This book provides information on proper underground mine ventilation in order to detail its importance in maintaining safe, productive, healthy and effective underground environments at all times for employees. The text covers correct design, implementation and maintenance of mine ventilation through suitable fan installation, and keeps in mind the economic requirements of undertaking safe procedures and implementations to ensure that ventilation is optimal. Through three main goals, the book addresses the need for proper fan ventilation in the potentially hazardous conditions of an underground mine. The first goal is to summarize and update the technical information on the strategic importance of selecting suitable techno-commercial main mechanical ventilators for a coal mine. The second goal is to provide a user friendly computer program to help any practicing engineers, mine operators, regulators and researchers in choosing the main mechanical ventilators. Factors in this selection process include environmental requirements, regulatory conditions, occupational health related issues, and cost. The third goal is to provide applications for computer programs meant to determine proper selection and implementation of the main mechanical ventilators. The text is geared towards teachers, researchers, policy makers, environmental organizations and mine operators who wish to teach about or implement the best possible ventilation systems for the health and safety of mine workers.

This book seeks to enrich the growing literature on mine legacies by examining a case study of a small abandoned mine in Latin America. Using a combination of Rapid Rural Appraisal and secondary source analysis, this study assessed some of the most damaging legacies of the San Sebastian mine in eastern El Salvador, compared the country's mine closure legislation against world's best practice standards and provided strategies for awareness, prevention and remediation. The most damaging legacy to the environment is that of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) contamination of the local river. The impact of AMD is felt well beyond the mining district and the costs of prevention and remediation were found to be significant. Apart from environmental legacies, the mine also left a number of socio-economic legacies including: limited access to non-polluted water that results in San Sebastian residents devoting a high proportion of their income in obtaining water, lost opportunities due to the cessation of mining, uncertain land tenure situation and increasing growth of ASGM activities that exacerbate already existing environmental pollution due to use of mercury. The study also found that the state's capacity to ensure compliance with the law is very weak and that in many important respects the country's current legal framework does not meet world's best practice when it comes to mine closure requirements. The findings are important because they demonstrate that the lack of closure planning can lead to private operators socializing the costs of pollution. The study also shows that the lack of state capacity may result in extractive projects becoming socio-economic liabilities in the long term.

Komatiites erupted billions of years ago as pulsating streams of white-hot lava. Their unusual chemical compositions and exceptionally high formation temperatures produced highly fluid lava that crystallized as spectacular layered flows. Investigation of the extreme conditions in which komatiites formed provides important evidence about the thermal and chemical evolution of the planet, and the nature of the Precambrian mantle. This monograph, written by three experts with long experience in the field, presents a complete account of the characteristics of komatiites including their volcanic structures, textures, mineralogy and chemical compositions. Models for their formation and eruption are evaluated (including the anhydrous vs. hydrous magmas controversy). A chapter is also devoted to the valuable nickel and copper ore deposits found in komatiites. Komatiite is a key reference for researchers and advanced students interested in petrology, Archaean geology, economic geology, and broader questions about the evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle.

Study of structures associated with shear zones is a crucial aspect to understand the deformation mechanism associated with such zones. Shear zones have been emphasized since it will lead to many latest applied studies such as radioactive waste disposal, groundwater flow etc. For the sake of brevity, research papers cannot show all possible variation in structures found in shear zones. The proposed book aims to present some of these structures in great details with attractive colour photographs. Each photograph will have a comprehensive caption.

Thermodynamically constrained averaging theory provides a consistent method for upscaling conservation and thermodynamic equations for application in the study of porous medium systems. The method provides dynamic equations for phases, interfaces, and common curves that are closely based on insights from the entropy inequality. All larger scale variables in the equations are explicitly defined in terms of their microscale precursors, facilitating the determination of important parameters and macroscale state equations based on microscale experimental and computational analysis. The method requires that all assumptions that lead to a particular equation form be explicitly indicated, a restriction which is useful in ascertaining the range of applicability of a model as well as potential sources of error and opportunities to improve the analysis.

This book presents the results of the major EU project Promine. For the first time there is now a European database available on mineral deposits, as well as 3D, 4D and predictive models of major mineral belts in Europe: Fennoscandia (Skelleftea and Vihanti-Pyhasalmi), the Fore-Sudetic basin (Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland and Germany), the Hellenic belt in northern Greece, and the Iberian Pyrite belt and Ossa Morena zone in Spain and Portugal. The book also describes the modelling techniques applied and how different types of software are used for three- and four-dimensional modelling. Furthermore, fundamental descriptions of how to build the database structure of three-dimensional geological data are provided and both 2D and 3D predictive models are presented for the main mineral belts of Europe.

This book presents several intelligent approaches for tackling and solving challenging practical problems facing those in the petroleum geosciences and petroleum industry. Written by experienced academics, this book offers state-of-the-art working examples and provides the reader with exposure to the latest developments in the field of intelligent methods applied to oil and gas research, exploration and production. It also analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each method presented using benchmarking, whilst also emphasizing essential parameters such as robustness, accuracy, speed of convergence, computer time, overlearning and the role of normalization. The intelligent approaches presented include artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, active learning method, genetic algorithms and support vector machines, amongst others. Integration, handling data of immense size and uncertainty, and dealing with risk management are among crucial issues in petroleum geosciences. The problems we have to solve in this domain are becoming too complex to rely on a single discipline for effective solutions and the costs associated with poor predictions (e.g. dry holes) increase. Therefore, there is a need to establish a new approach aimed at proper integration of disciplines (such as petroleum engineering, geology, geophysics and geochemistry), data fusion, risk reduction and uncertainty management. These intelligent techniques can be used for uncertainty analysis, risk assessment, data fusion and mining, data analysis and interpretation, and knowledge discovery, from diverse data such as 3-D seismic, geological data, well logging, and production data. This book is intended for petroleum scientists, data miners, data scientists and professionals and post-graduate students involved in petroleum industry.

International Kimberlite Conferences (IKCs) are special events that are held across the world once in four to five years. IKC is the confluence platform for academicians, scientists and industrial personnel concerned with diamond exploration and exploitation, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics and origin of the primary diamond host rocks and their entrained xenoliths and xenocrysts (including diamond) to get together and deliberate on new advances in research made in the intervening years. Ever since the organization of first IKC in 1973 and its tremendous success, the entire geological world eagerly look forward to subsequent such conferences with great enthusiasm and excitement. The scientific emanations from IKCs continue to make significant impact on our understanding of the composition, nature and evolution of the planet we live on. The previous conferences were held at Cape Town (1973), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977), Clermont-Ferrand, France, (1982). Perth, Western Australia (1987), Araxa, Brazil (1991), Novosibirsk, Russia (1995), Cape Town (1998), Victoria, Canada (2003) and Frankfurt, Germany (2008). The tenth IKC was held at Bangalore, India between 5th and 11th February 2012. The conference was organized by the Geological Society of India in association with the government organizations, academic institutions and Indian diamond mining companies. About 300 delegates from 36 countries attended the conference and 224 papers were presented. The papers include 78 oral presentations and 146 poster presentations on following topics: Kimberlite geology, origin, evolution and emplacement of kimberlites and related rocks, petrology and geochemistry of metasomatised lithospheric mantle magmas, diamond exploration, cratonic roots, diamonds, diamond mining and sustainable developments and policies and governance of diamond exploration. Pre- and post-conference field trips were organized to (i) the diamond bearing kimberlites of Dharwar Craton in South India, (ii) lamproites of Bundelkhand Craton in northern India and (iii) diamond cutting and polishing industry of Surat, Gujarat in western India. A series of social and cultural programmes depicting cultural diversity of India were organized during the conference. The Kimberlite fraternity enjoyed yet another socially and scientifically successful conference.

The book is a thoughtful discussion with scientists studying convergent plate boundaries such as the well-known, active India-Eurasia collision zone. It provides a comprehensive collection of petrographic images of ophiolitic rocks exhumed from oceanic lithosphere and mantle at the India-Asia plate boundary. Ophiolite is exposed in the northwestern Himalayas, eastern Indian plate margin and Andaman-Nicobar Islands. At the eastern margin, it occurs in a narrow strip comprising mantle peridotite tectonite, cummulate peridotite-gabbro-plagiogranite-anorthosite, mafic dyke, volcanics and oceanic sediments. Low temperature/high pressure rocks including blueschists and eclogites were extensively studied recently. Ophiolite derived sediments and podiform chromites will also be discussed to provide complete details. Supplemental maps, geological sections, field sketches and photographs will explain the structure, stratigraphy, ore mineralization, and metamorphic history.

International Kimberlite Conferences (IKCs) are special events that are held across the world once in four to five years. IKC is the confluence platform for academicians, scientists and industrial personnel concerned with diamond exploration and exploitation, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics and origin of the primary diamond host rocks and their entrained xenoliths and xenocrysts (including diamond) to get together and deliberate on new advances in research made in the intervening years. Ever since the organization of first IKC in 1973 and its tremendous success, the entire geological world eagerly look forward to subsequent such conferences with great enthusiasm and excitement. The scientific emanations from IKCs continue to make significant impact on our understanding of the composition, nature and evolution of the planet we live on. The previous conferences were held at Cape Town (1973), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977), Clermont-Ferrand, France, (1982), Perth, Western Australia (1987), Araxa, Brazil (1991), Novosibirsk, Russia (1995), Cape Town (1998), Victoria, Canada (2003) and Frankfurt, Germany (2008). The 10th IKC was held at Bangalore, India between 5th and 11th February 2012. The conference was organized by the Geological Society of India in association with the government organizations, academic institutions and Indian diamond mining companies. About 300 delegates from 36 countries attended the conference and 224 papers were presented. The papers include 78 oral presentations and 146 poster presentations on following topics: Kimberlite geology, origin, evolution and emplacement of kimberlites and related rocks, petrology and geochemistry of metasomatised lithospheric mantle magmas, diamond exploration, cratonic roots, diamonds, diamond mining and sustainable developments and policies and governance of diamond exploration. Pre- and post-conference field trips were organized to (i) the diamond bearing kimberlites of Dharwar Craton in South India, (ii) lamproites of Bundelkhand Craton in northern India and (iii) diamond cutting and polishing industry of Surat, Gujarat in western India. A series of social and cultural programmes depicting cultural diversity of India were organized during the conference. The Kimberlite fraternity enjoyed yet another socially and scientifically successful conference.

These proceedings comprise the peer-reviewed contributions submitted to the 11th International Congress for Applied Mineralogy (ICAM) held July 5-10, 2013, at the Southwest University of Science and Technology (SWUST) in Mianyang, China. The biennial ICAM is the most important gathering of applied mineralogists, organized every other year by the ICAM-Council. The multidisciplinary research presented in this book will be of interest to scientists and professionals dealing with topics like environmental and medical mineralogy; industrial minerals; bio-minerals and biomaterials; advanced materials; process mineralogy; mining and metallurgy; cultural heritage; the interaction of minerals with microorganisms; and solid waste treatment and recycling, including genetic mineralogy. "The field of applied mineralogy has been able to match society's pace by continuously reinventing itself, quickly adopting new technologies and instrumentation as they became available and putting them to work for the service of mankind living in a world that heavily relies on minerals. Over the past few decades, applied mineralogy has evolved into a cutting- edge discipline that leads the way for science, engineering and research and development to benefit society. Contrary to popular belief, mineral resources are limited, and we have an obligation to our heirs to use them responsibly." Dr. Maarten A.T.M. Broekmans Post-President ICAM Council

This book provides a showcase for the incredibly well-preserved flight-textured tektites of southern Australia, which are the world's finest known examples. It provides an overview of their forms and flight features, which can be expected to appear, at least in part, on any objects falling from space. Some of these specimens are so perfectly shaped that it is hard to believe that they have been buried in the recent strata of Australia for 770,000 years. It also discusses the history of the story of their incredible flight into space and return becoming widely accepted, which led to them being recognized as space travelers. Further, it describes their classical shapes and offers an explanation of how each developed. It provides collectors, meteoriticists, and museum curators with insights into the astounding forms of Australian tektites produced by hypersonic flight.

This book gives practical advice and ready to use tips on the design and construction of subsurface reservoir models. The design elements cover rock architecture, petrophysical property modelling, multi-scale data integration, upscaling and uncertainty analysis. Philip Ringrose and Mark Bentley share their experience, gained from over a hundred reservoir modelling studies in 25 countries covering clastic, carbonate and fractured reservoir types. The intimate relationship between geology and fluid flow is explored throughout, showing how the impact of fluid type, production mechanism and the subtleties of single- and multi-phase flow combine to influence reservoir model design. Audience: The main audience for this book is the community of applied geoscientists and engineers involved in the development and use of subsurface fluid resources. The book is suitable for a range of Master's level courses in reservoir characterisation, modelling and engineering. * Provides practical advice and guidelines for users of 3D reservoir modelling packages * Gives advice on reservoir model design for the growing world-wide activity in subsurface reservoir modelling * Covers rock modelling, property modelling, upscaling and uncertainty handling * Encompasses clastic, carbonate and fractured reservoirs

This book addresses most of the environmental impacts of sand mining from small rivers The problems and solutions addressed in this book are applicable to all rivers that drain through densely populated tropical coasts undergoing rapid economic growth. Many rivers in the world are drastically being altered to levels often beyond their natural resilience capability. Among the different types of human interventions, mining of sand and gravel is the most disastrous one, as the activity threatens the very existence of river ecosystem. A better understanding of sand budget is necessary if the problems of river and coastal environments are to be solved.

The book provides a model for the structural evolution of the Himalaya with relevant background information making it easily accessible to earth scientists specializing in other areas. The book is divided into two parts: The first part describes the basic principles of structural geology that are required to understand the evolutionary model described in the second part. The book incorporates some of the commonly ignored structural features, such as Pre-Himalayan rift tectonics, reactivation of faults, simultaneous development of folds and thrust faults, superposed folds, strike-slip faults developed during early and superposed deformation, problems with GPS data, erratic crustal shortening obtained by restoration of deformed sections, etc. The proposed model is essentially based on inversion tectonics and provides answers to some previously unresolved questions. It describes in detail the structure of the Himalaya as a primary arc, with supporting evidence from model deformation under controlled boundary conditions and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies.  

Crystals are everywhere, from natural crystals (minerals) through the semiconductors and magnetic materials in electronic devices and computers or piezoelectric resonators at the heart of our quartz watches to electro-optical devices. Understanding them in depth is essential both for pure research and for their applications. This book provides a clear, thorough presentation of their symmetry, both at the microscopic space-group level and the macroscopic point-group level. The implications of the symmetry of crystals for their physical properties are then presented, together with their mathematical description in terms of tensors. The conditions on the symmetry of a crystal for a given property to exist then become clear, as does the symmetry of the property. The geometrical representation of tensor quantities or properties is presented, and its use in determining important relationships emphasized. An original feature of this book is that most chapters include exercises with complete solutions. This allows readers to test and improve their understanding of the material. The intended readership includes undergraduate and graduate students in materials science and materials-related aspects of electrical and optical engineering; researchers involved in the investigation of the physical properties of crystals and the design of applications based on crystal properties such as piezoelectricity, electro-optics, optical activity and all those involved in the characterization of the structural properties of materials.

This edited work contains the most recent advances related to the study of layered intrusions and cumulate rocks formation. The first part of this book presents reviews and new views of processes producing the textural, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of layered igneous rocks. The second part summarizes progress in the study of selected layered intrusions and their ore deposits from different parts of the world including Canada, Southwest China, Greenland and South Africa. Thirty experts have contributed to this update on recent research on Layered Intrusions. This highly informative book will provide insight for researchers with an interest in geology, igneous petrology, geochemistry and mineral resources.

The widespread mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Earth are well-known as their hosting Ni-Cu-PGE ore deposits, and their petrogenesis and mineralization have become hot issues in the geological studies. This thesis comprehensively investigated the petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry and geochronology of several mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Beishan Terrane, southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt aimed at systematically determining the mineralization and petrogenetic processes responsible for the formation of the complexes and placing constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Eastern Tianshan and Beishan, and the Early Permian mantle plume. The thesis identified mineralizing indicators of Ni-Cu sulfide deposits and defined the roles of partial melting, fractional crystallization, crustal assimilation and magma injection. The systematical isotopic compositions revealed the mantle source of the mafic-ultramafic complexes had undergone the subduction-related modifications both from the South Tianshan Ocean and subsequently the Junggar Ocean, and that the complexes were emplaced in the period of 269-285 Ma coeval with the 280 Ma mantle plume event in the Tarim Craton. The results of this thesis provide new insights about the tectonic setting, magma evolution, ore genesis, and exploration implications of the mafic-ultramafic complexes in Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Dr. Benxun Su works at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Contains details on the geological units of Nigeria and the associated mineral resources. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 discusses the geology of the crystalline rocks and their regional distribution while the sedimentary basins constitute the subject of Part 2. Part 3 takes the mineral resources of Nigeria one on one, their geological environment, mode of occurrence, localities and where possible the reserves estimation. Thereafter, an account of the previous and current mining policies (including that of petroleum) of the Nigerian government is given and goes ahead to list some specific investment opportunities in the solid minerals sector.

This book comprises 96 peer-reviewed contributions submitted to the 10th ICAM Congress, held in Trondheim, Norway on 01-05 August 2011. Themes covered include: 1) Advanced materials, including high-performance technical ceramics and glasses, 2) Analytical techniques, instrumentation and automation, 3) Bio-mimetic mineral materials, medical mineralogy, 4) Construction materials including cement/SCMs, concrete, bricks, tiles, screeds, 5) Cultural heritage, stone artifacts and preservation, 6) Environment and energy mineralogy, including CO2 sequestration, 7) Geometallurgy and process mineralogy, and 8) Industrial minerals including gems, ore minerals, and mineral exploration.

The book contains the Proceedings of the 37th International Symposium on Archaeometry, 12th May 2008, Siena, Italy. The aim of the Symposium is to promote the development and use of scientific techniques in order to extract archaeological and historical information from cultural heritage and the paleoenvironment. It involves all Natural Sciences and all types of objects and materials related with human activity. Papers deal with the development and/or application of scientific techniques for extracting information related to human activities of the past, including the biological nature of man himself and the environment in which he lived. Topics include: Field Archaeology and Intergrated Site Studies; Archaeo-chronometry including recent developments in Radiocarbon Dating; Human - Environment Interactions including Geoarchaeology, Palaeoclimate studies, Landscape Archaeology, Environmental reconstructions, etc.; Bioarchaeology; Food preparation and consumption in Antiquity; the Technology and Provenance of Stone, Plaster, Pigments;Ceramics, Glazes, Glass and Vitreous Materials, Metals and Metallurgical Ceramics; and Micro/nano diagnostic techniques.

The Earth's rocky mantle convects to lose heat, which comes from the liquid iron core below. The mantle's interfaces - the core-mantle boundary, and the lithosphere - may hold the key to understanding mantle motion because of the seismic anisotropy present in these parts of the Earth. In this thesis, Andy Nowacki presents a precise but comprehensive review of the current state of the art in studying flow with anisotropy, mineral physics and geodynamics. New measurements of shear wave anisotropy in the lowermost mantle and at mid-ocean ridges are used to constrain mechanisms of creep and melt extraction in the mantle. A model of global flow is used to predict anisotropy in the deep Earth, and novel methods to forward model shear wave splitting are described. Future studies of mantle flow must incorporate the understanding gained in this thesis. The thesis contains a substantive introduction to the structure of the Earth, seismic anisotropy in general and in the core-mantle boundary region, and mid-ocean ridge processes. It also describes novel methods for forward modelling and interpreting shear wave splitting data. Three chapters present timely research into dynamics at divergent plate boundaries and at the core-mantle boundary.

The book presents the results from the Uranium Mining and Hydrogeology Conference (UMH VI) held in September 2011, in Freiberg, Germany. The following subjects are emphasised: Uranium Mining, Phosphate Mining and Uranium recovery. Cleaning up technologies for water and soil. Analysis and sensor for Uranium and Radon and Modelling.

This series presents critical reviews of the present position and future trends in modern chemical research. The short and concise reports on chemistry are each written by world renowned experts. This series is still valid and useful after 5 or 10 years. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: springerlink.com.

Fluid-aided mass transfer and subsequent mineral re-equilibration are the two defining features of metasomatism and must be present in order for metamorphism to occur. Coupled with igneous and tectonic processes, metasomatism has played a major role in the formation of the Earth's continental and oceanic crust and lithospheric mantle as well as in their evolution and subsequent stabilization. Metasomatic processes can include ore mineralization, metasomatically induced alteration of oceanic lithosphere, mass transport in and alteration of subducted oceanic crust and overlying mantle wedge, which has subsequent implications regarding mass transport, fluid flow, and volatile storage in the lithospheric mantle overall, as well as both regional and localized crustal metamorphism. Metasomatic alteration of accessory minerals such as zircon or monazite can allow for the dating of metasomatic events as well as give additional information regarding the chemistry of the fluids responsible. Lastly present day movement of fluids in both the lithospheric mantle and deep to mid crust can be observed utilizing geophysical resources such as electrical resistivity and seismic data. Such observations help to further clarify the picture of actual metasomatic processes as inferred from basic petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical data. The goal of this volume is to bring together a diverse group of geologists, each of whose specialities and long range experience regarding one or more aspects of metasomatism during geologic processes, should allow them to contribute to a series of review chapters, which outline the basis of our current understanding of how metasomatism influences and helps to control both the evolution and stability of the crust and lithospheric mantle.