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.

Hydrogeochemical Characterization of Groundwater from Fissured Aquifers in the Angovia Mine Operating Permit Area (Central-West Côte d’Ivoire)

The main objective of this study is to determine the hydrogeochemical specificities of the groundwater of the Angovia mine operating permit, located in the Yaouré mountains in the center-west of Côte d’Ivoire. To do so, descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis methods with the SOM (Self Organizing Maps) algorithm were applied to the physicochemical parameters of 17 boreholes using the calcite (ISC) and dolomite (ISD) saturation indices. The results obtained have shown that the groundwater in the Angovia mine operating permit area has an average temperature of 27.52°C (long rainy season) and 27.87&degC (long dry season) and has an average pH of 7.09 ± 0.35 during the main rainy season and 7.32 ± 0.35 during the main dry season. They are mineralized with an average electrical conductivity of 505.98 ± 302.85 μS/cm during the long rainy season and with 450.33 ± 233.74 μS/cm as average during the long dry season. The main phenomena at the origin of groundwater mineralization are water residence time, oxidation-reduction and surface inflow. The study of the relative age of the water shows that the groundwater in the Angovia mine operating permit area is mainly undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. They are therefore very old in the aquifer with a slow circulation speed during the long rainy season and the long dry season.

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.

Stability control measures for roof cutting and NPR supporting of mining roadways in fault areas of kilometre-deep coal mine

The study focuses on the stability control measures for mining roadways in fault zones of deep mines,using Daqiang Coal Mine as a case study.The control system under consideration,referred to as"pre-splitting cutting roof+NPR anchor cable"(PSCR-NPR),is subjected to scrutiny through theoretical analysis,numerical modelling,and field trials.Furthermore,a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to evaluate the stability control mechanism of this particular technology.The study provides evidence that the utilization of deep-hole directional energy-concentrated blasting facilitates the attainment of directional roof cutting in roadways.The aforementioned procedure leads to the formation of a uniform structural surface on the roof of the roadway and causes modifications in the surrounding geological formation.The examination of the lateral abutment pressure and shear stress distribution,both prior to and subsequent to roof cutting,indicates that the implementation of pre-splitting techniques leads to a noteworthy reduction in pressure.The proposition of incorporating the safety factor Q for roof cutting height is suggested as a method to augment comprehension of the pressure relief phenomenon in the field of engineering.The analysis of numerical simulation has indicated that the optimal pressure relief effect of a mining roadway in a fault area is attained when the value of Q is 1.8.The NPR anchor cable exhibits noteworthy characteristics,including a high level of prestress,continuous resistance,and substantial deformation.After the excavation of the roadway,a notable reduction in radial stress occurs,leading to the reinstatement of the three-phase stress state in the surrounding rock.This restoration is attributed to the substantial prestress exerted on the radial stress.The termination point of the NPR anchor cable is strategically positioned within a stable rock formation,allowing for the utilization of the mechanical characteristics of the deep stable rock mass.This positioning serves to improve the load-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock.The mining roadway within the fault region of Daqiang Coal Mine is outfitted with the PSCR-NPR technology.The drop in shear stress experienced by the rock surrounding the roadway is estimated to be around 30%,whilst the low-stress region of the mining roadway extends by a factor of approximately 5.5.The magnitude of surface displacement convergence experiences a decrease of approximately 45%-50%.The study’s findings provide useful insights regarding the stable of mining roadway in characterized by fault zones.

Instability identification on large scale underground mined-out area in the metal mine based on the improved FRBFNN

To identify the instability on large scale underground mined-out area in the metal mine effectively,the parameters of radial basis function were determined through clustering method and the improved fuzzy radial basis function neural network(FRBFNN)model of instability identification model about large scale underground mined-out area in the metal mine was built.The improved FRBFNN model was trained and tested.The results show that the improved FRBFNN model has high training accuracy and generalization ability.Parameters such as pillar area ratio,filling level and the value of rock quality designation have strong influence on instability of large scale underground mined-out area.Correctness of analysis about the improved FRBFNN model was proved by the practical application results about instability discrimination of surrounding rock in large-scale underground mined-out area of a metal mine in south China.

Quantitative analysis of biotechnical reinforcement for a steep slope consisting of composite coal-gangue-soil medium adjacent to a mined-out area

The engineering and geological characteristics of a steep slope consisting of coal gangue, rock and soil medium in Huating coal mine have been comprehensively investigated. Owing to humid weather, heavy rainfall, vegetation and porous characteristics of the soil and rock mass, the steep slope will be destabilized and induce mud-rock flow or derive hazard easily. Firstly, based on the classical slope reinforcement theory, some regularity between the shear and displacement in the destabilized zone of the slope with or without root strength contribution is presented. Then, based on the experimental and statistical analysis of root strength, hydrological characteristics and stability status, etc., some possible biotechnical techniques for reinforcement of the steep slope have been suggested. These methods are important for quantitative analysis of destabilization of the slope and design of the biotechnical reinforcement.

Time function of surface subsidence based on Harris model in mined-out area

The surface subsidence is a common environmental hazard in mined-out area. Based on careful analysis of the regularity of surface subsidence in mined-out area, we proposed a new time function based on Harris curve model in consideration of the shortage of current surface subsidence time functions. By analyzing the characteristics of the new time function, we found that it could meet the dynamic process, the velocity change process and the acceleration change process during surface subsidence. Then its rationality had been verified through project cases. The results show that the proposed time function model can give a good reflection of the regularity of surface subsidence in mined-out area and can accurately predict surface subsidence. And the prediction data of the model are a little greater than measured data on condition of proper measured data quantity, which is safety in the engineering. This model provides a new method for the analysis of surface subsidence in mined-out area and reference for future prediction, and it is valuable to engineering application.

Ecological Restoration Technology and Carbon Reduction Paths of Abandoned Mines in Zoige Alpine Grassland Area

At first,the ecological restoration technology of abandoned mines is summarized,and the paths and models of mine ecological restoration in Zoige grassland area under the background of carbon neutrality are analyzed.Moreover,the problems and deficiencies in the current research on mine ecological restoration in Zoige grassland area are initially identified,and the future research trend is prospected to provide a reference for the path of carbon reduction by mine ecological restoration in Zoige grassland area and other alpine grassland areas in the future.

Numerical analysis of stability for mined-out area in multi-field coupling

There were differences between real boundary and blast hole controlling boundary of irregular mined-out area in underground metal mines. There were errors in numerical analysis of stability for goaf, if it was analyzed as regular 3D mined-out area and the influence of coupling stress-seepage-disturbance was not considered adequately. Taking a lead zinc mine as the background, the model was built by the coupling of Surpac and Midas-Gts based on the goaf model precisely measured by CMS.According to seepage stress fundamental equations based on the equivalent continuum mechanical and the theory about equivalent load of dynamic disturbance in deep-hole blasting, the stability of mined-out area under multi-field coupling of stress-seepage-dynamic disturbance was numerically analyzed. The results show that it is more consistent between the numerical analysis model based on the real model of irregular 3D shape goaf and the real situation, which could faithfully reappear the change rule of stress–strain about the surrounding rock under synthetic action of blasting dynamic loading and the seepage pressure. The mined-out area multi-field coupling formed by blasting excavation is stable. Based on combination of the advantages of the CMS,Surpac and Midas-Gts, and fully consideration of the effects of multi-field coupling, the accurate and effective way could be provided for numerical analysis of stability for mined-out area.

Differences between total amount of heavy metals and their occurrence form contents in the wastelands of a molybdenum mine area

In a single sample plot,the total amount of heavy metals in the soil could not necessarily reflect the contents of their effective states.This must be considered when attempting to determine the degree of soil heavy-metal pollution in an area.In the present study,the soil around the molybdenum mining area in Huludao,China,was surveyed and sampled to evaluate soil heavy-metal pollution using the Nemerow multifactor pollution index method.The Tessier continuous extraction method was used to analyze the distribution of heavy-metal forms'and their content changes in the soil of this area.Thus,the bioactivity of heavy metals in the soil,the absorption of heavy metals by plants,and the distribution of heavy metals in plants were explored to provide data supporting the use of phytoremediation technology to treat the heavy-metal pollution in the molybdenum mining area and develop ecological restoration strategies for the area's wastelands.The pollution index results indicate that heavy-metal pollution in the soil around the tailings pond is severe,mainly due to Pb and Zn heavy metals.Heavy-metal pollution in the surrounding land is mainly due to Cd and Zn.Content analysis of the heavy-metal forms/states in soils shows that exchangeable forms,which are most effective and toxic to plants,of the following metals are highest in the following areas:Cd,Cu,and Zn in the mountains around the stope;Zn,Mo,and Cu in the cultivated land around the dump;and Cd,Zn,and Mo in the cultivated land around the tailings pond.The pollution index analysis provides a basic overview of soil heavy-metal pollution across the entire mining area.However,content analysis of heavy-metal forms/states better reflects the relationship between the availability of heavy metals in the soil and the effectiveness of plants.Thus,the latter analysis can help ensure that phytoremediation strategies are adequately targeted,science-based,and effective.

Collagen proportionate area of liver tissue determined by digital image analysis in patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: The accurate assessment of the degree of hepatic fibrosis plays a critical role in guiding the diagnosis, treatment and prognostic assessment of chronic liver diseases. Liver biopsy is currently the most reliable method to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis. However, liver biopsy is an invasive procedure associated with morbidity and mortality, and has several limitations in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. There is no report on the collagen proportionate area (CPA) of liver tissue in the decompensated stage of cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine the CPA of resected liver tissue samples from patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis using digital image analysis, and to analyze the relationship between the CPA and liver functional reserve. METHODS: Fifty-three resected liver tissue samples from liver transplant patients with chronic hepatitis B-induced decompensated cirrhosis were stained with Masson’s trichrome, and the CPA in these samples was quantitatively determined using digital image analysis. The values of relevant liver function just before liver transplantation, the CPA in liver tissue, and their correlation were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean CPA at the decompensated stage of cirrhosis was 35.93±14.42% (11.24%-63.41%). The correlation coefficients of the CPA with a model for end-stage liver disease score, serum total bilirubin and international standard ratio of prothrombin B were 0.553, 0.519 and 0.533, respectively (P<0.001). With increasing CPA values, the three indices reflecting liver functional reserve also changed significantly.CONCLUSIONS: The degree of fibrosis may be correlated with the functional reserve. With the advancement of fibrosis, the liver functional reserve is attenuated accordingly.

Numerical simulation for influence of excavation and blasting vibration on stability of mined-out area

Dynamic analysis steps and general flow of fast lagrangian analysis of continua in 3 dimensions(FLAC3D) were discussed. Numerical simulation for influence of excavation and blasting vibration on stability of mined-out area was carried out with FLAC3D. The whole analytical process was divided into two steps, including the static analysis and the dynamic analysis which were used to simulate the influence of excavation process and blasting vibration respectively. The results show that the shape of right upper boundary is extremely irregular after excavation, and stress concentration occurs at many places and higher tensile stress appears. The maximum tensile stress is higher than the tensile strength of rock mass, and surrounding rock of right roof will be damaged with tension fracture. The maximum displacement of surrounding rock is 4.75 mm after excavation. However, the maximum displacement increases to 5.47 mm after the blasting dynamic load is applied. And the covering area of plastic zones expands obviously, especially at the foot of right upper slope. The analytical results are in basic accordance with the observed results on the whole. Damage and disturbance on surrounding rock to some degree are caused by excavation, while blasting dynamic load increases the possibility of occurrence of dynamic instability and destruction further. So the effective supporting and vibration reducing measures should be taken during mining.

Integrated Structure and Mineralization Study Using Aero-Magnetic, Aero-Spectrometric and Remote Sensing Data at Esh El-Mallaha Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The main scope of this research is to detect geologic structure trends affecting the study area, determine uranium anomalous areas and define alteration zones. Airborne magnetic data were used to detect the geologic structure trends affecting the study area through applying edge detectors such as total horizontal derivative, analytic signal and tilt derivative. The radio-spectrometry data and Landsat image data were used in determining the uranium anomalous areas and alteration zones. The integration between geology, magnetic and Landsat image was applied through constructing lineaments density map for the three data sets resulting in the leading of NW-SE trend all over the area. This integration makes clear that the basement (Red Sea hills), Esh El-mallaha range and G. Zeit are limiting two large basins (West Mallaha and Zeit). In addition, the main areas of uranium enrichment (Duwi formation at Esh El-Mallaha range) are found to be well related to alteration zones.

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.

Artificial ground freezing of underground mines in cold regions using thermosyphons with air insulation

Current practice of underground artificial ground freezing(AGF)typically involves huge refrigeration systems of large economic and environmental costs.In this study,a novel AGF technique is proposed deploying available cold wind in cold regions.This is achieved by a static heat transfer device called thermosyphon equipped with an air insulation layer.A refrigeration unit can be optionally integrated to meet additional cooling requirements.The introduction of air insulation isolates the thermosyphon from ground zones where freezing is not needed,resulting in:(1)steering the cooling resources(cold wind or refrigeration)towards zones of interest;and(2)minimizing refrigeration load.This design is demonstrated using well-validated mathematical models from our previous work based on two-phase enthalpy method of the ground coupled with a thermal resistance network for the thermosyphon.Two Canadian mines are considered:the Cigar Lake Mine and the Giant Mine.The results show that our proposed design can speed the freezing time by 30%at the Giant Mine and by two months at the Cigar Lake Mine.Further,a cooling load of 2.4 GWh can be saved at the Cigar Lake Mine.Overall,this study provides mining practitioners with sustainable solutions of underground AGF.

Diversity of Orchids in Terms of Their Distribution, Uses and Conservation in Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal

The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), the first conservation area and the largest protected area (PA) in Nepal, is incredibly rich in biodiversity. Notwithstanding this, orchids in the ACA have not been explored enough yet thus making the need for ambitious research to be carried out. Previous study only included 81 species of orchids within ACA. This study aims to update the record of species and genera richness in the ACA. In total 198 species of orchids, belonging to 67 genera (40% and 62% of the total recorded orchid species and genera in Nepal) has been recorded in ACA. This represents an increase of 144% in species and 56% in genera over the previous data. Out of the 198 species, 99 were epiphytes, 6 were holomycotrophic and 93 were terrestrial. Among the 67 genera, Bulbophyllum (17) species were dominant, followed by Dendrobium (16), Herminium (10), Coelogyne, Plantanthera (9 each), Eria, Habenaria, Oberonia (8 each), Calanthe (7), and Liparis (6). Fifty-six species were found to be ornamentally significant and 85 species medicinally significant.

Using deep neural networks coupled with principal component analysis for ore production forecasting at open-pit mines

Ore production is usually affected by multiple influencing inputs at open-pit mines.Nevertheless,the complex nonlinear relationships between these inputs and ore production remain unclear.This becomes even more challenging when training data(e.g.truck haulage information and weather conditions)are massive.In machine learning(ML)algorithms,deep neural network(DNN)is a superior method for processing nonlinear and massive data by adjusting the amount of neurons and hidden layers.This study adopted DNN to forecast ore production using truck haulage information and weather conditions at open-pit mines as training data.Before the prediction models were built,principal component analysis(PCA)was employed to reduce the data dimensionality and eliminate the multicollinearity among highly correlated input variables.To verify the superiority of DNN,three ANNs containing only one hidden layer and six traditional ML models were established as benchmark models.The DNN model with multiple hidden layers performed better than the ANN models with a single hidden layer.The DNN model outperformed the extensively applied benchmark models in predicting ore production.This can provide engineers and researchers with an accurate method to forecast ore production,which helps make sound budgetary decisions and mine planning at open-pit mines.

The environmental analysis and site selection of mussel and large yellow croaker aquaculture areas based on high resolution remote sensing

Mussel aquaculture and large yellow croaker aquaculture areas and their environmental characteristics in Zhoushan were analyzed using satellite data and in-situ surveys.A new two-step remote sensing method was proposed and applied to determine the basic environmental characteristics of the best mussel and large yellow croaker aquaculture areas.This methodology includes the first step of extraction of the location distribution and the second step of the extraction of internal environmental factors.The fishery ranching index(FRI1,FRI2)was established to extract the mussel and the large yellow croaker aquaculture area in Zhoushan,using Gaofen-1(GF-1)and Gaofen-6(GF-6)satellite data with a special resolution of 2 m.In the second step,the environmental factors such as sea surface temperature(SST),chlorophyll a(Chl-a)concentration,current and tide,suspended sediment concentration(SSC)in mussel aquaculture area and large yellow croaker aquaculture area were extracted and analyzed in detail.The results show the following three points.(1)For the extraction of the mussel aquaculture area,FRI1 and FRI2 are complementary,and the combination of FRI1 and FRI2 is suitable to extract the mussel aquaculture area.As for the large yellow croaker aquaculture area extraction,FRI2 is suitable.(2)Mussel aquaculture and the large yellow croaker aquaculture area in Zhoushan are mainly located on the side near the islands that are away from the eastern open waters.The water environment factor template suitable for mussel and large yellow croaker aquaculture was determined.(3)This two-step remote sensing method can be used for the preliminary screening of potential site selection for the mussels and large yellow croaker aquaculture area in the future.the fishery ranching index(FRI1,FRI2)in this paper can be applied to extract the mussel and large yellow croaker aquaculture areas in coastal waters around the world.

Prevalence of Malnutrition and Anaemia in Children ≤ 5 Years of Age in Some Conflict Hit Areas of Meme Division of the South West Region of Cameroon

Malnutrition refers to the deficiency, imbalances, or excesses in a person’s intake of energy or nutrients [1]. Khan defines anaemia as below level of Haemoglobin in red blood shown by a lower number of functioning red blood cells [2]. The crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon has led to several negative effects on children’s living conditions. There has been an increase in malnutrition and anaemia in the South West Region and Kumba in particular. The main objective of this study was “to examine the prevalence of malnutrition and anaemia in children ≤ 5 years of age in some conflict-hit areas of Meme Division”. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 from March to June. We recruited 200 children ≤ 5 years into the study from three hospitals. The regional hospital annex in Kumba, Presbyterian General Hospital Kumba and the Ntam Hospital in Kumba. Socio-demographic factors were assessed using questionnaire, nutritional status was assessed by the use anthropometric measurements and an auto haematology analyser was used to determine anaemia. The overall prevalence of malnutrition in the study area was 40.5%. The prevalence of malnutrition varied significantly (P < 0.001) with the study sites. The overall prevalence of anaemia in the study area was 70.5%. The prevalence of anaemia was not significantly associated with the study sites. The prevalence of Malnutrition and Anaemia in children ≤ 5 years of age is very high in the Kumba municipalities. This could be attributed to the ongoing crisis which has caused a lot of social migrations from rural areas to Urban areas which are safer.