Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data for Mineral Exploration and Environmental Monitoring of Mined Areas

In recent decades, remote sensing technology has been incorporated in numerous mineral exploration projects in metallogenic provinces around the world. Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors play a significant role in affording unique data for mineral exploration and environmental hazard monitoring. This book covers the advances of remote sensing data processing algorithms in mineral exploration, and the technology can be used in monitoring and decision-making in relation to environmental mining hazard. This book presents state-of-the-art approaches on recent remote sensing and GIS-based mineral prospectivity modeling, offering excellent information to professional earth scientists, researchers, mineral exploration communities and mining companies

Mineralogy of Noble Metals and “Invisible” Speciations of These Elements in Natural Systems

This Special Issue covers a broad range of topics related to the mineralogy of noble metals (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ru) and the occurrence, formation, and distribution of these elements in natural ore-forming systems. This collection of eleven research articles discusses various problems related to these topics. I hope this Special Issue will contribute to a better understanding of the genesis of gold, silver, and other noble metal deposits as well as the behavior of these elements in endogenic and supergene environments, and suggest ways forward to solving the problem of their full extraction from ores

Assessment of Different Contaminants in Freshwater

In many parts of the world, freshwater is a subject of frequent and intense large-scale disturbances. Pollution, water withdrawal, alteration of freshwater flows, road construction, aquifer mining, surface water diversion, desertification, wetland drainage, soil erosion in agriculture, deforestation, and dam building have led to some irreversible species losses and severe changes in community compositions of freshwater ecosystems. Pollution represents one of the most relevant impacts on freshwater environments, ranging from surface water bodies—such as springs, streams, rivers, lakes, and intermittent waterbodies—to groundwater and transitional habitats between surface waters and groundwaters. The origins and fates of pollutants are different and depend on various pollutants, including fertilizers with pesticides in agricultural areas, heavy metals, chlorinated organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are predominantly derived from industrial and urban settlements. Another pollutant is microplastics, which can increase in concentration in freshwater bodies and constitute emerging contaminants in freshwater systems when taken together with pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). The broad distribution of several pollutants leads to significant changes of freshwater ecosystems, together with the extinction of the most sensitive species or the drastic lowering in abundances of others, thus altering community compositions and the ecosystem services provided by freshwater biodiversity

Radioaktivita hornin a ovzduší ve vybraných podzemních prostorách a jejich zdravotní dopady

The thesis is focused on measurement and assessment of absorbed doses of radiation in caves of the Czech Republic, out of which some exhibit high activity concentration of radon in air. This thesis presents an analysis and recommendations based on measurement results obtained in the underground caves over the past 10 years. The focus is on defining the sources of irradiation within the cave environment (and in areas used for speleotherapy), considering their potential health effect, including the variable dependence of external and internal irradiation influences. All of the measurements had as an objective to verify, and where possible improve, the existing methodology for assessing and calculating the dose from radon in underground spaces. The main issue that had to be resolved was whether a numerically specified cave factor value is applicable to all underground areas. The research measurements were carried out in all available show caves and in several underground areas, and were based on the initial results from an aerosol measurement campaign. Two caves (the Bozkov Dolomite Caves and the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves) were selected for advanced long-term measurements. A large number of long-term and short-term studies were carried out. The most important results for cave environments were: the...Souhrn Disertační práce je tematicky zaměřena na posouzení radioaktivity a absorbovaných dávek záření v jeskyních ČR, z nichž některé vykazují vysoké koncentrace radonu. Předkládaná práce je souhrnem analýz a doporučení, vyplývajících z výsledků měření uskutečněných v podzemních prostorách v ČR za předchozích 10 let. Je zaměřena na posouzení zdrojů ozáření v prostředí jeskyní (a v prostředí využívaných pro speleoterapii), zvážení zdravotních dopadů jejich radiace, včetně zhodnocení vlivu jejich variability na externí a interní ozáření osob. Všechna měření byla provedena s cílem ověřit, případně zlepšit, existující metodický postup pro výpočet absorbované dávky od radonu v podzemních prostorách. Hlavním řešeným problémem bylo posouzení, zda jednotný "jeskynní faktor" odpovídá skutečným vlastnostem tohoto prostředí. Měření byla prováděna ve všech veřejnosti přístupných jeskyních v ČR a v některých dalších podzemních prostorách. Dvě z jeskyní (Bozkovské dolomitové jeskyně a Zbrašovské aragonitové jeskyně) byly vybrány pro dlouhodobé experimenty. Nejdůležitějšími získanými výsledky jsou tyto: koncentrace radonu v podzemních prostorách není možné předpovídat na základě žádného geologického a geometrického modelu; efektivní dávka externího záření geologických zdrojů radiace dosahovala jednotek µSv a ve srovnání s...Institute of Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology and Applied GeophysicsÚstav hydrogeologie, inž. geologie a užité geofyzikyFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Advances in Methane Production from Coal, Shale and Other Tight Rocks

This collection reports on the state of the art in fundamental discipline application in hydrocarbon production and associated challenges in geoengineering activities. Zheng et al. (2022) report an NMR-based method for multiphase methane characterization in coals. Wang et al. (2022) studied the genesis of bedding fractures in Ordovician to Silurian marine shale in the Sichuan basin. Kang et al. (2022) proposed research focusing on the prediction of shale gas production from horizontal wells. Liang et al. (2022) studied the pore structure of marine shale by adsorption method in terms of molecular interaction. Zhang et al. (2022) focus on the coal measures sandstones in the Xishanyao Formation, southern Junggar Basin, and the sandstone diagenetic characteristics are fully revealed. Yao et al. (2022) report the source-to-sink system in the Ledong submarine channel and the Dongfang submarine fan in the Yinggehai Basin, South China Sea. There are four papers focusing on the technologies associated with hydrocarbon productions. Wang et al. (2022) reported the analysis of pre-stack inversion in a carbonate karst reservoir. Chen et al. (2022) conducted an inversion study on the parameters of cascade coexisting gas-bearing reservoirs in coal measures in Huainan. To ensure the safety CCS, Zhang et al (2022) report their analysis of available conditions for InSAR surface deformation monitoring. Additionally, to ensure production safety in coal mines, Zhang et al. (2022) report the properties and application of gel materials for coal gangue control

Maqarin Phase IV report

Cement and concrete are extensively used in the construction of repositories for low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes (L/ILW). In underground silos, like those in Sweden and Finland for example, much of the waste is conditioned with concrete (e.g. spent ionexchange resins) and is packed in concrete containers (e.g. Figure 1.1)1. Even in many high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repositories, cement and concrete may be widely used. Instances include the paving of tunnels, shotcreting of tunnel walls, and injection and grouting of fractures. Consequently, in many repository designs, cement-based materials are expected to dominate the repository. In the Swiss L/ILW concept, for example, current designs envisage the use of up to 1.5 million tonnes of cement, approximately 85-90% by weight of the total repository. This will ensure the long-term maintenance of hyperalkaline conditions, predicted to suppress the solubility of key radionuclides in the waste (e.g. Hodgkinson and Robinson, 1987) and to enhance their sorption on the cement (e.g. Stumpf et al., 2004)