Changes in carbon intensity of China’s energy-intensive industries: a combined decomposition and attribution analysis

There has been growing interest among researchers in factors influencing carbon emissions of energy-intensive industries in China due to the important roles they play. Such studies mainly focused on evaluating carbon emissions and identifying the contributing factors separately for each energy-intensive industry. Regarding energy-intensive industries as a whole and investigating the contribution of each industry to changes in carbon intensity have not yet been sufficiently addressed and quantified. In order to deeply understand this issue, this study employed the LMDI decomposition analysis to study driving forces (e.g., emission coefficient, energy intensity, and industrial structure) of carbon intensity of energy-intensive industries. Then, attribution analysis was further used to study the contribution of each energy-intensive industry to the percent change in carbon intensity through each impact factor. The results showed that the carbon intensity of energy-intensive industries dropped by 31.83% from 1996 to 2014. The energy intensity effect was largely responsible for this decrease, of which, five industries were the contributors except for the fuel-processing industry. The industrial structure effect also contributed to the decrease, and non-metallic industry and fuel-processing industry played important roles. However, the emission coefficient effect showed a slight impact on increasing carbon intensity, which principally due to chemical industry and power generation industry. The findings suggested that the adaptability and sensitivity of different energy-intensive industries to the implemented policies were various. Based on the results, differentiated and feasible policies related to energy intensity, industrial structure, and energy structure for energy-intensive industries were provided to further mitigate carbon intensity.     

Numerical simulation of carbon dioxide migration in a sandstone aquifer considering the fluid–solid coupling

Very limited investigations have been done on the numerical simulation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) migration in sandstone aquifers taking consideration of the interactions between fluid flow and rock stress. Based on the poroelasticity theory and multiphase flow theory, this study establishes a mathematical model to describe CO₂ migration, coupling the flow and stress fields. Both finite difference method (FDM) and finite element method (FEM) were used to discretize the mathematical model and generate a numerical model. A case study was carried out using the numerical model on the Jiangling sandstone aquifer in the Jianghan basin, China. The rock mechanics parameters of reservoir and overlying strata of Jiangling depression were obtained by triaxial tests. A two-dimensional model was then built to simulate carbon dioxide migration in the sandstone aquifer. The numerical simulation analyzes the carbon dioxide migration distribution rule with and without considering capillary pressure. Time-dependent migration of CO₂ in the sandstone aquifer was analyzed, and the result from the coupled model was compared with that from a traditional non-coupled model. The calculation result indicates a good consistency between the coupled model and the non-coupled model. At the injection point, the CO₂ saturation given by the coupled model is 15.39 % higher than that given by the non-coupled model; while the pore pressure given by the coupled model is 4.8 % lower than that given by the non-coupled model. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the coupling of flow and stress fields while simulating CO₂ migration for CO₂ disposal in sandstone aquifers. The result from the coupled model was also sensitized to several parameters including reservoir permeability, porosity, and CO₂ injection rate. Sensitivity analyses show that CO₂ saturation is increased non-linearly with CO₂ injection rate and decreased non-linearly with reservoir porosity. Pore pressure is decreased non-linearly with reservoir porosity and permeability, and increased non-linearly with CO₂ injection rate. When the capillary pressure was considered, the computed gas saturation of carbon dioxide was increased by 10.75 % and the pore pressure was reduced by 0.615 %.     

Numerical simulation of groundwater under complex karst conditions and the prediction of roadway gushing in a coal mine: a case study in the Guang’an Longtan Reservoir in Sichuan Province,China

Numerical simulation of groundwater in karst areas has long been restricted by the difficulty of generalizing the hydrogeological conditions of reservoirs and of determining the relevant parameters due to the anisotropy and discontinuity of the karst water-bearing media in these areas. In this study, we used the Guang’an Longtan Coal mine in Sichuan as an example, and generalized the complex hydrogeological conditions in the reservoir area. A finite element numerical flow model was used to simulate current and future scenarios of roadway gushing at the bottom of the coal mine at pile number 1 + 700 m. The results show that the roadway section corresponding to valleys has a gushing quantity of 4323.8–4551.25 m³/d before impoundment. Modeled water inflow after impoundment increased to 1.6 times the water inflow before impoundment, which threatens the impoundment as well as the roadway’s normal operation. Therefore, roadway processing measures are needed to guarantee the safety of the impoundment and of the mining operation.     

Temporal–spatial variability of soil fertility in karst region: a case study of Xiaojiang watershed Yunnan

By sampling in the field and analyzing the soil samples in the laboratory in 1982 and 2005 the soil fertility data were obtained. Through application of geo-statistics combined with GIS, the temporal–spatial variability of the pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium in soil of Xiaojiang watershed from 1982 to 2005 were analyzed. Results showed that: (1) the pH value and total potassium in soil showed an increasing trend, but the organic matter, total nitrogen and the total phosphorus in soil declined in the past 20 years in Xiaojiang watershed, (2) the parameters fitted by semivariogram models for fertility indices changed significantly in the past 20 years and (3) the result estimated by ordinary Kriging indicated the spatial pattern of the soil fertility indices changed significantly in the past 20 years. The soil pH increased in the east and southeast, but decreased in the middle of the watershed. The organic content of the soil matter decreased in the east, southeast and southwest, but increased in the northeast and middle of the watershed. The total nitrogen content of the soil decreased in the east, but increased in the middle of watershed. The total phosphorus content of the soil decreased in the whole watershed. The total potassium content of the soil increased in the southwest and southeast, but decreased in the middle of the watershed and (4) the change of land use and soil management measures was the main driving force of variability of soil properties.     

PaPRIKa: a method for estimating karst resource and source vulnerability��application to the Ouysse karst system (southwest France)

The intrinsic vulnerability mapping method, PaPRIKa, is proposed as a common basis for karst groundwater protection in France. PaPRIKa is a specialized method for studying karst aquifers, derived from updating the RISKE and EPIK methods. Both the structure and functioning of karst aquifers are considered in order to develop a resource and source-vulnerability mapping method. PaPRIKa means Protection of aquifers from the assessment of four criteria: P for protection (considering the most protective aspects among parameters related to soil cover, unsaturated zone and epikarst behavior), R for rock type, I for infiltration and Ka for karstification degree. The Ouysse karst system, located in the Causses area in southwest France, is one of the nine pilot sites where this method was tested and standardized. The specificities of the Ouysse system such as the size of the catchment area, the spatial variability of the karst network development, the thick infiltration zone and the system??s dual character (both karst and non-karst areas), have provided a valuable field of application. The vulnerability of the resource was assessed for the entire catchment area, while source-orientated cartography was attempted for the catchment areas of the three different capture works used for drinking water.     

Macro fracture systems of the granites controlled by the tectonism: A case study of the Dangjiasi pluton in the northeastern margin of the Gonghe BasinSCIEI北大核心CSCD

花岗岩中先存裂缝系统的识别、评价与建模,关系到干热岩热能提取的有效性、规模性、安全性,是地热能勘查、开采的难点与关键点。本文对共和盆地东北部干热岩勘察开采示范区紧邻的当家寺岩体开展了详细地质野外调查及综合分析,观测了花岗岩体内裂缝的产状、类型和样式,详细解剖了岩体裂缝系统组成及空间分布,探讨了构造作用对裂缝系统形成的时限、动力学成因的控制。研究发现其宏观裂缝系统以构造破裂缝为主,同时还发育少量的成岩缝。构造缝主要由小尺度断裂、火成岩脉、石英脉、方解石脉及多期节理缝共同构成;在岩体不同分区部位的断裂、脉体及节理等裂缝体系发育差异明显,脉体、节理受临近断层控制,其三者走向具有较好的相似性,且存在明显的多期次性。根据产状、交切关系及应力机制可以划分为5种构造破裂类型:单一应力场形成的节理系、叠加先期形成单向滑移的共轭节理组、持续走滑剪切形成的雁列石英脉与共轭节理组合、拉张形成的岩脉及脉内雁列节理组、多期次叠加形成的网状裂缝。宏观裂缝系统的形成与三叠纪末期碰撞后伸展、侏罗-白垩纪区域性隆升、渐新世-中新世中期走滑断裂活动、中新世晚期以来走滑-逆冲转换等有关。现存大量共轭剪节理形成应力场与现今最大主应力方向(NE)有差异,反映了古走滑剪切构造作用的影响。宏观裂缝系统的差异分布,不仅对花岗岩型干热岩热储层规模、质量、分布有约束,也控制着后期的建储与改造。     

Effects of landscape patterns on soil erosion processes in a mountain–basin system in the North China

This study was taken up to investigate the effects of landscape patterns on the soil erosion processes in a mountain–basin watershed. The revised universal soil loss equation and sediment delivery distribution models were used to estimate the soil erosion processes. The landscape patterns include the landscape metrics at the landscape level, landscape composition and configuration indicators on the basis of source–sink landscape theory. In the study area, the grassland, bare land, farmland and construction land were the sediment-source landscape; the forest and shrub were the sediment-sink landscape. The correlation analysis results showed that the soil erosion processes were significantly associated with the landscape patterns of the study area. At the landscape level, fragmentation metric was positively correlated with soil erosion; diversity metric was negatively related to soil erosion and sediment yield at the sub-basin scale. Among the source–sink landscape composition and configuration indicators, the composition indicator was positively correlated with soil erosion rate and sediment yield. In the configuration landscape indices, the shape index was negatively correlated with soil erosion rate and sediment yield; the fragmentation index was positively correlated with soil erosion rate and negatively correlated with sediment delivery rate. These results indicated that the optimization measures, such as increase in the area, connectivity and regularity of sediment-sink landscape, or decrease in the proportion, connectivity and regularity of sediment-source landscape, were favorable for soil conservation. Furthermore, the landscape indicators based on the source–sink theory could provide more information for landscape pattern optimization to reduce soil erosion.     

Impacts of the carbon emission trading system on China’s carbon emission peak: a new data-driven approach

Natural Hazards - Over the past four decades, China’s extensive economic growth mode has led to substantial greenhouse gas emissions, and China has become the world’s largest emitter...     

The system ilmenite–carbonatite–carbon in the origin of diamond: Correlation between the titanium content and diamond potential of kimberlite

Experimental studies of melting relations in the system ilmenite–K–Na–Mg–Fe–Ca carbonatite–carbon at 8 GPa and 1600°C provide evidence for the effect of liquid immiscibility between ilmenite and carbonatite melts. It is shown that the solubility of ilmenite in carbonatitic melts is negligible and does not depend on its concentration in experimental samples within 25–75 wt %. However, carbonatite–carbon melts are characterized by a high diamond-forming efficiency. This means that the correlation between the concentration of TiO₂ and diamond content is problematic for mantle chambers and requires further, more complex, experimental studies.     

Pseudo- and real-inverted metamorphism caused by the superposition and extrusion of a stack of nappes: a case study of the Southern Brasília Orogen,Brazil

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Southern Brasília Orogen is a Neoproterozoic belt that occurs along the southernmost border of the São Francisco Craton where the...     

The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in a sector of the south limb of the Miranda-Treviño synclinal: the first appearance of chelonia and archosauria in the Basque country

This paper presents a study of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Miranda-Treviño Synclinorium (Basque-Cantabric basin) where two main sequences have been recognised; the lower is regressive and theupper one has a marked transgressive trend. They are separated by a low angled un-conformity which is indicative of the Maastrichtian-Danian boundary.The lower sequence (S1) indicates a clear transition between the shoreface and backshore sub-environments. Bone accumulations are located in the sandy sediments of the upper foreshore and backshore, associated with ferrugenous hardgrounds and gypsum efflorescences.The upper sequence (S2) indicates the beginning of a marine transgression. It is composed a dominantly carbonate-rich sediments and the fauna suggests a deposition in environmental conditions ranging from stenohaline, to littoral, and to a coastal lagoon and inner carbonaterich platform.In the lower sequence (Maastrichtian Unit S₁ U₃), the following herpetofauna have been identified; an eusuchian alligator, and two dinosaurs (an ornithopod and a sauropod). Several plates of chelonia have been identified as? Adocus sp.     

Identification of a karst system’s intrinsic hydrodynamic parameters: upscaling from single springs to the whole aquifer

For water management purposes, information about an entire aquifer system is generally more important than information about a specific spring. Since a karstic aquifer system might drain to several outlets, conclusions derived from a single spring can be misleading for characterization and modeling. In this study we apply a conceptual model to an Alpine dolomite karst system in Austria. The particular challenge was that several small springs with strongly varying hydrological behavior and diffuse flow into surrounding streams drain this system. Instead of applying the model to a single spring, it was calibrated simultaneously to several observations within the system aiming to identify the karst system’s intrinsic hydrodynamic parameters. Parameter identification is supported by modeling the transport of water isotopes (δ¹⁸O). The parameters were transferred to the whole system with a simple upscaling procedure and a sensitivity analysis was performed to unfold influence of isotopic information on parameter sensitivity and simulation uncertainty. The results show that it is possible to identify system intrinsic parameters. But the sensitivity analysis revealed that some are hardly identifiable. Only by considering uncertainty reasonable predictions can be provided for the whole system. Including isotopic information increases the sensitivity of some intrinsic parameters, but it goes along with a sensitivity decrease for others. However, a possible reduction of prediction uncertainty by isotopic information is compensated by deficiencies in the transport modeling routines.     

Mercury concentrations in a contaminated river system in Kazakhstan and biomonitoring of the local population

The River Nura in central Kazakhstan has been heavily contaminated by mercury （Hg） from an acetaldehyde plant located in the industrial city of Temirtau. The plant released Hg-containing wastewater into the river from the 1950s until the mid 1990s and strongly contaminated the bed sediments up to 25 km downstream. In addition, a local power station released an estimated 6 million tonnes of fly-ash into the water which has adsorbed much of the Hg and has become mixed with the natural sediments. River water,fish and agricultural land in the floodplain are also contaminated by Hg. Humans are exposed to Hg primarily via the consumption of contaminated fish from the river. A survey was undertaken in June/July 2005 to investigate Hg concentrations in river water, drinking water, sediments and fish. To estimate the risk posed to the local population, approximately 300 hair samples were collected from people living in villages near the most contaminated section of the river, at a distance of between 5 and 30 km downstream of the acetaldehyde plant, and their dietary habits were recorded. Mercury concentrations in river water ranged from 2-3 ng/L upstream of the source of the pollution to 348 ng/L downstream of the factory outfall pipe. Some drinking water wells close to the river were contaminated, but deeper wells had Hg concentrations below the detection limit.     

Modeling CO2–brine–rock interactions in the Knox Group: Implications of a deep carbon storage field test in western Kentucky

The Cambrian–Ordovician Knox Group, a thick sequence of dolostone and minor dolomitic sandstone, is a prospective CO₂ sequestration target in the southern Illinois Basin, USA. Thorough evaluation of the Knox Group is critical because the main sequestration target elsewhere in the Illinois Basin, the Cambrian Mount Simon Sandstone, is thin or absent throughout most of Kentucky. A 2477-m-deep carbon storage test well in Hancock County, Kentucky, was drilled, and 626 metric tons of CO₂ was injected into the Knox saline reservoirs. To understand the long-term fate of CO₂ injected into the Knox reservoirs, geochemical reactions between CO₂, brine and rock-forming minerals were modeled using TOUGHREACT. The modeling benefited from a robust data set collected from the test well, including core porosity and permeability, petrographic and X-ray powder diffraction mineralogy, brine chemistry, temperature and pressure measurements. Kinetic batch models and 2-D radial reactive transport models were used to evaluate the migration of the injected CO₂, changes in brine chemistry, and mineral dissolution and precipitation. Results from the kinetic models suggest that sections of the Knox dominated by dolomite have very limited mineral-trapping capacity for CO₂, whereas thin sections of dolomitic sandstone with aluminosilicate minerals such as K-feldspar facilitate mineral trapping. The 2-D model for the CO₂ injection test suggests that, because of the presence of thick permeable intervals in the Knox and the small volume of injected CO₂ in the test, the radius of influence is less than 11 m from the well. The hypothetical long-term injection model indicates, on the other hand, that commercial-scale injection would influence a much larger area and part of the injected CO₂ remains in the supercritical/gas phase for a long time. Because of the buoyancy effect, most supercritical/gas-phase CO₂ migrates upward and stays in the top of the reservoirs dominated by dolomite with small mineral-trapping capacity.     

Hydrogeochemical characterization and evolution of a regional karst aquifer in the Cuatrociénegas area,Mexico

The Cuatrociénegas area is useful for the investigation of the effect of groundwater extraction in the Chihuahuan freshwater xeric ecoregion. It has been investigated at this time using a selection of geochemical indicators (major, minor and trace elements) and δ³⁴S data, to characterize the origin of groundwater, the main geochemical processes and the mineral/groundwater interactions controlling the baseline geochemistry. The area is composed of limestones of Mesozoic age, with a composite thickness of about 500 m, overlaid by basin fill (poorly consolidated young sediments). Substantial water extraction and modification of natural discharges from the area along the last century have produced a detrimental impact on ecosystem structure and function. Water–rock interactions, mixing and evaporative processes dominate the baseline groundwater quality. Natural recharge is HCO₃–Ca type in equilibrium with calcite, low salinity (TDS?<?500 mg/L), Cl^? lower than 11 mg/L and average Li⁺ concentration of 0.005 mg/L. Along the groundwater flow systems, δ³⁴S evidence and mass transfer calculations indicate that Cretaceous gypsum dissolution and dedolomitization reactions adjust water composition to the SO₄–Ca type. The increase of water–rock interaction is reflected by Cl^? values increase (average 68 mg/L), TDS up to about 1500 mg/L and an average Li⁺ concentration of 0.063 mg/L. Calculations with chemical geothermometers indicate that temperature at depth could be at maximum of 15–20 °C higher than field-measured temperature for pozas. After groundwater is discharged to the surface, chemical evolution continues; water evaporation, CO₂ degassing and precipitation of minerals such as gypsum, calcite and kaolinite represent the final processes and reactions controlling water chemical composition.     

P–T paths and modeling the evolution of metapelitic mineral assemblages in the MnNCKFMASH system: A case of Northern Ladoga area

Phase equilibria in medium-grade metapelites of the Northern Ladoga area are calculated with the pseudosection method and Theriak/Domono software on the basis of zoning in garnets. It is shown that garnet in the staurolite-bearing parageneses crystallized at 520–600°C against the background of a pressure release from 7.0 to 3.5–4.0 kbar. The evolution of the mineral composition of rocks in the course of porphyroblast formation is discussed, placing special emphasis on the comparative analysis of P–T paths of garnet growth under decompression conditions.     

Assessing the vulnerability of social–environmental system from the perspective of hazard,sensitivity, and resilience: a case study of Beijing,China

Despite a recent increase in the number of vulnerability analyses there has been relatively little discussion of vulnerability assessment of social–environment system, especially when they face multiple hazards. In this study, we developed an applicable and convenient method to assess vulnerability of social–environment system at a regional scale. Vulnerability is quantified by measuring three critical elements (i.e. hazards, sensitivity, and resilience) through some key variables. The results showed that vulnerability is high in Miaofeng Mountain in Mengtougou District, the hills of Pinggu County and the riparian zones of the lower courses of the Beiyun and Yongding Rivers; but low in the city of Beijing and the southwestern part of the Fangshan District. Areas of very high, high, medium, and low-vulnerability account for 6.19, 25.48, 33.06, and 35.27% of the total area, respectively. The degree of vulnerability decreases in a northwest direction in mountainous areas and declines from watercourses to riparian zones along a lateral direction in the plain. Some adaptive strategies are also proposed.     

Sedimentary processes,stratigraphic sequences and middens: the link between archaeology and geoheritage—a case study from the Quaternary of the Broome region,Western Australia

The cliffed and active dune coastal region of Broome provides an excellent record of Pleistocene and Holocene stratigraphy of desert environments interfacing with the Indian Ocean. The Mesozoic Broome Sandstone is the basal stratigraphic unit in the area and is overlain by Pleistocene red desert quartz sand (Mowanjum Sand). Modern coastal processes of waves, wind and tide have resulted in distinctive sedimentary bodies (stratigraphic units) clearly linked to the sedimentary environment. The Mowanjum Sand, reworked by coastal winds, generates the landward-ingressing orange quartzose Churchill Sand, or reworked by waves and abraded to white sand with the addition of carbonate grains that form the beaches (Cable Beach Sand) and with eolian action, coastal dunes or inland-ingressing white dunes (Shoonta Hill Sand). These sedimentary bodies and stratigraphic units form a template with which to locate and interpret archaeological middens and Indigenous occupation over the past 5000?years in a context of coastal occupation, coastal stability, mean sea-level changes, climate changes, and availability of marine food and freshwater. Shell middens and stone artefacts form definitive layers or horizons in relation to the stratigraphy, in places in situ, and elsewhere reworked as sheets and plumes; understanding their inter-relationships has enabled the unravelling of the archaeological history and relating Indigenous occupation to biofacies and lithofacies. The array of sedimentary, biofacies and stratigraphic units are of national geoheritage significance in their own right. The addition of archaeological deposits as stratigraphic units provides a link between geoheritage and archaeology, where the archaeological materials are viewed as part of the complex stratigraphic story, part of the coastal history, and part of the geoheritage story.