Water Inrush Risk Assessment in Coal Mining Systems
Summary
Water inrush into underground coal works arises when pressurised water from aquifers or karst systems breaches the coal seam or mine floor, posing serious threats to personnel safety, equipment and production continuity. Risk assessment integrates geological mapping, hydrogeological surveys, geophysical exploration and numerical simulation to identify potential conduits such as faults, fractures and collapse columns. Key factors include aquifer pressure, roof and floor lithology, mining depth, stress redistribution and the integrity of water‐resisting strata. Modern approaches combine field monitoring data—such as borehole hydrostatic tests and high‐density electrical imaging—with advanced analytical tools, including machine learning models, multi‐source spatial analysis and probabilistic weighting methods. The outcome is a zoned risk map that guides pre‐emptive measures: targeted grouting, pressure relief drilling and reinforcement support. Globally, tailored risk frameworks assist in the safe exploitation of deeper and more geologically complex coal deposits, while minimising environmental impact on regional groundwater. Effective assessment underpins regulatory compliance and cost‐effective mine design, ensuring both worker safety and energy security.
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Water Inrush Risk Assessment in Coal Mining Systems publication trend
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Technical terms
Aquifer: A permeable geological unit containing and transmitting groundwater under pressure.
Karst collapse column: A vertical, pipe‐like zone formed by dissolutional voids in carbonate strata that links surface or shallow aquifers to deeper units.
Aquifuge: An impermeable or very low‐permeability layer that confines groundwater and prevents vertical flow.
Convolutional neural network (CNN): A deep‐learning algorithm that processes spatial data through layered filters to recognise patterns and features.
Multi‐source information fusion: The integration of diverse data types—geological, geophysical and geospatial—to yield a unified risk assessment output.
AHP‐CRITIC composite weighting: A hybrid method combining Analytic Hierarchy Process for subjective prioritisation with CRITIC for objective indicator weighting.
References
- Exploration and prediction of high pressure dynamic water hidden collapse column in coal mines. Water Resources and Industry (2024).
- Multi-source information fusion technology for risk assessment of water inrush from coal floor karst aquifer. Geomatics Natural Hazards and Risk (2022).
- Evaluation of Water Inrush Hazard in Coal Seam Roof Based on the AHP-CRITIC Composite Weighted Method. Energies (2022).
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