An integrated approach for the prediction of subsidence for coal mining basins

• Deals with the importance of subsidence in populated areas.
• Describes subsidence measurements using Space Borne Differential Radar Interferometry.
• Suggests a new subsidence prediction approach using FEM and satellite measurements.
• Gives two case studies as examples for the application of proposed approach.
• Discusses the validity of the proposed approach using predicted and measured subsidence data.

In this study, land subsidence caused by underground mining activities was investigated by means of a new subsidence prediction approach (ISP-Tech) which takes into account the most important parameters contributing subsidence development such as coal production methods, depth, mining sequence and other geomechanical characteristics of underground rock strata, etc. ISP-Tech can be applied to operating mines to keep land subsidence under control as well as virgin coal sites to predict surface subsidence prior to mining activities. In the method, geological information gathered from the geographic information system (GIS) and the mining information system (MIS) are utilised to obtain geological cross-sections which are used in finite element models for mesh building. Then, a number of two dimensional finite element modelling analyses are carried out to determine land subsidence occurring due to mining operations. Finally, land subsidence predicted from modelling studies is compared to the GPS and/or differential interferometry synthetic aperture radar (DIn-SAR) measurements. If incompatibility of the results is detected, finite element meshes should be optimised, and then reanalysed to obtain more compatible results. In the study, two different case studies were given as examples of the application of ISP-Tech. Results of the case studies showed that ISP-Tech can successfully be applied to complex mine subsidence problems. The proposed approach gives more accurate results than those obtained from other classical subsidence prediction methods.