Groundwater Flow Field Variations Induced by Coal Mining Studied in New Research

New research on environment and environmental protection has been reported by investigators at Shandong University of Science and Technology. According to the research published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the study aims to investigate the investigation of groundwater flow field variations in deep aquifers under the influence of subsurface engineering activities such as coal mining. The proposed methodology integrates multi-scale characteristics of geological structures with spatially varied parameter weighting schemes, achieving comprehensive simulation of groundwater flow field variations induced by coal mining activities through systematic coupling of numerical modeling and decision support systems.

Key Takeaways:

• The research proposes a multi-scale coupled decision-based simulation method integrating microscopic physical properties of aquifers, macroscopic lithological distribution characteristics, and zonal modeling of coupled decision parameters.
• The study focuses on the Zhiluo Formation and Yan'an Formation, which exhibit different porosity spectra, with sandstone specimens from the Zhiluo Formation showing porosities ranging from 20.8% to 22.3%, and those in the Yan'an Formation displaying a broader porosity spectrum of 9.1% to 20.9%.
• The research highlights the importance of considering the marked superiority of coarse-grained sandstones in enhancing aquifer water storage capacity and hydraulic conductivity, with their permeability-enhancing effects progressively diminishing as particle size reduces.
• The established variable weight set pair-connection cloud model significantly enhances analytical accuracy in multi-scale coupled zoning, enabling effective parameter partitioning for both Zhiluo and Yan'an Formations.
• The constructed simulation model successfully replicates aquifer flow field evolution during mining disturbances, achieving over 90% consistency between simulated and measured water levels across monitoring points.
• The research concludes that the modeling framework demonstrates strong predictive capability for assessing coal mining impacts on groundwater systems, providing scientific support for environmental protection, resource management, disaster prevention, and decision-making processes.

Statistics:

• 20.8% - 22.3%: porosity range of sandstone specimens from the Zhiluo Formation
• 9.1% - 20.9%: porosity spectrum of sandstone specimens from the Yan'an Formation
• 90%: consistency between simulated and measured water levels across monitoring points
• 2025: publication year of the Journal of Environmental Management

Sources:

• Research on the simulation of groundwater flow fields disturbed by coal mining based on multi-scale coupled decision-making, Journal of Environmental Management, 2025; 391: 126441.
• Shandong University of Science and Technology, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Qingdao, 266590, People's Republic of China.