Abstract
Understanding the deformation behavior of weakly cemented overburden in western coalfields is critical for assessing mining-induced instability and groundwater hazards. Taking the 23 − 2 coal seam of Yili No. 4 Mine as the research object, this study integrates FLAC3D numerical simulations with high-precision transient electromagnetic field monitoring data to quantify the influence of mining thickness and face advance on overburden responses. The actual mining thickness of the target coal seam is 9.5 ~ 10 m, and the mining depth ranges from 150 m to 1000 m. Results reveal a characteristic “progressive growth–stabilization” evolution of vertical displacement, with the maximum vertical displacement reaching 2.2 m when the working face advances to 600 m. Meanwhile, a distinct development of the caving zone, water-conducting fracture zone, and plastic deformation zone is observed. The caving zone stabilizes at a height of 30 m with a caving-to-mining ratio of 3.0 when the working face advances beyond 260 m. The water-conducting fracture zone stabilizes at a height of 45 ~ 52 m, corresponding to a fracture-to-mining ratio of 4.7–5.3. The heights of these zones exhibit strong sensitivity to mining thickness and depth, reflecting the inherent mechanical vulnerability of weakly cemented strata. The close agreement between simulation outputs and in situ measurements confirms the robustness of the modeling framework. Overall, this work provides essential quantitative parameters for water-inrush prevention in western mining areas, offering scientific guidance for designing waterproof coal-pillar heights (≥ 52 m) and predicting fracture-zone propagation during mining operations.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to [specific reason, e.g., data privacy restrictions from the mining site management] but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all those who provided support for this study. We thank Guanyu Zhang, a coal mine technician, for allowing us to use their data and for facilitating our accommodation and food on the mine, and several colleagues for their help with the technical line and language embellishment of the article.
Funding
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52104203); the Open Fund Project of the Key Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Clean Utilization of Coal Resources (2021-CMCU-KF015); the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project (ZR2022ME140).
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All authors were involved in thinking about and constructing the research content of the article and contributed accordingly. Material preparations were performed by G.Z; data collection were performed by G.L; analysis were performed by H.Z and G.L.The first draft of the manuscript was written by H.Z. All authors read and approve the final manuscript.
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Zhang, G., Zhang, H., Li, G. et al. Deformation characteristics of weakly cemented overburden in Western mining areas in China. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44166-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44166-4
