Sand Mining Research Articles

Mapping the vulnerability of indigenous fruit trees to environmental change in the fragile savannah ecological zone of Northern Ghana

Following the incidence of environmental change globally and its negative consequences on livelihoods of local populations, vulnerability assessment has become central to mitigation and adaptation response in the global south. However, researches on vulnerability to climate change in the African continent have seldom focused on Indigenous Fruit Trees (IFTs) although they are an essential part of the strategic forest resources and livelihood systems of local communities. This paper explores the vulnerability of two IFTs, shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and dawadawa (Parkia biglobosa) to climatic and other stressors that are not directly linked to climate change in rural Ghana and the implications for planning. The paper analyzed vulnerability from farmer perspectives elicited through a mixed study design involving the use of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods and a household survey. The results reveal that IFTs are highly vulnerable to drought, rainstorms, bushfires and charcoal production and less vulnerable to heavy precipitation, flash floods and sand mining. Such vulnerability arising from the combined effects of multiple stressors has led to a decreasing trend in production and yields of IFTS over the past few decades, adversely affecting livelihoods of rural women and households. To reduce vulnerability, it is an imperative to promote Environmental Change Adaptation Planning (ECAP) that prioritizes conservation and propagation of IFTs, and diversification of rural livelihoods.

Experimental Synthesis of Coloured Soda-lime-silica (SLS) Glasses using Untreated Silica Sand of Shankargarh Area (Prayagraj District, Uttar Pradesh, India) and its Ramifications

Abstract The physical, mechanical and chemical processing of silica sand, the main ingredient of silicate glass, are routinely carried out in glass and ceramic industries worldwide to enhance the silica content and to reduce the concentration of ferromagnesian impurities. The processing of silica sand prior to glass synthesis generally involves washing with water, physical screening (size and magnetic separation) and chemical treatments. The silica sand mining, in parts of Prayagraj (earlier known as Allahabad) district, Uttar Pradesh, is continuing for more than six decades and yet meager peer-reviewed published scientific data is available hitherto. On the other hand, the continued rampant water cleaning of silica sand for more than six decades has led to the accumulation of toxic sludge in the vicinity and also causing ground water depletion in the area. In order to find an amicable balance amongst silica sand processing, ground water depletion and environmental degradation, an attempt has been made to use untreated/raw silica sand of Prayagraj district, mainly from the Shankargarh area, to synthesize soda-lime-silica (SLS) glass. Following this objective, thirty five silica sand samples are collected from different washeries and grouped into seven classes based on their magnetic susceptibility values (30.23 to -0.71 x 10-8 m3kg-1). Representative silica sand samples from these seven groups are mixed with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in a ratio of 75:15:10 and melted at 1300°C under one atmospheric pressure for a run duration of 90 minutes. Transparent to translucent SLS glasses of various hues and variable refractive indices (1.504 - 1.547) are formed. The glasses, thus analyzed by the electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), comprise SiO2 (80.56 - 85.79 wt%), Na2O (9.70 - 12.69 wt%), CaO (4.80 - 6.51 wt%),Al2O3 (0.51 - 1.46 wt%),FeOT (0.15 - 0.95 wt%) and TiO2 (0.12 - 0.29 wt%), similar to the commercial SLS glasses manufactured worldwide. The present study suggests that the raw silica sand from Shankargarh area can be used to synthesize coloured SLS glasses even without washing with water and as a consequence the water resources and geo-environment of the area shall remain protected from further degradation.

Indigenous Divergences from the Sacrifice Zones and Rehabilitations of Extractivism When the Hills are Gone: Frac Sand Mining and the Struggle for Community. ThomasPearson. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017. 256 pp.The Extractive Zone. MacarenaGómez‐Barris. Durham: Duke University Press, 2017. 208 pp.ExtrACTION: Impacts, engagements, and alternative futures. KirkJalbert, AnnaWillow, DavidCasagrande and StephaniePaladino, eds. New York: Routledge, 2017. 237 pp.

The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean AnthropologyEarly View Book Review Indigenous Divergences from the Sacrifice Zones and Rehabilitations of Extractivism When the Hills are Gone: Frac Sand Mining and the Struggle for Community. Thomas Pearson. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017. 256 pp. The Extractive Zone. Macarena Gómez-Barris. Durham: Duke University Press, 2017. 208 pp. ExtrACTION: Impacts, engagements, and alternative futures. Kirk Jalbert, Anna Willow, David Casagrande and Stephanie Paladino, eds. New York: Routledge, 2017. 237 pp. Juan Javier Rivera Andía, Juan Javier Rivera Andía orcid.org/0000-0002-4099-5765 Polish Institute of Advanced StudiesSearch for more papers by this author Juan Javier Rivera Andía, Juan Javier Rivera Andía orcid.org/0000-0002-4099-5765 Polish Institute of Advanced StudiesSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 June 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/jlca.12597Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Spatio-Temporal Evolution Law of Surface Subsidence Basin with Insufficient Exploitation of Deep Coal Resources in Aeolian Sand Area of Western China

Coal is one of the fundamental fossil energy supporting the world’s economy. The synergistic development between efficient coal mining and ecological environment protection is the inevitable requirement for the preservation of global harmony. As the world’s largest coal producer, China has conducted a strategic shift from east to west in terms of the exploitation of its energy resources, posing a serious threat to the fragile ecological environment of the western region. In particular, the surface subsidence caused by coal mining is the root of the ecological deteriotation and the destruction of ground structures. However, it is difficult to reveal the law of large-scale surface subsidence in western mining areas merely by conventional measurement methods such as leveling, on account of the high intensity of coal seam mining, the weakness of the lithology of overlying rock and the large thickness of wind-blown sand strata. In view of this, small baseline subset interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology was used in this study to obtain the time series of surface vertical displacement during the whole mining process of the 2401 working face in the Yingpanhao coal mine, Inner Mongolia. Based on the deformation data, the dynamic evolution characteristics of surface subsidence under high intensity mining in the western mining area were analyzed exhaustively. It was found that the surface subsidence is characterized by an extensive coverage range (48.52 km2) with minimal ground settlement (250 mm) in the study area. Meanwhile, the boundary shape of the subsidence basin followed a “circular-parallelogram-trapezoid” changeable process and the coverage area of the basin experienced three stages: a linear increasing period, a temporary stagnation period, and a re-expansion period. Furthermore, there existed an abnormal uplift phenomenon on the east side of the open-off cut in the 2401 working face. Combined with the structure of overlying strata, this paper carried out a preliminary analysis on the reasons of the abovementioned phenomenon. The research results are of vital realistic significance for ground buildings and ecological environmental protection in the aeolian sand mining area in Western China.

Performance of Leguminous Tree Species in Sand-mined Soil Under Nursery Conditions

Early growth performance of Delonix regia, Albizia lebbeck , Albizia saman and Leuceana leucocephala in soil from an abandoned sand mining site was investigated. Using a completely randomized block design, forty seedlings from each species were transplanted into topsoil and sand-mined soil. Total height, collar diameter, and number of leaves were monitored fortnightly, for 16 weeks. Biomass accumulated by the seedlings was determined, while root nodulation and foliar chlorophyll content were assessed. Significant differences were observed in the main and interaction effects of soil type and species type on growth variables, with higher growth in topsoil. Delonix regia in topsoil had the highest total height (41.01±3.14 cm) and collar diameter (7.11±0.34 cm), while A. lebbeck had the highest number of leaves (11.39±0.37). Biomass accumulation followed the trend: D. regia>A. lebbeck> A. saman>L. leucocephala for both topsoil and sand-mined soil treatments. Highest nodulation was in A. saman (13) growing in sand-mined soil while D. regia (6.20±1.20 mg/g) in topsoil had the highest chlorophyll content. All the species survived in the sand-mined soil with D. regia and A. lebbeck out performing the other species, indicating their potential choice for rehabilitation of sand mining quarries.

Theories and Practices on Deposit Bonds use for Environmental Management and Sustainable Development in Kenya’s Titanium Mining Projects

This article analyses the use of economic incentives, particularly the Environmental Performance Deposit Bonds (EPDBs) in enhancing sustainable environmentally sound mine operations and closure. This is through a review of the environmental challenges and management practices at the Kwale Mineral Sands Project which is Kenya’s ;largest mining project. The article reviews the legal challenges around the effective regulation and application of the bonds for environmental management in upstream mining, as well as how the titanium mining project is undertaking environmental management as the mine approaches its closure deadline in 2023. It is important to note that Base Titanium, the company undertaking this project voluntarily deposited environmental reclamation deposit bonds of USD 512,000 to the environmental regulator, as financial assurance for good environmental practices. The data used in the analysis is from literature review, key informant interviews, interview schedules, and focus group discussions. Results indicate that Base Titanium is working hard to comply to the environmental standards and practices, applying the mitigation hierarchy approaches, as well as a robust mine reclamation process. The lack of a proper legal and regulatory framework governing Environmental Performance Deposit Bonds (EPDBs), as well as a non-existent deposit bonds registry systems and guidelines is a challenge to their effective institutionalization. The public and key stakeholders are also unaware of the existence of the bonds, unlike the well-laid down public participation principles in the Environmental (and Social) Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental Audits (EAs). While the study acknowledges that Base Titanium is greatly expanding the discourse on sustainable finance models for environmental management in Kenya, the lack of legal clarity and coherence is a major impediment for progressive growth in this area.
 Keywords: Environmental Performance Deposit Bonds (EPDBs); Sustainable Development; Remediation; Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs).

Assessment of dam-induced changes in ecogeomorphological behaviour and fluvial functionality in the Damodar River, West Bengal, India

Abstract Anthropogenic interventions in the form of dams and barrages often alter the fluvial functionality and eco-geomorphological (geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology) behaviour of river systems. The present work examines the environmental flow, channel metamorphosis, and fluvial functionality of the Damodar River in the context of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams and development. Structural (dams, barrages, weirs, etc.) and non-structural (urban–industrial and agricultural disposal with effluents, sand mining, etc.) interventions hinder the ecological functionality of the river. This study portrays that the eco-geomorphological behaviour and fluvial functionality of the river have changed due to flow alteration and diversion by dams and barrages and due to rapid urban–industrial and agricultural growth in the basin area. These changes have affected riverine ecological integrity. The ecological functionality level of this study area ranges from 85 to 181, i.e. from poor to good–fair. The ecological functionality level in the sample channel sections (i.e., the immediate upstream and downstream of the Durgapur Barrage) is poor, and the value ranges from 61 to 100 due to the hydrological impact of the barrage and the Durgapur urban–industrial belt. This assessment work will help to restore the fluvial environment for humans as well as riverine biota. HIGHLIGHTS Dams and barrages have altered the hydrological flow regimes, affecting the eco-geomorphological behaviour of alluvial channels. Dam-induced fluvial metamorphosis is evident in the channel morphological parameters and channel classification. The fluvial functionality index has been applied to evaluate the ecological functionality level for the restoration of the riverine environment.

ANALISIS FENOMENA SOSIAL KUASA ELIT DI DUSUN JAMBU SLEMAN YOGYAKARTA

This research is to find out the basis of the power possessed so that the actors in sand mining are called elites. Besides that, it is also to find out the capacity of the elites and the relationship patterns that are run by these elites. The method used is an approach to collect data and analyze data, in the form of data collection through observation and interviews. While the data analysis uses the Miles and Huberman model, using phases, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results showed the elite stratification in sand mining in Jambu Hamlet, namely The Big Bourgeoisie/Upper Class consisting of land owners and equipment owners and local government at the highest level (provincial), The Petty Bourgeoise/ Middle Class consisting of Operators, Helpers, Managers, The foreman, the land owner community, the head of the coker group, the local government, the working class/lower class consisting of the coker and the community. However, judging from the capacity of the ruling elite, the existence of elite rulers is in the classification of the petty bourgeois ruling class or the middle class because managers as elite determinants and management decision making are extensions of entrepreneurs who have business interests. So that the pattern relationship shows the regularity of sand mining management which develops intensive communication between entrepreneurs and managers so that there is no visible conflict about results.

Plankton Diversity In The Labuhanbatu Bilar River

The purpose of this study was to determine the plankton diversity index in the Labuhanbatu Bilah River. The research was carried out from January to March 2023 using the Purposive Random Sampling method which consisted of 3 observation stations, namely station 1. There were many community activities such as Domestic Waste, Sand Mining, Agriculture, Station 2. There was Domestic Waste, Cage Fish Farming and Agriculture. and Station 3. There are community activities such as bathing, domestic and agricultural waste. The results of the study found that the plankton composition in the Bilah Labuhanbatu River consisted of 3 classes of phytoplankton, namely Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae while the class of zooplankton consisted of 4 classes, namely Mastigophora, Monogononta, Crustacea and Ciliophora. The highest diversity index of phytoplankton was obtained at station 1 of the sand mining area with a value of 1.76 indicating that the level of diversity was included in the medium category. In zooplankton the highest diversity index was found at station 3 with a value of 0.42 which indicated that the level of diversity was included in the low category. Meanwhile, the highest dominance index for phytolactones was found at station 3 in a densely populated area with a value of 0.51, while for zooplankton it was found at station 1 in a sand mining area with a value of 0.00487, both values ​​indicating that no plankton genus dominates in the area. In zooplankton the highest diversity index was found at station 3 with a value of 0.42 which indicated that the level of diversity was included in the low category. Meanwhile, the highest dominance index for phytolactones was found at station 3 in a densely populated area with a value of 0.51, while for zooplankton it was found at station 1 in a sand mining area with a value of 0.00487, both values ​​indicating that no plankton genus dominates in the area. In zooplankton the highest diversity index was found at station 3 with a value of 0.42 which indicated that the level of diversity was included in the low category. Meanwhile, the highest dominance index for phytolactones was found at station 3 in a densely populated area with a value of 0.51, while for zooplankton it was found at station 1 in a sand mining area with a value of 0.00487, both values ​​indicating that no plankton genus dominates in the area.

Assessing the environmental risk and mobility of cobalt in sediment near nonferrous metal mines with risk assessment indexes and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique

The Jialing River is the tributary of the Yangtze River with the largest drainage area. In recent years, the Jialing River has suffered a series of environmental problems, such as discharge of industrial effluent and sand mining activities, which have severely threatened the aquatic ecosystem of the river. In the present study, we employed risk assessment indexes, sequential extraction and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique to assess environmental risks and study the remobilization of cobalt (Co) in sediments. The potential ecological risk index and risk assessment code results demonstrated that Co may pose a low environmental and ecological risk to the local aquatic environment. However, BCR sequential extraction showed that the sum of the F1, F2 and F3 fractions of Co still accounted for over 50% of the Co in the study areas, indicating that sediments may be a source of Co release. The DGT results showed an increasing trend for DGT-labile Co in deep sediments (−8 cm to −12 cm), and the calculated flux values ranged from 0.08 to 15.54 ng cm2·day−1, indicating that Co tends to transfer across the sediment-water interface at all sampling sites. Correlation analysis showed that F1–Co, F2–Co and F3–Co are the fractions readily captured by DGT and can be used for predicting Co remobilization in sediment. Sand mining activities contribute substantially to the release of Co from the F1 and F3 fractions as a result of strong stirring of sediments and introduction of oxygen into the sediments. The reductive dissolution of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) hydroxides or oxides causes the release of Co and Fe/Mn in the sediment, which leads to Co release from the reducible fraction. The above work suggests that sand mining in the Jialing River should be reasonably regulated to prohibit illegal sand mining activities.

The impact of salinity, alkalinity and nanoparticle concentration on zeta-potential of sand minerals and their implication on sand production

The effect of brine salinity, cation type, pH, and produced sand on zeta potential (ZP) measurements with and without the presence of silica nanoparticles is investigated through pH measurement, static tests for sand and ZP measurements as well as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) analyses. Three important factors were investigated: composition of the injected brine, surface charge and pH. Their influence on stability of nanoparticles in the injected brine and amount of sand segregation was determined and the analysis of the new outcomes based on rock/brine ZP measurements was reported. The results show that the use of silica nanoparticles with high pH helps in preventing sand production and that pH has a main effect on the surface charge of the sand particle released, affecting the ZP of the solution. Nanoparticles can be active as a coating on sand grains and prevent sand segregation during water flooding. Divalent cations have been found to acquire a more substantial impact on neutralizing the negative charge of the sand particles than monovalent cations at the same concentration and pH conditions at 25 ℃. The value of ZP becomes of higher negative value with the decrease of brine salinity. The effectiveness of SiO2 nanoparticles is quite different for soft water and smart water. For soft water, the nanoparticles work more effective at pH higher than 8; and for smart water, the nanoparticles perform better at pH lower than 8. To reduce sand production with the use of silica nanoparticles, it is highly suggested to increase pH, as pH and sand production mechanisms were observed to be inversely related.

Analysis Of Land Erosion Due To Sand Mining In River Progo Area Kulonprogo RegencySpecial Region Of Yogyakarta

The Progo River originates from the slopes of Mount Sundoro-Mount Sumbing which passes to the southeast and then to the south along 140 km. When Mount Merapi erupts, the material from the eruption, namely cold lava will flow into the Progo river and in the area around the estuary, there are much sand and stone mining. The problem from this research is that there is a very high level of erosion due to sand mining due to the absence of vegetation, so soil erosion is easy when there is high rainfall. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of soil erosion. The method used in this study is the USLE method. To test soil samples in the laboratory, three methods were Walkley and black for organic matter content, hydrometer for soil texture analysis, and de boot for soil permeability. The calculation of the erosion hazard level using the USLE equation has an erosion hazard level in the category of very light to very heavy class. The results of the estimation of the rate of soil erosion are as follows: from the erosion hazard level which has a very heavy erosion hazard level, namely 1 at location 09. For moderate erosion hazard levels, namely 2 at location points 013 and 0.14. There are 2 levels of low erosion hazard, namely at locations 05 and 08. On heavily eroded land, efforts to conserve land, both mechanically and vegetatively, are necessary to reduce land erosion.

Late Pleistocene aeolian deposition and human occupation on the eastern edge of the deglacial corridor, northeastern Alberta, Canada

AbstractThe lower Athabasca River basin in northeastern Alberta contains one of the highest known concentrations of prehistoric archaeological sites in the boreal forests of western Canada. This is due to the combination of readily available sources of lithic raw material stone near a major travel corridor, and extensive archaeological survey conducted in advance of oil sands mining. Typological studies have proposed immediate post-glacial occupations that were contemporaneous with, or immediately followed, the catastrophic glacial Lake Agassiz flood through the area at the end of the Pleistocene. Here, we complement the typology age estimates by using stratigraphic relations and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of aeolian material to determine the age of initial human occupation, and reconstruct the environment encountered by early inhabitants of the region. We find that the first occupations in our study area took place near the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary (ca. 11.3 ± 0.8 ka BP), shortly after catastrophic flooding from Lake Agassiz. The post-flood environment was dominated by cold climatic conditions that supported permafrost, presumably during the late Pleistocene, and underwent significant aeolian deposition. Our results indicate that this area represents a portion of the eastern edge of the deglacial corridor into which plants, animals, and humans dispersed following retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

Analysis of sediment variation and influencing factors in the upper Yangtze River in the past 50 years, China

Abstract River sediment load has a profound impact on river geomorphology and river ecosystems. We selected sediment load data from 1965 to 2019 from three key hydrological stations in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: Pingshan, Cuntan, and Yichang. We have used the Mann-Kendall method, t-test, and wavelet analysis to analyze the characteristics of sediment load variation, the Cumulative volume slope rate of change, and the River Impact method to quantitatively assess the degree of sediment variation and the influencing factors. The results show that (1) The annual sediment load at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the Pingshan, Cuntan, and Yichang stations all showed a significant decreasing trend, with mutations in 1997, 2003, and 2002, respectively, with the main period of 15 years, 24 years, and 10 years. (2) A series of human activities such as interception of dams, sand mining in river channels, and soil and water conservation measures are the main reasons for the significant reduction of sediment load in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with the contribution of human activities exceeding 80% in all cases after the 1990 s and 90% after the 21st century. (3) Under human activities, the annual sediment load at Cuntan station has been highly altered, while serious alterations have occurred at Pingshan and Yichang stations. The results of the study can provide a corresponding reference for ecological protection and restoration in the Yangtze River basin.

Sand mining impact on Poyang Lake: a case study based on high-resolution bathymetry and sub-bottom data

Sand mining impact on Poyang Lake: a case study based on high-resolution bathymetry and sub-bottom data

Jet-Grouting Technology for Reinforcement Strata Disturbance After Sand Mining

During the construction of a bridge, due to the deep sand mining in the riverbed at the bridge site, a sand mining disturbance stratum is formed at the bridge site, and it has an impact on the construction quality of the pile group foundation. In this paper, in view of the special geological conditions caused by sand mining, the high-pressure jet grouting method was used to reinforce the disturbed stratum at the bridge site, and a scheme and key construction technology high-pressure rotary jet pile grouting to reinforce the disturbed stratum caused by sand mining is proposed. A three-dimensional finite element model of the pile group before and after reinforcement of the disturbed stratum by high-pressure jet grouting method is established. The distribution characteristics of the lateral displacement of the borehole wall in the disturbed stratum before and after reinforcement are compared and analysed. Application on an actual bridge proves that the high-pressure jet grouting method has a good reinforcement effect on the disturbed stratum, which effectively solves the phenomenon of hole expansion and pile casing falling in the construction process of the pile foundation caused by sand mining disturbance and improves the working performance and construction quality of the pile group foundation. The high-pressure jet grouting technique for reinforcement of disturbed stratum is proved to be effective in practice.

Changing Livelihood Strategies in a Conservation Area: Fishers, Farmers, and Sand Mining in Merauke, Indonesia

The Wasur National Park (WNP) includes the Ramsar Site, an important area for global conservation efforts in wetlands. This coastal area also supports the socio-economic activities of local and non-local communities who are highly dependent on natural resources. Conservation efforts in the area are sometimes at odds with the sustainability of local livelihoods and poverty alleviation initiatives for the community. The aim of this study is to describe the sources of community livelihoods in the Wasur Naukenjerai National Park area, specifically around agricultural, fisheries, and sand mining dynamics. Using a qualitative research design, this study uses a field survey to collect primary data sourced from key informants with in-depth interviews from 15 community respondents in three sample villages on the coast, and seven key informants from relevant government agencies. The results show that the main livelihood source for people in the protected area are as fishermen and farmers. Sand mining has emerged as an alternative source of livelihood but has caused degradation of beaches and land in the Wasur National Park area. In addition, there are activities of buying and selling agricultural land in protected areas. The protection of the rights of the community in the area and government support programs have been unable to guarantee the welfare of the community. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen and further support local institutions livelihoods to ensure the sustainability of Wasur National Park area management.

Human Disturbance on the Land Surface Environment in Tropical Islands: A Remote Sensing Perspective

Geographically isolated islands are under great stress due to global climate change, as well as the social and environmental issues relating to human activities. It is necessary to monitor and analyze the spatial–temporal changes of the land surface environment in species-rich tropical islands in order to realize the sustainable development and protection of island areas. In this study, we extracted the land cover and coastline information of three tropical islands from 1990 to 2020 based on the Google Earth Engine platform and the Random Forest algorithm. The results showed that: (1) different tropical islands have similar characteristics in terms of land surface environment changes, with the amount of artificial surface and cultivated land increasing, the forest and mangrove areas decreasing, and the amount of artificial coastline increasing; (2) human disturbance plays an important role in changes in the land surface environment. Population growth, immigration policies, food security, and human activities related to achieving economic profits are likely responsible for these land cover changes; and (3) the main factors driving coastline changes include natural processes (topography, ecological ecosystems, sea-level rise, sea waves, and storms) and human activities (sand mining, tourism, port construction, aquaculture expansion, and mangrove deforestation). Understanding these changes will help tropical islands and coastal zones to make suitable policies for land management and respond to climate change and sustainable development challenges.

Assessing the Impact of the Farakka Barrage on Hydrological Alteration in the Padma River with Future Insight

Climate change and human interventions (e.g., massive barrages, dams, sand mining, and sluice gates) in the Ganga–Padma River (India and Bangladesh) have escalated in recent decades, disrupting the natural flow regime and habitat. This study employed innovative trend analysis (ITA), range of variability approach (RVA), and continuous wavelet analysis (CWA) to quantify the past to future hydrological change in the river because of the building of the Farakka Barrage (FB). We also forecast flow regimes using unique hybrid machine learning techniques based on particle swarm optimization (PSO). The ITA findings revealed that the average discharge trended substantially negatively throughout the dry season (January–May). However, the RVA analysis showed that average discharge was lower than environmental flows. The CWA indicated that the FB has a significant influence on the periodicity of the streamflow regime. PSO-Reduced Error Pruning Tree (REPTree) was the best fit for average discharge prediction (RMSE = 0.14), PSO-random forest (RF) was the best match for maximum discharge (RMSE = 0.3), and PSO-M5P (RMSE = 0.18) was better for the lowest discharge prediction. Furthermore, the basin’s discharge has reduced over time, concerning the riparian environment. This research describes the measurement of hydrological change and forecasts the discharge for upcoming days, which might be valuable in developing sustainable water resource management plans in this location.

The rapid pyrolysis feature and evolution of heteroatoms of Indonesian oil sand

The rapid pyrolysis behavior of a kind of Indonesian oil sand was studied by a fixed-bed reactor. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (1H NMR) analysis, the organic structure model of oil sand and the occurrence of heteroatoms were proposed. Liquid products were characterized by gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and atomic emission detector for gas chromatography (GC-AED). In addition, the distribution of the gaseous product was analyzed using gas chromatograph (GC). During the rapid pyrolysis process, the tar yield reached its maximum at 450 °C, and the gas yield increased rapidly with the increasing temperature, while the residual sand yield displayed the opposite trend. Aromatic esters and aliphatic hydrocarbons were the predominant components of liquid products after rapid pyrolysis treatment. More stable heteroatom compounds, such as thiophene and furan, would be released into liquid product with an elevated pyrolysis temperature. Atoms like sulphur and oxygen on the aliphatic side chain were easily transformed into gaseous products such as H2S, CO2 and CO. Sulfur-containing compounds in oil sand minerals converted from sulfate to metal sulfide during the pyrolysis process. After thermal decomposition, heteroatoms compounds in organic matter transferred to gaseous product or liquid product along with the volatiles. However, heteroatom compounds in inorganic substances presented in residual sand in a more stable form.