Work

Concurrent Mining and Reclamation in Coal–Grain Overlapping Regions: A Pathway to Sustainable Land Use

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Underground coal mining-induced subsidence threatens farmland resources and ecological sustainability in coal–grain overlapping regions with high groundwater tables, making concurrent mining and reclamation a critical management need. Previous studies have not systematically compared the integrated effects of mining sequence, extraction method, and panel optimization on subsidence control and reclamation efficiency in such regions. This study designed six mining schemes, integrating these three technical factors to investigate spatiotemporal subsidence evolution and the performance of deep digging–shallow filling reclamation. Findings reveal that mining design synergistically regulates short-to-mid-term subsidence: deep–thin seam-first skip mining eliminates initial severe subsidence damage, while shallow-thick seam-first sequential mining induces the most severe early-stage ecological disturbance. After a full extraction of both coal seams, long-term surface damage converges to 2374 ha (1509 ha severe damage), dictated by total extracted coal volume and inherent geological conditions. Reclamation efficiency depended on earthwork availability and terrain adaptability, with the optimal scheme achieving a reclamation rate of 65.00%. The findings identify mining strategies that balance subsidence mitigation and farmland restoration, providing actionable insights for sustainable mining in high-groundwater coal–grain overlapping regions.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18031243

Authors: Xi Zhang, Zhanjie Feng, Ruihao Cui, Lingtong Meng, Zhixin Li, Zhenqi Hu

Institutions: China University of Mining and Technology, Henan Polytechnic University, China University of Mining and Technology - Beijing

Language: English

Topic: Geotechnical and Mining Engineering

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896