Thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled simulation of the land subsidence due to aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in soft soils

Aquifer thermal energy storage(ATES)system has received attention for heating or cooling buildings.However,it is well known that land subsidence becomes a major environmental concern for ATES projects.Yet,the effect of temperature on land subsidence has received practically no attention in the past.This paper presents a thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)coupled numerical study on an ATES system in Shanghai,China.Four water wells were installed for seasonal heating and cooling of an agriculture greenhouse.The target aquifer at a depth of 74e104.5 m consisted of alternating layers of sand and silty sand and was covered with clay.Groundwater level,temperature,and land subsidence data from 2015 to 2017 were collected using field monitoring instruments.Constrained by data,we constructed a field scale three-dimensional(3D)model using TOUGH(Transport of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat)and FLAC3D(Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua)equipped with a thermo-elastoplastic constitutive model.The effectiveness of the numerical model was validated by field data.The model was used to reproduce groundwater flow,heat transfer,and mechanical responses in porous media over three years and capture the thermo-and pressure-induced land subsidence.The results show that the maximum thermoinduced land subsidence accounts for about 60%of the total subsidence.The thermo-induced subsidence is slightly greater in winter than that in summer,and more pronounced near the cold well area than the hot well area.This study provides some valuable guidelines for controlling land subsidence caused by ATES systems installed in soft soils.

Two stages of subsidence and its formation mechanisms in Mid-Late Triassic Ordos Basin,NW China

Based on a large number of newly added deep well data in recent years,the subsidence of the Ordos Basin in the Mid-Late Triassic is systematically studied,and it is proposed that the Ordos Basin experienced two important subsidence events during this depositional period.Through contrastive analysis of the two stages of tectonic subsidence,including stratigraphic characteristics,lithology combination,location of catchment area and sedimentary evolution,it is proposed that both of them are responses to the Indosinian Qinling tectonic activity on the edge of the craton basin.The early subsidence occurred in the Chang 10 Member was featured by high amplitude,large debris supply and fast deposition rate,with coarse debris filling and rapid subsidence accompanied by rapid accumulation,resulting in strata thickness increasing from northeast to southwest in wedge-shape.The subsidence center was located in Huanxian–Zhenyuan–Qingyang–Zhengning areas of southwestern basin with the strata thickness of 800–1300 m.The subsidence center deviating from the depocenter developed multiple catchment areas,until then,unified lake basin has not been formed yet.Under the combined action of subsidence and Carnian heavy rainfall event during the deposition period of Chang 7 Member,a large deep-water depression was formed with slow deposition rate,and the subsidence center coincided with the depocenter basically in the Mahuangshan–Huachi–Huangling areas.The deep-water sediments were 120–320 m thick in the subsidence center,characterized by fine grain.There are differences in the mechanism between the two stages of subsidence.The early one was the response to the northward subduction of the MianLüe Ocean and intense depression under compression in Qinling during Mid-Triassic.The later subsidence is controlled by the weak extensional tectonic environment of the post-collision stage during Late Triassic.

Residual subsidence time series model in mountain area caused by underground mining based on GNSS online monitoring

The residual subsidence caused by underground mining in mountain area has a long subsidence duration time and great potential harm,which seriously threatens the safety of people's production and life in the mining area.Therefore,it is necessary to use appropriate monitoring methods and mathematical models to effectively monitor and predict the residual subsidence caused by underground mining.Compared with traditional level survey and InSAR(Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar)technology,GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System)online monitoring technology has the advantages of long-term monitoring,high precision and more flexible monitoring methods.The empirical equation method of residual subsidence in mining subsidence is effectively combined with the rock creep equation,which can not only describe the residual subsidence process from the mechanism,but also predict the residual subsidence.Therefore,based on GNSS online monitoring technology,combined with the mining subsidence model of mountain area and adding the correlation coefficient of the compaction degree of caving broken rock and the Kelvin model of rock mechanics,this paper constructs the residual subsidence time series model of arbitrary point on the ground in mountain area.Through the example,the predicted results of the model in the inversion parameter phase and the dynamic prediction phase are compared with the measured data sequence.The results show that the model can carry out effective numerical calculation according to the GNSS monitoring data of any point on the ground,and the model prediction effect is good,which provides a new method for the prediction of residual subsidence in mountain mining.

Evolution mechanism and treatment timing of penetrating fissures

The Inner Mongolia mining area in western China are characterized by the development of numerous penetrating fissures,resulting in severe land damage.It is significant to reveal the underlying evolution mechanism and identify treatment timing for restoring the ecological environment.The Guanbanwusu mining subsidence area in Inner Mongolia,China was selected as the research case for this study.The evolution mechanism of different penetrating fissures was revealed by field measurement,physical simulation and theoretical analysis.The treatment timing prediction model for the mining subsidence area was established based on the enhanced Weibull time function.The results show that the ground fissures are mainly step-type and collapse-type fissures.The breaking form of overlying strata determines their vertical opening and horizontal dislocation.The high mining intensity in the western mining area results in a shortened period of dynamic fissure expansion and reduced closure degree.The damage extent of the overlying strata exhibits zoning characteristics both vertically and horizontally.The relative standard deviation of the prediction model is only 3.7%.Concurrently,the prediction model is employed to determine the optimal timing for treatment in the study area,estimated to be 259 days.Subsequently,once this threshold is reached,the study area undergoes treatment and restoration of its e cological environment.This study addresses the knowledge gap in this field by highlighting the interconnectedness between rock strata structure and evolution mechanism of penetrating fissures,thereby providing a method for determining the treatment timing in mining subsidence areas.

Using neural network modeling to improve the detection accuracy of land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal

Despite the high efficiency of remote sensing methods for rapid and large-scale detection of subsidence phenomena,this technique has limitations such as atmospheric impact and temporal and spatial decorrelation that affect the accuracy of the results.This paper proposes a method based on an artificial neural network to improve the results of monitoring land subsidence due to groundwater overexploitation by radar interferometry in the Aliabad plain(Central Iran).In this regard,vertical ground deformations were monitored over 18 months using the Sentinel-1A SAR images.To model the land subsidence by a multilayer perceptron(MLP)artificial neural network,four parameters,including groundwater level,alluvial thickness,elastic modulus,and transmissivity have been applied.The model's generalizability was assessed using data derived for 144 days.According to the results,the neural network estimates the land subsidence at each ground point with an accuracy of 6.8 mm.A comparison between the predicted and actual values indicated a significant agreement.The MLP model can be used to improve the results of subsidence detection in the study area or other areas with similar characteristics.

InSAR-derived surface deformation characteristics and mining subsidence parameters in mountain coal mines

Mining-induced surface deformation disrupts ecological balance and impedes economic progress.This study employs SBAS-InSAR with 107-view of ascending and descending SAR data from Sentinel-1,spanning February 2017 to September 2020,to monitor surface deformation in the Fa’er Coal Mine,Guizhou Province.Analysis on the surface deformation time series reveals the relationship between underground mining and surface shifts.Considering geological conditions,mining activities,duration,and ranges,the study determines surface movement parameters for the coal mine.It asserts that mining depth significantly influences surface movement parameters in mountainous mining areas.Increasing mining depth elevates the strike movement angle on the deeper side of the burial depth by 22.84°,while decreasing by 7.74°on the shallower side.Uphill movement angles decrease by 4.06°,while downhill movement angles increase by 15.71°.This emphasizes the technology's suitability for local mining design,which lays the groundwork for resource development,disaster prevention,and ecological protection in analogous contexts.

A semi-infinite beam theoretical model on predicting rock slope subsidence induced by underground mining

When the mining goaf is close to the cliff,rock slope subsidence induced by underground mining is significantly affected by its boundary conditions.In this study,an analytical method is proposed by considering the key strata as a semi-infinite Euler-Bernoulli beam rested on a Winkler foundation with a local subsidence area.The analytical solutions of deflection are derived by analyzing the boundary and continuity conditions of the cliff.Then,the analytical solutions are verified by the results from experimental tests,FEM and InSAR,respectively.After that,the influence of changing parameters on deflections is studied with sensitivity analysis.The results show that the distance between goaf and cliff significantly affects the deflection of semi-infinite beam.The response of semi-infinite beam is obviously determined by the length of goaf and the bending stiffness of beam.The comparisons between semi-infinite beam and infinite beam illustrate the ascendancy of the improved model in such problems.

Risk assessment of coastal flooding disaster by storm surge based on Elevation-Area method and hydrodynamic models:Taking Bohai Bay as an example

The future inundation by storm surge on coastal areas are currently ill-defined.With increasing global sealevel due to climate change,the coastal flooding by storm surge is more and more frequently,especially in coastal lowland with land subsidence.Therefore,the risk assessment of such inundation for these areas is of great significance for the sustainable socio-economic development.In this paper,the authors use Elevation-Area method and Regional Ocean Model System(ROMS)model to assess the risk of the inundation of Bohai Bay by storm surge.The simulation results of Elevation-Area method show that either a 50-year or 100-year storm surge can inundate coastal areas exceeding 8000 km^(2);the numerical simulation results based on hydrodynamics,considering ground friction and duration of the storm surge high water,show that a 50-year or 100-year storm surge can only inundate an area of over 2000 km^(2),which is far less than 8000 km^(2);while,when taking into account the land subsidence and sea level rise,the very inundation range will rapidly increase by 2050 and 2100.The storm surge will greatly impact the coastal area within about 10-30 km of the Bohai Bay,in where almost all major coastal projects are located.The prompt response to flood disaster due to storm surge is urgently needed,for which five suggestions have been proposed based on the geological background of Bohai Bay.This study may offer insight into the development of the response and adaptive plans for flooding disasters caused by storm surge.

Mechanical responses of underground carriageway structures due to construction of metro tunnels beneath the existing structure:A case study

To understand the mechanical response pattern of the existing structure and ground due to the construction of metro tunnels underneath,the finite difference method is adopted to study the torsional deformation and stress variation of the existing structure and the effect of underground carriageway structures on the surface subsidence.The curves of the maximum differential subsidence,torsion angle,and distortion of the cross-section of the existing structure show two peaks in succession during traversing of two metro tunnels beneath it.The torsion angle of the existing structure changes when the two tunnels traverse beneath it in opposite directions.The first traversing of the shield tunnel mainly induces the magnitude variation in torsional deformation of the existing structure,but the second traversing of the subsurface tunnel may cause a dynamic change in the magnitude and form of torsional deformation in the existing structure.The shielding effect can reduce the surface subsidence caused by metro tunnel excavation to a certain extent,and the development trend of subsidence becomes slower as the excavation continues.

Identified the hydrochemical and the sulfur cycle process in subsidence area of Pingyu mining area using multi-isotopes combined with hydrochemistry methods

Groundwater serves as an important water source for residents in and around mining areas.To achieve scientific planning and efficient utilization of water resources in mining areas,it is essential to figure out the chemical formation process and the ground water sulfur cycle that transpire after the coal mining activities.Based on studies of hydrochemistry and D,^(18)O-H_(2)O,^(34)S-SO_(4)isotopes,this study applied principal component analysis,ion ratio and other methods in its attempts to reveal the hydrogeochemical action and sulfur cycle in the subsidence area of Pingyu mining area.The study discovered that,in the studied area,precipitation provides the major supply of groundwater and the main water chemistry effects are dominated by oxidation dissolution of sulfide minerals as well as the dissolution of carbonate and silicate rocks.The sulfate in groundwater primarily originates from oxidation and dissolution of sulfide minerals in coal-bearing strata and human activities.The mixed sulfate formed by the oxidation of sulfide minerals and by human activities continuously recharges the groundwater,promoting the dissolution of carbonate rock and silicate rock in the process.

Study on the Safety and Prevention Technology of Coal Mining under the River in Xingyuan Coal Mine

Coal mining-induced surface subsidence poses significant ecological and infrastructural challenges, necessitating a comprehensive study to ensure safe mining practices, particularly in underwater conditions. This project aims to address the extensive impact of coal mining on the environment, infrastructure, and overall safety, focusing on the Shigong River area above the working face. The study employs qualitative and quantitative analyses, along with on-site engineering measurements, to gather data on crucial parameters such as coal seam characteristics, roof rock lithology, thickness, water resistance, and structural damage degree. The research encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, involving mining, geology, hydrogeology, geophysical exploration, rock mechanics, mine surveying, and computational mathematics. The importance of effective safety measures and prevention techniques is emphasized, laying the foundation for research focused on the Xingyun coal mine. The brief concludes by highlighting the potential economic and social benefits of this project and its contribution to valuable experience for future subsea coal mining.

Method of Monitoring Three-dimensional Mining Surface Deformation Based on InSAR

In order to solve the problems of small monitoring range,long time and high cost of existing sedimentation observation methods,based on two-view sentinel No.1 radar images of Guqiao mining area in Huainan City from November 4,2017 to November 28,2017,surface change information was obtained in combination with D-InSAR,and the three-dimensional surface deformation was monitored by two-pass method and single line of sight D-InSAR method.The results show that during the research period of 24 d,the maximum deformation of the mining area reached 71 mm,and the southern subsidence was the most obvious,which was in line with the mining subsidence law.The maximum displacement from the north to the south was about 250 mm,while the maximum displacement from the east to the west was about 80 mm,and the maximum subsidence in the center was 110 mm.It is concluded that D-InSAR technique has a good effect on the inversion of the mining subsidence,and this method is suitable for three-dimensional surface monitoring in areas with similar geological conditions.The monitoring results have certain reference value.

Ganges and Brahmaputra River System: Need for a Multi-Country Plan for Cleaning, Mitigation, Restoration and Protection

The Ganges and Brahmaputra River system is in the plains of the northern Indian subcontinent. The river is a wide sluggish stream flowing through densely populated and fertile agricultural regions of the world. The Ganges is known as the Hinduism holy river. In Bangladesh, the Brahmaputra is joined by the Teesta River. The western branch of the Brahmaputra confluences with the Ganges and contains most of the river flow. The eastern branch joins the Meghna River near Dhaka. The basin covers parts of four countries including India, Nepal, China, and Bangladesh. Of greater concern, however, has been the degradation in quality of the river water itself. The primary objective of this research is to encourage the development of a multi-country clean-up, mitigation, and protection plan for the Ganges-Brahmaputra rivers. This article constitutes a real tool for the restoration, enhancement and protection of the Ganges-Brahmaputra River system and its environment. The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers are known for stream bank erosion, shifting channels, and sandbars that continually emerge in their course. The Ganges and Brahmaputra watershed is home to hundreds of millions of people, with the result that the river’s water over much of its course is highly polluted. Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh continues to be the largest case of human poisoning in history. Catastrophic floods have prompted the World Bank to prepare a long-term flood-control plan for the region. Scores of cities and towns contribute to treated sewage into the river and its main tributaries, and dozens of manufacturing facilities contribute industrial waste. Also contributing to high pollution levels are agricultural runoff, the remnants of partially burned or unburned bodies from funeral pyres, and animal carcasses. High levels of disease-causing bacteria, as well as such toxic substances as chromium, cadmium, and arsenic, have been found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra. External research and funding of adsorptive media systems to help mitigate the high arsenic levels in drinking water (river and groundwater) is needed. The Ganges-Brahmaputra River system is of colossal importance to its entire environment. Restoration and protection measures must be adopted appropriately and at the scale of the concerned countries.

Structural Style and Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of the Growth Faults Related Structures in the Bengal Basin

The structural and tectonic evolution of the Bengal Basin is characterized by a complex interplay of factors, including sedimentation, the rise of the Himalayan Mountains, and the movements of Jurassic syn-rift faults. This study aims to comprehend the progression of growth faults inside the basin by examining fault geometry, basin development, and structural relief patterns. We used high-quality 2D seismic lines from the PK-MY-8403, classical seismic interpretation techniques and modeling were carried out to reveal the plate tectonic conditions, stratigraphy, and sedimentation history of the basin. The break-up unconformity, Paleocene and Eocene submerged conditions, and crucial geological formations including the Sylhet Limestone, Barail Group, and Surma Group were among the notable features recognized in seismic section. With an emphasis on growth strata and pre-growth strata, significant variations in layer thickness and relief were remarked in different stratigraphic levels. Basin development events like the evolution of the Miocene remnant ocean basin, sedimentation in Oligocene, Eocene Himalayan collision, and the Pliocene reverse fault development are analyzed. In the early the Pliocene compressional forces outpaced sedimentation rates and syn-depositional normal faults of Oligocene time began to move in opposite direction. Syn-depositional growth faults may have formed in the Bengal Basin as a result of this reversal. This research provides a detailed comprehensive knowledge of growth fault development in the Bengal Basin following the seismic interpretation, modelling, and thickness/relief analysis. The outcomes point to a substantial hydrocarbon potential, especially in regions like the Eocene Hinge Zone, where the prospectivity of the area is enhanced by carbonate reefs and Jalangi shale. However, the existence of petroleum four-way closure in the investigated region requires further investigation.

Agricultural Policy Simulation Based on Computable General Equilibrium Model

[Objective] This study aimed to examine the simulated effect of Computable General Equilibrium （CGE）-based agricultural policy simulation system. [Method] The policy simulation platform based on CGE model was constructed by integrating policy simulation, CGE model and Decision Supporting System （DSS）. The scenario analysis method was used to analyze the agricultural subsides policy simulation through empirical analysis. [Result] Farmers were the main beneficiaries of increasing agricultural production subsidies, which increased farmers＇ income and improved the export of agriculture products. The prototype system could solve the problems in actual policy simulation. [Conclusion] The results lay the foundation for the quantitative study on agricultural subsidy policy in China.

Subsidence prediction method based on equivalent mining height theory for solid backfilling mining

Based on the characteristics of strata movement of solid backfilling mining technology, the surface subsidence prediction method based on the equivalent mining height theory was proposed, and the parameters selection guideline of this method was also described. While comparing the parameters of caving mining with equivalent height, the subsidence efficient can be calculated according to the mining height and bulk factor of sagging zone and fracture zone, the tangent of main influence angle of solid backfilling mining is reduced by 0.2-0.5（while it cannot be less than 1.0）. For sake of safety, offset of the inflection point is set to zero, and other parameters, such as horizontal movement coefficient and main propagation angle are equal to the corresponding parameters of caving mining with equivalent height. In the last part, a case study of solid backfilling mining subsidence prediction was described. The results show the applicability of this method and the difference of the maximum subsidence point between the prediction and the observation is less than 5%.

A model for extracting large deformation mining subsidence using D-InSAR technique and probability integral method

Due to the difficulties in obtaining large deformation mining subsidence using differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar （D-InSAR） alone, a new algorithm was proposed to extract large deformation mining subsidence using D-InSAR technique and probability integral method. The details of the algorithm are as follows：the control points set, containing correct phase unwrapping points on the subsidence basin edge generated by D-InSAR and several observation points （near the maximum subsidence and inflection points）, was established at first; genetic algorithm （GA） was then used to optimize the parameters of probability integral method; at last, the surface subsidence was deduced according to the optimum parameters. The results of the experiment in Huaibei mining area, China, show that the presented method can generate the correct mining subsidence basin with a few surface observations, and the relative error of maximum subsidence point is about 8.3%, which is much better than that of conventional D-InSAR （relative error is 68.0%）.

Monitoring large-area mining subsidence by GNSS based on IGS stations

In order to monitor large-area mining subsidence accurately, a high-precision global navigation satellite system （GNSS） monitoring network was established based on the nearby international GNSS service （IGS） stations taken as reference points. Given the non-linear motions of IGS stations, the robust Kalman filtering （RKF） model was presented to determine the datum of multi-period monitoring network considering the velocity and weekly solution of IGS stations. The theory proposed was applied to monitoring mining subsidence in northern Anhui coal mine in China. According to the case study, the RKF model to establish monitoring datum is better than the prediction method and the weekly solution from IGS analysis centers （ACs）, and the corresponding precision of deformation can reach up to millimeter level with 4 h observation. The research provides an efficient and accurate approach for monitoring large-area mining subsidence.

Evaluation of PS-DInSAR technology for subsidence monitoring caused by repeated mining in mountainous area

The high resolution Terra SAR-X dataset was employed with DIn SAR and persistent scatterer interferometry（PSI） technique for subsidence monitoring in a mountainous area. For DInS AR technique, the generally used SRTM and relief-DEM, which was derived from aerial topographic map, were used to evaluate the influence of external DEM. The results show that SRTM could not fully compensate the complex topography of the research area. The corner reflectors installed during the acquisition of SAR dataset were used to estimate the accuracy of geocoding. The terrain corrected geocoding results based on relief-DEM were much better than using SRTM, with the root mean square error（RMSE） being 6.35 m in X direction and 11.65 m in Y direction（both in UTM projection）, around one pixel of the multilooked intensity image to be geocoded. For PSI technique, the results from time-series analysis of multi-baseline differential interferograms were integrated to restrict only persistent scatterer candidates near the boundary of subsiding area for regression analysis. The results demonstrate that PSI can refine the boundary of subsidence, which could then be used to derive some angular parameters to help people to learn the law of subsidence caused by repeated excavation in this area.

淮北市采煤沉陷区非常规水资源开发利用研究

以淮北市采煤沉陷区为研究对象,在综合分析采煤沉陷区非常规水资源利用可行性的基础上,建立了淮北市采煤沉陷区"一河两区"的非常规水资源利用系统。运用情景分析法组合构建了18种未来可能情景,采用典型年水量均衡法计算得到了不同情景下沉陷区的供水保证率。研究结果表明,通过采煤沉陷区的调蓄,境内非常规水资源可利用量相当可观,在丰水年份可满足工业园用水要求,平、枯水年份工业园用水保证率也有很大提高。通过采煤沉陷区的非常规水资源利用,可提高淮北市的水资源利用效率,有效应对淮北市面临的水资源短缺问题,保障社会经济的可持续发展。