We have developed and built a highly accurate laser strainmeter for geophysical observations. It features the precise length measurement of a 100-m optical cavity with reference to a stable quantum standard. Unlike conventional laser strainmeters based on simple Michelson interferometers that require uninterrupted fringe counting to track the evolution of ground deformations, this instrument is...

LONG-TERM GOALS Our long term goal is to advance development of underwater mine reconnaissance sonar for shallow water environments. Specifically, we wish to increase the range at which classification of mine-like returns can be done successfully (low probability of false alarms) and thus increase the reconnaissance area coverage rate. We also wish to improve the detection of buried mines in sa...

The main points of interest of this paper are several uranium mines in Western Saxony which have been flooded or are in a flooded state. Particularly significant are the large Schlema-Alberoda uranium mine in the vicinity of the city of Aue, and the small Pöhla mine on the border with the Czech Republic. Both mines are in the final stage of remediation by WISMUT GmbH. Uranium is the only main p...

Acid mine drainage is the result of the oxidation process of sulfide bearing rocks. This process occurs when the sulfide material is exposed to atmospheric conditions. Under these conditions, successive oxidation reactions yield sulfuric acid generating acidic waters. This problem becomes more serious when the surrounding rocks are not able to neutralize the acid. The low pH condition of the dr...

Fugitive dust is generated along unpaved mine roads from intermitlent equipment traffic. Typically. the majority of such traffic consists of trucks hauling either mine product or waste from the surface mine pit andlor the processing plant. Fugitive dust generated along these unpaved mine roads includes particles of all sizes which become airborne. The potential hazards include the deleterious e...

To develop a quantitative exposure-response relationship between concentrations and durations of inhaled diesel engine exhaust (DEE) and increases in lung cancer risks, we examined the role of temporal factors in modifying the estimated effects of exposure to DEE on lung cancer mortality and characterized risk by mine type in the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS) cohort, which followed 12,3...

OBJECTIVE Unreclaimed mine tailings sites are a worldwide problem, with thousands of unvegetated, exposed tailings piles presenting a source of contamination for nearby communities. Tailings disposal sites in arid and semiarid environments are especially subject to eolian dispersion and water erosion. Phytostabilization, the use of plants for in situ stabilization of tailings and metal contamin...

OBJECTIVES The aims of the study were to describe the noise levels at an open cast chromite mine in Odisha, India, and the hearing threshold of its workers and to associate their hearing loss with their age, work station and length of employment at the mine. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of the hearing threshold of chromite mine workers. Audiometric data from 500 subjects was c...

Utility mining is to find the itemsets in a transaction database with high utility values like profits. Although a number of algorithms on high utility mining have been proposed, they did not reflect the fuzzy degree of quantity and profit level for mined high utility itemsets, which are essential for decision making in various applications like stock control and sales analysis. In this paper, ...