Fracture distribution in overburden strata induced by underground mining

Abstract

Coal-mining activities give rise to a series of ecological environmental problems, such as ground settlement and groundwater pollution. In fact, they are mainly caused by mining-induced fractures. Hence, it is necessary to study the mining-induced fracture distribution to identify the behavior of rock mass movement. However, the fractures in overburden strata cannot be directly measured owing to the special condition. Therefore, the majority of previous studies are based on experiments or experience. For this reason, this study first used a discrete element method to simulate the shape of mining-induced fractures in overburden strata. Then, a geophysical tool of transient electromagnetic method (TEM) was used to investigate the mining-induced fracture distribution. Based on the low-resistivity anomaly area, the water-rich area in overburden strata was analyzed to be mainly caused by fracture seepage. Through the mutual authentication between numerical simulation and TEM results, the mining-induced fractures in overburden strata were explored. This study can enhance the understanding of mining-induced fracture distribution on the one hand and guarantee the coal mining safety on the other, thus guiding the coordinated development between coal mining and environmental protection.

Quantifying the Impact and Importance of Natural, Economic, and Mining Activities on Environmental Quality Using the PIE-Engine Cloud Platform: A Case Study of Seven Typical Mining Cities in China

“…This is in line with the high-high aggregation characteristics of RSEI in high-elevation areas in Xiong et al's study [14]. On the contrary, human activities are more frequent in plain areas with flat topography [112], together with ground subsidence caused by mining activities [113], vegetation degradation [114], and obstruction of plant growth by abandoned mine tailings [115], leading to lower RSEI values. Therefore, elevation and slope are also promoting sensitivity factors for RSEI.…”

A discrete element model for multi-field numerical analysis of the CO 2 transport in fractured rock matrix

“…Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the reservoir permeability, temperature and pressure variations in porous media using field tests, laboratory tests and numerical method (Guan et al 2021;Li et al 2023). The field-monitoring of fluid tracks in rock matrix is essential, but it's technically difficult to install the sensors inside the micron-scale fracture (He et al 2022;Yao et al 2022). Some researchers investigated the permeability of flow through fractured rock by using the triaxial test apparatus with confining pressure, and the fracture propagation, pressure and temperature variations can be monitored (Fan et al 2017;Wanniarachchi et al 2019;Zhou et al 2016).…”