A review of coal properties pertinent to carbon dioxide sequestration in coal seams: with special reference to Victorian brown coals

This paper presents reviews of studies on properties of coal pertinent to carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration in coal with specific reference to Victorian brown coals. The coal basins in Victoria, Australia have been identified as one of the largest brown coal resources in the world and so far few studies have been conducted on CO₂ sequestration in this particular type of coals. The feasibility of CO₂ sequestration depends on three main factors: (1) coal mass properties (chemical, physical and microscopic properties), (2) seam permeability, and (3) gas sorption properties of the coal. Firstly, the coal mass properties of Victorian brown coal are presented, and then the general variations of the coal mass properties with rank, for all types of coal, are discussed. Subsequently, coal gas permeability and gas sorption are considered, and the physical factors which affect them are examined. In addition, existing models for coal gas permeability and gas sorption in coal are reviewed and the possibilities of further development of these models are discussed. According to the previous studies, coal mass properties and permeability and gas sorption characteristics of coals are different for different ranks: lignite to medium volatile bituminous coals and medium volatile bituminous to anthracite coals. This is important for the development of mathematical models for gas permeability and sorption behavior. Furthermore, the models have to take into account volume effect which can be significant under high pressure and temperature conditions. Also, the viscosity and density of supercritical CO₂ close to the critical point can undergo large and rapid changes. To date, few studies have been conducted on CO₂ sequestration in Victorian brown coal, and for all types of coal, very few studies have been conducted on CO₂ sequestration under high pressure and temperature conditions.     

The role of geodiversity on the groundwater resource potential in the upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia

Groundwater has been the main source of water supply for large cities and towns over the last few decades in the upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia. However, provision is often unsuccessful because of poor well productivity, difficult drilling conditions, poor well positioning, or sometimes due to poor water quality. The growing pressure of urban population and industrial development is focusing unprecedented attention on the groundwater potential of the basin. The purpose of this work is to spatially characterize the groundwater potential of the upper Blue Nile River Basin with respect to variable recharge and geodiversity. The study shows that from the annual recharge obtained using the base flow separation method, the renewable groundwater potential in the basin was estimated to be in the range of 1.2 and 2 billion m³/year. The aquifers in the area are divided into three categories: low to moderate productivity (≈3.5 l/s) which includes crystalline basement rocks, acidic lava flows and domes, and very fine alluvial sediments; moderate to high productivity (≈5.5 l/s) that includes Mesozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstone, limestone, gypsum, dolomite); and high to very high productivity (≈20 l/s) which includes basic lava flows of the Trap series, Quaternary lava flows and alluvial sediments.     

Assessing vegetation dynamics and their relationships with climatic variability in Heilongjiang province, northeast China

In this study, the vegetation dynamics in Heilongjiang province and their relationships with climate variability were assessed using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and meteorological datasets from 1981 to 2003. The conclusions from our results are as follows: (1) After 1981, vegetation cover, as indicated by the NDVI, exhibited an insignificant increasing tendency. However, the inter-annual variations of the NDVI showed apparent spatial differentiations. (2) The inter-annual changes of the NDVI were different from season to season. The spring and autumn NDVI values increased, while the summer and winter NDVI decreased. (3) The annual NDVI was significantly correlated with precipitation. Thus, as compared to temperature, precipitation was the dominant climatic factor affecting the vegetation dynamics in Heilongjiang province. (4) The trend in the NDVI showed a marked homogeneity corresponding to regional and seasonal variations in climate. Additionally, land use changes also play an important role in influencing the NDVI trends over some regions. All of these findings will enrich our knowledge of the natural forces that impact the stability of boreal ecosystems and provide a scientific basis for the environmental management in Heilongjiang province in response to climate change and human activities.     

Line-profile microvariability in OB-star spectra: the Supergiant λ Cep (O6If(n))

We observed the bright O6If(n) supergiant λ Cep in 1997 with the 6-m optical telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory and in 2007 with the 1.8-m telescope of the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (South Korea). A total of 90 spectra of the star were acquired, with good time resolution (10 minutes), signal-to-noise ratios 150–300, and spectral resolutions of 45 000–60 000. We detected line-profile variations of H, HeI, and HeII lines. It is suggested that the detected variations are due to non-radial photospheric pulsations and the star’s rotation (rotational profile modulation).     

Oxyphlogopite K(Mg,Ti,Fe)3[(Si,Al)4O10](O,F)2: A new mineral species of the mica group

Oxyphlogopite is a new mica-group mineral with the idealized formula K(Mg,Ti,Fe)₃[(Si,Al)₄O₁₀](O,F)₂. The holotype material came from a basalt quarry at Mount Rothenberg near Mendig at the Eifel volcanic complex in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The mineral occurs as crystals up to 4 × 4 × 0.2 mm in size encrusting cavity walls in alkali basalt. The associated minerals are nepheline, plagioclase, sanidine, augite, diopside, and magnetite. Its color is dark brown, its streak is brown, and its luster is vitreous. D _meas = 3.06(1) g/cm³ (flotation in heavy liquids), and D _calc = 3.086 g/cm³. The IR spectrun does not contain bands of OH groups. Oxyphlogopite is biaxial (negative); α = 1.625(3), β = 1.668(1), and γ = 1.669(1); and 2V _meas = 16(2)° and 2V _calc = 17°. The dispersion is strong; r < ν. The pleochroism is medium; X > Y > Z (brown to dark brown). The chemical composition is as follows (electron microprobe, mean of 5 point analyses, wt %; the ranges are given in parentheses; the H₂O was determined using the Alimarin method; the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ was determined with X-ray emission spectroscopy): Na₂O 0.99 (0.89–1.12), K₂O 7.52 (7.44–7.58), MgO 14.65 (14.48–14.80), CaO 0.27 ((0.17–0.51), FeO 4.73, Fe₂O₃ 7.25 (the range of the total iron in the form of FeO is 11.09–11.38), Al₂O₃ 14.32 (14.06–14.64), Cr₂O₃ 0.60 (0.45–0.69), SiO₂ 34.41 (34.03–34.66), TiO₂ 12.93 (12.69–13.13), F 3.06 (2.59–3.44), H₂O 0.14; O=F₂ −1.29; 99/58 in total. The empirical formula is (K_0.72Na_0.14Ca_0.02)(Mg_1.64Ti_0.73Fe_0.30²⁺ Fe_0.27³⁺Cr_0.04)_Σ2.98(Si_2.59Al_1.27Fe_0.14³⁺ O₁₀) O_1.20F_0.73(OH)_0.07. The crystal structure was refined on a single crystal. Oxyphlogopite is monoclinic with space group C2/m; the unit-cell parameters are as follows: a = 5.3165(1), b = 9.2000(2), c = 10.0602(2) ?, β = 100.354(2)°. The presence of Ti results in the strong distortion of octahedron M(2). The strongest lines of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [d, ? (I, %) [hkl]] are as follows: 9.91(32) [001], 4.53(11) 110], 3.300(100) [003], 3.090(12) [112], 1.895(21) [005], 1.659(12) [−135], 1.527(16) [−206, 060]. The type specimens of oxyphlogopite are deposited at the Fersman Mineralogical Museum in Moscow, Russia; the registration numbers are 3884/2 (holotype) and 3884/1 (cotype).     

The Growth of Estuarine Resources (Zostera marina, Mercenaria mercenaria, Crassostrea virginica, Argopecten irradians, Cyprinodon variegatus) in Response to Nutrient Loading and Enhanced Suspension Feeding by Adult Shellfish

While many coastal ecosystems previously supported high densities of seagrass and abundant bivalves, the impacts of overfishing, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and habitat loss have collectively contributed to the decline of these important resources. Despite improvements in wastewater treatment in some watersheds and subsequent reduced nutrient loading to neighboring estuaries, seagrass and bivalve populations in these locations have generally not recovered. We performed three mesocosm experiments to simultaneously examine the contrasting effects of nutrient loading and historic suspension-feeding bivalve densities on the growth of eelgrass (Zostera marina), juvenile bivalves (northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria; eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica; and bay scallops, Argopecten irradians), and juvenile planktivorous fish (sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus). High nutrient loading rates led to significantly higher phytoplankton (chlorophyll a) levels in all experiments, significantly increased growth of juvenile bivalves relative to controls with lower nutrient loading rates in two experiments, and significantly reduced the growth of eelgrass in one experiment. The filtration provided by adult suspension feeders (M. mercenaria and C. virginica) significantly decreased phytoplankton levels in all experiments, significantly increased light penetration and the growth of eelgrass in one experiment, and significantly decreased the growth of juvenile bivalves and fish in two experiments, all relative to controls with no filtration from adult suspension feeders. These results demonstrate that an appropriate level of nutrient loading can have a positive effect on some estuarine resources and that bivalve filtration can mediate the effects of nutrient loading to the benefit or detriment of different estuarine resources. Future ecosystem-based approaches will need to simultaneously account for anthropogenic nutrient loading and bivalve restoration to successfully manage estuarine resources.     

Origin of uranium and rare earth minerals in bone detritus from rare metal deposits

In order to ascertain the forms in which uranium is present in ores of the Melovoe rare metal sedimentary deposit of uranium and rare earth minerals (South Mangyshlak), we investigated a series of typical ore samples that were collected earlier; both the uranium content and the total content of rare earth metals in them lay within 0.1–0.3%. The study was carried out by analytical electron microscopy using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, electron microdiffraction, and microprobing. It was ascertained that both uranium and rare earth elements are present in ore mostly associated with biogenic phosphate in the form of natural minerals, such as uraninite, ningyoite, coffinite, autenite, and churchite. Iron hydroxides and graphitized organic matter are present in some samples. It is assumed that the co-occurrence of uranium and rare earth elements, which is nontypical for the sedimentary process, resulted from secondary epigenetic processes and alternation of reducing and oxidizing environmental conditions.     

蓟县高于庄组臼齿构造形态特征及成因意义

本文以蓟县地区高于庄组发育的臼齿构造为例,通过对臼齿构造详细的岩石学、形态学和岩性与流变学的关系,以及追踪具独特岩性的臼齿构造母岩的变化.结果表明,微亮晶方解石大小、底基质岩性和粘性在臼齿构造发育过程中具有重要作用;相对的,岩性均一地层中臼齿构造形态多种多样.而臼齿构造直径与其弯曲度之间的关系说明臼齿构造形成过程本身也...     

用远震接收函数研究龙门山断裂带与其邻区的莫霍面深度及波速比分布

利用龙门山断裂带及其邻近地区地震台站的远震波形记录,采用时间域迭代反褶积技术求取接收函数,并用H-Kappa叠加方法计算出各台站下方的莫霍面深度和波速比及其相应的误差.结果除了获得与前人研究大体相同的莫霍面深度分布轮廓外,还获得一些新的细节与认识:(1)莫霍面深度在四川盆地内为41～48 km,在四川盆地西缘存在一个N...     

放射性废物处置研究进展

放射性废物的处置是制约核能可持续发展的关键因素,目前已成为国际社会关注的热点问题之一.针对处置场地核素运移污染的风险问题,对放射性废物的处置及其选址、核素运移试验和核素运移模型进行了回顾和论述.指出采用多重屏障系统进行放射性废物的处置,其安全性是可以得到保障的;处置场的选址应遵循就近原则,并应从环境水文地质的角度来构建...