Impact of the closure of a coal district on the environmental issue of long-term surface movements

Andre Vervoort; Andre Vervoort

doi:10.3934/geosci.2022019

AIMS Geosciences

2022, Volume 8, Issue 3: 326-345. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2022019

Previous Article Next Article

Research article

Impact of the closure of a coal district on the environmental issue of long-term surface movements

Andre Vervoort ^,

Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Received: 21 March 2022 Revised: 21 April 2022 Accepted: 26 April 2022 Published: 06 May 2022

The environmental impact of deep underground coal mines using the longwall mining method is diverse, e.g., short- and long-term subsidence, damage to surface infrastructure, disturbance of the hydrogeological conditions, and the quality of groundwater and surface water. The study presented focusses on the long-term surface movements after the closure of an entire coal district. Due to the flooding of the underground infrastructure and rock mass, an upward surface movement or uplift is observed. For a specific site in the Campine coal district, Belgium results are presented of satellite data (radar-interferometry). However, the main aim of the study is to better understand the process of uplift and to determine the various mechanisms that are involved. For this purpose, an analytical framework was developed recently, and it was applied successfully in a relatively easy case. The case study of the paper is more challenging, but the usefulness of the analytical framework is clearly confirmed. The most important conclusions are that (i) the uplift is induced by an increase in water pressure after the closure, i.e., re-establishing the original hydraulic gradient, (ii) the expansion of both the goaf volumes and the volumes of the non-collapsed rock mass must be considered, and (iii) the assumption of a linear decrease of water pressure variation from the top to the bottom of the mined area at the end of the mining phase provides the most realistic results. However, the next step in the analysis should focus on a more advanced hydrogeological model of the complex underground environment.
- longwall mining,
- ground control,
- radar-interferometry,
- surface movement,
- uplift,
- estimation,
- analytical model
Citation: Andre Vervoort. Impact of the closure of a coal district on the environmental issue of long-term surface movements[J]. AIMS Geosciences, 2022, 8(3): 326-345. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2022019

Related Papers:

Abstract

The environmental impact of deep underground coal mines using the longwall mining method is diverse, e.g., short- and long-term subsidence, damage to surface infrastructure, disturbance of the hydrogeological conditions, and the quality of groundwater and surface water. The study presented focusses on the long-term surface movements after the closure of an entire coal district. Due to the flooding of the underground infrastructure and rock mass, an upward surface movement or uplift is observed. For a specific site in the Campine coal district, Belgium results are presented of satellite data (radar-interferometry). However, the main aim of the study is to better understand the process of uplift and to determine the various mechanisms that are involved. For this purpose, an analytical framework was developed recently, and it was applied successfully in a relatively easy case. The case study of the paper is more challenging, but the usefulness of the analytical framework is clearly confirmed. The most important conclusions are that (i) the uplift is induced by an increase in water pressure after the closure, i.e., re-establishing the original hydraulic gradient, (ii) the expansion of both the goaf volumes and the volumes of the non-collapsed rock mass must be considered, and (iii) the assumption of a linear decrease of water pressure variation from the top to the bottom of the mined area at the end of the mining phase provides the most realistic results. However, the next step in the analysis should focus on a more advanced hydrogeological model of the complex underground environment.

References

[1]	Galvin JM (2016) Ground engineering - Principles and practices for underground coal mining. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25005-2
[2]	Peng SS (1992) Surface subsidence engineering. SME, New York, NY, USA.
[3]	Wagner H, Schümann HER (1991) Surface effects of total coal-seam extraction by underground mining methods. J S Atr Inst Min Metall 91: 221-231. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/AJA0038223X_2005
[4]	Whittaker BN, Reddish DJ (1989) Subsidence: occurrence, prediction and control. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
[5]	Chomacki L, Rusek J, Słowik L (2021) Selected artificial intelligence methods in the risk analysis of damage to masonry buildings subject to long-term underground mining exploitation. Minerals 11: 958. https://doi.org/10.3390/min11090958 doi: 10.3390/min11090958
[6]	Rusek J, Tajduś K, Firek K, et al. (2021) Score-based Bayesian belief network structure learning in damage risk modelling of mining areas building development. J Cleaner Prod 296: 126528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126528 doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126528
[7]	Yang Z, Li Z, Zhu J, et al. (2018) An InSAR-based temporal probability integral method and its application for predicting mining-induced dynamic deformations and assessing progressive damage to surface buildings. IEEE J Sel Top Appl Earth Obs Remote Sens 11: 472-483. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2018.2789341 doi: 10.1109/JSTARS.2018.2789341
[8]	Florkowska L (2013) Example building damage caused by mining exploitation in disturbed rock mass. Stud Geotech Mech 35: 19-38. https://doi.org/10.2478/sgem-2013-0021 doi: 10.2478/sgem-2013-0021
[9]	Masood N, Hudson-Edwards K, Farooqi A (2020) True cost of coal: coal mining industry and its associated environmental impacts on water resource development. J Sustainable Min 19: Article 1. https://doi.org/10.46873/2300-3960.1012
[10]	Li Y, Peng SS, Zhang J (2015) Impact of longwall mining on groundwater above the longwall panel in shallow coal seams. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 7: 298-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.03.007 doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.03.007
[11]	Vitale A (2012) Surface water impact assessment of longwall mining subsidence. Engeny Water Management, Galilee Coal Project SEIS Technical Report.
[12]	TEC (2007) Impacts of longwall coal mining on the environment in New South Wales. Total Environment Centre, Sydney, Australia.
[13]	Vervoort A (2021) Uplift of the surface of the earth above abandoned coal mines. Part A: Analysis of satellite data related to the movement of the surface. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 148: 104896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104896 doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104896
[14]	Tajduś K, Sroka A, Misa R, et al. (2021) Analysis of mining-induced delayed surface subsidence. Minerals 11: 1187. https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111187 doi: 10.3390/min11111187
[15]	Vervoort A (2020) The time duration of the effects of total extraction mining methods on surface movement. Energies 13: 4107. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en13164107 doi: 10.3390/en13164107
[16]	Vervoort A (2020) Long-term impact of coal mining on surface movement: residual subsidence versus uplift. Min Rep Glückauf 156: 136-141.
[17]	Devleeschouwer X, Declercq PY, Flamion B, et al. (2008) Uplift revealed by radar interferometry around Liège (Belgium): A relation with rising mining groundwater. In: Proceedings of the symposium post-Mining 2008, Nancy, France.
[18]	Dudek M, Rusek J, Tajduś K, et al. (2021) Analysis of steel industrial portal frame building subjected to loads resulting from land surface uplift following the closure of underground mines. Arch Civ Eng 67: 283-298. http://dx.doi.org/10.24425/ace.2021.138056 doi: 10.24425/ace.2021.138056
[19]	Baglikow V (2011) Damage-relevant effects of mine water recovery—Conclusions from the Erkelenz hard coal district. Markscheidewesen 118: 10-16.
[20]	Samsonov S, d'Oreye N, Smets B (2013) Ground deformation associated with post-mining activity at the French—German border revealed by novel InSAR time series method. Int J Appl Earth Obs Geoinform 23: 142-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2012.12.008 doi: 10.1016/j.jag.2012.12.008
[21]	Caro Cuenca M, Hooper AJ, Hanssen RF (2013) Surface deformation induced by water influx in the abandoned coal mines in Limburg, the Netherlands observed by satellite radar interferometry. J Appl Geophys 88: 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2012.10.003 doi: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2012.10.003
[22]	Herrero C, Muñ oz A, Catalina JC, et al. (2012) Prediction and monitoring of subsidence hazards above coal mines (Presidence). RFCS Final Report RFCR-CT-2007-00004, EUR 25057 EN. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission.
[23]	Bekendam RF, Pö ttgens JJ (1995) Ground movements over the coal mines of southern Limburg, The Netherlands, and their relation to rising mine waters. In: Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Land Subsidence, The Hague, the Netherlands, IAHS234: 3-12.
[24]	Vervoort A (2021) Uplift of the surface of the earth above abandoned coal mines. Part B: Framework to understand and explain uplift. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 148: 104947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104947 doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104947
[25]	Vervoort A, Declercq PY (2017) Upwards surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding of underground workings. In: Proc. of 36th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University, 329-336.
[26]	Vervoort A (2022) Upward surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding: analytical modeling results. In: Proc. of the SME 2022 International Conference on Ground Control in Mining. Canonsburg PA, United States [in press].
[27]	Vervoort A (2016) Surface movement above an underground coal longwall mine after closure. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 16: 2107-2121. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-2107-2016 doi: 10.5194/nhess-16-2107-2016
[28]	Vervoort A, Declercq PY (2018) Upward surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding of underground workings. Int J Min Sci Technol 28: 53-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2017.11.008 doi: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2017.11.008
[29]	David K, Timms WA, Barbour SL, et al. (2017) Tracking changes in the specific storage of overburden rock during longwall coal mining. J Hydrol 553: 304-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.07.057 doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.07.057
[30]	Tammetta P (2013) Estimation of the height of complete groundwater drainage above mined longwall panels. Groundwater 51: 723-734. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12003 doi: 10.1111/gwat.12003
[31]	Tammetta P (2014) Author's Reply on Discussion. Groundwater 52: 339-342. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12190_2 doi: 10.1111/gwat.12190_2
[32]	Zhao J, Konietzky H (2021) An overview on flooding induced uplift for abandoned coal mines. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 148: 104955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104955 doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104955
[33]	Zhao J, Konietzky H, Herbst M, et al. (2021) Numerical simulation of flooding induced uplift for abandoned coal mines: simulation schemes and parameter sensitivity. Int J Coal Sci Technol 8: 1238-1249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40789-021-00465-x doi: 10.1007/s40789-021-00465-x

Reader Comments

Your name:*

Email:*
© 2022 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)