title: Analyzing the international exergy flow network of ferrous metal ores.
abstract: This paper employs an un-weighted and weighted exergy network to study the properties of ferrous metal ores in countries worldwide and their evolution from 2002 to 2012. We find that there are few countries controlling most of the ferrous metal ore exports in terms of exergy and that the entire exergy flow network is becoming more heterogeneous though the addition of new nodes. The increasing of the average clustering coefficient indicates that the formation of an international exergy flow system and regional integration is improving. When we contrast the average out strength of exergy and the average out strength of currency, we find both similarities and differences. Prices are affected largely by human factors; thus, the growth rate of the average out strength of currency has fluctuated acutely in the eleven years from 2002 to 2012. Exergy is defined as the maximum work that can be extracted from a system and can reflect the true cost in the world, and this parameter fluctuates much less. Performing an analysis based on the two aspects of exergy and currency, we find that the network is becoming uneven.
authors.affiliation: School of Humanities and Economic Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, China; Department of Teaching Affairs, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China; Lab of Resources and Environmental Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: School of Humanities and Economic Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, China; Lab of Resources and Environmental Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Haizhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: School of Humanities and Economic Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, China; Lab of Resources and Environmental Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: School of Humanities and Economic Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, China; Lab of Resources and Environmental Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Weiqiong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Teaching Affairs, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Yanbing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D008670:Metals
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D008670:Metals