Henan Institute of Geological Survey

The ongoing development of the economy and society has increasingly intensified the imbalance between the supply and demand of land resources. Achieving coordinated development between socio-economic growth and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use is therefore a key foundation for high-quality regional development. In light of this, this study focuses on Henan Province at the county level. Building on a theoretical framework that examines the relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use, we employed methods including the entropy method, linear weighting method, mechanical equilibrium model, and curve estimation model. These were used to explore the evolution characteristics and interactive relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions at the county level in Henan Province. The findings reveal that: (1) The socio-economic development level of counties in Henan showed an overall upward trend during the study period, with the average value rising from 0.2320 in 2010 to 0.2702 in 2023. High-level areas were mainly concentrated in the central region around Zhengzhou. (2) The overall level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use in Henan’s counties followed a gradually increasing trend, with a relatively stable evolution process. The functional levels in northern, central, and eastern Henan were notably higher than those in the western and southern regions. (3) There is a significant positive correlation between the socio-economic development level of counties in Henan and the comprehensive level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use. Moreover, socio-economic development exerts a one-way influence on the functional level of “Production-Living-Ecological” in land-use. Identifying the interactive relationship between socio-economic factors and these land-use functions can provide quantitative references and a decision-making basis for rationally adjusting the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions across different stages of development.

To construct an ecological security pattern for Henan Province to support regional ecological protection and sustainable development， a comprehensive analysis of the landscape elements in Henan Province was conducted using morphological spatial pattern analysis （MSPA）， circuit theory， and space syntax. By identifying key elements such as ecological sources， corridors， pinch points， and obstacles and evaluating the morphological structure characteristics of the ecological network， critical spaces requiring priority restoration were determined. The results indicated that： ① The total area of landscape types in Henan Province was 32 066 km2， accounting for 19.20% of the study area， with core areas covering 23 095 km2， or 13.83%. When the area threshold was ≥3 km2， 380 ecological sources were identified， occupying 12.96% of the total study area， mainly concentrated in the western， central， and southern regions. ② Based on circuit theory， 1 139 ecological corridors were extracted， with a total length of 18 206.68 km， including 504 important， 403 secondary important， and 232 general corridors. Additionally， 316 ecological pinch points （located at the junctions of corridors and sources） and 290 ecological obstacles （distributed along corridors） were identified. ③ It is recommended to prioritize the restoration of 109 ecological obstacles in the northern and eastern regions， with a total restoration area of 1 387.19 km2. ④ Ultimately， an ecological security pattern of "one belt， two verticals， three screens， four corridors， and multiple nodes" was constructed. This pattern and its key elements fully reflect the actual characteristics of Henan Province's ecosystem， and the proposed restoration strategies provide scientific basis and practical guidance for regional ecological protection and sustainable development.

Groundwater supporting agro-pastoral regions is vulnerable to contamination from livestock effluents; this study evaluates shallow aquifers near farms in Henan Province to clarify sources and health risks of nitrate, fluoride, and manganese. We combined hydrochemical analysis with principal component analysis (PCA) and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) for source apportionment and applied Monte Carlo simulation (10,000 iterations) to quantify noncarcinogenic risk for children and adults via ingestion and dermal contact. Groundwater chemistry reflects carbonate weathering with contributions from evaporite dissolution and cation exchange. Source apportionment attributes ~73% of NO3 - to anthropogenic inputs, ~90% of F- to evaporitic/fluoride-bearing minerals, and ~76% of Mn2+ to redox-driven mobilization. Median hazard quotients (HQs) for all indicators were below 1. The median total hazard index (HI) was 1.18 for children and 0.80 for adults. At the 95th percentile, ingestion-driven nitrate HQs were 5.69 in children and 2.50 in adults, and fluoride HQs were 2.50 in children and 1.53 in adults; dermal exposure was negligible. Manganese HQs were 0.78 in children and 0.47 in adults, indicating low concern. Overall, nitrate risk reflects anthropogenic inputs from fertilizers and sanitation, whereas fluoride is largely geogenic. Management should prioritize reducing nitrate sources and, in parallel, implement feasible fluoride mitigation and removal.

Groundwater security in megacities is threatened by complex pollution from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This study develops a novel, full-chain framework that integrates entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), Monte Carlo simulation, and Getis-Ord Gi* spatial analysis to move beyond conventional assessments. Applied to 273 groundwater samples from Zhengzhou, China, the framework revealed that 25.64 % of the area had poor-to-very poor water quality (EWQI). Probabilistic health risk assessment showed that 19.25 % of adults and 27.74 % of children faced unacceptable non-carcinogenic risks, primarily driven by As and nitrate NO₃⁻. Furthermore, 46.53 % of the simulated carcinogenic risk outcomes for adults exceeded the safety threshold, with cadmium Cd as the dominant contributor. PMF results identified five pollution sources, among which the composite source of geogenic and industrial-origin heavy metals dominated health risks. Spatial hotspot analysis then precisely delineated the Yellow River alluvial plain and peri-urban transitional areas as the priority control zone. This source-risk-spatial integration provides a transformative tool for precision groundwater management. It demonstrates that prioritization based on health risk, rather than solely on contaminant concentration, is essential for protecting public health in complex urban environments. • A multi-model framework was developed for groundwater risk diagnosis. • As, Cd, and NO₃⁻ were identified as the dominant health risk drivers. • Hotspot areas mainly occurred in alluvial plains and urban–rural fringes. • Source–risk linkage supports zoning-based groundwater pollution control.

ABSTRACT Traditional models suggest that the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO) occurred during the Late Permian to Triassic. However, the timing of the closure remains a topic of considerable debate. The widespread distribution of A-type granites dating from the Carboniferous to Permian periods indicates that closure may have occurred earlier, potentially as far back as the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian or even the Late Devonian. The granitoids with ages from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian in northeastern Erenhot, within the Xing’an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt (XMOB), offer insightful perspectives on the complicated tectonic history related to the eventual closure of the PAO. By studying zircon U-Pb ages, Hf isotopic composition, and whole-rock geochemical composition of granitoids from the Zhunsujihua Granitic Belt (ZGB) and Baolage Granitic Belt (BGB) in northeastern Erenhot, we aim to gain a better understanding of their petrogenesis and tectonic settings while also constraining the closure time of the PAO. Zircon U-Pb ages of the ZGB and BGB granitoids span from 288 to 317 Ma and from 275 to 295 Ma, respectively. These granitoids have compositional ranges of 70.16–78.04 wt% SiO2, 3.73–5.02 wt% K2O, and 10.48–15.65 wt% Al2O3, and show light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment and negative Eu anomalies. The ZGB alkali-feldspar granite exhibits adakitic characteristics, whereas other ZGB granitoids show I-type features. The BGB granitoids display A-type signatures. Zircon εHf(t) values vary from + 10.05 to + 15.48, with young two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) spanning from 332 to 656 Ma, suggesting that both the ZGB and BGB granitoids have originated from partial melting of juvenile crustal materials. These findings suggest that the granitoids formed during the transition from subduction to post-collisional extension, which implies that the PAO in the northeastern region of Erenhot had closed at the latest by the Early Permian.

Multiple sources of evidence for the systematic use of coastal ecosystems and resources by Neanderthals are known. Fossil hominin footprints offer direct portraits of individual or social group presence and locomotor behavior, and interspecific interactions, in the coastal ecospace. Here we describe the first two hominin tracksites found in the southwestern most region of Europe. At Monte Clérigo, dated to 78 ± 5 ka, trackways of three individuals demonstrate how Neanderthals navigated dune landscapes. These behaviors suggest route planning, with dune systems serving as advantageous settings for ambush hunting or stalking prey. A single footprint at Praia do Telheiro site, dated to 82 ± 5 ka, sustains the presence of Neanderthals in the dune ecosystem during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a. Network analysis provided dietary preferences and ecological interactions of Neanderthals in coastal areas. A review of the Neanderthal coastal sites associated with faunal evidence shows that their diet was primarily centered on cervids, horses and hares. The consistent presence of these mammal taxa highlights their role as reliable food sources, irrespective of the varying environments inhabited by Neanderthals. In addition, the Neanderthal diet also incorporated animals from neighboring littoral habitats, indicating a broad foraging strategy that capitalized on local biodiversity.