek S. Kane, Kevin L. Pope, Keith D. Koupal, Mark A. Pegg, Christopher J. Chizinski, Mark A. Kaemingk

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Outdoor recreation provides societal benefits that are often measured by the amount of use natural resource systems receive. Still, the amount of resource use natural resource systems receive is often unknown or unstudied. Monitoring and quantifying resource use is often logistically difficult and costly but is paramount to optimize societal benefits. Identifying a simple and readily available metric that can indicate the quantity of recreational use of natural resource systems would benefit natural resource management. Using recreational angler participation data during an 11-year study period from 73 public waterbodies in Nebraska, USA, we developed a resource size-use model that demonstrates …

Predicting The Stability Of Open Stopes Using Machine Learning, Alicja Szmigiel, Derek B. Apel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The Mathews stability graph method was presented for the first time in 1980. This method was developed to assess the stability of open stopes in different underground conditions, and it has an impact on evaluating the safety of underground excavations. With the development of technology and growing experience in applying computer sciences in various research disciplines, mining engineering could significantly benefit by using Machine Learning. Applying those ML algorithms to predict the stability of open stopes in underground excavations is a new approach that could replace the original graph method and should be investigated. In this research, a Potvin database …

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment For State Wildlife Areas Surrounding Humboldt Bay, Northern California, Robert M. Sullivan, Aldaron Laird, Brian Powell, Jeffrey K. Anderson

Local Reports and Publications

Humboldt Bay has the highest rate of sea level rise (SLR) in California (47.2 cm/century). Due to compaction and tectonic subsidence, former tidelands and pastures behind dikes surrounding Humboldt Bay are lower in elevation than bay waters at high tide. Adaptation to future climate change and SLR requires that resource managers understand vulnerability and risk to each wildlife area at a local level, because adaptation to SLR is a risk-based management strategy against an uncertain future requiring site-specific solutions. We conducted a vulnerability assessment of the shoreline of three State wildlife areas surrounding Humboldt Bay: Elk River (ERWA), Fay Slough …

Approval Letter For The Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Koprivica Park Soil Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp) (Dated November 4, 2022), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Approval Letter For The Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Cherokee Park Soil Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp) (Dated November 4, 2022), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Quantifying A 21-Year Surface Water And Groundwater Interaction In A Ridge And Valley Lake Environment Using A Highly Constrained Modeling Approach, Richard T. Bowers Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Karst lakes are ubiquitous in ridge terrain settings in limestone aquifer coastal plain environments. In west-central Florida, these lakes are frequently connected to the Upper Floridan aquifer and have unique aquifer recharge characteristics. They have been selectively studied because they commonly have no or very limited surface water discharge and limited drainage areas, have appreciable surface water and groundwater interaction and leak to the deep aquifer. An innovative modeling approach was developed to collectively understand and more precisely quantify this vertical leakage, both from a lake-specific and regional water budget standpoint, for a 21-year study period (2000-2020). A unique, calibrated …

Climate Change Curricula In Alberta, Canada: An Intersectional Framing Analysis, Greg Lowan-Trudeau

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This article is comprised of a climate change-focused framing analysis of proposed revisions to Alberta, Canada’s K-6 curriculum as an ideologically motivated manifestation of curricular epistemicide. Eisner’s three curricula—the explicit, implicit, and null—and scholarship related to intersectional climate and environmental justice, education, and communication provide the theoretical framework. This inquiry concludes with a critical discussion of and possible alternatives to the revised curriculum with further consideration of the implications for those involved with similar endeavours in other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world.

Implementing Just Climate Adaptation Policy: An Analysis Of Recognition, Framing, And Advocacy Coalitions In Boston, U.S.A., Jeffrey T. Malloy, Catherine Ashcraft, Paul Kirshen, Thomas G. Safford, Semra Aytur, Shannon H. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Cities face intersectional challenges implementing climate adaptation policy. This research contributes to scholarship dedicated to understanding how policy implementation affects socially vulnerable groups, with the overarching goal of promoting justice and equity in climate policy implementation. We apply a novel framework that integrates social justice theory and the advocacy coalition framework to incrementally assess just climate adaptation in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. Boston made an ambitious commitment to address equity as part of its climate planning and implementation efforts. In this paper, we evaluate the first implementation stage over the period 2016–2019 during which Boston developed coastal resilience …

The Sensitivity Of Meteorological Dynamics To The Variability In Catchment Characteristics, Shimelash Molla Kassaye, Tsegaye Tadesse, Getachew Tegegne, Kindie Engdaw Tadesse

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Evaluating meteorological dynamics is a challenging task due to the variability in hydroclimatic settings. This study is designed to assess the sensitivity of precipitation and temperature dynamics to catchment variability. The effects of catchment size, land use/cover change, and elevation differences on precipitation and temperature variability were considered to achieve the study objective. The variability in meteorological parameters to the catchment characteristics was determined using the coefficient of variation on the climate data tool (CDT). A land use/cover change and terrain analysis was performed on Google Earth Engine (GEE) and ArcGIS. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed to identify …

Strengthening Ecosystem Management Is Helpful For Achieving The Carbon Neutrality Goal, Bojie Fu, Nan Lv, Yihe Lv

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Coordinate The Five-Pool Functions Of Ecosystem And Build Strong National Ecological Infrastructures—Ecological Construction Ideology, Tasks And Goals In The New Developing Era Of China, Guirui Yu, Meng Yang, Tianxiang Hao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Enlightenment Of Biosphere Reserve To Establishment And Management Of National Park In China, Jinhong Du, Ning Liu, Yijie Xian, Ding Wang, Wei Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China has officially established the first batch of national parks in 2021 and such construction is entering a high-speed stage. National parks of the country basically originate from existed protected areas, and face series of long-standing problems and challenges, such as over simplified administration, low community participation, and prominent contradictions between ecological conservation and social development. The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is the first flagship project of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for biodiversity and cultural diversity conservation, biosphere reserve is its implementation platform, which has accumulated a lot of useful experience in biodiversity conservation, …

Overview Of The Role Of The Party’S Scientific Authority In Implementation Of Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora, Jiang Zhu, Fuwen Wei

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure the survival of endangered wildlife species from the threat of international trade, and is one of the powerful international conventions in the field of wildlife conservation. As an important part of the party's compliance body, scientific authority (SA) is responsible for ensuring the international wildlife trade to meet the requirements of sustainability, legality and traceability. The mandate of SA is involved into many aspects, like starting up the scientific research program for obtaining the basic information on wildlife species, providing the scientific advice for …

Research On Ecological Protection Compensation Mechanism Based On Carbon Sink Value, Lifei Jin, Haidong Zhou, Ruilin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The establishment of ecological protection compensation mechanism is a critical content and an important institutional guarantee for the construction of ecological civilization. Carbon peak and carbon neutrality have been included in the overall layout of the construction of ecological civilization. The optimization of ecological protection mechanism based on carbon sink value plays a pivotal role in promoting the construction of ecological civilization in China, which is an important means of regulating the fairness of "carbon neutrality" process, and will also promote the transformation of ecological protection compensation policy to refinement. Based on the connotation, attribute and realization path of carbon …

Typical Pathway To Carbon Neutrality For Urban Smart Energy Systems—Case Study Of Macao Special Administrative Region, Yonghua Song, Hongcai Zhang, Ge Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China's ambitious goal "strive to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060" not only shows China's responsible attitude towards climate change, but also aligns with the upgrade requirement of China's economy and industries. Since cities occupy a dominant position in China's population, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, they are the main battlefield for achieving national carbon neutrality. This study first analyzes the challenges and requirements that cities' energy systems facing in order to realize carbon neutrality. Then, it takes Macao as an example to analyze the characteristics of cities' energy consumption and carbon emissions. Finally, it …

Response Of Soil Respiration To Changes In Soil Temperature And Water Table Level In Drained And Restored Peatlands Of The Southeastern United States, E. E. Swails, K. Krauss, Marcelo Ardón, A. L. Peralta, A. M. Helton, Jennifer L. Morse, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Extensive drainage of peatlands in the southeastern United States coastal plain for the purposes of agriculture and timber harvesting has led to large releases of soil carbon as carbon dioxide (CO2) due to enhanced peat decomposition. Growth in mechanisms that provide financial incentives for reducing emissions from land use and land-use change could increase funding for hydrological restoration that reduces peat CO2 emissions from these ecosystems. Measuring soil respiration and physical drivers across a range of site characteristics and land use histories is valuable for understanding how CO2 emissions from peat decomposition may respond to raising water table levels. …

Enhanced Photo-Fenton Activity Using Magnetic Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 Nanoparticles As A Recoverable Catalyst For Degrading Organic Contaminants, Athaphon Angkaew, Chainarong Sakulthaew, Matura Nimtim, Saksit Imman, Tunlawit Satapanajaru, Nopparat Suriyachai, Torpong Kreetachat, Steven Comfort, Chanat Chokejaroenrat

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Interest in using various nanoparticle catalysts to activate H₂O₂ with light for organic contaminant and wastewater treatment is steadily increasing. We successfully synthesized magnetically recoverable Cu_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles using a simple co-precipitation method followed by melamine-assisted calcination. Material characterization revealed that melamine acted as a coordinating agent during the calcination process that promoted a ferrite structure. Copper (Cu)-substitution effectively decreased material aggregation and promoted catalytic activities. Cu_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles showed outstanding catalytic performance on several organic contaminants (87.6–100.0% removal within 2 h). Using oxytetracycline (OTC) …

Quantifying The Influence Of Variations In Rock Mass Properties On Stope Stability, Shahé Shnorhokian, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Variations in rock mass properties are well-established in rock mechanics and underground mining. The literature is replete with methods of assessing them and determining values that are used in design or numerical analysis. In this paper, a simplified 3D model is constructed for a tabular orebody in the Canadian Shield and instability is quantified using the ”brittle shear ratio” criterion to calculate the volume at risk. A 1-4-7 stope pillar sequence is implemented on four active levels, and three variations in the properties of the host formation are assessed. It is observed that the locations of ore at risk follow …

Prospects For Thiourea As A Leaching Agent In Colombian Gold Small-Scale Mining: A Comprehensive Review, Johana Borda, Robinson Torres

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Thiourea, as an alternative medium, is one of the most promising leaching agents for gold recovery by its commercial benefits and research challenges associated with performance and environmental impacts. This review article describes the operational conditions for the use of Thiourea vs cyanide, its chemistry, limitations, toxicity factors, environment, and recovery processes. Although thiourea gold extraction processes have not been applied on a large scale due to the instability of the reagent, its potential to overcome the limitations of cyanide is attractive to the process; with pH, potential, oxidant dosage, and temperature control, solubilized gold thiourea species are achieved. These …

Panel Destressing Strategies For Remnant Pillar Extraction, Isaac Vennes, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Large-scale panel destressing is a rockburst mitigation technique employed in deep hard rock mines during remnant pillar extraction. Panels are choke blasted in the pillar footwall to cutoff the far-field major stress in the mining area and deviate them around the pillar. In this study, the effects of panel geometry and far-field stress magnitude are investigated. Destress blast performance is assessed by measuring change to the energy release rate (ERR) of all mining steps during the extraction of a simplified remnant pillar due to destressing. It is demonstrated that the energy release rate (ERR) of critical stopes is reduced by …

Sustaining Communities Through Transformative Justice, Casey Bohrman

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Casey Bohrman, Graduate Social Work - Sustaining Communities through Transformative Justice

Held At Bay: A Case Study Of A Lake Community’S Effort To Prevent A Zebra Mussel Invasion, Benjamin Breske

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This case study was completed in a lake community in the upper midwestern United States. It seeks to understand the social factors that allowed a lake community to establish an effort to protect against a zebra mussel invasion, as well as the perceptions of the different stakeholders and the steps they took to get the effort going. Rural community action is important for the sustainability of many of the world’s natural resources as these communities are often the first line of defense. Understanding how efforts like this one come together is vital for creating similar efforts elsewhere. I conducted a …

In Vitro Liquid Culture Of The Mollusc-Parasitic Nematode Phasmarhabditis (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae), A. Pieterse, S. Haukeland, V. Půža, J. L. Ross, A. P. Malan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The success of the mollusc-parasitic nematode, Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (Schneider) Andrássy (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae), as a biological control agent in Europe has led to worldwide interest in phasmarhabditids as biocontrol agents. In this study, the mass culture potential of three phasmarhabditids, namely Phasmarhabditis papillosa, Phasmarhabditis kenyaensis and Phasmarhabditis bohemica, was assessed. In addition, ten bacterial candidates, consisting of seven associated with slugs and three associated with entomopathogenic nematodes, were investigated. The bacteria were tested for their ability to cause mortality to Deroceras invadens, as well as to support nematode growth. Initial mortality studies demonstrated that Kluyvera, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas spp. (AP3) caused …

Using Stable Isotope Analyses To Assess The Trophic Ecology Of Scleractinian Corals, Michael P. Lesser, Marc Slattery, Keir J. Macartney

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Studies on the trophic ecology of scleractinian corals often include stable isotope analyses of tissue and symbiont carbon and nitrogen. These approaches have provided critical insights into the trophic sources and sinks that are essential to understanding larger-scale carbon and nitrogen budgets on coral reefs. While stable isotopes have identified most shallow water (<30 m) corals as mixotrophic, with variable dependencies on autotrophic versus heterotrophic resources, corals in the mesophotic zone (~30–150 m) transition to heterotrophy with increasing depth because of decreased photosynthetic productivity. Recently, these interpretations of the stable isotope data to distinguish between autotrophy and heterotrophy have been criticized because they are confounded by increased nutrients, reverse translocation of photosynthate, and changes in irradiance that do not influence photosynthate translocation. Here we critically examine the studies that support these criticisms and show that they are contextually not relevant to interpreting the transition to heterotrophy in corals from shallow to mesophotic depths. Additionally, new data and a re-analysis of previously published data show that additional information (e.g., skeletal isotopic analysis) improves the interpretation of bulk stable isotope data in determining when a transition from primary dependence on autotrophy to heterotrophy occurs in scleractinian corals.

Optimizing Lake Okeechobee Watershed Management And Reservoir Operations For Water Quality Improvement, Osama Mahrous Mossad Tarabih

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rivers around the globe have been altered as people have constructed water resources infrastructure to store water for different human needs, causing negative impacts on ecosystem processes and functions. Environmental flows have been introduced to restore deteriorated riverine ecosystems; however, environmental flows have not always been practical or adequate to restore environment conditions in rivers globally. Lake Okeechobee is a large subtropical lake that plays a pivotal role in South Florida water system providing various water demands for the surrounding communities as well as providing crucial services to the ecosystem of South Florida. However, hydrologic alterations and nutrient (phosphorus and …