Sustainability Commons^™

Geological Technological Innovations And Contributions In The Exploration And Development Of The Shenfu Coalfield, Fan Limin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The discovery and exploration of the Shenfu coalfield (i.e., a Jurassic coalfield in northern Shaanxi Province) represent the most significant achievement in China’s coal industry during the 6th Five-Year Plan of the country, marking the onset of the strategic westward shift of China’s coal industry. The complex discovery and exploration processes of the Shenfu coalfield have yielded valuable technological innovations. A summary of advances in the geological exploration and research of this coalfield will provide significant implications and references for the geologic work and green development of major coal-producing areas in West China. Advances First, research on the coal …

Mining-Induced Fault Slip: Assessment Model And Method For Determining Fault Instability Ranges, Zhao Hongbao, Zhang Bo, Zhang Chi, Ji Dongliang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Faults are highly susceptible to activation and slip instability under the influence of mining. This might trigger many disasters such as mine earthquakes, posing serious threats to mine safety. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the mechanical mechanisms behind mining-induced fault activation and determine the ranges of mutual feedback between mining and fault activation in advance. Methods With the 213B mining face of the Xinzhi coal mine as the engineering background, this study analyzed the fault activation process induced by mining and created an elastic mechanical model for the impacts of mining on the surrounding rocks of faults. Accordingly, …

Geological Characteristics And Key Technologies For Exploration And Development Of The Yanchuannan Coalbed Methane Field, Ordos Basin, He Xipeng, Xiao Cui, Gao Yuqiao, Li Xin, Guo Tao, Cai Xiao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective China boasts abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources, which serve as a crucial replacement for the reserve growth and production addition of natural gas resources. In recent years, CBM exploration and production have gradually expanded into deep, thin coal seams, which, however, are characterized by strong heterogeneity, ultra-low permeability, high in situ stress, and complex enrichment patterns. Therefore, the exploration and exploitation of deep, thin coal seams face challenges such as inadequate geological theories, poor adaptability of key technologies, and low investment returns, which hinder large-scale commercial CBM production. Methods Focusing on the exploration and exploitation practice of middle-deep, thin …

Exploring Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposits In Coal-Bearing Basins Using Geophysical Methods: A Case Study Of The East-Central Erlian Basin, Liang Jiangang, Kuang Haiyang, Cao Zhanning, Yang Weimin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, critical to the uranium resources growth in China, are extensively distributed in continental and marine-continental transitional sedimentary rocks. Currently, the exploration and research on these deposits in China focus primarily on the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary basins in the northern regions. Objective and Methods‌ The Erlian Basin exhibits the coexistence of uranium, coals, and oil. This study investigated the east-central part of this basin using multiple geophysical data, including regional gravity survey, aeromagnetic survey, and airborne radioactivity survey (ARS). Furthermore, six 2D seismic profiles totaling 130 km in length were deployed, and instantaneous soil radon measurement as employed. …

Impacts Of Diamond Particle Sizes On Performance Of Ni-Cu Superhydrophobic Coatings On Drilling Tool Surfaces, Wen Qi, Li Tao, Duan Longchen, Pan Bingsuo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Applying superhydrophobic coatings on drilling tool surfaces can effectively alleviate the challenges posed by drill bit balling and core barrel blockage. However, the limited mechanical stability of superhydrophobic coatings has somewhat hindered their widespread application in practical operations. Methods To improve the durability of superhydrophobic coatings, this study co-deposited diamond micropowder into Ni-Cu composite coating using composite electrodeposition, followed by surface modification using 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (PFDTES). Employing a variety of testing methods, this study investigated the impacts of the mass fractions of diamonds with particle sizes of 1 μm and 20 μm (also referred to as diamonds W1 and W20, …

Primary Geological Characteristics, Advances In Exploration And Production, And Strategies Of Coalbed Methane In South China, Guo Tao, Zhou Yatong, Jin Xiaobo, Gao Xiaokang, Peng Xingping

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods South China contains abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources from numerous, superimposed, thin coal seams, serving as a significant replacement for China’s CBM exploration and production in the future. Despite significant progress in recent years, the CBM industry still faces several challenges in comprehensive and effective production. To accelerate its development, this study summarizes the primary geological characteristics of CBM resources in South China, organizes the current status and advances in CBM exploration and production in this region, and proposes corresponding technical strategies. Results The results indicate that the abundant CBM resources in South China exhibit coal seams …

Stratigraphic Characteristics And Shale Gas Enrichment Interval Distribution Of The Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, Upper Yangtze Region, China, Wang Hongyan, Shi Zhensheng, Zhao Qun, Zhou Tianqi, Wang Pengfei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Shales in the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation within the Upper Yangtze region preserve critical information about primitive oceans. Furthermore, these shales serve as vital source rocks and reservoirs, having demonstrated considerable potential for shale gas exploration. Methods Using seismic, borehole, and outcrop data, this study investigated the shale strata and their distribution in the Qiongzhusi Formation through comparative analysis. Accordingly, the sweet-spot interval was determined. Results and conclusions The results indicate that the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation in the Upper Yangtze region can be divided into the first and second members (also referred to as the Qiong 1 and …

Advances In Research On Technologies For Large-Scale Coal Gangue Utilization For Green Mine Construction, Shi Quanlin, Long Lihua, Yang Qian, Wang Shaohui, Xie Dawei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The coal gangue, a solid waste, features high production and a continuous increase in the amount piled in China. The long-term piling up of coal gangue will cause the waste of land resources and environmental pollution in mining areas. Various methods for utilizing coal gangue, such as preparing high-value-added chemical products and extracting useful elements, suffer a limited consumption capacity, failing to meet the requirements of large-scale disposal and utilization of solid wastes and green mine construction. Advances The comprehensive utilization of coal gangue for mining area reclamation and underground backfilling represents a critical direction for its large-scale disposal …

Advances In Research On The Mechanical Responses Of Hot Dry Granites Under Varying Cooling Conditions In China, Xie Jingyu, Song Jiwei, Sui Jiancai, Zhao Meng, Wang Ren, Zeng Chong, Wang Jianlong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Significance Enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) serve as a key technique for exploiting hot dry rocks (HDRs) presently. During the construction and operation of EGSs, rocks of the HDR reservoirs will experience various cooling conditions, such as natural cooling, cyclic cooling, and water cooling, rendering it greatly significant to investigate the mechanical response characteristics of granites—typical HDRs—under varying cooling conditions. Advances This study offers a summary and analysis of experimental data about the mechanical responses, i.e., uniaxial compressive strength (σ_c), elastic modulus (E), tensile strength (σ_t), and Poisson's ratio (ν), of …

Engineering Practice Of Advance Gas Control For Crushed Soft Coal Seams Through Directional Fracturing Using A Long Borehole In The Coal Seam Roof, Jia Bingyi, Li Shugang, Chen Dongdong, Zhang Qun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The crushed soft coal seams susceptible to intense coal and gas outbursts exhibit high gas content and pressure. Consequently, during borehole drilling for regional gas pre-drainage in such coal seams, high blowout intensity is prone to cause gas overrun and low drilling efficiency. To accelerate its development, this study analyzed the status and adaptability of existing technologies for regional advance gas drainage and pressure relief, as well as the fracture propagation characteristics of coal seam roofs during indirect fracturing using boreholes near the roofs. Accordingly, this study proposed an advance gas drainage and pressure relief technology for …

Dynamic Evolutionary Pattern Of Fractures In Tectonically Deformed Coal-Bearing Assemblages During Loading, Zhao Pengxiang, Liu Yingying, Li Shugang, Liu Yanqun, Liu Yunchuan, Wang Laolao, Lu Weidong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The formation and evolution of fractures in tectonically deformed coals (TDCs) exert a significant influence on the occurrence of dynamic hazards to TDC-bearding combinations under mining disturbance. However, the influence patterns remain unclear. Methods Using a NanoVoxel-3000 high-resolution inspection system for multiscale integrated geotechnical scanning and analysis, this study performed uniaxial compression and CT scanning experiments on TDC-bearing combination specimens. Moreover, this study reconstructed the mesoscopic geometric structures of the specimens using the Avizo software, obtaining three-dimensional visualization models of fractures inside the specimens. Results and Conclusions During loading of a specimen studied, fractures were generated in the TDC …

A New Quantitative Assessment Model For The Joint Roughness Of Rock Masses, Chen Shijiang, Liu Hongwei, Li Tao, Yue Hu, Liu Jiangang, Yu Jiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The joint roughness of rock masses significantly affects their mechanical properties such as shear strength and permeability. Therefore, its quantitative characterization is significant for the engineering practices of jointed rock masses. Current research achievements indicate that among statistical parameters, the root mean square (RMS) of first derivatives (Z₂) exhibits the strongest correlation with the joint roughness of rock masses, serving as a vital method for characterizing joint roughness. However, the characterization using this parameter is severely affected by the sampling interval (SI). Methods Based on a systematic analysis of the drawbacks of Z₂ in characterizing …

Zonal Prediction Of The Heights Of Water-Conducting Fracture Zones Under Varying Overburden Types In North China-Type Coalfields, Xu Dongjing, Zhang Ruiqing, Gao Weifu, Jiang Haonan, Zhu Haifeng, Li Ye, Xia Zhicun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The gradual increase in the exploitation depth and intensity of coal resources in the North China-type coalfields has caused problems such as overburden movement and damage, as well as fracture evolution. These hot topics have attracted considerable attention. Methods A total of 117 sets of measured data on the heights of water-conducting fracture zones in the North China-type coalfields were collected, consisting of 17 sets from hard overburden, 42 sets from moderately hard overburden, and 58 sets from soft overburden. Using these data, this study explored the effects of varying mining heights, mining depths, and lengths of the mining …

A Method For Time Difference Correction For Real-Time Seismic-While-Mining Data, Jin Dan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Seismic-while-mining (SWM) data are usually acquired using multiple stations, each of which is equipped with multiple data acquisition traces. However, the SWM data received by these stations exhibit time differences due to the lack of GPS signals underground and the fact that current network synchronization technologies are confined by network delays underground. Given that the time synchronization accuracy directly affects the quality of data processing and imaging, the time difference correction of real-time SWM data is essential for accurate SWM detection. Methods Since current high-precision timing systems on the surface suffer from signal loss underground, this study proposed an …

Influencing Mechanisms Of Microwave Radiation Duration On The Efficiency Of Methane Adsorption In Coals, Hu Yiliang, Bao Yuan, Meng Jiahao, Chen Xueru, Shan Tuo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Microwave radiation duration represents a critical factor in enhancing coalbed methane (CBM) recovery using microwave-aided methods. However, the influencing mechanism of microwave radiation duration on the efficiency of methane adsorption in coal seams remains unclear. This necessitates delving into the specific effects of microwave radiation duration on the adsorption efficiency and unveiling their intrinsic constraints. Methods This study investigated the No.2 coal seam in the Huangling mining area. The coal samples were irradiated for 0‒18 min using 700 W microwaves. Using experiments and analyses including isothermal adsorption, low-temperature liquid N2 adsorption, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), this study …

Assessment Indicator System For Siting Of Geologic Co2 Sequestration In Low-Porosity And Low-Permeability Saline Aquifers: A Case Study Of The Ordos Basin, Mou Yu, Wang Haofan, Shaanxi Key Laboratory For Carbon Neutral Technology, Carbon Neutrality College (Yulin), Northwest University, Xi’An 710069, China Xuejun, Ma Jinfeng, Luo Shaocheng, Li Lin, Ding Zhao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective CO₂ injection and geologic sequestration in deep saline aquifers as underground spatial resources represents an important means of achieving the targets of greenhouse gas emission reduction and carbon neutrality. Current assessments of the siting and potential for geologic CO₂ sequestration in saline aquifers focus primarily on the macroscopic basin and regional scales, with the assessment indicator system scarcely accounting for the suitability of low-porosity and low-permeability strata. Methods Using data from 192 wells in the Yusheng area, Ordos Basin, this study conducted the division and correlation of intervals bearing no hydrocarbon, carried out lithologic and physical interpretations …

Optimization And Application Of Sand Bailing Technology For Coalbed Methane Horizontal Wells, Zhang Fei, Wang Yibing, Cheng Lu, Mei Wenbo, Yang Qi, Shen Wenjie, Cao Chao, Lai Peng, Liao Zhengkai, Xian Bao'an, Bi Yansen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Coalbed methane (CBM) horizontal wells face challenges such as sand accumulation in completion strings, pipe wall scaling, and pump sticking, leading to declined CBM production or shutdown of these wells. This severely restricts continuous, stable CBM production. Removing pulverized coals and sands from wellbores through mechanical sand bailing is recognized as an effective technique to restore and improve the CBM production of horizontal wells. To address challenges such as poor string sealing performance, low efficiency, and sand consolidation in mechanical sand bailing, this study created optimized tools including claw-shaped scraper tips, sand-breaking drill bits, eccentric flaps, and …

Springscape: The Nature Coast And The Making Of Modern Florida, 1820s-Present, Douglas E. Ponticos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to an oft-repeated tale, the Florida we know today emerged as a dreamscape of tourism, retirement, and suburbanization during the second half of the twentieth century. Growth victimized nature. This dissertation deeply unsettles that story. The history of the Nature Coast exposes not just nature’s agency but its primacy in the development of modern Florida.

Using surveys, maps, census data, personal correspondence, government documents, business records, timber reports, advertising materials, and hydrological research, this dissertation follows time and water across landscapes, into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, and back out again. Each chapter explores a single landscape within the Nature …

Solving A Multi-Stage Mine Sequencing Model Encompassing Excavator Allocation Through Constraint Programming In A Bauxite Strip Mining Operation, Jorge Luiz Valença Mariz, Marcel Antonio Arcari Bassani, Rodrigo De Lemos Peroni, Octávio R. A. Guimarães, Flávio H. Tavares

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Sedimentary mineral deposits are generally tabular and sub-horizontal, composed of one or multiple well-defined seams, arranged over large extensions, and when close to the surface, they are mined by surface mining methods. These geometric characteristics make it suitable for the application of the strip mining method as an alternative to the traditional open-pit mining method, which allows the reduction of the truck haulage fleet and the costs associated with waste disposal. Consequently, it reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint associated with excavation and transportation processes. This article presents a two-stage mathematical model based on Integer Linear Programming to …

The Sustainability Stones: Culturally Embedded Conservation Strategies And Their Vulnerability In Maupiti, French Polynesia, Russell Fielding, Fiona Gimenez

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper explores culturally embedded conservation strategies through the lens of the traditional agroforestry and fisheries cycles in Maupiti, French Polynesia. By pairing certain breadfruit cultivars with specific fish species, the island’s community created a culinary system that regulates the seasonal consumption of marine resources, making the sustainable use of those resources more likely. While modern pressures such as reduced breadfruit diversity, competition with imported foods, and climate change have weakened these traditional practices, they remain an example of local ecological knowledge guiding conservation. The study highlights the threat of losing sustainable resource-use practices and biodiversity as both biodiversity and …

Indigenous Futures: Decolonizing Conservation And Restoring Ecological Sovereignty, Jasmine Beach

University Honors Theses

This study examines how members of Indigenous-led conservation organizations perceive the ecological and social implications of colonial conservation ideologies in the context of contemporary grassroots strategies. By analyzing the ongoing impact of conservation frameworks in Kenya, this research highlights the role of Indigenous-led initiatives in advancing sustainable, community-driven alternatives. Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western scientific methods, the study employs qualitative, semi-structured interviews with leaders from Zawadisha, KENVO, Wildlife Works, and CER-Kenya. Findings indicate that these organizations, particularly those led by women, actively restore biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and challenge exclusionary conservation policies. …

Challenges In Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining: Perspectives And Transformations To Sustainability Along Br-163 In Brazil, Carlos Henrique Xavier Araujo, Irfan Ullah, Giorgio De Tomi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Artisanal Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is a sector beset with unique and complex challenges. Recent literature highlights the growing acknowledgment of the critical need for reforms in how the ASGM industry interacts with communities and the environment. Discussions about sustainable transformations go beyond theoretical and conceptual borders, attempting to understand how local transformative events might reflect global developments. Thus, the goal of this article is to give an analysis from the perspective of the actors participating in artisanal gold mining activities. A survey was carried out along BR-163, which runs from Sinop (Mato Grosso) to Santarém (Pará). Fifty-five (55) interviews …

Transcriptional Profiles Reveal Physiological Mechanisms For Compensation During A Simulated Marine Heatwave In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Sharon E. Hook, Ryan J. Farr, Jenny Su, Alistair J. Hobday, Catherine Wingate, Lindsey Woolley, Luke Pilmer

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Changing ocean temperatures are already causing declines in populations of marine organisms. Predicting the capacity of organisms to adjust to the pressures posed by climate change is a topic of much current research effort, particularly for species we farm or harvest. To explore one measure of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological compensations in response to heat stress as might be experienced in a marine heatwave, we exposed Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to sublethal heat stress, and used the transcriptome in gill and muscle, benchmarked against heat shock proteins and oxidative stress indicators, to characterise the acute heat stress …

Fostering & Understanding Diversity Within The Ant Microbiome & Research Group, Manuela O. Ramalho

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Manu Ramalho of the Biology Department presents: Fostering and understanding diversity: within the ant microbiome and our research group.

Magnetic And Optical Properties Of Airborne Dust Particles Nearby Coal-Fired Power Plants In Upper Silesia, Poland: A Mineralogical, Petrographical And Chemical Approach, Chrysoula Chrysakopoulou, Konstantinos Perleros, Małgorzata Wojtaszek-Kalaitzidi, Lambrini Papadopoulou, Nikolaos Kantiranis, Stavros Kalaitzidis

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Coal mining and exploitation pose certain challenges in terms of environmental management. The objective of this research is the study of airborne dust from Knurow region, Southern Poland, aiming to identify the level and the features of anthropogenic particles, mostly in the form of fly ash. Two samples collected from a domestic gutter system were analysed regarding their mineralogical, chemical and petrographical features, emphasizing the magnetic fraction and the carbonized organic particles. The airborne dust contains 22 wt.% of fossil and fresh organic matter, whereas the major mineralogical phase is magnetite. The magnetic fraction (up to 3 wt.%) appears in …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Transforming Physical And Online Fashion Retail: Enhancing Experiences, Driving Sustainability, And Fostering Innovation, Andrew Burnstine

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This study explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing the fashion industry, with a focus on enhancing consumer experiences, promoting sustainability, and driving innovation in retail. It examines AI applications in personalized recommendations, virtual try-ons, and supply chain optimization, while also addressing societal implications. Sustainability is a central theme, highlighting how AI minimizes overproduction, enables circular fashion, and encourages conscious consumerism. Case studies, such as Nike’s AI-powered retail stores and Lynn University’s Surreal Fashion Show, demonstrate practical applications and innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research synthesizes insights from reports by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey …

Urban Heat Dynamics In Pune: The Influence Of Land Cover And Local Climate, Arpit Tiwari, Preethi Nanjundan, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Ananya Karmakar, Satyaban Bishoyi Ratna

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Urban areas with high population density and extensive infrastructure development have been experiencing an increasing strain on the local heat budget, leading to a surge in heat-related illnesses and discomfort. This study examined the impact of climate and land use as heat islands in Pune, India, from 2012 to 2023 at six different locations representing varying degree of urbanization. Satellite land cover observations revealed that 55.17% of the total area was urbanized in the city itself, which was limited to 44.8% in 2012. This urbanization has significantly impacted the increasing tendency of maximum temperature (T_max; 0.13℃ to 1.63℃ …

Prediction Of Unit Haulage Cost In An Underground Mine Using Machine Learning Techniques, Marco Cotrina, Jairo Marquina, Junior Polo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The primary objective of the research was to apply machine learning techniques to forecast the unit costs of ore hauling in an underground mine. The methodology employed was quantitative, with a non-experimental and descriptive design. Haulage data were collected over a 12-month period. Furthermore, an exploratory data analysis (EDA) was conducted using various models, including ANN-MLP (Artificial Neural Network – Multilayer Perceptron), Random Forests, Extreme Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Regression, Decision Tree, KNN, and Bayesian Regression, to handle the data’s complexity. The data were split into 80% for training, 10% for testing, and 10% for validation. The results indicated that …

Refining Chlorosulfonation Methods For The Synthesis Of A Perfluoroalkyl Arylsulfonimide (Pfsi) Monomer, Ainsley P. Foster, Ben Varney, Hua Mei

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are sources of energy that are clean, quiet, and highly responsive to changes in power needs, making them promising for use in automobiles and other portable power devices. The electrolyte of a PEM cell–the layer responsible for conductivity–is a polymer membrane, commonly consisting of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers. In place of the PFSA polymers, perfluoroalkyl arylsulfonimide (PFSI) polymers are expected to improve the efficiency of PEM fuel cells with better stability and proton conductivity. The trifluovinylether (TFVE) aryl perfluorosulfonamide monomer is a new PFSI monomer proposed to fulfill these benefits once polymerized. The previous …

Mind The Green Skills Gap, Panchali Guha

Asian Management Insights

The need to build tomorrow’s sustainable green economy today. Climate change and the shift towards a net zero economy pose significant risks to jobs globally unless workers are equipped with green skills and competencies. There is already a green skills gap in the labour market that will only widen over time if it is not addressed. Comprehensive and coordinated policies must be developed to define and measure green jobs and skills, enhance educational offerings, and provide support for workers and employers during the transition.