Sustainability Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …