Sustainability Commons^™

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 …

Physical And Chemical Characterization Of Recycled Glass Sand For Environmental Restoration, Shehbaz Ahmad, Julie P. Vanegas, Nicholas Borne, Natalia Butler, Toby Mendels, Leah A. Michaeloff, Diego Molina, Mary Salvaggio, Samantha Tamayo, Franziska Trautmann

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Introduction

We rely on coastal resources for food, water, and energy. However, over 75% of U.S. coastlines are eroding. Concurrently, the U.S. recycles less glass than other developed countries, landfilling hundreds of millions of tons every year. Recycled glass sand has many potential benefits over natural sand for combatting land loss; for example, it can be produced with controlled particle size to better resist erosion, making it an excellent—and underutilized—material for environmental restoration.

Objectives

This research compares the physical and chemical properties of recycled glass sand to natural sands (beach and dredge) from the U.S. Gulf Coast to assess environmental …

Why Real Impact Stories Of Forest-Dependent Communities Are Essential In Carbon Marketing, Andrew Mwape

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

As the global carbon market matures, the pressure on companies and project developers to prove the integrity and social value of their carbon offset initiatives has never been greater. At the heart of this growing scrutiny lies a key opportunity: to move beyond metrics and tell authentic, human-centered stories that reflect the real impact of carbon projects; especially those rooted in forest landscapes.

An Integrated Geophysical Approach For Estimating The Depth Of Mineral Potential In Some Part Of Basement Complex Terrain Southwestern Nigeria, Hamid Titilope Oladunjoye, Joseph Coker, Niyi-Ola Adebisi, Omolara Abosede Adenuga, Sofiat Adetomilola Adekoya, Aderemi Alabi, Abisola Akinmoladun

Al-Bahir

Effective mineral exploration in a basement complex necessitates precise delineation of overburden thickness and mineral potential within the Basement Complex terrain. This study examined the subsurface geology and assesses the abundance of prospective mineral deposits within the study area The objective of the study was to outline the overburden thickness and infer mineral potential using integrated ground magnetic and electrical resistivity geophysical methods. The electrical resistivity method unraveled the litho-stratigraphic sequence as surmised from geo-electric layers. Consequently, the mineralization of the basement delineated was characterized by the magnetic method. The acquired data were processed using WINRESIST and Oasis Montaj respectively. …

Culture And Environment: The Calling Lakes Ecomuseum As A Community Sustainability Initiative, Kace N. Anders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located in Saskatchewan, Canada, the Calling Lakes Ecomuseum, CLEM, is a community-based organization focused on water management and sustainability. Ecomuseums are holistic organizations that occupy landscapes, are responsive to community needs, conserve in situ heritage, and incorporate sustainability along with community development. The ecomuseum movement came from a need for holistic heritage management that disengaged with conventional museology and created space for communities to engage with their heritage in ways that promote community identity. This thesis analyzes the Calling Lakes Ecomuseum and how it utilizes the ecomuseum concept alongside environmental sustainability. Both semi-structured interviews and place-based field observations were used …

Toward Sustainable Human Well-Being: A Multidimensional Assessment In Colorado, Uma Umut Baysal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evaluating progress in human well-being is essential for guiding effective policy and promoting sustainable development. Traditional approaches often emphasize economic and social dimensions while overlooking ecological indicators critical to long-term sustainability. This research addresses that gap by proposing a layered, scalable local framework for county-level analysis and bottom-up decision-making, integrating multiple objective indicators to assess and compare well-being outcomes across regions.

The first goal of this dissertation is to measure human well-being in Colorado counties by developing a Human Well-Being Index (HWBI). This index combines a newly developed Built Environment Index (BEI) comprising five sub-indices: accessibility, housing affordability, transportation, …

Roles Of Organic Agriculture For Water Optimization In Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Shikha Sharma, Matt A. Yost, Jennifer R. Reeve

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Water scarcity is a critical challenge in arid and semi-arid regions, where agricultural water consumption accounts for a significant portion of freshwater use. Conventional agriculture (CA) methods with high reliance on chemical and mechanical inputs often exacerbate this issue through soil degradation and water loss. This review aims to examine how different organic practices, such as mulching, cover cropping, composting, crop rotation, and no-till (NT) in combination with precision technologies, can contribute to water optimization, and it discusses the opportunities and challenges for the adoption and implementation of those practices. Previous findings show that organic agriculture (OA) may outperform CA …

Session 2: The Cases For Industry Self-Regulation And Government Regulation Of Ai, Boaz Ashkenazy, Kevin Bartholomew, Kevin De Liban, Christopher Yoo

SITIE Symposiums

In Session Two of the SITIE 2025 Symposium titled “The Cases for Industry Self-Regulation and Government Regulation of AI,” moderated by Seattle University Technology Ethics Initiative Director and Professor Onur Bakiner, the panelists discuss their perspectives and experiences with AI regulation. They share observations about the industry and delve into the topics of AI complexity, concerns around accountability, the shift to agentic AI, the current state of AI regulation, existing legal guardrails, and their outlook on AI regulation.

Tellings Of The Pacific Ocean: A Landscape-Based Approach For Multispecies Design And Hci, Maliheh Ghajargar

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental disturbances induced by climate change have caused significant changes in our ecosystems and are threatening the health of our environments. As a response to this issue, a growing body of work has emerged in HCI and design, which seeks to foreground more-than-human stories in support of making more sustainable and just futures. This research contributes to this broad agenda by probing graphic novels as a multispecies storytelling method for design and HCI. Combining ideas from Anna Tsing’s adventures of landscape and from HCI and design’s use of sequential art (e.g., storyboards), we use landscape as the main protagonist of …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Ecological Footprint Analysis Of Chatgpt (Gpt-3), Isabella Boulais

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Climate change is an escalating crisis that demands immediate action from all sectors, including the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI offers climate solutions, its own environmental impact raises concerns. Unfortunately limited research due to rapid development, system complexity, and lack of standardized methodologies hinders our understanding of AI’s environmental consequences. This project aims to conduct a comprehensive ecological footprint analysis of OpenAI’s GPT-3 model that is used to power ChatGPT, establishing guidelines for assessing AI systems’ environmental impact and proposing a framework for improvement. Going beyond tracking carbon emissions, this project will outline the broader lifecycle …

State And Transition Models For Mulga Rangelands Of Western Australia, Alison O'Donnell, Anna E. Richards, Suzanne Prober, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Sarah Luxton, Ian Watson, Brett Abbott, Philip Thomas, Joshua E. Foster

Natural resources published reports

This report details a collaborative project between the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and CSIRO that focused on developing State and Transition Models (STMs) for mulga rangelands in Western Australia. The overarching aim of the project was to improve the common understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of mulga rangeland ecosystems and the expected impacts of management. Specifically, the project aimed to collate expert knowledge and monitoring information using a nationally consistent framework to develop quantitative and dynamic STMs. The geographic scope of the project covers the extensive mulga rangelands of Western Australia, particularly the Gascoyne …

Myceli-Yum: Elucidating Structure-Property Relationships For Polymer Degradation By Mycelial Digestion, Jordan Scott Ford

Master's Theses

Since the industrial entrance of polymer plastic materials, plastic has become ubiquitous in both everyday use and waste. Due to inefficiencies and knowledge gaps, current recycling methods are not able to account for the high scale of plastic waste, resulting in the bulk of this waste being landfilled, mishandled, and deposited in the environment. Mycelium, the microorganism responsible for fruiting mushroom bodies and mold growth, holds potential to reduce plastic waste and can potentially be utilized as a method of industrial recycling. Following a drug-design approach, the active site of mycelial enzymes responsible for natural biopolymer degradation have been assessed …

Indigenous Science And The Legacy Of Fire: Resilience, Fuels, Mosaics, And Eco-Cultural Landscapes In Oregon’S Coastal And Cascade Range, Julia Alcalá

University Honors Theses

Most of Oregon's western Cascade and Coastal range is a landscape that has historically been considered devoid of mid to low-intensity fires by Western science. However, for time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have been stewarding the forests through the use of "good fire," creating diverse and heterogenous landscapes with mixed fire regimes, ranging from less than a decade to several centuries since the last fire, resulting in a mosaic of patchy forest, oak savannas, prairies, and wetlands. Yet centuries of Indigenous displacement, cultural assimilation, and suppression of cultural burning contributed to this prevailing belief. Despite that, in recent decades, Western scientists …

Rebuilding Consent: Fear, Trust, And The Future Of Nuclear Energy, Austin Dunham

University Honors Theses

This thesis traces the cultural and emotional roots of nuclear fear in the United States and explores how those inherited anxieties continue to shape public resistance to nuclear energy in the face of a worsening climate crisis. Drawing on personal narrative, risk perception theory, and the history of nuclear discourse - from Hiroshima to Chernobyl to today - the research examines how trust, rather than technology, remains the largest barrier to progress. By analyzing the stories we tell about energy, disaster, control, and overall perceived risk, this work asks what it would take for Americans to imagine nuclear energy not …

Tree Story, Jia Hu

Masters Theses

What is Nature?

Nature is a system of intelligence. It means designing for efficiency—often by learning from strategies that have evolved over time. In my research, I use patterns to interpret and decode nature.

To explore nature, I began with the red cedar tree, aiming to simulate and predict its growth patterns—forms shaped by both internal biology and external forces. By analyzing its geometry, I sought to understand how trees embody the dynamic relationship between organism and environment. These patterns reveal the adaptive logic of life.

Patterns are central to understanding nature. While tree geometry may appear chaotic, it follows …

Field Journal: The Excluded Middle, Carrie E. Kouts

Masters Theses

What does it look like to engage with organisms and landscapes at the periphery of anthropocentric value structures? How does one break the internalized myth that the “built” environment is excluded from the natural world? When does a hyper-mobile and hyper-commodified society confront the exponential crisis of animal death? Within this series of journal entries, field notes, collection observations, weird prose, and sensory musings, one will find questions on the nature of being human and the complex narratives of care we encounter in a world shared with more-than-humans. Each handwritten vignette and photograph from daily life weaves a non-linear and …

Historical Overview, Advancements, And Future Prospects Of Coalfield Structure Research In China, Cao Daiyong, Ju Yiwen, Xia Yucheng, Jiang Bo, Ning Shuzheng, Wei Yingchun, Wang Anmin, Li Xiaoming, Zhan Wenfeng, Li Huantong, Wang Lu, Cai Zhuocheng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Coalfield structures represent a basic aspect of coalfield geology. In China, research into this domain has a history of over a century, yielding numerous results after undergoing exploration, learning, and innovation. These results have played a positive role in the long-term, stable coal supply in China. Amidst the ongoing energy structure optimization and the transformation and upgrading of coalfield geology in China, it is both practically and historically significant to review the history of coalfield structure research, summarize relevant experience, and contemplate future directions of the research under emerging circumstances.Methods Based on literature analysis, as well as the …

Mechanisms And Collaborative Prevention And Control Techniques For Various Disasters In Coal Seam Roofs, Zheng Kaige, Zhang Jian, Sun Siqing, Chen Dongdong, Wang Zeyang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The multistage sedimentary and tectonic evolution of coal seams in China has led to the formation of environments with the coexistence of multiple disasters including gas outbursts, water inrushes, and rock bursts. To address the chain evolution of these disasters induced by the coupling of high in situ stress, high water pressure, and intense mining under the condition of deep coal mining, this study systematically investigated the coupling mechanisms and collaborative prevention and control techniques of multiple dynamic disasters in coal seam roofs. Methods Based on the regional tectonic characteristics and the delineation of coal-bearing tectonic units, this study …

Mechanisms And Equation Improvement For Gas Seepage In Coal Seams Around Boreholes Subjected To High-Pressure Co2 Foam Fracturing, Pang Mingkun, Zhang Tianyu, Pan Hongyu, Song Xianfeng, Wu Shan, Zhang Tianjun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The special low-porosity, low-permeability structures of high-gas-content coal seams restrict efficient gas drainage. To address this issue, this study accurately determined the seepage parameters of annularly fractured coals around boreholes subjected to CO₂ foam fracturing to enhance both the design accuracy of boreholes for gas pre-drainage from coal seams and gas drainage efficiency. Methods Using an independently developed apparatus for gas seepage experiments on fractured coals around boreholes, this study investigated the coals with pores and fractures distributed in an annular pattern around boreholes from the perspective of varying initial pore structures. Specifically, this study analyzed the evolutionary …

Classification-Based Point Cloud Denoising And 3d Reconstruction Of Roadways, Chen Denghong, Pang Ning, Nie Wen, Feng Juqiang, Kan Jiliang, Zhang Jinjing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The point cloud denoising and 3D reconstruction of roadways serve as a key step in the digital modeling and analysis of roadways. However, the conventional algorithm based on single filtering fails to effectively remove the noise at varying scales from point clouds. Meanwhile, the existing 3D reconstruction algorithms suffer from low modeling accuracy and high susceptibility to distortion. These necessitate developing methods and technologies to obtain high-quality point cloud data and construct high-accuracy 3D models for roadways. Methods This study proposed an adaptive classification-based point cloud denoising algorithm using neighborhood radius (R), minimum neighborhood point number ( …

Dominant Geological And Engineering Factors Controlling The Productivity Of Horizontal Wells For Deep Coalbed Methane In The Southern Shenfu Block, Guo Guangshan, Liu Yancheng, Zhao Gang, Chen Zhaohui, Li Chen, Kang Lifang, Wang Yuchuan, Wang Jianan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The southern Shenfu block along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin hosts one of the rare gas fields with reserves of over 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) in China, serving as a pilot demonstration area for the exploration and production of deep coalbed methane (CBM) conducted by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). In this block, the gas production of horizontal wells is 2-10 times that of vertical wells. However, the horizontal wells are challenged by significantly different and rapidly declining gas production. Determining dominant factors controlling the productivity of horizontal wells for deep CBM is the …

Impacts Of The Hydrochemical Characteristics Of Coal Seam Water On The Structures And Metabolic Functions Of Microbial Communities, Wang Gaohao, Duan Shengjie, Wang Bei, Niu Guobin, Liang Yongping, Yu Feilong, Ma Kai, Zhao Weizhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The core of coalbed methane (CBM) bioengineering is to inject bio-fracturing fluids rich in efficient methanogenic bacteria into coal reservoirs to promote the conversion of coals to methane. However, the relationships of the hydrochemical characteristics of coal seam water with the structures and metabolic functions of microbial communities remain unclear. Methods This study investigated coal seam water from 12 typical mining areas in Ningxia. Based on microbial classification and sequencing, as well as statistical analysis, this study explored the relationships of pH, anions, cations, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of coal seam water with the structures and metabolic functions …

Construction And Application Of A Model For Drainage Via Directional Boreholes Against Water Hazards In Deep Vertical Shafts, Zhao Chunhu, Zhu Mingcheng, Ji Yadong, Wang Shidong, Zhang Wenzhong, Zhu Kaipeng, Liu Yingfeng, Shang Hongbo, Li Chaofeng, Fan Min, Li Kai

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Vertical shafts are typically employed in the deep mining areas of Jurassic coalfields in western China. However, the direct exposure of extremely thick Cretaceous aquifers frequently leads to significant water inflow in shafts. Meanwhile, the continuous sand-carrying water inflow and scouring in vertical shafts pose serious safety hazards to the overall quality of shaft walls. Methods In underground water exploration and discharge boreholes, water outlets are below the floors of aquifers to be drained. This allows unpowered water discharge. In other words, water can flow out naturally. By fully leveraging this advantage, combined with the favorable condition of spatial …

Diffusion Mechanisms Of Power-Law Grouts In Water-Rich Sand Layers During Permeation Grouting, Xie Bao, Cheng Hua, Wang Xuesong, Li Mingjing, Liu Xiangyang, Han Xueyu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective This study aims to clarify the spherical diffusion patterns of power-law grouts in water-rich sand layers during permeation grouting and their influential factors. To this end, permeation grouting experiments were conducted to gain insights into the quantitative impacts of varying grouting parameters on grout diffusion.Methods Using model experiments on spherical diffusion during permeation grouting, this study analyzed the macroscopic diffusion morphologies and microscopic infilling effects of grouts, as well as the trends of permeation and soil pressures during grouting. Then, based on the spherical diffusion equations for permeation grouting that consider multi-effect coupling, this study analyzed the factors …

A Method For Efficient Virtual-Physical Synchronization Of The Digital Twin System Of An Excavation-Supporting Robot Cluster Targeting Coal Pillars Between Mining Faces, Mao Qinghua, Sima Junlei, Ma Hongwei, Wang Chuanwei, Chen Yanzhang, Guo Wenjin, Cui Wenda, Cheng Jiashuai

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Virtual models for excavation-supporting robot clusters targeting coal pillars between mining faces encounter challenges like a large data size and anomalies in data transmission, which lead to poor virtual-physical synchronization. This study proposed a method for efficient virtual-physical synchronization of the digital twin (DT) system of an excavation-supporting robot cluster using 3D model lightweighting and a trajectory prediction and correction model. Methods Fit-controlling vertices were defined, and their collapse cost factor was introduced to improve the quadratic error metric (QEM) algorithm and to constrain the lightweighting process of the 3D model of an assembly while maintaining fits between components. …