Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Research understanding, evaluation and projecting the interrelationships between land-use, land-cover change and global warming (LUCC-W) plays a significant role in alleviating global climate change and promoting global sustainable development. However, there has not been a comprehensive review of the LUCC-W development process, especially from a bibliometrics perspective. To provide a wider insight into LUCC-W research development, using the bibliometrics method, we identified 2461 relevant LUCC-W documents over the past 30 years from the Web of Science. By summarizing and analyzing these documents, we found: (1) three main academic groups focused on the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms, model establishment and improvement, and scenarios simulation and analysis, from the author's collaboration network; (2) 11 clustering foci, and key directions from momentous literature, by retrieving categories, foci, and references at three scales; (3) the process of LUCC-W research could be divided into four stages, Budding stage (1991–2000), Development stage (2000–2007), Lull stage (2007–2014) and Maturation stage (2014), by linear fitting changes in the number of emerging keywords; and (4) suggestions for future LUCC-W research in process, methodology, and mitigation aspects.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a widespread environmental problem associated with working and abandoned mining operations. It results from the microbial oxidation of pyrite in the presence of water and air, affording an acidic solution that contains toxic metal ions. Pyrite microencapsulation, utilizing silica coating, is a novel approach for controlling AMD that has been shown to be very effective in controlling pyrite oxidation. The roles of the solution pH and silica concentration in the formation mechanism for the AMD-preventing coating were investigated. A silica coating can be formed from silica solution at pH 7, at which the amount of Fe eluted from pyrite into the solution is small. No coating was formed at other pH values, and the amounts of eluted Fe were larger than at pH 7, especially at pH 11. The silica coating forms from 2,500 to 5,000 mg/L silica solutions, but not from 0 or 1,000 mg/L silica solutions. The coating formation rate was slower in the 2,500 mg/L silica solution than in the 5,000 mg/L silica solution. The formation of silica coating on pyrite surfaces depends on three main steps: formation of Fe(OH)3 on the surface of pyrite, reaction between Fe(OH)3 and silicate in the solution on the pyrite surface, and growth of the silica layer on the first layer of silica. The best pH condition to enable these steps was around 7, and the silica coating formation rate can be controlled by the concentration of silica.

The vegetal species Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke (Rhamnaceae Family) was chosen as a sampling medium for the lateritic surfaces of the Pitinga Mine in the Amazon region, in order to study the biogeochemical behavior of this species and compare it with the chemical composition of a reference plant. The Pitinga mining district is one of the largest producers of tin in the world. This district contains unique deposits of cryolite and rare metals such as Zr, Nb, Ta, Y and REEs related to granitic bodies that intrude into the volcanic and acid pyroclastic rocks. The results showed that the species A. amazonicus predominantly concentrates significant levels of Zr, Nb, Ta, Th, Be, Sc over U, Hf, Ga and In. These elements are characteristic of the mineral paragenesis for the region, suggesting that this plant can provide a representative sampling medium future geochemical exploration programs in the region.

Semarang is one of the biggest cities in Indonesia and is nowadays suffering from coastal flooding. Land subsidences, high water tide, and inadequate structural measures play important roles in the coastal inundations. Structural and non-structural methods for controlling coastal flooding including dykes, drainage systems, pump stations, polder systems, coastal-land reclamations, coastal planning and management, public education, as well as the establishment of an institutional framework for disaster management have been implemented in the Semarang coastal area. Although some improvements have been made, the current flood management system has generally failed to address a wide range of coastal inundation problems. Some improvement actions have been proposed including stakeholders involvement on the disaster mitigation. For a long period coastal management, accelerated sea level rises due to global warming should also be taken into account.

Ground vibration is one of the most significant issues resulting from the blasting operation. This paper presents two empirical relationships based on gene expression programming (GEP) and teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithms for predicting blast-induced peak particle velocity (PPV) at Galali Iron Mine, western Iran. For this purpose, data on 13 parameters were collected from 34 blasting blocks in the studied mine before having the data processed using statistical methods. Eventually, four parameters, including burden, mean hole depth, charge per delay ratio, and distance to monitoring station, were identified as the most effective factors. PPV was also considered as the output parameter of the model. Then, exploring the best curve-fitting relationships between input and output data, an empirical relationship was developed by applying the GEP algorithm. Afterward, the TLBO algorithm was utilized to optimize the developed relationship. A comparative analysis based on statistical parameters such as correlation coefficient (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) indicated the superior accuracy of TLBO algorithm compared to the GEP method. Finally, a blasting pattern was formulated to attenuate the PPV at the center of the Galali Village from 10 mm/s to 1 mm/s while increasing the mine production from 5500 tons to 17,500 tons per blasting block.

Because of terrain, geological structure, river down-incising and human activities, the upriver Minjiang Valley in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, constitutes a disaster area prone to frequent landslides. During the roadway rebuilding periods, the Xiaozongqu landslide reactivated on the G213 Roadway in Maoxian District of Sichuan Province. From the September to November in 2002, the landslide sped up, reaching a maximum movement rate of 32 mm/d. The rapid slide seriously threatened the road. To stabilize the landslide and eliminate the damage of landslide to the road, remedying its damage and monitoring further developments are crucial. Based on its kinematic behaviour, remediation was implemented in two phases from November 2002 to October 2003. Systematic monitoring has been carried out since 18 June 2003 to determine kinematic variations of the landslide during the post-remediation period and to assess the effects of remediation and the potential of the landslide for further destructive influences on the roadway.

The technique of in situ leach (ISL) uranium mining is well established in the USA, as well as being used extensively in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The method is being proposed and tested on uranium deposits in Australia, with sulfuric acid chemistry and no restoration of groundwater following mining. Test sites in the USA were required to restore groundwater to ascertain the extent of impacts and compare costs to alkaline ISL mines. The problems encountered include expensive and difficult restoration, gypsum precipitation, higher salinity and some heavy metals and radionuclides after restoration. One of the most critical issues is whether natural attenuation is capable of restoring groundwater quality and geochemical conditions in an acid leached aquifer zone. The history of acid ISL sites in the USA and Australia are presented in this study, with a particular focus on the demonstration of restoration of groundwater impacts.

Analysis of the total heavy metal (Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Ni, Zn, Co) concentration was performed on 33 soil samples taken from different profiles and soil types in a highly urbanized and industrial sector of Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia. They were analyzed using aqua regia extraction coupled with a four-stage sequential extraction (SE) procedure. The objectives of the analysis were to investigate the degree of soil heavy metal contamination, its binding forms, mobility and the implications for the groundwater resource. The results show a relatively high content of the analyzed trace metals in the soil attributed to anthropogenic and geogenic sources. Although most of the trace metals are found in the upper few centimeters of the residual soils, because of churning processes within the black cotton soils, vertical distribution of the trace metals is complex. According to the heavy metal SE analysis, the major heavy metal contribution is from the residual followed by the hydroxide phases. Groundwater heavy metal contamination is present with more than 90 and 50% of the analyzed groundwater samples exceeding WHO guidelines for Cr and Cd, respectively. Since the degree of soil heavy metal contamination has apparently not surpassed the soil’s buffering capacity, it appears that the transport path of these toxic metals to the groundwater is through fractures, joints, and related preferential flow paths.

Groundwaters from crystalline and metamorphic rocks (hardrocks) and from Quaternary deposits, i.e., alluvial and glacial deposits (softrocks) from the counties of Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag were analyzed for major and minor elements and ions including fluoride. The median concentration of F− in water from the hardrock aquifers is 0.28 mg/l (14.7 μeq/l) in contrast to water from softrock aquifers in which it is found to be 0.05 mg/1 (2.6 μeq/l). More importantly, ca. 15% of the locations where water was abstracted from hardrock wells contain 1.5 mg/l (78.9 μeq/l) F− or more. Thus, 15% of all hardrock wells returned F− results that are at or above the maximum recommended value for drinking water. Of the softrock wells, none are above 1 mg/l. Geologists would normally expect higher F−contents in groundwaters derived from acid rocks, e.g., in granitic or gneissic areas. When comparing the host lithology with the observed F−contents, however, no clear relationship between F− content and lithology is visible. The highest observed F− values actually occur in gneissic host rocks. However, wells drilled in amphibolites/greenstones, mica schists, calcareous rocks, and sedimentary rocks all returned some analytical results above 1.5 mg/l F−. These results suggest that all hardrock wells drilled should be tested for F− and the users informed about the results and advised to take any necessary precautions. When applying the recently proposed Norwegian drinking water limits to our data, 51% of all softrock well waters and 56% of all hardrock well waters are unfit for consumption without prior treatment, although we analyzed only for about half of the proposed elements/parameters. This result seriously questions the concept of fixed action levels—many of them with totally unproven health implications—for so many parameters/elements for hardrock groundwaters.