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This paper presents an exploratory study that analysis the factors that influence the intention to use smart meters that measure electricity consumption. The authors used the technology acceptance model as a starting point for their research, taking into consideration other eight external variables: social influence, familiarity with smart meter technology, task-technology fit, compatibility, the level of trust in companies that supply electricity, price awareness, energy conservation intentions, and perception of...

The studied structure is situated in the Carpathian Foredeep and past geological and geophysical prospecting have proven the existence of a large anticline formation with reservoir proprieties in the SW area of the structure. The prospecting and development stages for this particular reservoir started decades ago, however, recently there have been an intensification of seismic prospecting in order to asses the possibility for an increased production. A large gravimetric study was done at a regional scale that esta...

One of the discussion issues of karstological studies is the identification of karst denudation intensity; it means the quantitative evaluation of the intensity of this process, which, in turn, allows to predict the karst development. The problem of karst denudation is developed insufficiently today, which can be explained by the complexity of the issue and at the same time, the methods used to assess the intensity of denudation are not yet refined. The intensity of denudation and its general regularities in the Z...

The present paper is focused on depollution techniques representative for mining and non-ferrous metallurgy, which will assure a radically changed technological concept for a clean, safe and eco-efficient production, leading to sustainable development industry. At the same time, our works propose the implementation in the mining and metallurgical sector of unconventional processes through innovative techniques that lead to processes intensification, reduction of energy consumption, decrease of carbon footprint, by...

The article analyzes the issue of agricultural development of German-speaking colonists who lived in the steppe zone of Ukraine. The article analyzes the general features and main directions of development of this process and the reasons that caused it. The main attention is paid to the process of transformation of colonial agriculture. Until the 1860s, the most important and profitable branch of agriculture of the colonists was cattle breeding. However, due to rising grain prices, the importance of agriculture in...

The article is devoted to the study of the features of the formation of dust storms as a complex agrometeorological phenomenon that develops with a combination of a number of natural factors, which include heliogeophysical, synoptic-meteorological, physical-geographical, as well as anthropogenic factors. The latter are caused by mistakes in the development of agricultural land and general problems in the development of the agro-industrial sector of the territory's economy. As shown by the analysis of hydrometeorol...

The present study focuses on the assessment of station corrections for eleven seismic stations from the national network of National Operative Telemetric System for Seismological Information (NOTSSI). Station corrections are obtained by calculating the ratio of the spectrum of the horizontal components of the signal to the spectrum of the vertical component (H / V). Records of S-waves from 20 local and regional earthquakes are analyzed. The values of A0 - site-effect and f0 - resonant frequency were obtained. Acco...

The study of seismicity in the Black Sea region is of particular interest for assessing the vulnerability of the surrounding coastal zones to strong earthquakes and their consequences. The seismicity pattern in the area is determined by the geodynamic processes along the boundaries of the Eurasian, Anatolian and Arabian tectonic plates. The paper presents an approach to assessing the seismic activity of the Black Sea and the surrounding region covering historical and recent seismicity. The historical events since ...

Our planet experienced many intervals of climate deterioration due to terrestrial causes, such as intensified volcanism and a very active tectonic regime or extraterrestrial causes. The later includes major meteorite impacts and change in the exosphere, mostly linked to the modification of sunlight amount leading to glaciations. The most sensitive organisms to climate changes are the marine planktonic ones, especially the coccoliths and dinoflagellates. This paper describes modification in the marine planktonic wo...

Eleven stations of the Bulgarian seismological network - National Operating Telemetry System for Seismological Information have been used for an assessment of the stations' corrections (site effect), to account for the impact on the seismic waves of the low-density layer immediately below the seismic stations, amplifying the signal. Nakamura's method for calculating the ratio of the spectrum of the horizontal component to the spectrum of the vertical component (H-to-V) is applied. Data from 20 local and regional e...

The use of electrical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres requires special attention, namely from the point of view of their construction and maintenance. Together with the technological developments, these objectives can easily be met, objectives which are defined by European standards concerning the construction, use and maintenance of explosive proof equipment. Evaluation of explosion-proof protected electrical equipment in scope of certification is extremely important considering the risk of explosi...

The article is devoted to the discussion of the possibilities of determining turbulent zones for predicting the dispersion of anthropogenic impurities in the lower air layer of the atmosphere. As you know, the atmosphere, being a dissipative system dissipating energy, is almost constantly in a state of instability. This unstable state of the atmosphere is based on deterministic chaos, which is a very important feature of the atmosphere as a dynamic, changeable environment. During the transition from the state of s...

In absence of core samples and open-hole well-log data, the broken bits of rock removed from the borehole during the drilling process represent in many cases the only lithological data that is recovered from a well. The main objective of this study was to build up a lithological profile and to use the data in order to improve the knowledge about the local geology (Quaternary deposits). Lithological information at shallow depth is generally used to better understand the local site effects, known to play an importan...

Soil and groundwater resources are natural resources of high ecological value, their protection against chemical degradation and pollution being of major interest and requesting a new methodology based on risk instruments. The need to implement methods for qualitative and quantitative assessment of ecotoxicological risk resides in objective assessment of effects pollutants have on ecosystems, to limit the transfer of xenobiotics to lower and upper levels of the food chain. In this sense, the team of the Environmen...

Main drivers of the industrial growth in the modern society include energy efficiency, compliance with national legislation and international agreements, social and environmental responsibility. Integration of these factors should be applied to the long-term development plans as the framework of sustainable development, environmental and resource efficiency. Currently, more and more countries are moving towards Best Available Techniques (BAT). Russia developed 51 Reference Document on BAT (BREF) for main industria...

The presented work highlights the general geochemical aspects and considers the theoretical basis of the method of geochemical monitoring of oil fields using the indicator of the quantitative ratio of organic compounds and their isomers - isobutane/butane. The object of the study are the microorganisms that can affect gas composition. The purpose of the work is to study the effect of microorganisms on the biodegradation of oil. The peculiarity of the oil composition will be used to search, delineate bypassed oil a...

This article is devoted to the assessment of climatic comfort on the example of the coastal cities of Sochi and Azov. The work emphasizes the role of the natural component as a kind of foundation, within the framework of which anthropogenic changes in a number of parameters characterizing the environment are manifested. In this regard, when carrying out a number of assessment studies, in particular, when carrying out a geoecological assessment of a territory, taking into account the natural component or its fundam...

In Latvia, the pygmy water lily Nymphaea tetragona Georgii was first reported 70 years ago in Lake Dunezers by Emilija Ozolina (1951). As no herbarium was collected, this finding was challenged. In 2017, during surveys of Saxifraga hirculus in the transitional mire Jaunciems in the Ances bog and forest reserve, N. tetragona was identified (based on morphological characteristics), found in shallow, elongated cavities with a solid base as an accompanying species. However, its presence in Latvia has not yet been abso...

Romanian seismicity, is characterized by a moderate rate of tectonic origin earthquakes, with an increase in density and higher magnitudes, within the Vrancea region, located at the South-Eastern Carpathians bend, at the conjunction of three major tectonic units: East European Plate, Intra-Alpine Plate and Moesian Plate. First-motion focal mechanism solutions are a good proxy for the initial rupture and they provide important additional information on the source mechanism. The data compiled in the present paper pr...

The Moldavian Platform represents the south-west margin of the East European Platform. To the south, the Moldavian Platform is bordered by the Scythian Platform and to the west by the Carpathians. The Moldavian Platform encloses many geological and paleontological sites of high scientific value, being well known for the Middle Miocene wide exposures, represented by the Paratethys stage Sarmatian. In this study, we present the geological and paleontological heritage of 6 natural reserves from the Moldavian Platform...

The seismic surveys, carried out in various stages, highlighted two domes, placed on the eastern flank of the outpost of the Eastern Carpathians, in the Pralea - Focsani Depression. According to the Bouguer and filtered gravimetric images, the two domes (Fitionesti - Trotusanu and Movilita) are placed approximately 12 km east of the axis of the outpost, on a single major gravimetric maximum. But, while the south-eastern dome (Movilita) determines an important local gravimetric maximum (+6 mgal. On the residual gra...

Sacidava archeological site is located in the Dobruja region, Romania, on a hill on the right bank of the Danube - the Musait point, located at about 5 km northeast from Dunareni village. The Roman Sacidava was part of the province of Scythia Minor, at its southern limit, and belonged to the military complex (limes) built along the Danube since the 1st century AD. The fortress has had an uninterrupted evolution from the beginning of the 2nd century AD until the first quarter of the 7th century AD, being one of the...

Heavy mineral concentrations formed in fluvial deposits present the signature of the mineral provenance and of the hydraulic sorting during transport and accumulation. The sedimentary discharge of the Danube River has been preferentially deposited due to the mineral physico-chemical properties, such as size, morphology and density, as well as local hydrodynamic factors. Besides these natural aspects, the recent modifications of the Danube and its deltaic branches are associated with a significant remodelling of th...

In the investigation of gas explosion events resulting from combustible gas leakage, often the formation of the explosive atmosphere at the location of the ignition source is less highlighted, usually being calculated the concentration of combustible gases at the entire volume affected by the explosion; depending on the distance between the gas source and the ignition, the complexity of the geometry (volumes occupied by various solid bodies) and the air currents in that volume (convective currents generated by hea...

The formation of a groundwater aquifer in a unique territory disturbed by the quarrying of a phosphorite deposit in the southwest of the Leningrad region, built up with industrial facilities for ore processing, auxiliary production, and waste storage is considered. During the quarrying of the phosphorite layer, the hydrogeological section was disturbed, the filtration and capacitive properties of the soils of the aeration zone and water-bearing rocks changed. In the zone of active quarries, during dewatering, the ...

The field of Earth Sciences has always been at the border between fundamental and applied research. If the fundamental part remains the complexity and unpredictability of research on Earth and natural phenomena, development and applied innovation are anchored in society and give a norm of the impact of research for society. The SETTING project aims to coordinate a distributed infrastructure that owns and can provide data, products and services (DPS) relevant to the field of Earth Sciences, to a wide and diverse co...

Today, elimination of active pharmaceutical ingredients from environmental waters and wastewaters is becoming an increasingly topical issue. This paper describes a flow-though technology for wastewater treatment, with tetracycline used as an example of a contaminant. A standard scheme for wastewater treatment to eliminate the mentioned compound consisted in advanced oxygen processes based on ozone treatment, fenton process, sonochemical reactions and UV treatment. Currently, photocatalysis is considered the most p...

The coastal area is the field of continuous interaction of marine hydrodynamic factors with those that act on the land. Since the prehistory, human communities have settled in this area, having access to both marine and land resources, drinking water being the most important. The Black Sea level is the drainage base level to which the surface waters of its hydrographic basin flow, but it also influences the groundwater dynamics. Southern Dobrogea is a typical geologic platform unit, divided in several tectonic blo...

Low-carbon development is an inevitable choice to solve environmental problems and achieve sustainability. The European Union set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 and then proposed a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to tackle carbon leakage and enhance the effectiveness of European climate policies. The EU is Russia`s largest trading partner, so this mechanism could potentially have a significant impact on the Russian exporters of fossil fuels and carbon-intensive products and the country`s economy...

Cement concrete pavements are very specific group of the road construction due to the different traffic loads and vary time difficulties in the course of maintenance and repairs. For the design of the planed repairs the increased requirements are imposed especially in the terms of repair life time cycle. The economical evaluation shall consider not only the value of the repair itself but also the cost connected with the diversion of air traffic during the execution of the maintenance and repairs. Therefore, is hig...

The seismicity of Romania is significantly affected by earthquakes produced by the Vrancea seismic source with intermediate depth events (3 shocks/century with magnitude Mw greater than 7.0). The seismic activity on the Romanian territory consists of both shallow and intermediate-depth earthquakes. The crustal seismicity is moderate and more scattered in comparison with the intermediate-depth one. The recent upgrade of the seismic network in Romania with high dynamic range velocity sensors (150 real time seismic s...

One of problems in terrain surveys in geology and archeology is sample obtaining. Among all possible complications are limits in sample volumes and masses, including possible toxicity or radioactivity and also the legal status of the samples. In his contribution, these problems are addressed by application of microsampling by surface exfoliation of geological objects and archaeologic artifacts using various tapes and subsequent analyses of the resulting samples. Among method used were both optical and electron mic...

Recently, there have been cases of lower durability related to concrete pavements in the transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic. One of the main causes seems to be the increased amount of alkalis in the concrete, which may not have come only from individual components or through winter maintenance. This paper describes a research activity which deals with possibilities of alkali attack from the surrounding environment. The pilot testing provides valuable information on alkalis concentrations in real condit...

The Istria Basin, part of Western Black Sea (WBS) represents a major tectonic unit of the Romanian Black Sea shelf, with prolific hydrocarbon bearing structures. A significant amount of exploration and development wells were drilled on this basin’s northern edge. Core and cuttings data from 12 boreholes provide important details on this basin and the WBS stratigraphy, especially for the two of the main hydrocarbons bearing deposits Upper Cretaceous and, respectively, Eocene, on which we have achieved an age interp...

The way people perceive risks determines their reactions to and engagement in public campaigns, new development projects or clean-up and remediation initiatives. Since local communities represent important stakeholders in the sustainable development of a region, their beliefs and social representations of risk are important indicators that need a careful analysis. Mining communities are of particular interest to social and environmental scientists given the long-term pollution resulting from such activities and th...

Taking into account the sedimentation features since the last 5 decades, considerable anthropic modifications on the Danube channel are present, as the debris composition varies concerning the proportion of terrigenous minerals, lithoclasts, bioclasts and organic matter. Since the 7th decade of the last century, marked by the construction of most hydrological power plants on the Danube, Olt, Jiu, Cerna and other major rivers, a significant change of the sedimentary volume brought downstream by the Danube is assume...

An earthquake catalogue covering the seismicity on the territory of Bulgaria and adjacent lands for the period 2000-2020 is presented in the current study. In this catalogue are included events with magnitude equal to or larger than Mw ? 2.5. As a country, Bulgaria belongs to the Alpo-Hymalian seismic belt, it is also not absent of strong earthquakes. Bulgaria is an earthquake prone country taking in account that on its territory are recorded some of the strongest earthquakes from the beginning of the last century...

Unfortunately, soil is a non-renewable resource that fulfills several vital functions such as food/biomass production, storage, filtration and transformation of mineral or biological substances, source of biodiversity and habitats, etc. Due to the development of industrial activities outside the localities, in many areas the soil is degraded. Among these degradation processes can be mentioned degradation of organic matter, contamination, soli salting, and erosion. This paper is dedicated to the presentation of the...

The efficient use and recycling of industrial water is a major challenge to the sustainability of the planet. Blast furnace slag is a by-product of metallurgical operations during the production of cast iron. The granulated slag is obtained by cooling in water. In this research we studied the cooling water of granulated slag generated from the process of making cast iron through the blast furnace route. The elemental analysis of granulated slag and of granulated slag stored in water was determined by X-Ray Fluores...

Waste steel slag is a major source of environmental pollution within the metallurgical industries. Metallurgical slags like blast furnace slag, ferroalloy slag, converter slag and copper slag are produced as by-products in metallurgical processes. During the production of steel, one ton of slag waste is generated per every three tons of stainless steel produced. In order to reuse waste steel slag, discharged at high temperature range (1250-1650 °C) and cooled in water, which is named as granulated slag, three diff...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Russian steel industry perform an important function of innovative development. These enterprises produce unique products in small batches for domestic engineering and implement import substitution projects (e.g., piece products of cast-iron casting for enterprises producing agricultural machinery). At the same time foundry production makes one of the most unfavorable influence on ecology and occupational health. Waste of foundry production and emissions into the at...

Using an integrated approach to evaluate the quality of the reservoir and the potential of production is getting more and more important in petroleum geology. This integrated approach was used to analyse the quality of an old Miocene reservoir in the Moesian Platform, Romania. While this paper goes through all the main components of an integrated study (seismic, petrophysics, reservoir engineering), the main focus was on well data. This research focused on modelling the structure using mainly well data. The reserv...

Due to the ever-growing importance of resource conservation and sustainable lifestyle, people are searching for new, alternative solutions that will enable a more sustainable use of resources. Because energy production is one of the most pollution-intensive industries, a major factor is renewable energy, which reduces the amount of industry pollution and facilitates sustainable use of resources. One of the sustainable energy resources are Salix and the wood chips produced from them, which are used in energy produc...

This article describes gas hydrates formation, with methane and carbon dioxide as guest compounds, in a small-scale experimental apparatus, appositely designed to reproduce marine offshore reservoirs. The sediment consisted of pure quartz porous sand impregnated with FeSi3 particles, which are produced via gas-atomization and are usually destined to applications in additive manufacturing. Experimental results were compared with the theoretical equilibrium conditions for both types of hydrates. It was established t...

Due to the general development of society, advanced technologies, constantly growing information and globalization, the complexity and dynamics of organizations are also increasing. In times of economic instability, organizations are clearly experiencing a chaotic period in which they try to understand what is going on, try to adapt, learn new technologies, improve, and transform communication channels and train people to share information. Such changes usually also affect the operation of the organization, often ...

Usage of new complex applications and systems will force most companies to rethink time and human resources, motivate them to automate processes where human intervention can be done or is needed at a minimum. However, safety in the technical world is a serious concern, companies that make any kind of decision cannot skip this aspect. The pace at which new technologies and methods are being adapted is currently based on very rapid external pressures. The current situation in the world is undoubtedly a huge challeng...

The work is devoted to the assessment of the natural protection of groundwater in the Ternopil oblast (Ukraine). The evaluation is based on the parametric method of V. M. Holdberh. The characteristics of the geological structure of the aeration zone and aquifers are given. The areas of the greatest influence of karst on the protection of aquifers are determined. The stratigraphic confinedness of water intakes and large deposits of groundwater is described for further analysis of their protection. Since more than 5...

Vulnerability, land use and sustainability are some of the main elements of major concern in the last decades that can be translated in practice through efficient development and planning. The role land use plays is recognized worldwide due to the rapid and continuous urban growth and development, which determine the occurrence of new powerful forces leading to social, demographical, environmental, technological and governmental changes. The large number of disasters in recent years demonstrated that the most effe...

Among the global threats facing humanity in the 21 century, the danger of climate change on Earth occupies a prominent place. Global climate change caused by anthropogenic factors can lead to natural disasters and, as a result, have a negative impact on human life and health. Given the importance of this problem, international organizations, governments, politicians at all levels, NGOs and society as a whole are involved in solving it. The purpose of the study is to determine the forms, activities and results of t...

Many operations with flammable liquids produce flammable atmospheres by evaporation of the liquid being handled. In some circumstances, the flammable atmosphere is not due to the liquid being handled but due to residues of volatile liquid or vapor from earlier operations with the same equipment as is often the case with diesel fuel handling. This paper highlights some aspects regarding the danger of fires and explosions in the transport, storage and distribution of diesel fuel starting from the investigation of th...