State-of-the-art occurrence mechanism and hazard control of mining tremors and their challenges in Chinese coal mines

With an increasing mining depth and intensity in Chinese coal mines, unprecedented frequency and intensity of mining tremors are attracting extensive attention from the government and society. Under the initiatives from the government and the intensive investigations, significant progress has been made in the research and engineering practice, which greatly enhances the understanding and hazard control of the mining tremors. This paper reviewed the state-of-the-art occurrence mechanism, damage characteristics and control of the mining tremors in Chinese coal mines and demonstrated their main challenges. The conclusions are as follows: due to the complicated occurrence conditions of mining tremors, various definitions and classifications of mining tremors have been proposed from different aspects. This paper has summarized these definitions and classifications and defines mining tremors from special and general aspects, respectively, which classify mining tremors in terms of phenomena and occurrence mechanisms. Because mining tremors are widespread in all mining countries in the world, targeted mining tremor hazards prevention and control are urgently needed. Although the research started late in China, the hazard control of mining tremors and the emergency dealing capacity have been significantly enhanced in recent years due to the implementation of the regulations and rules from the government for mining tremors prevention and control. It has been summarized that from the macro view, the triggering of mining tremors is mainly induced by the coal pillar failure, roof breakage and movement and fault slip, and from the micro view, the triggering of mining tremors mainly includes tension rupture, implosion rupture and shear rupture. The mining-tremor-induced hazards have been surveyed in terms of source parameters, seismic wave attenuation and seismic wave disturbances, and the methods for evaluating surface and underground damage triggered by mining tremors have been also concluded. To achieve hazard source control and precise prevention, the current situation of mining tremors treatment in Chinese coal mines has been outlined. At present, Chinese coal mines, it is still far away to achieve accurate hazard source identification and full hazard control. Therefore, to support the national strategy of deep resources development and energy security, future studies should focus on investigating the hazard-forming mechanism, damage effect and prevention and control technologies of mining tremors.