-
Date submitted2023-07-31
-
Date accepted2024-11-07
-
Date published2025-02-25
Environmental assessment of biochar application for remediation of oil-contaminated soils under various economic uses
- Authors:
- Tatiana V. Minnikova
- Sergey I. Kolesnikov
Remediation is an important area of oil-contaminated soil restoration in Russia, since oil refining industry is the major one for Russia and neighbouring countries, and the issues of environmentally effective and economically profitable remediation of oil contamination have not yet been solved. Soils under various economic uses have different surface areas and degrees of soil particles envelopment with oil due to the presence or absence of cultivation, the amount of precipitation and plant litter. The introduction of various substances for remediation into oil-contaminated soils of steppes (arable land), forests, and semi-deserts, considering their differences, gives different results. Biochar is coal obtained by pyrolysis at high temperatures and in the absence of oxygen. The uniqueness of this coal lies in the combination of biostimulating and adsorbing properties. The purpose of the study is to conduct an environmental assessment of biochar application for remediation of oil-contaminated soils under various economic uses. The article compares the environmental assessments of biochar application in oil-contaminated soils with different particle size fraction. The following indicators of soil bioactivity were determined: enzymes, indicators of initial growth and development intensity of radish, microbiological indicators. We found that the most informative bioindicator correlating with residual oil content is the total bacteria count, and the most sensitive ones are the roots length (ordinary chernozem and brown forest soil) and the shoots length (brown semi-desert soil). The use of biochar on arable land and in forest soil (ordinary chernozem and brown forest soil) is less environmentally efficient than in semi-desert soil (brown semi-desert soil). The study results can serve to develop measures and managerial and technical solutions for remediation of oil-contaminated soils under various economic uses.
-
Date submitted2023-07-07
-
Date accepted2023-12-27
-
Date published2024-08-26
Landslide hazard assessment in Tinh Tuc town, Cao Bang province, Vietnam using Frequency ratio method and the combined Fractal-frequency ratio method
Landslides are one of the most frequent natural disasters that cause significant damage to property in Vietnam, which is characterized by mountainous terrain covering three-quarters of the territory. In 17 northern mountainous provinces of the country, over 500 communes are at a high to very high landslide hazard. The main goal of this study was to establish landslide hazard maps and conduct a comparative evaluation of the efficiency of the methods employed in Tinh Tuc town, Cao Bang province. The landslide hazard assessment was carried out in this study using the combined Fractal-frequency ratio (FFR) and the Frequency ratio (FR) methods. The FR method is based on the actualist principle, which assumes that future landslides may be caused by the same factors that contributed to slope failure in the past and present. The FFR method is based on the determination of the fractal dimension, which serves as a measure of the landslide filling density in the study area. Eight landslide-related factors were considered and presented in cartographic format: elevation, distance to roads, slope, geology, distance to faults, land use, slope aspect, and distance to drainage. Determining the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) and verification index (LRclass) was performed to assess the performance of prediction models and the accuracy of the obtained maps. As a result, five zones were identified for the study area, characterized by very low, low, moderate, high, and very high landslide hazards. The analysis of the reliability of the obtained landslide hazard maps using the AUC and LRclass indices revealed that the FFR model has a higher degree of reliability (AUC = 86 %, LRclass = 86 %) compared to the FR model (AUC = 72 %, LRclass = 73 %); therefore, its use is more effective.
-
Date submitted2024-03-28
-
Date accepted2024-06-03
-
Date published2024-07-04
Assessing the effectiveness of sewage sludge in the reclamation of disturbed areas in the Kola subarctic zone (a case study of a sand quarry)
An assessment was made of the effectiveness of reclamation using sewage sludge for the accelerated formation of a stable erosion-proof vegetation cover on the unproductive anthropogenic soil of a sand quarry in the context of the Kola North. The experiment, launched in 2017, included three treatments: control – no treatment, experiment 1 – fragmentary (50 %) application of sewage sludge, experiment 2 – continuous application. In the sixth growing season, anthropogenic soil samples were examined, and measurements of CO2 emissions were carried out. It was shown that the application of sewage sludge had a positive effect on the physicochemical and agrochemical properties of the soils: in situ pH and density decreased, hygroscopicity increased, available phosphorus and potassium increased. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between CO2 emissions in the control and experimental treatments. The content of organic carbon in the control treatment was lower than in the experimental ones; under fragmentary application of sewage sludge, it was three times lower, and under continuous application, it was nine times lower. Significant (p < 0.05) differences in the content of carbon and nitrogen in cold and hot water extracts between control and treatment samples were found under continuous application of sewage sludge. At the same time, by calculating the C/N ratio, a very low level of nitrogen was found in the humus. The main factors behind the variability of the estimated parameters were identified – the treatment itself and the method of its application, the contribution of the treatment alone was 60 %, the contribution of the application method was 14 %. Taking into account the economic factors, fragmentary application of sewage sludge onto the anthropogenic sand quarry soil is recommended to support the establishment of a stable erosion-proof phytocenosis.
-
Date submitted2023-07-25
-
Date accepted2024-05-02
-
Date published2024-08-26
Finite element analysis of slope failure in Ouenza open-pit iron mine, NE Algeria: causes and lessons for stability control
Slope failures in mining engineering pose significant risks to slope stability control, necessitating a thorough investigation into their root causes. This paper focuses on a back analysis of a slope failure in the Zerga section of the Ouenza – Algeria open-pit iron mine. The primary objectives are to identify the causes of slope failure, propose preventive measures, and suggest techniques to enhance stability, thereby providing crucial insights for monitoring slope stability during mining operations. The study commenced with a reconstruction of the slopes in the affected zones, followed by a numerical analysis utilizing the Shear strength reduction method within the Finite element method (SSR-FE). This approach enables the examination of slope stability under both static and dynamic loads. The dynamic load assessment incorporated an evaluation of the vibrations induced by the blasting process during excavation, introducing seismic loading into the finite element analysis. The findings reveal that the primary triggering factor for the landslide was the vibration generated by the blasting process. Furthermore, the slope stability was found to be critically compromised under static loads, highlighting a failure to adhere to exploitation operation norms. The challenging geology, particularly the presence of marl layers where maximum shear strain occurs, contributed to the formation of the landslide surface. The study not only identifies the causes of slope failure but also provides valuable lessons for effective slope stability management in mining operations.
-
Date submitted2023-04-25
-
Date accepted2023-04-25
-
Date published2023-04-25
Ecological security and sustainability
- Authors:
- Mariya A. Pashkevich
- Alexandr S. Danilov
In 2015, UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aimed at balancing initiatives by the world community and individual countries in the environmental, social, and economic spheres. The global sustainable development goals are to promote the well-being of the world population, preserve the planet’s resources, and maintain ecological security, which is vital in the age of the rapid industrial growth and ever-increasing anthropogenic pressure on the environment. For the successful achievement of sustainability goals in the manufacturing sector, integrated measures should be undertaken for monitoring and assessing the technogenic impact of industrial facilities. Additionally, it is necessary to develop environmentally-friendly technologies in the fields of gas and water treatment, land reclamation, and waste disposal. Therefore, fundamental and applied research in these related spheres is of particular importance. Currently, environmental monitoring of all components of the environment, along with anthropogenic objects and processes, receives considerable attention, which is determined by the vector of development in science and technology. In this regard, the latest innovations in green technology in this area are becoming increasingly significant.
-
Date submitted2022-03-09
-
Date accepted2022-11-17
-
Date published2023-02-27
Development of methodology for economic evaluation of land plots for the extraction and processing of solid minerals
The Russian economy has a pronounced resource specialization; in many regions, subsoil use is a backbone or one of the main areas of the economy. In these conditions, the improvement of the methodology for the economic evaluation of lands on which mining enterprises are located is of particular relevance. On the basis of the existing experience in assessing industrial land, the authors present a developed methodology for determining the cadastral value of land plots where mining enterprises are located, taking into account their industry characteristics and the specifics of production and commercial activities. At the same time, cadastral valuation is considered as a specific form of economic valuation. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of taking into account the cost factors that have the greatest impact on the formation of the cost of land for the extraction and processing of solid minerals, and the method of assessment depending on the characteristics of the object. To carry out theoretical research, the methods of analysis and synthesis of legal and scientific and technical literature in the field of cadastral and market valuation of land were used in the work. The practical part is based on the application of expert methods, including the method of analysis of hierarchies, system and logical analysis. The method of M.A.Svitelskaya was chosen as the basis, which presents a combination of modified methods of statistical (regression) modeling and modeling based on specific indicators of cadastral value. The use of this technique in economic practice contributes to increasing the efficiency of cadastral valuation and the objectivity of its results.
-
Date submitted2021-05-13
-
Date accepted2022-11-28
-
Date published2022-12-29
Reproduction of reservoir pressure by machine learning methods and study of its influence on the cracks formation process in hydraulic fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing is an effective way to stimulate oil production, which is currently widely used in various conditions, including complex carbonate reservoirs. In the conditions of the considered field, hydraulic fracturing leads to a significant differentiation of technological efficiency indicators, which makes it expedient to study in detail the crack formation patterns. For all affected wells, the assessment of the resulting fractures spatial orientation was performed using the developed indirect technique, the reliability of which was confirmed by geophysical methods. In the course of the analysis, it was found that in all cases the fracture is oriented in the direction of the development system element area, which is characterized by the maximum reservoir pressure. At the same time, reservoir pressure values for all wells were determined at one point in time (at the beginning of hydraulic fracturing) using machine learning methods. The reliability of the used machine learning methods is confirmed by high convergence with the actual (historical) reservoir pressures obtained during hydrodynamic studies of wells. The obtained conclusion about the influence of the formation pressure on the patterns of fracturing should be taken into account when planning hydraulic fracturing in the considered conditions.
-
Date submitted2022-03-17
-
Date accepted2022-10-04
-
Date published2022-11-10
Improving the reliability of 3D modelling of a landslide slope based on engineering geophysics data
Landslides are among the most dangerous geological processes, posing a threat to all engineering structures. In order to assess the stability of slopes, complex engineering surveys are used, the results of which are necessary to perform computations of the stability of soil masses and assess the risks of landslide development. The results of integ-rated geological and geophysical studies of a typical landslide slope in the North-Western Caucasus spurs, composed of clayey soils, are presented. The purpose of the work is to increase the reliability of assessing the stability of a landslide mass by constructing a 3D model of the slope, including its main structural elements, identified using modern methods of engineering geophysics. Accounting for geophysical data in the formation of the computed 3D model of the slope made it possible to identify important structural elements of the landslide, which significantly affected the correct computation of its stability.
-
Date submitted2021-03-05
-
Date accepted2021-09-07
-
Date published2021-12-16
Utilization of sewage sludge as an ameliorant for reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands
- Authors:
- Tatyana A. Petrova
- Edelina Rudzisha
When rehabilitating technogenically disturbed lands of mining facilities, fertilizers and ameliorants are to be applied due to the lack of organic matter and nutrients required for the restoration of the soil and vegetation layer. The use of unconventional fertilizers (ameliorants) based on sewage sludge is one of the actual directions of land reclamation at mining sites. The purpose of the work is to summarize and analyze up-to-date information on the effectiveness of the use of sewage sludge for the reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands of mining and processing industries. The analysis is based on a review of recent studies aimed at assessing the impact of introduced sediment on soils, plant communities, and rehabilitated areas. The introduction of sewage sludge has a positive effect on the physical and chemical parameters of the soil (optimizes density and aggregation), saturates it with nutrients, i.e. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na, thus improving plant growth indicators. However, it may contain a number of heavy metals and pathogens; therefore, studies of each sediment and conditions of reclaimed areas are necessary.
-
Date submitted2021-03-13
-
Date accepted2021-05-21
-
Date published2021-09-20
Cadastral valuation of forest lands, taking into account the degree of development of their infrastructure
The article substantiates the need to improve methodology for cadastral valuation of forest lands and change the principles for calculating the rental rate of forest lands, on the basis of which the rent for the use of these lands will be determined in future. The methodology for determining the cadastral value of forest lands, taking into account the degree of development of their infrastructure, is presented. The infrastructure of lands of the forest fund is considered and an algorithm for assessing such infrastructure by means of geoinformation modeling is shown. A method for calculating a complex integral indicator (coefficient of infrastructure development) is presented, which is applicable to differentiate lands covered and not covered with tree vegetation, for their effective and rational management. The complex integral indicator determines the availability of forest plots, as it takes into account location of the forest fund infrastructure in relation to assessment plots, which makes it possible to obtain information about the time spent on covering the required distance. This methodology can be applied to assess the quality and condition of the existing infrastructure of the forestry sector in implementation of measures within the framework of the Strategy for the development of the forestry complex, providing for support and construction of infrastructure facilities on the forest fund lands. The method was tested in the Baltiysky district forestry of the Baltiysko-Belozersky taiga region. The results were as follows: the map of the forest fund infrastructure development within the boundaries of differentiation assessment according to the calculated integral indicator of infrastructure development was obtained; the regression model for calculating the rent rate taking into account the taxation value and integral indicator infrastructure development was received: the cadastral value of forest lands taking into account the developed model was calculated.
-
Date submitted2020-05-06
-
Date accepted2020-05-24
-
Date published2020-06-30
Revisiting the evolution of deformation zones under platform conditions in the case study of the Kungur Ice Cave (Cis-Urals)
- Authors:
- Nataliya V. Lavrova
Observations in mining tunnels and caves allow to identify composition and development specifics of fault structures under subsurface conditions at various stages of geological history. Basing on the existing formation model of Kungur Ice Cave karst system, author examines the transformations of deformation zones, occurring in the mass of interlaid sulfate and carbonate rocks under platform conditions. Morphologic specifics of vertical structures – organ pipes, developed within one of the gypsum-anhydrite units, are defined by evolution stages of disjunctive faults, penetrating the entire rock mass of the Ice Cave. Point infiltration of surface waters and formation of a single channel, where rock softening and taluses from overlapping deposits gradually occur, are currently considered to be the initiators of pipe formation. At a later stage a sink forms on the surface, increasing the amount of water coming to the karsting mass. However, the size of debris in the talus, incommensurate with the pipe head, rounded arches of separate pipes, fragments of feeder channels, characteristic for artesian conditions of underground water circulation, faceted rock debris from overlapping deposits, specifics of wall structure all define the priority of pipe formation over grottos and cave galleries. Plastic properties of gypsum sediments and processes of their hydration define secondary modifications of pipe walls up to complete filling of the voids and formation of secondary pillars with subsequent renewed formation of vertical channels – significantly smaller in diameter and formed by infiltration waters when subject to corrosion.
-
Date submitted2018-09-13
-
Date accepted2018-11-09
-
Date published2019-02-22
Lignin sludge application for for-est land reclamation: feasibility assessment
- Authors:
- M. A. Pashkevich
- T. A. Petrova
- E. Rudzisha
The article analyses waste generation of pulp and paper industry in North-Western Russia. The environmental impact of waste storage facilities of the pulp and paper mill was assessed, the need for utilization of lignin sludge was justified. In North-Western Russia, 1.21 million hectares of disturbed areas are in need for reclamation; they are abandoned quarries and lands alienated for pipeline and road construction. The suitability of lignin sludge for preparation of artificial fertile soils for reclamation purposes is estimated. For this purpose, experiments were carried out to create an artificial mixture with different ratios of lignin sludge and soil, to detect the maldevelopment of several plant species grown on various compositions of lignin sludge and soils. It was revealed that lignin sludge as an organic additive to soils is not toxic to vegetation and living organisms, allowing improving fertility of artificial soils.
-
Date submitted2017-09-22
-
Date accepted2017-11-17
-
Date published2018-02-22
The problem of cadastral appraisal of forest lands taking into account the infrastructure of the forestry fund
- Authors:
- V. F. Kovyazin
- A. Yu. Romanchikov
Forest lands are the main means of production in the forest sector. For the most territories in the Russian Federation there are established methods of cadastral appraisal, but not for the forest regions taking up 2/3 of the country’s area. In 2002 Russian Government made an attempt to solve this problem and recommended a method of cadastral appraisal for the lands of the forestry fund. However, the method did not find practical application and was dismissed in 2010, and no substitution followed. In each subject of the Russian Federation private appraisers offer their own options of forest land valuation, but their results differ significantly even for the lands with comparable species of wood, productivity, site quality and age composition of the stand. Moreover, valuation organizations do not take into account forest infrastructure. Authors propose a universal method suitable for the entire territory of the country, which will allow to calculate specific cadastral value of the forest lands taking into account taxation indices of the wood stands growing there. The method is suitable not only for the objective cadastral valuation of the forest lands – reasonable rental payments will provide an opportunity to develop transport infrastructure in the forestry fund, especially forest roads and bridges, and to make timely arrangements for plant maintenance, forest protection and reproduction, which will have a significant influence on social and economic development of forest regions in Russia.
-
Date submitted2016-09-08
-
Date accepted2016-11-18
-
Date published2017-02-22
Plume tectonics – myth or reality?
- Authors:
- Yu. I. Daragan-Sushchov
The paper is dedicated to the role of mantle plumes in the formation of large igneous provinces. From different regions of the world facts are mentioned that contradict key points of plume tectonics. Closer attention is paid to classical volcanic provinces on Hawaiian islands and in Iceland, as well as to Siberian and Deccan Traps, oceanic plateau Ontong Java, Central Atlantic magmatic province, Alfa and Mendeleev Ridges in the Arctic Ocean. A conclusion is drawn that plumes are a special case of mantle-lithospheric flows, which according to deep geophysics are often located horizontally which leaves out their plume origin. Heated masses of mantle substance under young volcanic regions or rift zones of mid-ocean ridges do not emerge from the depth in the form of a straight column, but rather have arbitrary shapes, skewing to the sides and having outgrowths, offshoots, spherical bulges. Vertically rising flows of hot magma (plumes) are not a cause, but an effect of a lithospheric split and rise of magmatic substance due to decompression. A conclusion is made that it is unproductive to exaggerate the shapes and sizes of plumes and use them to explain all the diversity of endogenous processes.
-
Date submitted2014-12-16
-
Date accepted2015-02-13
-
Date published2015-12-25
Mineral resources in arctic islands of Russia
- Authors:
- A. N. Evdokimov
- A. N. Smirnov
- V. I. Fokin
There is an increased interest in the Arctic regions of the planet in recent years. Russia has the longest Arctic shelf with great prospects for hydrocarbons under its jurisdiction. So, the Arctic Islands will play a major role as an infrastructural base for development of oil and gas resources on the shelf in the Arctic Ocean in the near future. Minerals of major islands and archipelagos of the Russian Arctic: Novaya Zemlya, Franz-Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands and the Wrangel Island as well as the Spitsbergen archipelago (Norway) where Russia has its own territory formally enshrined for the extraction of coal and other minerals are considered in the article.
-
Date submitted2014-12-24
-
Date accepted2015-02-17
-
Date published2015-12-25
Problem of forestfund cadastral value determination
- Authors:
- V. F. Kovyazin
- A. Yu. Romanchikov
For several decades, Russian scientists cannot solve the problem of cadastral valuation of forest lands, which occupy two thirds of the country area. This evaluation is especially important in the terms of market relations for the calculation of charges for use of forest resources, a significant part of which is leased. Originally, cadastral valuation of forestland was planned to be conducted according to Faustmann’s formula, proposed by German economist in the mid-nineteenth century, but it has not found practical application due to the lack of certain data. In the modern period the issue of forestland valuation is escalated and scientists have proposed their own versions of the cadastral value of forestlands. We investigated a number of forestland cadastral evaluation reports from various regions of Russia. Different researchers propose to use a specific indicator of cadastral cost (UPCS), but the methods of calculation of this indicator are different for all the evaluators. Respectively, the UPCS values for each region are significantly different too. Years of research into this problem allowed us to propose a method of forestland cadastral evaluation. In the calculations, the shortcomings of previous research are taken into account and the value of income from harvested timber, its current growth in plantings under the age of ripeness as well as the income from the collection of food resources (mushrooms and berries) are included in the evaluation. In the calculations, lands should be differentiated between coniferous and deciduous forests, as the cost of timber and the yield of food resources are significantly different. The proposed method has allowed establishing the ratio of income of forestland from timber and food resources. Food resources can give more income to the society than the wood itself.
-
Date submitted2014-11-15
-
Date accepted2015-01-11
-
Date published2015-10-26
On the necessity of taking into consideration the increment of the growing stock in cadastral valuation of lands of forest fund
- Authors:
- V. F. Kovyazin
Currently there are no methods of cadastral valuation of forest land although the area covers 2/3 of the territory of the Russian Federation. In 2002, the Federal Land Inventory Service of Russia proposed a method but it failed to find practical use due to the complicated calculation of the cadastral value according to the Faustmann formula and lack of open access to some information about the forest fund and was totally abolished seven years later. There were several reasons for abolishing the method and the main reason was lack of methods to predict a supply of wood to the age of maturity when the cadastral assessment was carried out in the plantations under the age of main felling. The author proposes to take into account the current growth rate of the growing stock per year on one hectare of land in the cadastral evaluation of forest fund lands. Based on the increment of the growing stock it is possible to construct a mathematical model of changes in the forest reserve to the age of maturity. The author suggests using the existing forest inventory materials to build the model. By updating existing data you can obtain any inventory indices including the growing stock in different age plantations. The resulting inventory of plantations at the age of maturity is recommended for cadastral valuation of the forest fund lands. The calculation of the cadastral value of forest land for one taxation quarter with and without current increment of the growing stock is given and the difference is 37 %.
-
Date submitted2009-10-21
-
Date accepted2009-12-05
-
Date published2010-09-22
Ecologycal and geodynamic safety and problems in industrial ecological monitoring at objects of an oil-gas complex
- Authors:
- A. I. Nikonov
- O. V. Luk"yanov
This article is focused on the influence of modern geodynamics on landscape and its structure. Modern geodynamical processes manifest in anomalous rock deforming in the fault zones. Their natural or technogenic activation causes the appearance of dangerous geological processes. It can be taken into account only by geodynamical monitoring on the objects of oil and gas industry.
-
Date submitted2009-08-19
-
Date accepted2009-10-02
-
Date published2010-02-01
The estimation features of vulnerability and desintegration оf subway construction materials in Saint Petersburg
- Authors:
- P. V. Kotyukov
In this paper the features of subway construction materials degradation depending on engineering-geological, hydro-geological and geoecological conditions of Saint Petersburg underground space are considered. The basic types of subway construction placing and their destruction specificity depending on influence of water-bearing horizons hydrodynamic and hydro chemical conditions, natural and natural-technogenic gas bio-production and microbial activity are analyzed. The examples of the disintegrated materials and new growths (salt efflorescence, stalactites and others) chemical compound features depending on the content of ground waters basic components affecting on tunnels lining are resulted.