Environmental Earth Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Experimental investigation on through-wall erosion failure of braced excavation in sandy gravel under extreme rainfall","authors":"Weizhen Jiang,&nbsp;Fangzhou Liu,&nbsp;Yong Tan","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12589-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12589-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Deep excavations in sandy gravel faced a high risk of seepage failure due to the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events. Structural deficiencies in retaining walls, particularly leakage defects, exacerbated these failures by triggering through-wall leakage and subsurface erosion, resulting in hazardous ground movements that threaten nearby built environments. However, the influence of rainfall patterns, wall defects, and soil properties on erosion-induced instability remained insufficiently understood. This study conducted twelve reduced-scale 1<span>(:text{g})</span> physical model tests to evaluate how defect dimensions, rainfall patterns, and gravel contents affect soil movements and structural performance under extreme rainfall. A semi-empirical ellipsoid-paraboloid model was developed to characterize the spatial and temporal evolution of erosion-induced failure zones. Key findings include: (1) the depth where defect was located was the dominant factor controlling erosion-induced soil movements, with defects at shallower depths accelerating erosion and surface subsidence due to reduced thickness of overlying soils; (2) rainfall patterns indirectly influenced erosion onset and surface instability timing by modulating groundwater responses, with the peak-advanced pattern intensifying hydraulic gradients and accelerating subsurface erosion zone development; and (3) the proposed model effectively described the transition from a confined ellipsoidal erosion cavity to an open paraboloidal failure zone in retained soil, driven by sapping erosion near the wall defect, matric suction loss, and rainwater scouring. These findings emphasized the critical role of defect geometry, hydraulic conditions, and soil gradings in erosion-induced excavation failures. The proposed framework offered a reference for predicting through-wall erosion failures and assessing instability in sandy gravel, providing insights that may contribute to climate change adaptation strategies and geotechnical risk mitigation in urban excavation projects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation on the shear strength of microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) treated rock fractures","authors":"Shuang Li,&nbsp;Yeshan Fu,&nbsp;Weimin Xiao","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12524-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12524-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) has emerged as an ecologically friendly geotechnical technology widely applied for soil reinforcement. Although there had been quite a few researches on the application of MICP method for reducing the permeability of rock fracture, researches on the shear strength of rock fracture reinforcement by MICP method had been rarely reported. In this study, artificial rock fracture specimens with the morphology characteristics of the 2nd, 5th and 8th Barton’s standard profiles were prepared by using cement slurry rock-like material, and the artificial specimens were reinforced by both MICP method and cement slurry grouting. Then direct shear tests under three levels of normal stress were conducted on MICP-treated artificial rock fracture specimens, as well as uncemented and cement-slurry-treated specimens. By comparing with uncemented and cement-slurry-treated rock fractures, the influences of surface roughness, CaCO₃ layer thickness, and CaCO₃ layer curing time on the shear strength of MICP-treated rock fracture were investigated. The results revealed that the peak shear strength of MICP-treated rock fracture increased with CaCO₃ layer curing time, and corresponding cohesions and friction angles increased with surface roughness when the CaCO₃ layer curing time and thickness were the same. Additionally, when the CaCO₃ layer curing time were 28d and 60d, the peak shear strengths of MICP-treated rock fractures were greater than or close to that of cement-slurry-treated rock fracture specimens if the surface surface was rather rough, and it also appeared to increase with CaCO₃ layer thickness as a result of the cohesive CaCO₃ layer filled in MICP-treated rock fracture. Furthermore, shear failure of both MICP-treated and cement-slurry-treated rock fracture firstly occurred along the interface between fracture surface and infill layer, and then the asperities were involved to form a mixture contact of rock-infill and rock-rock during subsequent shear process.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of additives in hydraulic fracturing technology: an experimental investigation in the Sulige Gas Field, China","authors":"Xiaodong He,&nbsp;Peiyue Li,&nbsp;Hui Qian,&nbsp;Hua Shi,&nbsp;Yubin Su","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12606-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12606-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the process of hydraulic fracturing, significant quantities of fracturing fluid with complex additives are pumped into tight reservoirs, resulting in a series of interactions that alter the water quality of flowback fluid and affect reservoir properties. This study focused on the impacts of additives on fracturing fluid-tight sandstone interactions by conducting experimental investigations with five typical additives, including pH control agents, bactericide, crosslinker, surfactant, and clay stabilizer. The characteristics of tight sandstones and additives, additive-tight sandstone interaction processes, and the impacts of additives on fracturing fluid-tight sandstone interactions were studied using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and hydrochemical analyses. The results indicate that the tight sandstones in the study area primarily consist of quartz (45.9% to 81.6%) and clay minerals (16.5% to 47.4%), with widespread kaolinite and chlorite. Halite and calcite dissolution, as well as ion exchange between Na⁺ and Ca²⁺, were observed during additives-tight sandstone interactions. Among the five additives, bactericide, clay stabilizer, and surfactant have low ion content and demonstrate a dissolution effect on rock minerals. The pH control and crosslinker significantly influence the chemical components and aquatic environment of fracturing fluid, exerting a more substantial impact on the fluid-rock interactions. Their strongly basic environments are detrimental to the stability of kaolinite crystals, as well as they also facilitate the precipitation of calcium-containing minerals (e.g., calcite and fluorite). This study provides insights into geochemical processes during hydraulic fracturing and offers guidance for optimizing fracturing operations to minimize formation damage and contaminants in flowback fluid.</p><h3>Graphical abstract (for review)</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental earth sciences","authors":"O. Kolditz,&nbsp;Y. Zheng,&nbsp;Y. Ma,&nbsp;B. Kolditz,&nbsp;G. Dörhöfer,&nbsp;J. W. LaMoreaux","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12601-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12601-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12665-025-12601-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acidizing dissolution and permeability enhancement mechanisms under mine water reinjection: CO₂-water Co-storage propose","authors":"Xin Li,&nbsp;Ge Chen","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12588-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12588-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates dissolution mechanisms and permeability enhancement in deep sandstone reservoirs during mine water reinjection, while exploring synergistic opportunities with CO₂-water co-storage technology. Through comprehensive laboratory experiments involving rock powder immersion and extended static acidization trials, we systematically evaluated acid neutralization capacity, mineral dissolution characteristics, and porosity-permeability evolution in target sandstone formations. Key findings demonstrate that the middle reservoir sections exhibit superior acid buffering capacity, with total dissolved solids (TDS) increasing by 2,197.04 mg/L in purified water systems - suggesting substantial permeability improvement potential. CT imaging combined with Kozeny-Carman modeling revealed porosity enhancements of 1.48 ~ 3.69 times and permeability increases of 4.77 ~ 70.24 times post-acidization, particularly in surface-connected pore networks. Numerical simulations predict hydraulic influence radius expansion of 1.8 ~ 4.2 times and cumulative water storage capacity escalation up to 60 times after sustained 700-day reinjection. As a novel contribution, we propose CO₂-water co-storage as an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional acid reinjection. Experimental verification shows continuous CO₂ injection effectively acidifies mine water to pH 3.66, achieving hydrochloric acid-equivalent dissolution effects while eliminating corrosion risks and environmental hazards. This approach enables simultaneous reservoir permeability enhancement through in-situ mineral dissolution (calcite, dolomite, and feldspars) and dual carbon-water sequestration, reducing atmospheric CO₂ emissions. These insights advance sustainable reservoir management strategies that harmonize groundwater recharge efficiency with low-carbon objectives in mining regions, offering practical solutions for ecological preservation and resource utilization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on crack development and damage characteristics of single-cracked red sandstone under uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading based on multi-field monitoring","authors":"Dong-Qi Hou,&nbsp;Ding-Ping Xu,&nbsp;Sheng Zhang,&nbsp;Yong Xia,&nbsp;Quan Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12532-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12532-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The progressive failure of cracked rocks under cyclic loading and unloading is a critical issue in rock engineering. It holds significant importance to study the development law and damage characteristics of cracked rocks for the safety and stability of underground structures. In this study, acoustic emission (AE), resistivity, and digital image correlation monitoring (DIC) techniques were employed to conduct dynamic monitoring of the damage process of single-cracked rocks with different prefabricated crack dip angles (PCDAs) and prefabricated crack lengths (PCLs) under uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading. The test results reveal that the peak strength of single-cracked rocks increases with the increase of PCDAs, yet decreases with the increase of PCLs. There are differences in the morphology of new cracks induced by prefabricated cracks with different PCDAs. The underlying cause is that the direction of normal stress generated by the vertical stress at the tip of the prefabricated crack differs at different PCDAs. Differences are also observed in the initiation position of new cracks induced by prefabricated cracks with different PCLs. The reason lies in the variance of the normal stress generated by the vertical stress at the tip of prefabricated cracks with different PCLs. During the cycle, the cumulative AE counts continuously rises, while the resistivity steadily decreases. Among them, the resistivity peak typically emerges near the strain valley, and the resistivity valley appears near the strain peak. The coupling of AE and resistivity parameters characterizes rock damage from the perspective of crack initiation and connectivity. Through comparison with the plastic strain results and digital image correlation monitoring results, the accuracy and rationality of the new coupling damage variable in characterizing rock damage are verified.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on mechanical properties and energy damage evolution of cemented tailings backfill under the coupled effect of immersion curing temperature and age","authors":"Kui Zhao,&nbsp;Zhouchao Liu,&nbsp;Peng Zeng,&nbsp;Liangfeng Xiong,&nbsp;Cong Gong,&nbsp;Ming Guo,&nbsp;Tianshou Hu,&nbsp;Rongsen Pan","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12518-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12518-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The backfill mining method is now in the transition stage from shallow to deep, and cemented tailings backfill (CTB) is subjected to the coupled of water and high temperature in the deep environment. Based on indoor tests and the theory of energy conservation, this paper investigates the mechanical properties and energy damage mechanism of CTB after water immersion at different temperatures (20, 35 and 50 °C) and ages (3, 7, 14 and 28 days). The results showed that the increase of both the curing temperature and age were beneficial to the mechanical properties of CTB, the water-weakening effect affected the deformation process of CTB, and the peak strain (PS) of CTB increased with the increase of the curing temperature and decreased with the increase of the curing age. The energy difference (<i>e</i>_<i>k</i>) curves of CTB under different curing conditions can be divided into four stages and correspond to the stress-strain curves. The weakening effect of water affects the rate of energy exchange of CTB, and the increase of curing temperature and age will enhance the energy absorption and transfer performance of CTB. The weakening effect of water slows down the rate of development of the slowly rising phase and the steadily rising phase of the dissipative energy curve, which is facilitated by the increase of the curing temperature, while the increase of the curing age leads to the rapid development of CTB dissipative energy curve in the rapidly rising phase. At lower curing temperatures and ages, the surface cracks of CTB were not prominent, and the “soft damage” effect was obvious. With the increase of temperatures and ages, the failure mode of CTB changed from shear damage to mixed tensile-shear damage. In this study, CTB with a solid content of 75% and a tailings-to-Portland cement ratio of 10:1 were prepared and subjected to immersion curing at 20, 35 and 50 °C for periods of 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. Following the curing process, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and Brazilian splitting tensile strength tests were conducted at a constant loading rate of 0.5 mm/min.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coupled mechanical-electrical behavior and microstructural mechanisms of Cu²⁺ contaminated red clay","authors":"Yicheng Chen,&nbsp;Xiaowen Zhou,&nbsp;Xuejun Chen,&nbsp;Xiaotao Ai,&nbsp;Jun Cheng","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12593-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12593-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increasing prevalence of heavy metal soil contamination, particularly involving Cu²⁺, poses significant challenges in environmental geotechnics, underscoring the need for more robust methods to evaluate the engineering behavior of affected soils. An integrated approach combining direct shear, unconfined compression, and real-time electrical resistivity testing was employed to characterize the coupled mechanical-electrical responses of Cu²⁺-contaminated red clay. Significant exponential correlations (R² &gt;0.90) were established between key strength parameters (e.g., shear strength, cohesion, internal friction angle, unconfined compressive strength) and corresponding resistivity metrics, supporting the development of non-destructive predictive models for strength degradation. Complementary multiscale analyses using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) further elucidated the mineralogical and microstructural transformations, including kaolinite/goethite dissolution, surface roughening, and pore coarsening. These coupled transformations are primarily driven by Cu²⁺-induced alteration of the electrical double layer (EDL), progressive microstructural degradation, and acid-induced mineral dissolution. These findings establish both a theoretical foundation and practical framework for employing electrical resistivity as a diagnostic indicator of strength degradation in contaminated soils, with implications for in-situ monitoring, remediation strategies, and sustainable geotechnical design.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality evaluation of water resources through WQI, IWQI and chemometric assessment in agro-practice areas of Central India","authors":"Manash Protim Baruah,&nbsp;Sooraj S,&nbsp;Jugina Thomas","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12527-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12527-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The present study examines the water quality of the Deobhog area in Central India vis-à-vis the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) on 70 groundwater and 30 surface water samples. The concentration of major cations (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺), anions (HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and F⁻), and heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Pb, and U) in groundwater was compared with the drinking water norms and used to evaluate the WQI in the area. Multivariate statistical analysis has been done on major ions and trace element chemistry for all water sources, and hydrogeochemical facies are visualised through Piper trilinear plots. Spatial distribution maps of groundwater quality parameters indicate elevated levels of EC, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO₃⁻, NO₃⁻, and F⁻, whereas among the heavy metals, Fe is observed to be present at higher concentrations. The WQI indicates that the quality of groundwater in the Deobhog area is moderate and alarming in a few pockets and is suitable only in the south-eastern and western parts. Calculated IWQI shows groundwater resources can be effectively utilised to meet the good-quality irrigable water demands in areas having poor surface water quality. Chemometric assessment reveals that carbonate dissolution, ion exchange, and silicate weathering are responsible for major ion concentrations in all sources of water with evidence of contaminants from agricultural sources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145210646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Migration of microplastics in hyporheic zone sediments: Beiluo River, China","authors":"Yan Zhang,&nbsp;Mingchang Guan,&nbsp;Peng Shi,&nbsp;Jinxi Song,&nbsp;Lingzhou Cui","doi":"10.1007/s12665-025-12574-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12665-025-12574-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm that settle from surface waters into sediments. They can then be transferred to deep sediments via hyporheic exchange. Most studies on MPs in hyporheic zone sediments have been Limited to surface sediments. This study investigated the pollution, sources, and migration modes of MPs in sediments at various depths within the hyporheic zone of the Beiluo River. MPs were present in the surface water and sediments at different depths in the hyporheic zone. The average abundances of MPs in surface water and surface, middle, and deep sediments were 12 items·L⁻¹, 313 items·kg⁻¹, 206 items·kg⁻¹, and 166 items·kg⁻¹, respectively. The abundance of MPs in the sediments decreased with increasing depth. The physical characteristics of MPs were mainly fibrous, a small size (0.05–0.50 mm), and a blue color. The main polymer types of MPs were PE, PP, and PET. The main sources of MP pollution in the Beiluo River Basin were washing wastewater and agricultural mulch. Small MPs primarily migrated via hyporheic exchange. This process strongly influenced their vertical spatial distribution. The results of this study provide a basis for further research on the effects of hyporheic exchange on the vertical distribution of MPs in sediments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":542,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Earth Sciences","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145170432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}