Spatiotemporal mapping of(ultra‐)mafic magmatic mine areas:Implications of economic and political realities in China

The spatiotemporal extension/expansion of mine areas is affected by multiple factors.So far,very little has been done to examine the interaction between mine areas and political or economic realities.The(ultra‐)mafic magmatic mines in China played a specific role in supporting national development and providing an ideal research subject for monitoring their interrelationship.In this study,remote sensing and mining‐related GIS data were used to identify and analyze 1233(ultra‐)mafic magmatic mine area polygons in China,which covered approximately 322.96 km2 of land and included a V–Ti–Fe mine,a copper–nickel mine,a chromite mine,an asbestos mine,and a diamond mine.It was found that(1)the areal expansion of mines is significantly related to the mine types,perimeter,topography,and population density.(2)The mine area variation also reflects market and policy realities.The temporal expansion of the mine area from 2010 to 2020 followed an S‐shaped pattern(with the turning point occurring in 2014),closely related to iron overcapacity and tightened mining policies.(3)The complexity(D)of the mine area may reflect mine design and excavation practices.To be specific,lower D indicates early‐stage or artisanal/small‐scale mining,whereas higher D represents large‐scale mining.This study demonstrates that the detailed mapping of mine land can serve as an indicator to implement miningrelated market and policy changes.The(ultra‐)mafic mines area data set can be accessed at https://zenodo.org/record/7636616#.Y-p0uXaZOa0.

Residual subsidence time series model in mountain area caused by underground mining based on GNSS online monitoring

The residual subsidence caused by underground mining in mountain area has a long subsidence duration time and great potential harm,which seriously threatens the safety of people's production and life in the mining area.Therefore,it is necessary to use appropriate monitoring methods and mathematical models to effectively monitor and predict the residual subsidence caused by underground mining.Compared with traditional level survey and InSAR(Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar)technology,GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System)online monitoring technology has the advantages of long-term monitoring,high precision and more flexible monitoring methods.The empirical equation method of residual subsidence in mining subsidence is effectively combined with the rock creep equation,which can not only describe the residual subsidence process from the mechanism,but also predict the residual subsidence.Therefore,based on GNSS online monitoring technology,combined with the mining subsidence model of mountain area and adding the correlation coefficient of the compaction degree of caving broken rock and the Kelvin model of rock mechanics,this paper constructs the residual subsidence time series model of arbitrary point on the ground in mountain area.Through the example,the predicted results of the model in the inversion parameter phase and the dynamic prediction phase are compared with the measured data sequence.The results show that the model can carry out effective numerical calculation according to the GNSS monitoring data of any point on the ground,and the model prediction effect is good,which provides a new method for the prediction of residual subsidence in mountain mining.

Vegetation characteristics and soil properties of artificially remediated grasslands:The case study of the Shimenhe mining area in Qilian Mountains,northwest China

The mining of limestone mines plays a crucial role in societal and economic advancement.However,mining activities have led to destructive variations in grassland ecology and soil,causing numerous environmental problems,and effective artificial restoration measures have been used to restore grasslands in the Shimenhe mining areas to different degrees.In this study,we investigated,examined and analyzed plant community structure and its correlation with soil properties across varying degrees of alpine grassland restoration in Qilian Mountains Shimenhe restoration mines using the sample method,and studied the changes in species diversity using five diversity indexes(Simpson index,Shannon index,Margalef index,Dominance index and Evenness index).This study showed that the plant community characteristics with high recovered degree(HRD)>middle recovered degree(MRD)>low recovered degree(LRD)>very low recovered degree(VLRD),11 plant genera comprising 11 species across 10 families were identified.Dominant families with robust ecological adaptability included Leguminosae,Rosaceae,Gramineae,Asteraceae,and Salicaceae.The highest Simpson,Shannon,Margalef and Evenness index of HRD grassland community species were 0.82,1.96,1.66 and 0.89,respectively.The highest Dominance index of VLRD grassland community species was 0.34,which required several restoration methods such as spraying and mulching.Soil pH and EC tended to decrease with increasing restoration,SOC,SMC,TP,AP,NH4-N,TN,AN and NO3-N tended to increase and the content of soil environmental factors contributed to vegetation growth across various restoration levels the mine grassland.In conclusion,our study indicated that the community structure gradually diversified and soil properties changed positively with the increase of restoration degrees in the Qilian Mountains Shimenhe mine,and the best results of HRD restoration were obtained.This study provides the theoretical basis for the restoration and conservation of grasslands in mining areas by demonstrating examined the correlation between plant characteristics and soil properties in restored grasslands in alpine mining areas.

Spatial prediction of soil organic carbon in coal mining subsidence areas based on RBF neural network

A quantitative research on the effect of coal mining on the soil organic carbon(SOC)pool at regional scale is beneficial to the scientific management of SOC pools in coal mining areas and the realization of coal low-carbon mining.Moreover,the spatial prediction model of SOC content suitable for coal mining subsidence area is a scientific problem that must be solved.Tak-ing the Changhe River Basin of Jincheng City,Shanxi Province,China,as the study area,this paper proposed a radial basis function neural network model combined with the ordinary kriging method.The model includes topography and vegetation factors,which have large influence on soil properties in mining areas,as input parameters to predict the spatial distribution of SOC in the 0-20 and 2040 cm soil layers of the study area.And comparing the prediction effect with the direct kriging method,the results show that the mean error,the mean absolute error and the root mean square error between the predicted and measured values of SOC content predicted by the radial basis function neural network are lower than those obtained by the direct kriging method.Based on the fitting effect of the predicted and measured values,the R^(2) obtained by the radial basis artificial neural network are 0.81,0.70,respectively,higher than the value of 0.44 and 0.36 obtained by the direct kriging method.Therefore,the model combining the artificial neural network and kriging,and considering environmental factors can improve the prediction accuracy of the SOC content in mining areas.

Identified the hydrochemical and the sulfur cycle process in subsidence area of Pingyu mining area using multi-isotopes combined with hydrochemistry methods

Groundwater serves as an important water source for residents in and around mining areas.To achieve scientific planning and efficient utilization of water resources in mining areas,it is essential to figure out the chemical formation process and the ground water sulfur cycle that transpire after the coal mining activities.Based on studies of hydrochemistry and D,^(18)O-H_(2)O,^(34)S-SO_(4)isotopes,this study applied principal component analysis,ion ratio and other methods in its attempts to reveal the hydrogeochemical action and sulfur cycle in the subsidence area of Pingyu mining area.The study discovered that,in the studied area,precipitation provides the major supply of groundwater and the main water chemistry effects are dominated by oxidation dissolution of sulfide minerals as well as the dissolution of carbonate and silicate rocks.The sulfate in groundwater primarily originates from oxidation and dissolution of sulfide minerals in coal-bearing strata and human activities.The mixed sulfate formed by the oxidation of sulfide minerals and by human activities continuously recharges the groundwater,promoting the dissolution of carbonate rock and silicate rock in the process.

A Synergetic Study on Large-Scale Coal Mining and Eco-Environment Protection in Shendong Coal Mining Area

Based on the sharp contradiction between the economic benefits and adverse ecological impact of coal development in China's west,this paper establishes an evaluation model for the synergetic eco-environmental development in Shendong Coal Mining Area through using synergism of five laws and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The analysis on synergy between large-scale coal mining and the eco-environment protection in Shendong is also conducted,arriving at the conclusion that synergetics of Shendong 's eco-environment protection is"good". And thus,the result sheds light on the fact that while working to quench China's energy demand on its path towards a modernized large coal mine complex,Shendong,as part of Shenhua Group's mining operation,has applied innovative management concepts and models to improve eco-environment for harmony and win-win results between resource exploration and environmental protection.

Study on the Countermeasures of Eco-environment Conservation in the Mountainous Areas of Southern Ningxia under New Situation

Under the implementation of principal functional zoning,further promotion of western development,regional migration,new countryside construction,global warming and so on,the spatial adjustment of regional industry and its structure must be enforced.The spatial adjustment and arrangement of population and economy in the mountainous areas of southern Ningxia could create tremendous opportunity for its eco-environment conservation.Based on analysis on the opportunity and challenge of eco-environment conservation in the mountainous areas of southern Ningxia,some countermeasures of eco-environment conservation were discussed in the paper,so as to provide some theoretical references for the eco-environment conservation in the mountainous areas of southern Ningxia.

Eco-Environmental Geochemistry of Heavy Metal Pollution in Dexing Mining Area

An eco-environmental geochemical investigation was carried out in and around the Dexing mining area to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in the surface water, sediments, soils and plants. The main objective of this study is to assess the environmental situation and evaluate the transferring of heavy metals from mining activities into the food chain. Some samples of water, sediment, topsoil and plant were collected along the Lean River in the Dexing mining area. The total concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and As were determined by AAS, and Hg was analyzed by cold-vapor AAS. Some indices such as ‘contamination degree’, ‘geoaccumulation index’, and ‘biological absorption coefficient’ were used to assess eco-environmental quality. The investigation indicated a highly localized distribution pattern closely associated with the two pollution sources along the Le’an River bank: one is strong acidity and a large amount of Cu in the drainage from the Dexing Cu mining area; and the other is the high concentrations of Pb and Zn in the effluents released from many smelters and mining, processing and extracting activities in the riparian zone. Results from the investigated localities indicated, at least in part, that some problems associated with environmental quality deterioration should be solved in the future.

Relation between Atmospheric Deposition and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Rice in Mining Areas of Guangxi

Firstly, the concept, sources and damage of atmospheric deposition were introduced, and then the relation between atmospheric deposition and accumulation of heavy metals in rice in Guangxi was analyzed to provide reference for the implementation of effective risk early warning of pollution from heavy metal deposition and safe production of rice in mining areas of Guangxi.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area,Henan Province,central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining.The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored.It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object,the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method,potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method.On this basis,the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model.The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate,and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor,with a contribution rate of 53.6%.The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are“none-moderate”,Zn and Cd are moderate,Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level,Hg,As and Cr risks are not obvious,and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg.According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard,the locations over standard rates of Cu,Zn and Cd will exceed 78%in 90years,and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57%in 200 years.The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As,Cr and Hg are generally long,which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment.Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil.With the continuous development of mining activities,the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.

Suitability evaluation for land reclamation in mining area:A case study of Gaoqiao bauxite mine

Suitability evaluation plays an important role in land reclamation because the choice of evaluation methods affects the accuracy and objectivity of the suitability evaluation results. Furthermore, it influences the decision-making related to land reclamation. An improved method, which is called limit comprehensive conditions method, was developed after different suitability evaluation methods were studied. Based on this method, the reclaimed land of the Gaoqiao bauxite mining area was evaluated. The Gaoqiao mining area was divided into seven evaluation units that were evaluated respectively by selecting evaluation factors and establishing grade standards. The results show that the proposed method is more applicable and easier to handle. Moreover, its evaluation results are more scientific compared with the traditional evaluation methods. The improved method can be beneficial to the rapid monitoring and the effective management of reclaimed land in the opencast mine area.

A review of UAV monitoring in mining areas: current status and future perspectives

With the emergence and development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), different sensors have become more miniaturized and intelligent. UAVs equipped with various sensors are now an important approach for acquiring spatial data. Many advantages, such as low cost, short revisiting cycle, flexibility and high precision, have made UAVs powerful tools in geological, agricultural, ecological and forestry growth monitoring, as well as evaluation. Now, UAVs are a hotspot in scientific research. Their application in mining areas (MA), although still in its infancy, is developing rapidly in terms of speed, scale and service scope. This research examines aspects such as UAV platforms, different sensors and their application fields, as well as reviewing the advances of scientific research in MA at the present time. By combining current research and the functions of multiple sensors, an application framework for UAV monitoring in MA is constructed. Finally, the challenge and prospects for the development of UAVs and sensors are also considered. This research hopes to provide a technical reference, expanding the knowledge and recognition of UAV monitoring in MA, as well as an assessment of applications in mining, reclamation and environment.

Optimum location of surface wells for remote pressure relief coalbed methane drainage in mining areas

Based on engineering tests in the Huainan coal mining area,we studied alternative well location to improve the performance of surface wells for remote pressure relief of coalbed methane in mining areas.The key factors,affecting location and well gas production were analyzed by simulation tests for similar material.The exploitation results indicate that wells located in various positions on panels could achieve relatively better gas production in regions with thin Cenozoic layers,low mining heights and slow rate of longwall advancement,but their periods of gas production lasted less than 230 days,as opposed to wells in regions with thick Cenozoic layers,greater mining heights and fast rates of longwall advancement.Wells near panel margins achieved relatively better gas production and lasted longer than centerline wells.The rules of development of mining fractures in strata over panels control gas production of surface wells.Mining fractures located in areas determined by lines of compaction and the effect of mining are well developed and can be maintained for long periods of time.Placing the well at the end of panels and on the updip return airway side of panels,determined by lines of compaction and the effect of mining,would result in surface wells for remote pressure relief CBM obtaining their longest gas production periods and highest cumulative gas production.

Aspects of surface and environment protection in German mining areas

Hard coal mining in the German Ruhr district has a tradition of more than 200 years. Starting in the south near the river Ruhr with mining of seams near to the surface, mining wandered to the north with coal seams deeper and deeper. In the same way all environmental effects of mining wandered from south to north, as there are abandoned mining sites, contaminated areas, burning mining dumps, subsided areas and gas accesses at day ground. This all happened in a very high populated area with more than four million inhabitants. Therefore Germany has a long tradition in solving environmental problems of mining activities. The very good interaction of mine authority, mining companies and the mine workers’ union is the main reason why the problems of decreasing mining activities in Germany were solved without economic, environmental or social hazards.

Soil Heavy Metal Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Abandoned Land in Coal Mining Areas in Xingren County

Total contents of heavy metals （ Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni） in 68 soil samples were determined to evaluate the contamination level of soil from five coal mine areas in Xingren County, Guizhou province. The pollution levels of heavy metals were characterized by anthro- pogenic influence multiple, and the pollution of heavy metal in soil was evaluated using geo-accumulation index. Based on the health risk models recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency （ US EPA）, the health risks of heavy metals in the soils were assessed. The results showed that the abandoned land in the five coal mining areas were contaminated by heavy metals, and the order of pollution levels of eight heavy metals was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Ni 〉 Cr 〉 Cd 〉 Zn. The soils suffered moderate-heavy pollution from As and Pb, and the contents of As and Pb in the soils were 13.16 and 4.76 times higher than the background values of Guizhou Province, followed by Cu, Hg and Ni , while soil pollution from Cr, Cd and Zn was mild. The order of non-caminogenic risks of the heavy metals in the soils was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cr 〉 Ni 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Cd 〉 Zn, and the non-carcinogenic dsk value of As was higher than that its threshold value 1, which indicated that As had a high potential health risk to adults and children. The order of carcinogen risks of the four heavy metals was As 〉 Cd 〉 Cr 〉 Ni, and the carcinogenic risk value of As was higher than its threshold value, indicating that As had a high carcinogenic risk to adults and children. The carcinogenic risk values of other three heavy metals （ Cd, Cr and Ni） were lower than the threshold value, so they had no carcinogenic risk to human health. Moreover, children were more sensitively affect- ed by heavy metals from the abandoned land. Therefore, the health of children in such areas should be paid more attention to. The HI value of the eight heavy metals to children was seven times higher than that to adults. The contribution rate of HQAs to HI was about 88%, and the contribution rate of CRA, to TCR was about 98%, so As was the most crucial factor influencing non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic dsk in the abandoned soils.

Effect of coal resources development and compensation for damage to cultivated land in mining areas

The exploitation of coal resources inevitably affects, to different degrees, arable land resources and impacts the socio-economic development in mining areas. Therefore it is of great practical importance to probe the rules of the effect from coal resource exploration on arable land. Suitable and effective measures to compensate for damaged to and loss of arable land resources should be taken on the basis of carrying out green mining and reducing damage to limited arable land resources. We have used GIS in simulating the effect of coal resource exploration on arable land. In light of our simulation of the space-time spectrum, the effect is analyzed. Given the socio-economic development conditions of a mining area, specified rational amounts and opportunities for compensation to arable land in mining areas are explored. Finally, from a policy perspective, relevant proposals for rational arable land resource compensation are proposed to facilitate the coordinated development between coal resource exploitation and socio-economy development in mining areas.

Combination of artificial zeolite and microbial fertilizer to improve mining soils in an arid area of Inner Mongolia,China

Restoration of mining soils is important to the vegetation and environment.This study aimed to explore the variations in soil nutrient contents,microbial abundance,and biomass under different gradients of substrate amendments in mining soils to select effective measures.Soil samples were collected from the Bayan Obo mining region in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.Contents of soil organic matter(SOM),available nitrogen(AN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),microbial biomass carbon/microbial biomass nitrogen(MBC/MBN)ratio,biomass,and bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes abundance were assessed in Agropyron cristatum L.Gaertn.,Elymus dahuricus Turcz.,and Medicago sativa L.soils with artificial zeolite(AZ)and microbial fertilizer(MF)applied at T0(0 g/kg),T1(5 g/kg),T2(10 g/kg),and T3(20 g/kg).Redundancy analysis(RDA)and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS)were used to identify the main factors controlling the variation of biomass.Results showed that chemical indices and microbial content of restored soils were far greater than those of control.The application of AZ significantly increases SOM,AN,and AP by 20.27%,23.61%,and 40.43%,respectively.AZ significantly increased bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes abundance by 0.63,3.12,and 1.93 times of control,respectively.RDA indicated that AN,MBC/MBN ratio,and SOM were dominant predictors for biomass across samples with AZ application,explaining 87.6%of the biomass variance.SOM,MBC/MBN ratio,and AK were dominant predictors with MF application,explaining 82.9%of the biomass variance.TOPSIS indicated that T2 was the best dosage and the three plant species could all be used to repair mining soils.AZ and MF application at T2 concentration in the mining soils with M.sativa was found to be the most appropriate measure.

Quality evaluation of land reclamation in mining area based on remote sensing

Several deficiencies exist in the present evaluation of land reclamation quality in mining areas.These include the absence of an established set of evaluation index systems and standard acceptance criteria,as well as the use of traditional sam-pling techniques,which are costly and in eficiency,and time-consuming.Compared with the traditional sampling survey methods,remote sensing has the advantages of a wide detection range,diverse information collection,multiple data-acquiring strategies,high speed,and short cycle.In this study,we used the Xinzhuang coal mining field in Yongcheng,Henan Province as an example to extract information and invert surface parameters using remote sensing techniques,based on national and local reclamation regulations and standards.Subsequently,using remote sensing,we constructed an index system for evaluating land reclamation quality in three aspects:reclaiming project quality,soil quality,and ecological benefits.Through the grading standards of evaluation indicators and quantitative remote sensing models,we determined the extracted information on the area of indicators,roads,ditches,soil moisture,organic matter,and ecological benefits after reclamation.Based on this,we established a quality evaluation model for mining land reclamation using an improved index and method.The evaluation units were divided,and the weight of the evaluation index was determined using the analytic hierarchy process and data envelopment analysis(AHP-DEA)method.The land reclamation quality in the study area was comprehensively evaluated,field accuracy was verified,and the results were analyzed.The results show that,except for the removal of roads,houses,and fishponds in the study area,all 13 evaluation units achieved a score of 60 points or higher.The quality of reclamation met the standards,and the evaluation results were consistent with the conclusions of the field investigation and project acceptance report,demonstrating the reliability and feasibility of the method developed in this study.The research results will provide technical support for the scientific evaluation of land reclamation quality.

Spatial distribution and ecological risk of heavy metals and their source apportionment in soils from a typical mining area, Inner Mongolia, China

Determining the distributions and sources of heavy metals in soils and assessing ecological risks are fundamental tasks in the control and management of pollution in mining areas.In this study,we selected 244 sampling sites around a typical lead(Pb)and zinc(Zn)mining area in eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and measured the content of six heavy metals,including cuprum(Cu),Zn,Pb,arsenic(As),cadmium(Cd),and chromium(Cr).The ecological risk of heavy metals was comprehensively evaluated using the Geo-accumulation index,Nemerow general pollution index,and potential ecological risk index.The heavy metals were traced using correlation analysis and principal component analysis.The results showed that the highest content of heavy metals was found in 0–5 cm soil layer in the study area.The average content of Zn,As,Pb,Cu,Cr,and Cd was 670,424,235,162,94,and 4 mg/kg,respectively,all exceeding the risk screening value of agricultural soil in China.The areas with high content of soil heavy metals were mainly distributed near the tailings pond.The study area was affected by a combination of multiple heavy metals,with Cd and As reaching severe pollution levels.The three pathways of exposure for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were ranked as inhalation>oral ingestion>dermal absorption.The heavy metals in the study area posed certain hazards to human health.Specifically,oral ingestion of these heavy metals carried carcinogenic risks for both children and adults,as well as noncarcinogenic risks for children.There were differences in the sources of different heavy metals.The tailings pond had a large impact on the accumulation of Cd,Zn,and Pb.The source of Cr was the soil parent material,the source of As was mainly the soil matrix,and the source of Cu was mainly the nearby Cu ore.The purpose of this study is to more accurately understand the extent,scope,and source of heavy metals pollution near a typical mining area,providing effective help to solve the problem of heavy metals pollution.