The Experts below are selected from a list of 321 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Josep M Alcaniz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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unmanned aerial system protocol for quarry restoration and Mineral Extraction monitoring
Journal of Environmental Management, 2020Co-Authors: Vicenc Carabassa, Pau Montero, Marc Crespo, Joancristian Padro, Xavier Pons, Jaume Balague, Lluis Brotons, Josep M AlcanizAbstract:Abstract Mining is an important activity of the primary sector with strong economic and environmental impacts. All over the world, governments have made efforts to regulate mine restoration by monitoring and assessing the evolution of mined sites. Our work aims to synthesize various remote sensing applications into a single workflow in order to obtain cartographic products using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), not only for mine restoration management, but also as a way of monitoring mining activity as a whole. The workflow performs image processing and terrain analysis calculations, which conduct a supervised classification of the land cover. The resulting mapping products include orthoimagery, Digital Surface Models (DSM), land cover maps, volume variation calculations, dust deposition, detection of erosion problems, and drainage network evaluation maps. The data obtained from red-green-blue (RGB) sensors has a spatial resolution of 4–10 cm, providing information that allows the characterization of land covers with an overall accuracy of 91%. In comparison, if using multispectral sensors with the same flight conditions than RGB, image spatial resolution diminishes and land cover characterization accuracy drops to 81%. The resulting digital maps can be fully integrated into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allowing the quantification of environmental features and spatial changes. Our study provides the basis for creating a large-scale, replicable and ready-to-use workflow suited for monitoring the exploitation of Minerals and mine restoration using RGB imagery obtained through drones.
Ainsley Elbra - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The forgotten resource curse: South Africa's poor experience with Mineral Extraction
Resources Policy, 2013Co-Authors: Ainsley ElbraAbstract:Abstract Studies of the resource curse as it affects African states abound, yet few deal specifically with the experiences of South Africa. The inability of countries to convert natural resource wealth into income and improved development measures remains highly pertinent and is especially apparent in Africa's largest economy. This paper takes a unique approach to study the resource curse by comparing South Africa's political economy with the existing resource curse literature. Using data from international organisations, studies of poverty and qualitative evidence this paper examines South Africa's experience with Mineral Extraction. It is found that South Africa has experienced many of the symptoms outlined in the resource curse literature including relatively slow GDP growth, gross inequalities, entrenched poverty and the creation of a rentier state. Overall, it is concluded that South Africa has failed to benefit from natural resource wealth and can be classified as a resource cursed state. Not only has Mineral wealth failed to benefit much of South Africa's population, sections of society have actually been harmed through the process of Mineral Extraction. This paper is the first to examine South Africa in light of the current resource curse literature and to conclude that the state far more closely resembles its sub-Saharan African neighbours than its upper-middle income peers.
Ning Duan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Synergistic effect between ultrasound and fierce mechanical activation towards Mineral Extraction: A case study of ZnO ore
Ultrasonics sonochemistry, 2018Co-Authors: Jianglin Cao, Ning DuanAbstract:Abstract Though the positive role of ultrasound has been confirmed in the Mineral Extraction, its potential towards fiercely mechanically-activated Mineral was not yet mentioned. In this study, as a novel mechanical activation style, bead milling (BM) was presented and ZnO ore was selected to determine its effectiveness. Results showed that median particle size of ZnO ore could be pulverized to as low as 1/164 of its original value (from ∼29.2 μm to ∼178 nm), indicating much higher activation potential of BM than that of conventional ball milling. Besides, structure destruction, even phase transformation with the direct participation of airborne CO2 occurred. All these processes rendered the superior activation capacity of BM. In view of the Extraction promotion, the combination of ultrasound and BM exerted more pronounced effect than those of individual ones, indicating the synergistic effect between extra energy input (by ultrasound) and inner energy storage (by fierce BM). The classic shrinking core model with the product layer diffusion as the rate-controlling step was found to well model the Extraction kinetics. The modeling disclosed high capability of ultrasound and BM combination in decreasing the activation energy (Ea) (from 54.6 kJ/mol to 26.4 kJ/mol), while ultrasound, BM could only decrease the Ea to 44.9 kJ/mol, 41.5 kJ/mol, respectively. The dual roles of ultrasound were specially highlighted: (i) participation in the Extraction process via direct energy input, (ii) regulation of the aggregation that the activated ore suspension was confronted with.
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Novel bead-milling mechanically pulverized bulk Mineral particles to ultrafine scale: Energy storage and cleaner promotion of Mineral Extraction
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Jianglin Cao, Ning DuanAbstract:Abstract Novel bead-milling (BM), comprising of rough- and fine-milling processes, was developed and adopted to mechanically pulverize natural carbonate manganese (MnC) and zinc oxide (ZnO). Real-time trackings showed that bulk Mineral particles were finally pulverized to ultrafine scale (Z-avg hydrodynamic diameter ∼244 nm for MnC, ∼178 nm for ZnO), implying excellent activation potential of BM. Meanwhile, tracking results strongly indicated that BM process was in the feature of initial coexisting Mineral dissociation and subsequent mechanico-chemical reaction, even phase transformation. Besides initiating the decrease of Mineral particle size (also the increase of surface area), fierce mechanico-chemical reaction caused the dislocation and edge/corner generation, crystalline structure destruction, which were among the effective approaches for defect formation. Note that all these processes were inherently interrelated and contributed to the energy storage of activated Mineral, which was verified by the TG/FTIR characterization. The stored energy would make up for the energy required to break the lattice constraint by acidic Extraction. Consistently, it was found that BM evidently promoted the Mn Extraction efficiency from 46.5% to 74.8% and additional ligand complexation further promoted the Extraction efficiency by another ∼10%. As a result, less acid was consumed and accordingly less acidic wastes was discharged. This investigation might be enlightening for adopting proper strategies to promote the Mineral Extraction in a cleaner way.
Colin N. Waters - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Humans are the most significant global geomorphological driving force of the 21st century
The Anthropocene Review, 2018Co-Authors: Anthony H. Cooper, Teresa Brown, Simon James Price, Jonathan R. Ford, Colin N. WatersAbstract:The transformation of the Earth’s land surface by Mineral Extraction and construction is on a scale greater than natural erosive terrestrial geological processes. Mineral Extraction statistics can ...
Vicenc Carabassa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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unmanned aerial system protocol for quarry restoration and Mineral Extraction monitoring
Journal of Environmental Management, 2020Co-Authors: Vicenc Carabassa, Pau Montero, Marc Crespo, Joancristian Padro, Xavier Pons, Jaume Balague, Lluis Brotons, Josep M AlcanizAbstract:Abstract Mining is an important activity of the primary sector with strong economic and environmental impacts. All over the world, governments have made efforts to regulate mine restoration by monitoring and assessing the evolution of mined sites. Our work aims to synthesize various remote sensing applications into a single workflow in order to obtain cartographic products using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), not only for mine restoration management, but also as a way of monitoring mining activity as a whole. The workflow performs image processing and terrain analysis calculations, which conduct a supervised classification of the land cover. The resulting mapping products include orthoimagery, Digital Surface Models (DSM), land cover maps, volume variation calculations, dust deposition, detection of erosion problems, and drainage network evaluation maps. The data obtained from red-green-blue (RGB) sensors has a spatial resolution of 4–10 cm, providing information that allows the characterization of land covers with an overall accuracy of 91%. In comparison, if using multispectral sensors with the same flight conditions than RGB, image spatial resolution diminishes and land cover characterization accuracy drops to 81%. The resulting digital maps can be fully integrated into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allowing the quantification of environmental features and spatial changes. Our study provides the basis for creating a large-scale, replicable and ready-to-use workflow suited for monitoring the exploitation of Minerals and mine restoration using RGB imagery obtained through drones.
